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This blog tracks script reviews for upcoming films, aggregating links to the latest written. Compiled by Chris Faile, of FilmJerk.com.
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Sunday, July 27, 2003
Brett Myers of FilmJerk.com, the site I write for, gives one of the first looks at "Blade III" (located here, this March 26, 2003, draft is written by David S. Goyer). Had a chance to look over the script myself and it seems okay, but this isn't my type of film.
As he writes there, "The script is action-packed and if Goyer can apply the same stylistic flair to the screen that Guillermo del Toro did, we have another bona fide hit on our hands. The story is light on drama and character development as you might expect it to be, but it is an entertaining read nonetheless. Goyer does fail to make use of the elements at hand though. He sets up an interesting angle by having the humans hunt Blade, but barely puts it to use. In a lot of ways, "Blade III" is just an amped up version of "Blade II," but not enough to cause complaint. Goyer does a good job of taking what worked in the other films and applying it to the new storyline. This time there is an urgency in Blades crusade."
As he writes there, "The script is action-packed and if Goyer can apply the same stylistic flair to the screen that Guillermo del Toro did, we have another bona fide hit on our hands. The story is light on drama and character development as you might expect it to be, but it is an entertaining read nonetheless. Goyer does fail to make use of the elements at hand though. He sets up an interesting angle by having the humans hunt Blade, but barely puts it to use. In a lot of ways, "Blade III" is just an amped up version of "Blade II," but not enough to cause complaint. Goyer does a good job of taking what worked in the other films and applying it to the new storyline. This time there is an urgency in Blades crusade."
Friday, July 11, 2003
Christopher Wehner, editor of Screenwriters Utopia, checks in with a script review of "Shiprock" (located here, script written by Willy Holtzman and dated July 1, 2002), a film I was not familiar with before reading this effort. Based on a true story, the film focuses on Jerry Richardson, a black Texas inner-city high school teacher, who accepts a job as an English teacher on a Navajo reservation school in 1987, and tells of his trials and tribulations there in fitting with a different society.
As Wehner writes there, "Holtman’s screenplay does a very nice job of communicating that dire situation, the hopelessness that many on the reservation have. He mixes humor into the story and avoids too arid of a story. His use of clichés is effective enough to avoid problems that tend to develop with similar stories when the triumph of the human spirit is the prominent theme..."Shiprock" is best described as "Hoosers" meets "Thunderheart," without the murder mystery.
Sounds like this is stuck in development, and Wehner gives a little texture to the story on the film's producers trying to so photography on the site where it all took place-- too bad.
As Wehner writes there, "Holtman’s screenplay does a very nice job of communicating that dire situation, the hopelessness that many on the reservation have. He mixes humor into the story and avoids too arid of a story. His use of clichés is effective enough to avoid problems that tend to develop with similar stories when the triumph of the human spirit is the prominent theme..."Shiprock" is best described as "Hoosers" meets "Thunderheart," without the murder mystery.
Sounds like this is stuck in development, and Wehner gives a little texture to the story on the film's producers trying to so photography on the site where it all took place-- too bad.
James Ellroy is my favorite author, with Dennis Lehane and a writer I recently discovered, Robert Wilson, coming in a close second. So I was extremely happy today to see that Stax over at IGN FilmForce has re-published an old script review of "White Jazz" (located here, it was written by the "L.A. Confidential" author himself and this draft is dated October 31st, 1997). Th review had previously appeared on his old site, Flixburg.
The story tells "a frightening tale of society's watchmen gone mad. It's a darker, more relentlessly brutal story than "L.A. Confidential"..."White Jazz" follows the misadventures of rogue cop Lt. Dave Klein (as he becomes entwined in a violent and treacherous corruption scandal within the LAPD. The Feds, led by politically ambitious U.S. Attorney Welles Noonan, want to sweep the LAPD's narcotics bureau, which has been protecting an "officially sanctioned" dope dealer named J.C. Kafesjian from prosecution. Klein and his troubled partner, Junior Stemmons, are not exactly on the best terms. Unlike other movie cops, neither Klein nor Junior would hunt down their partner's killer – unless there was something to gain from it."
In the end, Stax writes, "Although I was baffled by its numerous subplots and revolted by its vicious characters, White Jazz still intrigued me. I know this sounds cliché but reading this draft was like rubbernecking at a car wreck. I simply couldn't look away despite the horror."
Do yourself a favor and check out Ellroy's books if you haven't already-- extremely good stuff.
