I will read them in particular for unproduced films. I want to know what the film might have been. Same for scripts from an iteration of a film that was then dropped when a new director came on board.

All good points. I can see why y'all read scripts.

I read unproduced scripts (almost) exclusively. For those who don't know, The Black List is an unofficial list of the best unproduced scripts of the year -- put together by industry folk. It's a huge honor for any writer to make The Black List -- the second best thing to actually selling a script. That's a good place to start if you like reading scripts that aren't yet movies.

is A Killing on Carnival Row on the Black List? I think it is, that's a really cool one from the dude who wrote Pacific Rim (it got Del Toro's attention). would also recommend The Brigands of Rattleborge, which is totally twisted and possibly unfilmable but an engrossing read

i read scripts mainly because i write them, and they give up a lot of secrets. i wanted to read Pacific Rim because i read there were lots of changes made from script -> film, but also out of curiosity to see how he wrote the action sequences (how many ways can someone describe giant robots battling giant monsters? turns out there is a certain poetry to it). you can learn way more from close reading of scripts (in conjunction with watching the films) than you can from reading any screenwriting book (most of which are mostly useful only for amateurs, kind of like most poker books)

Super 2010

Released the same year as kickass this is another attempt to create a more realistic super hero action comedy. It was overshadowed by KA and received mixed reviews but I liked it. It's tone is darker and it doesn't have the visual flair or joyous acrobatic violence but Its got its own charms. Ellene Page as psychopathic sidekick Boltie and flabby unlikely Rainn Wilson as the Crimson Bolt are endearing psychopaths while Kevin Bacon is a great charismatic villain. It's a shame the ending felt like a bit of a cop out.

Uhh, because if you are a big fan of something you might want to see how much is from the scriptwriter and how much is your favorite director taking liberties and changing up stuff. There are a large amount of reasons to check out scripts.

I remember this, quite fun and unexpected. I like it's idiosyncratic approach but yeah it had a few problems. Worth a watch if you like that sort of thing imo.

Changes in script= Director changed it? I'm sorry but that's a one dimensional viewpoint. Factor in director, producers, studio, actors, editors, etc.

The director isn't "taking liberties" if he changes something in the script. He's doing his job. Sometimes he does s ****ty job, sure, but he is well within his rights to change the script.

Yes of course, this still shows a creative change and how people believe things can be improved for the big screen compared the original. It might also serve as a confirmation if you believe something clearly was missing and you check a early script and that scene is there etc. It's not something super necessary but some people love digging around in stuff like that.

At the premiere for The Wolverine. Only four people in my theater. Hooray for small college towns during the summer!

The Wolverine: 10% bull****, but the other 90% is 100% awesome

This pretty much. Takes a nosedive in the end but overall I'm glad I watched it. One of the best credit stingers I've seen.

The Way Way Back is a heartwarming coming of age flick. Cliché at times, but man can that freaking Sam Rockwell guy act. The movie became more awesome every time he was on screen.

The Worlds End

Saw this last weekend.

I thought it was really good. It's the third and final film in the 'Cornetto Trilogy' from Simon Pegg et al and Edgar Wright. Easily on a par with Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. It deals with two main themes as I saw it, the dangers of nostalgia and thinking everything was better in the old days and the dangers of passivity in a populous in the face of another culture or set of values being thrust upon them. It was full of really clever references and jokes, really funny at times. The fights were absolutely brilliant, total slapstick parody. Great comic performances from a stellar cast of British comedy mainstays, many of whom making only short cameos in fairness, but still, it's high quality stuff.

8/10

Solaris 1972 russian version

Saw it at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Some people really like this because of some abstract things like "composition" of the shots and such. It was not terribly boring to me. It was amusing to try to figure things out, like why in the hell is this scene being shot in Japan out of the blue? Is that just the stock footage they had? The effects are so bad it's kind of funny. The character struggle/development of the two main characters is pretty interesting. A lot of it is unexplained/unexplainable, which can either leave you with the impression it's thoughtful/philosophical or just thinking nothing ever happens.

It's compared to 2001, and is probably a reaction/ripoff to that, but it also reminds me of Forbidden Planet - which is a good movie that probably many people have not seen.

6/10

I like the Soderberg/Clooney version a lot better. Sacrilege to most, I know.

Not to me! I love the Soderberg version. I still have Cliff Martinez - "Wear your seatbelt" on my playlist. Cliff Martinez needs to get even more recognition for his genius.

I saw the Soderberg one in the theater, so I guess 10 years ago. As I recall, about 6/10 as well for me.

Soderberg seems to do a lot of 6/10s. Looking at his movies makes me think, 'man I'm old'. I remember seeing Sex, Lies and Video Tape in the theater first run.

Some ridiculous stuff in the end, I'll agree. I'd heard it fell apart in the final act, so I was expecting Man of Steel all over again, but it doesn't fall apart on nearly the same scale. I left The Wolverine feeling very satisfied. This was monstrously good. And there are quite a few things that happen in the finale that had me on the edge of my seat. I kept thinking, welp, he's ****ed. For a film that all but guarantees the hero will not die, I wasn't sure if he was going to survive.

I'm surprised this wasn't rated R. Tons of violence. I mean gruesome. Wolverine slaughters scores of people. Fair amount of cursing. No boobs, and they're careful not to show much blood, but it's obvious when Wolverine eviscerates people.

The Viper chick pissed me off. What a wasted character. What do we know about her at the end of the movie? Nothing. And the love story is pretty thin.

The opening is gorgeous. Wonderful composition.

Re the stinger ending:


This film also played so well off the only good parts of X3 that I actually felt compelled to rewatch that piece of ****.

Liking is fine.

We're watching you, though. Double secret probation.

Check out Martinez's score for Only God Forgives. It's amazing.

I read the second value as the cost of stubbornness and short-sighted thinking (both as individuals and as collectives) but I suppose it depends on your outlook. But yeah the fights were funny, although I got a bit tired of them towards the end. Like the other Cornettos the first half was so much better than the second half imo.

The Hunt
Starring the guy from casino royals and Hannibal TV show
Its like lolita mixed with doubt

I felt dirty after

The Hunt falls into my category of depressingly real movies like Amour and Dead Man Walking

I think the quote "We're more belligerent and idiotic than you can ever imagine!" probably gives your viewpoint credence. Got a good lol out of me that one.