Friday, June 03, 2011

My favorite spec scripts

I reorganized my files. First I fixed my own script files, giving each project its own sub-file so I can easily identify query letters, loglines, outlines, drafts, whatever has to do with that particular script; it's now all in the same file. I shoved all abandoned projects into their own folder, so now I don't have to cringe every time I pass by that project about a team of brothers who pull heists on nudie bars or whatever the hell that crappy thing was about.

Once I got done with that, I decided to tackle my collection of other scripts. I marked all the ones I've read so that I can easily see which scripts I haven't checked out yet, and I deleted some that I have downloaded more than once. I also simplified the titles.

It didn't take that long, and it really gave me a nice excuse to not grade papers.

As I cleaned up my files I reminisced about all the great scripts I've read. Of course there's Tonight, He Comes, which if you know me at all you know is my very favorite script ever. Then I saw Me and My Penis, which I'd forgotten about and enjoyed remembering ever so fondly. My Mother's Curse and Gravity are two of my other favorites. And who doesn't love Killing on Carnival Row?

There are so many scripts I still haven't read. I should have a few hours to myself this weekend when I should be grading papers. Sounds like an excellent time to read something.

So what should I read? What are your favorite specs of the last year or so?

18 comments:

  1. I laughed out loud reading "30 Minutes or Less"

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  2. "The Grey" is awesome. Story about a bunch of ex-cons stranded in the Alaskan wilderness with a pack of wolves hunting them. Crazy good.

    Also, totally with you on "My Mother's Curse." One of my favorites.

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  3. My Mother's Curse is better than Crazy Stupid Love. I enjoy Fogelman a lot.

    Of all the political-driven scripts I've read, I like COLLEGE REPUBLICANS the best.

    I really, really, really should get around to reading Carnival Row. LOL.

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  4. I have to admit, I'm one of those who didn't think COLLEGE REPUBLICANS was all that. Stunned it was number one on the Black List.

    I also seem to be one of the few voices of dissent on MAGGIE, which for all the hype, had to be one of the most boring reads I've had in the last two months. If either of those are on your "to read" pile, I think you can safely move them to the bottom.

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  5. FATHER DAUGHTER TIME is excellent, and Kyle Killen's AWAKE (aka REM) is the best pilot I've read behind LOST's.

    Young, I honestly thought CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE was better, but both were incredible.

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  6. Low Dweller is a real good one if you're of the mindset that a screenplay should take as much care with word choice and syntax as fiction does.

    Won't appeal to the "easy read" pledgers though.

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  7. God, I loved TONIGHT, HE COMES. That script still makes me drag-down sad. I love the script, but it's kind of like remembering an old relationship where the girl asked you out for your personality and then forced you to wear a Will Smith mask, un-grow a pair, and camp it up for a group of 14-year-olds -- and then sent you packing when she realized you now had zero appeal.

    (cue the defeated Charlie Brown music: da duh duh, da duh.....)

    ps. I also loved REM (Awake). Geeked for Django Unchained.

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  8. Oklahoma City by Clay Wold is simply amazing.

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  9. Thanks for the suggestions. I did read Maggie and I liked it, but I was told it wasn't a true zombie script, that it was more of a drama. I think if you were expecting a zombie script you'd be disappointed.

    The rest of the scripts mentioned I haven't read. Now I have a reading list - except College Republicans. It didn't interest me anyway, so now it really doesn't.

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  10. God - I need to read more scripts.

    I need to read more in general. It's kind of disgusting, the amount I don't read...

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  11. you need to blog more often.

    OR post pages from the next throwdown challenge you will partake. hint, hint.

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  12. Look who's talking.

    Dude we have like two full weeks of school left and I have 30,000 papers to grade.

    I'll probably be back to posting daily after school lets out.

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  13. I ran out of topics. I could post about how my management firm now has a distribution deal with a company in India.

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  14. Anonymous10:55 AM

    Bitter,

    I loved COLLEGE REPUBLICANS so did our producers.

    I don't think your views matter.


    No one reads your blogs anyways.

    You are nothing Mister in LA.

    I look forward to you guys stop blogging nonsense. No one reads your blogs Bitter...

    Why do you blog. Who cares what you think.

    COLLEGE REPUBLICANS IS A GOOD SCRIPT!



    Michael

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  15. Well that was mature.

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  16. Hey Michael,

    "Your" producers liked it? That's great! Did they put any money where your mouth is? I'm pretty sure I haven't heard anything about it being sold.

    Emily asked for opinions... I gave mine without launching a personal attack on either the writers or the commenters with different opinions. It does me proud that my views threaten your narrow worldview so much that you were incapable of responding in kind. It shows me that YOU care what I think, otherwise you might have been capable of a rational arguement that encompassed a firmer thesis than "U suck and i dont know how to write full paragraphs."

    Thanks for displaying the lack of tact, class and grammar that is always evident in comments submitted as "Anonymous."

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  17. Anonymous1:59 PM

    Nick,
    Emily,
    I introduced a copy of THE LOW DWELLER to a music video director who had a couple of brush with "fame" at Amazon Script Contest, MTV, So You Think You Got Talent. He's busy, well they all are, and he's my Mentor btw. He loved the script, but he did say, the second time he read it, he wished for more of this (I think there should be list like this one in the Rap industry...question - will the spec market embrace such scripts
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_that_most_frequently_use_the_word_%22fuck%22

    Emily, mistress of scribes, did you like THE LOW DWELLER? Nick did.
    Could you review it like Script Shadow does.:)

    That's chill,man

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  18. The Low Dweller has been on my reading list for a while and I never seem to get to it.

    I don't really do script reviews any more (Script Shadow has that market cornered), although I will mention it if I really love something, like I did with Seven Psychopaths.

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