The story tells "a frightening tale of society's watchmen gone mad. It's a darker, more relentlessly brutal story than "L.A. Confidential"..."White Jazz" follows the misadventures of rogue cop Lt. Dave Klein (as he becomes entwined in a violent and treacherous corruption scandal within the LAPD. The Feds, led by politically ambitious U.S. Attorney Welles Noonan, want to sweep the LAPD's narcotics bureau, which has been protecting an "officially sanctioned" dope dealer named J.C. Kafesjian from prosecution. Klein and his troubled partner, Junior Stemmons, are not exactly on the best terms. Unlike other movie cops, neither Klein nor Junior would hunt down their partner's killer – unless there was something to gain from it."
In the end, Stax writes, "Although I was baffled by its numerous subplots and revolted by its vicious characters, White Jazz still intrigued me. I know this sounds cliché but reading this draft was like rubbernecking at a car wreck. I simply couldn't look away despite the horror."
Do yourself a favor and check out Ellroy's books if you haven't already-- extremely good stuff.
Friday, July 04, 2003
In the last update coming today, we have two screenplay reviews from the site I write for, FilmJerk.com.
The first, by Edward Havens, looks at "National Treasure," the forthcoming Jerry Bruckheimer/Nicholas Cage re-pairing (review is located here, with the script's latest draft -- dated April 9th-- written by the Willerby's and previous drafts by Jim Kouf, E. Max Frye and Jon Turteltaub). An action film in the mold of "Raiders of the Lost Ark, Havens writes there that "I’m going to give this screenplay a C grade, simply because it just has too much of that deja-vu, been there and seen that feeling for my tastes, but I can also see the film being quite entertaining, as long as you allow yourself to enjoy the ride."
In the other script review, Brett Myers gives a look at "The Battle of Shaker Heights," the next film coming out of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's "Project Greenlight" contest (the review is here, with Erica Beeney as screenwiter and no date given), follows two kids who like war reenactments trying to get back at a bully. Myers gives the film a passing grade while pointing out some of its flaws (which are being chronicled right now on the HBO series following the project) and says, "The Battle of Shaker Heights" won’t be a summer blockbuster and it will more than likely suffer the same quick to video fate that "Stolen Summer" (the original "Project Greenlight" film) did, but it should be another great season watching the film get put together and the film itself should be just quirky enough to warrant another season."
Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
The first, by Edward Havens, looks at "National Treasure," the forthcoming Jerry Bruckheimer/Nicholas Cage re-pairing (review is located here, with the script's latest draft -- dated April 9th-- written by the Willerby's and previous drafts by Jim Kouf, E. Max Frye and Jon Turteltaub). An action film in the mold of "Raiders of the Lost Ark, Havens writes there that "I’m going to give this screenplay a C grade, simply because it just has too much of that deja-vu, been there and seen that feeling for my tastes, but I can also see the film being quite entertaining, as long as you allow yourself to enjoy the ride."
In the other script review, Brett Myers gives a look at "The Battle of Shaker Heights," the next film coming out of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's "Project Greenlight" contest (the review is here, with Erica Beeney as screenwiter and no date given), follows two kids who like war reenactments trying to get back at a bully. Myers gives the film a passing grade while pointing out some of its flaws (which are being chronicled right now on the HBO series following the project) and says, "The Battle of Shaker Heights" won’t be a summer blockbuster and it will more than likely suffer the same quick to video fate that "Stolen Summer" (the original "Project Greenlight" film) did, but it should be another great season watching the film get put together and the film itself should be just quirky enough to warrant another season."
Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
A few days ago, I mentioned a script review of "Blade III" being posted over at Chud's Creature Corner, which was subsequently taken down after New Line studios' lawyer threatened to shut them down over it.
For those who were wondering how the review turned out, check this news story at Corona's Coming Attractions at Cinescape on Ryan Rotten's script review here. There, the news story says that the reviewer wrote that "These days a lot of writers set out on film endeavors with the intention of creating a trilogy, in the end though, they get weak in the knees and skimp out on the ultimate payoff. "Blade III" achieves its purpose, to bring a hero's journey to an exciting end. Leave it to [David] Goyer - who happens to be directing this installment himself - to save this Blade story for himself."
For those who were wondering how the review turned out, check this news story at Corona's Coming Attractions at Cinescape on Ryan Rotten's script review here. There, the news story says that the reviewer wrote that "These days a lot of writers set out on film endeavors with the intention of creating a trilogy, in the end though, they get weak in the knees and skimp out on the ultimate payoff. "Blade III" achieves its purpose, to bring a hero's journey to an exciting end. Leave it to [David] Goyer - who happens to be directing this installment himself - to save this Blade story for himself."
Probably my favorite script reviewer, Darwin Mayflower, resurfaces at ScreewritersUtopia and gives his thoughts on "V for Vendetta" (script review here, script is written by the Wachowski brothers and no date given on this draft). Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, Mayflower relates that the script is about "a vigilante who roams the streets of London like a cross between Charlie Bronson in "Death Wish" and the "Phantom of the Opera." A smiling mask hides his true identity and he goes only by V." He relates that he can see a lot of "The Matrix" in the film's plot, but that it's not worthy of the brothers' talents.
