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Undated, unspecified draft by Wesley Strick.
Synopsis: A re-imagining of the horror icon Freddy Krueger, a serial-killer who wields a glove with four blades embedded in the fingers and kills people in their dreams, resulting in their real death in reality.
Notes: No cover page.
Source: Digital – Pages: 103 – Size: 174 kb – IMDb
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January 14, 2009 Draft by Wesley Strick.
Based on “A Nightmare on Elm Street” by Wes Craven. Draft by Eric Heisserer.
Synopsis: A re-imagining of the horror icon Freddy Krueger, a serial-killer who wields a glove with four blades embedded in the fingers and kills people in their dreams, resulting in their real death in reality.
Source: Digital – Pages: 112 – Size: 202 kb – IMDb
Here we go with another round of Seven Scripts for your reading pleasure!
Remember, this shouldn’t be thought of as a “best of” list, but rather, which scripts J.T. thought would most help aspiring writers better understand the process and craft of screenwriting.
Seven scripts. Seven days. Check ‘em out and dare to become a better writer in a week.
1. Alien (Walter Hill draft)
Hill’s unique, staccato style burns imagery directly into the reader’s brain. A cold, but . . .
CUT TO: J.T. Cummins (Writer/Director/Special Effects Artist)How and why, exactly, does one make the jump from special effects artist to writer/director? What turmoil does a special effects artist endure because of a screenwriter’s description? And what happens when life throws you a curveball? Those are a few of the many things that Sheridan wanted to find out when he sat down to compose his questions for the rather versatile J.T. Cummins.
Q: First off, tell us a little about yourself. Who is J.T. Cummins?
A: . . .
Jeff Beck Reviews: The Back-up PlanAlan Poul’s “The Back-Up Plan” is another film in a long line of films that are formulaic to the bone, containing little to no originality, all while following around characters that we could care less about. We’ve already had a fair share of films this year following this same formula, such as “The Bounty Hunter” and “She’s Out of My League,” so where was the need for yet another?
This time around, the main character is Zoe (Jennifer Lopez), a woman . . .
Back-up Plan, TheDownload Script
(aka Plan B)
August 30, 2007 Draft by Kate Angelo.
Synopsis: A romantic comedy centered on a woman who conceives twins through artificial insemination, only to meet the man of her dreams on the very same day.
Source: Digital – Pages: 114 – Size: 156 kb – IMDb
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February 2007 Draft by Peter Berg.
Revisions by James Vanderbilt. Based on the comic created by Andy Diggle and Jock.
Synopsis: After being betrayed and left for dead, members of a CIA black ops team root out those who targeted them for assassination.
Source: Digital – Pages: 119 – Size: 130 kb – IMDb
“Date Night” pairs two of the most popular comedians working today for a night that neither of the main characters will ever forget. Before the night is over, they are threatened, shot at, chased, and humiliated, all because of one of those amazing plot devices simply known as the “mistaken identity.” Amazing how one little mistake can go such a long way.
Phil (Steve Carell) and Claire Foster (Tina Fey) are married and have two kids. Their relationship seems to have . . .
Jeff Beck Reviews: Kick-AssMatthew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass,” based off the comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., is an extremely violent, profanity-filled, action-packed film. It also makes for quite a fun time at the cinema as it doesn’t simply use it all for entertainment value, but rather explores a theme that has been explored before, except this time using much younger heroes.
Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is your typical nerd in high school. He’s ignored by all the other kids except his equally . . .
Writer’s Style: An IntroductionHowdy. Sheridan here. I’ve decided to take a crack at (what I hope will be) a new and continuing column of the site. No promises on how often I’ll actually get around to a new post, but hopefully I’ll be able to con some guests into helping me out by spotlighting their own screenwriting favorites.
So what’s this all about, then?
Well, I’ve often thought about and, especially, as of late, have become increasingly interested in writing style.
As I pore . . .
