The Thinking Writer – Page 5 – Classic Posts About Screenwriting….

Telephone Booth Meets Hot Dog Cart

Yum, yum, hot dog. — Photo: Mike_flemming @ flicker

Who knew there were so many screenplays about snipers holding people hostage in phone booths (or hot dog stands)? Who knew there were so many angles to take, emotions to express, stories to tell, and patriotic feelings to stir? And who cares enough to fight to protect this burgeoning sub-genre? Apparently, Fox does.

They Actually Mention The Writers

Here’s a rundown of upcoming alien invasion movies where they actually mention the screenwriters as if they are in some way responsible for the movie. Weird.

Writer Posts Script

Princer of Persia — Photo by Loren Javier @ flickr.com

Jordan Merchner, creator of the book for the video game Prince of Persia posted his screenplay for the movie of the same name here. He is not one of the credited screenwriters on the movie (those credits belong to Boaz Yakin and Doug Miro & Carlo Bernard). Instead, he has “screen story” credit. If you want to unravel the frightening mysteries of WGA credit determination, you can do that here.

Dan Akroyd Is Writing One, Too

Dan Akroyd is writing a new sequel for Ghostbusters and expects the original actors to play their respective roles. Akroyd says that Bill Murray will have the “comic role of a lifetime”. Maybe the Ghostbusters turn into ghosts in this one, and it leads to all kinds of funny/serious complications, but it all resolves in the end, and they have grown as people. Or maybe it’s something else completely.

Rick Springfield’s Writing One, Too

Former rock star, soap star and teen heartthrob Rick Springfield announces that he has some movie ideas he is developing and that “the next thing is (screen)writing for sure”. Maybe one of his ideas is about a guy who wishes he had his friend’s girlfriend and it leads to all kinds of funny/serious complications, but it all resolves in the end, and he has grown as a person. Or maybe it’s something else completely.

Mr. Story Reviews Movies

Our favorite jargon spewing, chart wielding, structuralist screenwriting guru, Robert McKee (author of the screenwriting bible “Story”) is bravely “reviewing” (aka analyzing) current screenplays for Script Magazine. Before you click through, be aware of his strict warning: “Do not read what follows until you have seen The Town.”

CNN Wants You To Be A Good Writer

As part of its evil plot to get quality news stories from unpaid writers, CNN is dispensing advice on how to tell stories. Much of it is surprisingly applicable to screenwriting. What does that tell us about “news”?

Screenwriter Accuses Gays of Fuel Efficiency

Various groups are up in arms that screenwriter Allan Loeb’s comedy “The Dilemma” has Vince Vaughn accusing electric cars of being gay. Gay groups have condemned the joke for being a slur on gays, while the liberal blog Truthdig.com countered that “electric cars are not gay“, but failed to add the mandatory “not that there’s anything wrong with that.”