As he says there, "Not even the ungraspable wickedness of the Holocaust [Chris' note: We learn this helped shape the character into the vigilante he is today] can bolster this sloppy tale. V isn’t deep enough to get behind. We meet him as a blood-lusting man on a febrile trail of revenge. What true hero puts his old scores before his country’s? Evey’s a flitting, overexcited teenager who has terrible, flamed dialogue. We never really see the people of London suffer (besides some flashbacks of people being herded). So what is there to care about? Should we forget the attempted amelioration (i.e., the references to fascism) and take this as a straight action flick? To do that doesn’t really help because the script is tumid and boring. The best action you get is one-sided slaughter and a few buildings blowing up.
In the end, he says "it’s lugubrious, flat, uninspired, disorganized and, much to my surprise, devoid of even brainless, trivial adventure." Ouch.
Mea culpa-- this script was originally written in June 2001 and was linked by Dark Horizons last week, never picked up on the review date. Still a damn good review by one of the best-- thanks for checking in, Darwin!
As he says there, "Not even the ungraspable wickedness of the Holocaust [Chris' note: We learn this helped shape the character into the vigilante he is today] can bolster this sloppy tale. V isn’t deep enough to get behind. We meet him as a blood-lusting man on a febrile trail of revenge. What true hero puts his old scores before his country’s? Evey’s a flitting, overexcited teenager who has terrible, flamed dialogue. We never really see the people of London suffer (besides some flashbacks of people being herded). So what is there to care about? Should we forget the attempted amelioration (i.e., the references to fascism) and take this as a straight action flick? To do that doesn’t really help because the script is tumid and boring. The best action you get is one-sided slaughter and a few buildings blowing up.
In the end, he says "it’s lugubrious, flat, uninspired, disorganized and, much to my surprise, devoid of even brainless, trivial adventure." Ouch.
Mea culpa-- this script was originally written in June 2001 and was linked by Dark Horizons last week, never picked up on the review date. Still a damn good review by one of the best-- thanks for checking in, Darwin!
Wednesday, July 02, 2003
Johnny Butane (love the name) of CHUD's Creature Corner makes up for a pulled script review of "Blade III" with a review of "Underworld" (located here, no screenwriter or script date listed). I recently caught the preview for this film, which opens September 19, and I -- like the rest of the audience-- was extremely undwerwhelmed. I think it's a great concept, but what will appear on screen will disappoint many.
As Butane writes, "there is a solid plot that the movie centers around, something I don’t think we’ve seen done in vampire or werewolf movies before. Props to the writer for not just using something overtly generic to base the action around, but actually giving these creatures a history and a purpose. That helps take the action a lot more seriously, something it seems fewer and fewer filmmakers are attempting to do. Just don't think to hard about it, you might develop one too many questions concerning certain plot points, just expect a fun romp about vampires and werewolves beating the sh*t out of one another, and you'll be satisified."
I dunno.
As Butane writes, "there is a solid plot that the movie centers around, something I don’t think we’ve seen done in vampire or werewolf movies before. Props to the writer for not just using something overtly generic to base the action around, but actually giving these creatures a history and a purpose. That helps take the action a lot more seriously, something it seems fewer and fewer filmmakers are attempting to do. Just don't think to hard about it, you might develop one too many questions concerning certain plot points, just expect a fun romp about vampires and werewolves beating the sh*t out of one another, and you'll be satisified."
I dunno.
Drew McWeeny (AKA Moriarty) of Ain't It Cool News offers comic book veteran Donald Swan's reaction to the script of the film adaptation of "Codename: Courage" (the review can he found here, no screenwriter or or draft date listed). I'm skeptical that this will be made, and, if it does, will have a low presence at the box office. But Swan is filled with vitrol about the script, having really enjoyed the comic books when they first came out.
To wit: "For fans of the original the prognosis isn’t just negative, it is an unmitigated atrocity! Ignoring the source material almost entirely, this effects-driven revenge saga is a relentlessly mindless, pathologically bloodthirsty assemblage of the worst clichés in the history of testosterone cinema...It is not simply that escapist fantasy fare is awkwardly and irresponsibly placed in a real world, “rah-rah” war on terrorism scenario, but why must long cherished icons of the Golden Age be decimated in the process?"
He ends up his rant by saying "Why belabor this any further? The details are too depressing and incomprehensible to detail here and as I said I would have no dog in this hunt were it not for the false conceit that it is in any way related to the earlier, superior feature. The fact that if successful, Codename would obliterate any chance of a classic Commander coming to the screen makes my blood boil, needless to say and in that context I conclude: I loathed this script. Loathed, loathed, loathed, loathed, loathed this script. Loathed it. Loathed every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Loathed the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Loathed the implied insult to a potential audience by its’ belief that anyone would be entertained by it."