Balls OutDownload Script
2009 Unspecified Draft by The Robotard 8000 (aka Tim Talbott and Malcolm Spellman).
Synopsis: When insurance salesman Jim Simmers has a near death experience, he decides that nothing matters except getting a promotion, a new car, and the hot girl from work.
Notes: Received 10 votes on the 2009 Black List.
Source: Digital – Pages: 109 – Size: 219 kb
In an age of movies where remakes are churned out one after the other comes yet another with “Death at a Funeral,” a remake of the hilarious comedy of the same name from all the way back in 2007. You read that right: 2007. Apparently ideas are so sparse nowadays in the movie business that even movies from just a couple of years ago need to be remade.
The film tells the story of a family as they come together for . . .
Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1974Download Script
(aka Red Riding #1)
August 19, 2008 First Revised Shooting Script by Tony Grisoni.
Based on the novel “1974″ by David Peace.
Synopsis: A rookie journalist looks to solve the increasingly vexing case of a serial killer on the loose.
Source: Digital – Page 91 – Size: 205 kb – IMDb
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February 6, 2009 Draft by Chris Rock & Aeysha Carr.
Based on “Death at a Funeral” by Dean Craig.
Synopsis: A funeral ceremony turns into a debacle of exposed family secrets and misplaced bodies.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 118 – Size: 3.5 MB – IMDb
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Undated Second Draft by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn.
Synopsis: Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a super-hero, even though he has no powers, training, or meaningful reason to do so.
Source: Digital – Pages: 105 – Size: 182 kb – IMDb
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March 13, 1978 Revised Draft by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank, Jr.
Synopsis: A young single mother and textile worker agrees to help unionize her mill despite the problems and dangers involved.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 113 – Size: 3.8 MB – IMDb
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March 28, 1991 Third Draft by Richard Friedenberg.
Synopsis: Two fly-fishing sons of a Presbyterian minister – one reserved, one rebellious – grow up in rural Montana.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 105 – Size: 1.2 MB – IMDb
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Undated, unspecified draft by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner.
From the novel by Walter Kirn.
Synopsis: Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.
Source: Digital – Pages: 114 – Size: 214 kb – IMDb
Louis Leterrier’s “Clash of the Titans” is an update of the 1981 film of the same name that starred Laurence Olivier and was directed by Desmond Davis. Like the original, the update is a special effects extravaganza that uses the effects to pull the audience into the adventure. Many have already claimed that it fails to do this, however, I must admit, I had fun watching this remake that taps into the spirit of the original.
The film opens with a . . .
Jeff Beck Reviews: Hot Tub Time MachineWhat a fascinating title. It’s the kind of title that heightened my anticipation based on it alone. Then the trailer came out and the anticipation dropped a few notches. It still had the potential to be funny, and to be fair, it does have its share of funny moments. I suppose how many depends entirely on the viewer.
The film starts by introducing us to its main characters: Adam (John Cusack), his nephew, Jacob (Clark Duke), and Adam’s two friends, Nick . . .
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, TheDownload Script
February 7, 2006 Draft by Danny DeVito.
Based on the novel by Avi.
Synopsis: A young girl is caught in a feud between a captain and his crew while on a transatlantic voyage in this adaptation of novelist Avi’s young adult best-seller.
Source: Digital – Pages: 103 – Size: 166 kb
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Undated, unspecified Photo-play by Carl Mayer.
From a theme of Hermann Sudermann’s “The Trip to Tilsit.”
Synopsis: A married farmer falls under the spell of a slatternly woman from the city, who tries to convince him to drown his wife.
Notes: Includes insert and shot lists at the end of the script.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 156 – Size: 3.5 MB – IMDb
Logline: A Doctor finds herself taken hostage in a hospital and forced to follow orders of a murderous group out for revenge.
Christmas in Chicago.
JACK PEARCE walks his German shepherd. As he’s crossing the street, a BMW comes around the corner and hits him. The man goes sprawling. Just as the onlookers rush to help, the BMW reverses and runs him over, breaking his leg.
