Quoted from Murphy I love It's a Wonderful Life, It is my favorite film but cannot honestly say it is a better script than The Godfather or The Deer Hunter and those two did not even make my list.

I never said that Classics were better than more recent films. I was just amazed than most of them weren't cited in the lists.

Quoted from Murphy Hitchcock probably deserves more of a mention, really any wannabe writer could do a lot worse than watch every one of his films. He was more than just a film-maker, he practically wrote the blueprint for the way films are still written and directed today.

Hitchcock made me feel like writing. In another thread I talked about the book "Hitchcock: A Definitive Study of Alfred Hitchcock" by Francois Truffaut. This book was a revelation for me. I wrote till then.

FYI

AFI's 100 Years... The Complete Lists


http://connect.afi.com/site/PageServer?pagename=100YearsList

I feel like such an idiot here. Out of all of these movies, I have only seen six. As you can guess, I dont watch many movies. I guess if im going to ever become a good screen writer, some of these I should see. In fact, I may be the last person on earth who has never seen star wars, and I'm 46.

"I feel like such an idiot here. Out of all of these movies, I have only seen six."

"Watch a few movies, took a few notes, it was fun!" - Scream

The first scripts I ever read were Alien: Resurrection and Pulp Fiction when I was still in High School, so I'll always remember those.

My scriptwriting lecturer has said Chinatown is his favorite screenplay, but I couldn't really see it myself. Taxi Driver is a great script, and I really like James Camerons work. I'm also a fan of the Coen brothers pre-Intolerable Cruelty.

Here's five.


Sunset Blvd.

The Illusionist

Miracle Mile

Clockwork Orange

North By Northwest

Quoted from mcornetto North By Northwest

North by Northwest is one of the best example of a story without a plot. I mean the real one is never revealed. We barely know why Cary Grant is hunted. That was the first time a red herring led a story. That's a good example of an innovative script.

Michel

Other suggestions

Any Charlie Kaufmann script - I know he's the all too obvious example to mention, its like walking into a guitar shop and belting out "Stairway..." or "...Teen Spirit" but there is good reason why he's held in such high regard.

Just look at Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind and Synedoche, New York. He is the screenwriter at the moment.

Quoted from Colkurtz8 Just look at Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind and Synedoche, New York. He is  the screenwriter at the moment.

There's no doubting he's a great writer, but do you not feel that aside from ESOASM, his films lack a little heart? I mean, sure, they're exquisitely written scripts, but they feel steeped in academia, and don't evoke particularly strong emotions for me.

'Being John Malkovich' for example is a lovely little film, but will it be remembered in 25 years as a great film? I'm not so sure, and ESOASM seems to be the only film that has that glue. That felt like the film he had to write, and to me, it appeared deeply personal.

Having said that, I think the premise of the latest film is rather compelling - a touch of Howard Hughes, maybe.

Andrew

OK, a few from what I have seen.

Jacobs ladder

Swordfish

The princess bride

The color purple

Hamlet - Mel Gibson

Andrew

Good point, I hear what your saying. Funny you should say that as a friend of mine who loves Kaufman, levels the exact same criticism at QT's films. I think BJM has plenty of poignant moments though, John Cusack's character is a very sad but endearing one, that you can't help but like and empathise with (at least I did anyway).

Adaptation is definitely a more harsh and gloomy depiction of a lonely, detatched, self loathing, introspective (blah, blah, blah) individual. But what a trip/headfu?k of a film all the same.

All I can think of after watching one of his films is how would the hell would you ever even begin to storyboard them...the intitial concept, quirky, yet authentic characters, unconventional structure, the askew world he creates. They really are very unique scripts in every possible way (again, I know the "U" word is thrown around a lot)

"but will it be remembered in 25 years as a great film" -- Not among the masses maybe but I'd like to think they are deeply respected and treasured pieces among film lovers everywhere. I for one will be remembering them for a long time after that da?n Slumdog Millionaire tumbles out the far side of memory...in fact its already purchased the one way ticket, hopped on the bus and gone far and away over the horizon...but! Of course, Kaufman's films not for everyone.

Lots of new films being mentioned!  I've got some older ones.

It Happened One Night, by Robert Riskin - Considered, I believe, to be the first romantic comedy, this film is important for writers not just because the script is jaw-droppingly excellent in every way, and not just because it pioneered a genre, but also because it was from a time where a romantic comedy needed to have substance.  The script is about more than just the romance (delightful as the romance itself is), and this is something that newer romantic comedies lack.  Also, it's hilarious.

Ace in the Hole, by Billy Wilder - Hard to decide between a few of Wilder's scripts but this one stands out for me, I think, because never have I seen more vicious or more delightful satire.  This script shows us just how strong a statement we can make with our words, if we choose (and if we learn to write as well as Wilder...).

The Maltese Falcon, by John Huston - This would probably get my vote for the perfect script.  An absolute masterpiece in every possible respect, and the style of description, while somewhat dated in some ways, is inspirational -- the initial description of Sam Spade gets me every time.  One of the most boldly drawn heroes of all time, and a perfectly structured plot brimming with suspense.

Seven Samurai, by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni - There is so much brilliance in this film visually that it is easy to forget about the script, but for those who want to write action, there is no film more important.  Seven Samurai is THE action film of all time, and the script laid the groundwork for decades of action films to come.  

And, of course...

Back to the Future, by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale - While the film may not be my favourite blockbuster, there is in my opinion no script that is a better example of pure blockbuster movie magic fun.  Thrilling, funny, innovative, clever, and delightfully simple, this is a script for the perfect movie to just switch your brain off and enjoy.

I saw "It happened One Night" and it's ok. Maybe it was the first of its kind like you mentioned, in which case it would be a pioneer, but for me it was just ok.

I recently saw "His Girl Friday" as well. I didn't like the "colored" references but it was super funny and well written with even minor characters having their own drives.
Funny thing I realized about writing characters of the opposite gender, writers tend to write from their own gender instead of the character's.
If you haven't seen it, check it out here http://tr.youtube.com/watch?v=8kZQ8-MmHwM

Indiana Jones
Rushmore
Memento
Any Woody Allen movie
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World