I think he didn't like it. But always enjoyable to read a good wordsmith's smiting of a script.
To wit: "For fans of the original the prognosis isn’t just negative, it is an unmitigated atrocity! Ignoring the source material almost entirely, this effects-driven revenge saga is a relentlessly mindless, pathologically bloodthirsty assemblage of the worst clichés in the history of testosterone cinema...It is not simply that escapist fantasy fare is awkwardly and irresponsibly placed in a real world, “rah-rah” war on terrorism scenario, but why must long cherished icons of the Golden Age be decimated in the process?"
He ends up his rant by saying "Why belabor this any further? The details are too depressing and incomprehensible to detail here and as I said I would have no dog in this hunt were it not for the false conceit that it is in any way related to the earlier, superior feature. The fact that if successful, Codename would obliterate any chance of a classic Commander coming to the screen makes my blood boil, needless to say and in that context I conclude: I loathed this script. Loathed, loathed, loathed, loathed, loathed this script. Loathed it. Loathed every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Loathed the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Loathed the implied insult to a potential audience by its’ belief that anyone would be entertained by it."
I think he didn't like it. But always enjoyable to read a good wordsmith's smiting of a script.
Sanney Leung of Hong Kong Entertainment News in Review has managed to grab the script for the remake of "Around the World in 80 Days," which is just wrapping up principal photography now (the review can be found here, this version of the script reviewed does not indicate when or who wrote this draft).
I read the outline of the plot and it doesn't sound half-bad, if done right-- I'd probably pay to go see this with the talent involved, which includes Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Jim Broadbent and Owen and Luke Wilson. But, as Leung writes there, "Fans of Jackie Chan who are hoping that the upcoming remake...will bring similar success to Big Brother Jackie's career [as the original] will be disappointed. Based on a reading of an early script for the film, the remake will be another solid but unspectacular success along the lines of Chan's recent "Shanghai Knights." In fact, much of "Around the World in 80 Days" will be very reminscent of the modest Owen Wilson-Jackie Chan hit. Both are filled with slapstick fight and chase sequences, one-liners, sight gags and allusions to future historical figures."
He wraps up by saying the film "is probably destined to be good but not great. It will probably earn a decent profit and join "Rush Hour," "Shanghai Noon" and Shanghai Knights"on Jackie Chan's growing list of solid but otherwise unremarkable hits."
I read the outline of the plot and it doesn't sound half-bad, if done right-- I'd probably pay to go see this with the talent involved, which includes Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Jim Broadbent and Owen and Luke Wilson. But, as Leung writes there, "Fans of Jackie Chan who are hoping that the upcoming remake...will bring similar success to Big Brother Jackie's career [as the original] will be disappointed. Based on a reading of an early script for the film, the remake will be another solid but unspectacular success along the lines of Chan's recent "Shanghai Knights." In fact, much of "Around the World in 80 Days" will be very reminscent of the modest Owen Wilson-Jackie Chan hit. Both are filled with slapstick fight and chase sequences, one-liners, sight gags and allusions to future historical figures."
He wraps up by saying the film "is probably destined to be good but not great. It will probably earn a decent profit and join "Rush Hour," "Shanghai Noon" and Shanghai Knights"on Jackie Chan's growing list of solid but otherwise unremarkable hits."
Via TNMC.org, John Shea reviews a film I'm looking forward to seeing this fall called "Suspect Zero" (review located here, this version is dated Novembver 2001, by Zak Penn with revisions by Billy Ray).
Although the reviewer finds it a hard read -- especially the first 20 pages-- and hopes it gets a polish before filming was to begin, he gives it a passing grade and thinks it could be a "masterpiece" if fine-tuned. The main arc is solid, but the secondary subplots and characters detract from everything else. As Shea writes there, "It would be a shame to see an interesting character have to wade through some mediocre material....Wake me when you have something new....Streamlining the story in that or some other way would rid the script of numerous distractions that take us away from the important thing, O'Ryan (the main character)."
Some great talent attached to this, looking forward to seeing.
Although the reviewer finds it a hard read -- especially the first 20 pages-- and hopes it gets a polish before filming was to begin, he gives it a passing grade and thinks it could be a "masterpiece" if fine-tuned. The main arc is solid, but the secondary subplots and characters detract from everything else. As Shea writes there, "It would be a shame to see an interesting character have to wade through some mediocre material....Wake me when you have something new....Streamlining the story in that or some other way would rid the script of numerous distractions that take us away from the important thing, O'Ryan (the main character)."
Some great talent attached to this, looking forward to seeing.