MT. SINAI MEDICAL CENTER – overcrowded and understaffed. We meet DR. CLAIRE HASKINS – 30.
ELLIE FISHER – . . .
Sandlot, TheDownload Script
June 10, 1992 Draft by David Mickey Evans & Robert Gunter.
Synopsis: The story takes place during the summer of 1962, when a new boy in town, Scotty Smalls, joins a baseball team and tries desperately to fit in with the others.
Source: Digital – Pages: 116 – Size: 135 kb – IMDb
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July 30, 1986 Third Draft by Shane Black and Fred Dekker.
Story by Fred Dekker.
Synopsis: Dracula is alive. In fact, he plans to rule the world and that is why he seeks the help of other legendary monsters. However, a bunch of kids regarded by their peers as losers uncover the devious plan and prepare for a counter strike.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 126 – Size: 4.1 MB – IMDb
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(aka Who Shot Roger Rabbit?)
September 2, 1986 Second Draft by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman.
Synopsis: A toon hating detective is a cartoon rabbit’s only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder.
Notes: Missing pages 57-60. Light watermark. Some pages skewed causing words to be cut off near edges.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 118 – Size: 2.8 MB – IMDb
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October 7, 2008 Revised Draft by Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo.
Synopsis: A young woman caught between life and death… and a funeral director who appears to have the gift of transitioning the dead, but might just be intent on burying her alive.
Source: Digital – Pages: 102 – Size: 167 kb – IMDb
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(aka Klausner/Levy Project)
June 11, 2008 Second Draft by Josh Klausner.
Synopsis: In New York City, a case of mistaken identity turns a bored married couple’s attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening into something more thrilling and dangerous.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 106 – Size: 5.5 MB – IMDb
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March 26, 2009 Revised Draft by Josh Klausner.
Previous revisions by Simon Kinberg, Aline Brosh McKenna, and Mike Schur. Current revisions by Matt Hubbard.
Synopsis: In New York City, a case of mistaken identity turns a bored married couple’s attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening into something more thrilling and dangerous.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 112 – Size: 2.4 MB – IMDb
Logline: Four Americans steal a cargo ship holding 180 tons of oil which they hope to sell for $100 million bucks.
We open in Al-Basrah, Iraq. Ten MASKED GUNMEN lead by KHALED hijack two oil tankers. COLE DAUGHTRY – Army Staff Sergeant and his crew come to the rescue working with the Iraqi police.
Cole thwarts the hijacking and arrests Khaled. Fearing incarceration, Khaled tries to make a deal with Cole. Khaled knows where there’s 180 tons of oil worth more than . . .
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Undated, unspecified draft by Bob Peterson and Pete Docter.
Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, and Tom McCarthy.
Synopsis: By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 101 – Size: 1.4 MB – IMDb
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Undated, unspecified draft by Adi Hasek and Luc Besson.
Synopsis: In Paris, a young employee in the office of the US Ambassador hooks up with an American spy looking to stop a terrorist attack in the city.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 102 – Size: 1.5 MB – IMDb
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June 1969 First Draft by G. Cain (aka Guillermo Cabrera Infante).
Synopsis: Kowalski works for a car delivery service. He takes delivery of a 1970 Dodge Challenger to take from Colorado to San Fransisco, California. Shortly after pickup, he takes a bet to get the car there in less than 15 hours.
Source: Digital – Pages: 160 – Size: 366 kb – IMDb
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January 6, 1984 Third Draft by John Sayles.
Synopsis: In Neanderthal days, an outcast girl is adopted by a rival tribe.
Notes: Missing every page after 97. I’m unsure how many pages, exactly.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 98 – Size: 2.0 MB – IMDb
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Undated Initial Draft by John Sayles.
