I saw All About Steve... on HBO, not in the theater.  While I didn't think it was a great movie, I didn't think it was so awful.  Sandra Bullock plays that innocent dippy character better than anyone else; I probably enjoyed this movie more than The Blind Side.


Phil

For what it's worth, New Moon kind of falls under the same category as the latest Harry Potter film. Melissa Rosenberg did a great job adapting the book into a screenplay. Whatever faults exist in the script and movie were in the book as well. I remember some on here complaining about the subtitles at one point stating the various months that passed, but even that mirrored the book with the single months printed on blank pages showing that the time passed but absolutely nothing happened. Doing that in a single spinning shot complete with the months and music that was monotonous and melancholy but strangely interesting made for a scene better presented than the book's version.

My suspicion is that the anti-Twilight faction had a lot to do with its selection. As fans grow, so do its detractors.

While I commend the idea of linking to transcripts and/or pdfs of the Oscar noms and winners of last year, I frown on listing the Razzies list. Why? With the exception of Transformers and GI Joe -where the writers are hired and "told" what to write by those paying bills (think I'm kidding? Fine. How do you explain Stuart Beattie being on the list for GI Joe? Oe Orci/Kurtzman for Transformers- yet they also wrote Star Trek?)

Yet the scripts themselves could have been mangled during development.
In any case, one cannot learn anything from the Raz list. In fact, let's look at GI Joe Rise Of Cobra. Besides Beattie, there was Skip Woods, Michael B. Gordon (who faced the blank page first) John Lee Hancock, Brian Koppelman and David Levien (all of whom written scenes for GI Joe to beat the WGA strike) and finally, # David Elliot and Paul Lovett. Director Sommers also contributed.

So, in other words, the script was rewritten into chicken soup with one too many cooks in the kitchen. Much of it was a rush job. And yes the film was stupid, lame and watching paint dry is a lot more fun BUT...in spite of all this, the film made money and a sequel is on the way.
Likewise, we know of the stupidiy (some intentional) of both "Joe" and "Transformers. "Transformers" also made money.

So what is the point here?
Showing us how not to write a script? Yet, the examples given are beyond control, and, with the exception of "All About Steve"---the Raz noms made money.

Quoted from DarrenJamesSeeley So what is the point here? Showing us how not to write a script? Yet, the examples given are beyond control, and, with the exception of "All About Steve"---the Raz noms made money.

You can learn a lot from a bad script.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe You can learn a lot from a bad script.

Thank you for missing the point.
I'll say it again.

You can't learn a thing from any of these scripts on how "not" to write something.
You can't. Bad films that turned good scripts into swiss cheese maybe but not "bad" produced scripts.

GI Joe is a bad picture that made money. It was a script reworked and rewritten *and* under a fast deadline by many writers all of whom were paid for a service. Transformers made money. Land Of The Lost made some money. New Moon -picked on because it's Twilight as pointed out- made money.

Unless that's what we are supposed to learn...Numbness makes cash?

I didn't miss your point.  I ignored it to make my point.


Phil

Quoted from DarrenJamesSeeley So what is the point here? Showing us how not to write a script? Yet, the examples given are beyond control, and, with the exception of "All About Steve"---the Raz noms made money.

Valid points made.
First - I won't have a legit answer for you until I actually go exploring, bold adventurer that I am.
I honestly may come back scratching my head stating "WTH?"
I dunno.
Ya'll can come along for the ride, see what you see, or just watch me do some light-lifting.
(Might be best off just ignoring me! Ha!)

Second - based upon your statements I feel inspired to email the Head Berry, Mr John J.B. Wilson, at razzies.com to ask a few quick questions about the criteria for the Worst Screenplay as opposed to the Worst Movies (the distinction is clear) and his observations of poor screenplays.
I'll fire that off to him Monday or Tuesday after I've run out of sensible questions to bugger the fella with.

You, or others, have any questions you wanna ask? I'll gladly include (some semblance of) those, as well.  

:)

This appears to be the 'edited' version of that rather 'exhaustive' thread (some might prefer the word 'thorough') analysis you were posting the other day. I'm assuming anyway, cause I can't locate it now...

Anyway just wanted to make a comment on your observations re dialogue (heavy) in scripts -can't remember which film you referred to, but you remarked on the rather lengthy passages and the probability of SS posters 'having kittens' in response if one of us posted similar & it struck a chord cause I love this kinda stuff when it's done well.

Mamet, W.Allen, M.Leigh to name a few do it brilliantly. It's all about character and story.

As long as you're good at it I say, 'don't be afraid of the dialogue' - still I'm a female... my BF is often telling me to put a sock in it!

And maybe this should be another thread - or maybe it's been covered here before.

See! I'll shut up now :)

Good work Ray, bet your wife's happy the yabbering keeps you off the streets.

Some notables below, if anyone's interested:

http://ask.metafilter.com/89931/Recommendations-for-dialogueheavy-films-a-la-Glengarry-Glen-Ross

Quoted from RayW based upon your statements I feel inspired to email the Head Berry, Mr John J.B. Wilson, at razzies.com to ask a few quick questions about the criteria for the Worst Screenplay as opposed to the Worst Movies (the distinction is clear) and his observations of poor screenplays. I'll fire that off to him Monday or Tuesday after I've run out of sensible questions to bugger the fella with. You, or others, have any questions you wanna ask? I'll gladly include (some semblance of) those, as well.   :)

What are the chances of "The Expendables" making the list? Raz loves Sly, can they resist? (No)
Will there be a category of worst 3D conversion of the year, not including Megan Fox?

Quoted from dogglebe I saw All About Steve... on HBO, not in the theater.  While I didn't think it was a great movie, I didn't think it was so awful.  Sandra Bullock plays that innocent dippy character better than anyone else; I probably enjoyed this movie more than The Blind Side.

Just watched ALL ABOUT STEVE on DVD with the commentary on - the director, Phil Traill, Sandra Bullock, who was also one of the producers, stars Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong and the writer Kim Barker.

They are a hoot!
It was probably more fun to listen to them than to watch the movie.

It was funny listening to Bullock as both actor and producer when she kinda gets bossy questioning if they should be plugging other movies.
Later, when they briefly do it again, she didn't say diddly.

Seems they had Kim Barker on set constantly rewriting, big rewrites, and even still there was a fair bit of ad-libbing and just plain actor inserting words and lines.
It's clear that there's a real fluid pace of constant script change going on.

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Also, the other day I watched THE MESSENGER, also with director and actor commentary.
It is perhaps one of the best I've listened to.
Again, a bit of rewrites, ad-libbing and actor additions.


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DJ -
Fired off that email to the head berry of  The Golden Raspberrries.
No word yet.
Keep your fingers crossed, being the holidays and all.  :)


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Quoted from LC This appears to be the 'edited' version of that rather 'exhaustive' thread (some might prefer the word 'thorough') analysis you were posting the other day. I'm assuming anyway, cause I can't locate it now...

http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-screenwrite/m-1291072262/s-all/

Quoted from LC Mamet, W.Allen, M.Leigh to name a few do it brilliantly. It's all about character and story. As long as you're good at it I say, 'don't be afraid of the dialogue'... Some notables below, if anyone's interested: http://ask.metafilter.com/89931/Recommendations-for-dialogueheavy-films-a-la-Glengarry-Glen-Ross

Oh! Cool links! Thank you very much LC.  Rockin'.


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In case anyone cares - at times, I get sick of reading  too much. I had to take a break and watch some movies. I probably ought to get back to reviewing both ALL ABOUT STEVE and INGLORIOUS BASTERDS.