Synopsis: A dramatization of the Black Sox scandal when the underpaid Chicago White Sox accepted bribes to deliberately lose the 1919 World Series.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 167 – Size: 1.1 MB – IMDb
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April 3, 1972 Draft by Norman Jewison and Melvyn Bragg.
Based on the music and lyrics of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Synopsis: Film version of the musical stage play, presenting the last few weeks of Christ’s life, told in an anachronistic manner.
Notes: First seven pages are music and cast recording info.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 137 – Size: 4.0 MB – IMDb
Tyler Perry has had an interesting career. Despite most of his movies getting a critical lashing after their release, for he apparently doesn’t allow them to be screened prior, they have always performed quite well at the box office. He apparently has a niche that is devoted to his films, and his latest was no exception.
Perry’s follow-up to “Why Did I Get Married?” follows the same characters from the original. Four couples decide to take a vacation to the Bahamas . . .
Jeff Beck Reviews: Remember MeWhat struck me most after watching “Remember Me” was just how one-note the whole film felt. The entire film casts a feeling of doom and gloom that is inescapable from scene to scene, always present, never lifting, even in the most joyous of moments. That probably explains why Robert Pattinson was attracted to the material. He’s used to such a tone.
The story begins in 1991 as Ally Craig (Caitlyn Rund, later played by Emilie de Ravin) watches her mother get . . .
Matthew Klekner Reviews: Safe HousePremise: The action-espionage-thriller tells the story of a YOUNG CIA agent who becomes the only survivor after a CIA safe house attack, and must help a dangerous prisoner avoid being killed as they escape to a second safe house, “outmaneuvering various forces that want them both dead.”
About: Universal purchased David Guggenheim’s spec SAFE HOUSE for $600k against $900k, winning out against two other movie studios in a bidding war. He’s the brother of two other Hollywood players and would seem . . .
Jeff Beck Reviews: How to Train Your Dragon“How To Train Your Dragon” is another one of those stories of the unlikely hero who will end up saving the day when everything looks hopeless. We may have seen such a story before, several times before actually, but somehow the creative team behind this film still manages to make it feel fresh, while keeping us engaged in its plot.
Set on a small island, the film follows a tribe of Vikings who have to deal with the threat of constant . . .
Clash of the Titans (2003.03.06 Draft)Download Script
March 6, 2003 First Draft by John Glenn & Travis Wright.
Synopsis: The mortal son of the god Zeus embarks on a perilous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from spreading their evil to Earth as well as the heavens.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 125 – Size: 5.1 MB – IMDb
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January 25, 2007 First Draft by Travis Beacham.
Based on the 1981 film “Clash of the Titans.”
Synopsis: The mortal son of the god Zeus embarks on a perilous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from spreading their evil to Earth as well as the heavens.
Source: Digital – Pages: 129 – Size: 175 kb – IMDb
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June 29, 2007 Revised Draft by John Glenn & Travis Wright.
Revisions by Travis Beacham. Current revisions by Lawrence Kasdan.
Based on the 1981 film “Clash of the Titans” written by Beverly Cross.
Synopsis: The mortal son of the god Zeus embarks on a perilous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from spreading their evil to Earth as well as the heavens.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 121 – Size: 4.0 MB – IMDb
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Undated, unspecified draft by Noah Baumbach.
Story by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Noah Baumbach.
Synopsis: A New Yorker moves to Los Angeles in order to figure out his life while he housesits for his brother, and he soon sparks with his brother’s assistant.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 125 – Size: 2.8 MB – IMDb
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Undated, unspecified draft by Josh Heald.
Synopsis: After a night of drinking Red Bull and vodkas, a group of guys travel back in time to when they were younger cads.
Source: Scanned – Pages: 108 – Size: 1.6 MB – IMDb
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Undated Version 6.3 by Nicholas Sparks & Jeff Van Wie.
Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.
Synopsis: A rebellious girl is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect.
Source: Digital – Pages: 113 – Size: 192 kb – IMDb
