Month: November 2011

Top Confusing Movie Scripts

Watching a movie is like taking a trip into the mind of another person. Fiction stories are concocted by people based on their life experiences and imagination. When the stories are put onto film, audience members are allowed insight into the imagination and personal thoughts of the writer.

Some writers find it easy to share their ideas with other people. Their messages come out strong and clear so that no other interpretation can be assumed. However, there are a few directors who have such complex mind processes that they have difficulty sharing it with others in a linear, easy to understand manner.

Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch and Ingmar Bergman are examples of writers/directors that have this personal challenge. They do not always think in a formulaic, Hollywood manner and this can lead to complex story lines, odd dialogue and questionable plot lines.

However, just because a movie is confusing does not make it bad. Most of the films listed below are considered masterpieces- far beyond their time and steaming with profound thought. However, the full message cannot be understood in one viewing. An audience member may have to research the film and watch it over and over again before it starts making sense.

In order to help with the process of understanding, we have linked to the scripts to some of these great, but confusing, films. Reading the script may help give insight that simply watching the film would not. We hope that with time, you may be able to discover deeper meaning from these films and many other confusing masterpieces.

  1. (1957) The Seventh Seal Script
  2. (1977) Eraserhead [Transcript]
  3. (1995) Dead Man [Transcript]
  4. (1998) Pi Script
  5. (1999) Fight Club Script
  6. (2000) Memento Script
  7. (2001) Donnie Darko Script
  8. (2001) Mulholland Drive Script
  9. (2001) The Matrix Script
  10. (2003) The Matrix Reloaded Script
  11. (2003) The Matrix Revolutions Script
  12. (2004) Primer Script

Film Noir Scripts

The film noir style that arose in the post WW2 era represented a great change in the mindset of the American people towards cinema. Prior to this time period, films were created to bring about happiness and good will in audiences. Given that the two World Wars and the Great Depression had occurred nearly back-to-back, it was only natural for people to want an escape from their devastating situations.

However, with the end of the Second World War came a new hope and a bright future for the American people. They were able to have fulfilling lives without worrying about an impending threat looming constantly over their heads. They didn’t need happy films to make them feel happy- because their reality was promising. So they turned to the cinema for something else. Their escape now was not in happy stories, but in dark stories that transcended their happy reality.

Enter the film noir. These films are filled with seedy characters, painful situations and tragedy by the truckload. In addition, the cinematography was something new as well. Instead of trying to light everything in a bright and cheerful manner, cinematographers made use of the now-popular technique of bringing out dark shadows through abstract lighting.

But the most notable aspect of a film noir would have to be the storyline. The film makers who made these film noir classics did not bother themselves with creating an accurate story timeline that is easy to follow. They would rather confuse the audience with nonlinear bits and pieces that drew the audiences’ attention but left them in the dark until the conclusion.

Given the popularity of film noir and the remarkable influence it has made on many big budget productions (i.e. Sin City, Chinatown) it is imperative for a person involved in the film industry to be knowledgeable of the distinct flavor that is a film noir.

            The scripts below are some of the largely forgotten treasures of the film noir legacy which have within their pages, a strategic and formulaic way to create a dark yet crowd-pleasing script. Serious film makers and writers will do well to seek the wisdom within their pages.

  1. (1941) The Maltese Falcon Script
  2. (1944) The Big Sleep Script
  3. (1945) The Lost Weekend Script
  4. (1946) The Postman Always Rings Twice [Transcript]
  5. (1946) Gilda [Transcript]
  6. (1948) Double Indemnity Script
  7. (1948) Sorry, Wrong Number
  8. (1949) The Third Man Script
  9. (1948) The Naked City Script
  10. (1953) The Big Heat
  11. (1955) The Night of the Hunter Script

 

 

Bruce Campbell Scripts

One of the most successful actors to come out of the B-movie franchise, Bruce Campbell has built a career on his ability to bring humor and a snarky charm to any film that he stars in. While he is mostly known for his B-movie sensations (i.e. The Evil Dead trilogy and My Name is Bruce) he is much more than that. His popularity has stemmed into a career in many forms of entertainment including television, cartoons and video game voiceovers. He has been in major film productions such as Spiderman and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs while still maintaining his B-movie king status with underground films (i.e. Man with the Screaming Brain and Bubba Ho-Tep).

Bruce Campbell has been a successful actor based on his ability to pick and choose scripts that he believed were interesting, whether they were big budget masterpieces or low-budget slasher flicks. Even if his role is limited to a bit part or cameo appearance, he recognizes potentially good films and makes sure that he was part of the experience.  Because of his ability to work with such a humble mindset, he is most assuredly going to be a successful actor for many years to come. His filmography is a beneficial tool for understanding how to maintain long term success in the film industry.

  1. (2011) Cars 2
  2. (2009) Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs Script
  3. (2009) White on Rice
  4. (2007) Spiderman 3 Script
  5. (2007) My Name Is Bruce Script
  6. (2006) The Ant Bully Script [Transcript]
  7. (2006) The Woods
  8. (2005) Sky High Script [Transcript]
  9. (2005) Man With The Screaming Brain Script [Subscription Req’d]
  10. (2004) Spiderman 2 Script [Transcript]
  11. (2004) The Ladykillers Script
  12. (2002) Serving Sara Script [Transcript]
  13. (2002) Bubba Ho-Tep Script [Transcript]
  14. (2002) Spiderman Script
  15. (2001) The Majestic Script [Transcript]
  16. (2000) Timequest
  17. (2000) Icebreaker
  18. (1998) The Ice Rink
  19. (1997) McHale’s Navy
  20. (1997) Running Time
  21. (1997) Menno’s Mind
  22. (1996) Escape From L.A. Script
  23. (1995) Congo
  24. (1994) The Hudsucker Proxy Script
  25. (1992) Army of Darkness Script [Transcript]
  26. (1992) Mindwarp
  27. (1992) Eddie Presley
  28. (1992) Waxwork 2
  29. (1991) Lunatics: A Love Story
  30. (1990) Darkman Script
  31. (1990) Maniac Cop 2
  32. (1990) Sundown: The Vampire In Retreat
  33. (1989) Moontrap
  34. (1989) Intruder
  35. (1988) Maniac Cop Script
  36. (1987) Evil Dead 2 Script
  37. (1985) Crimewave Script [Transcript]
  38. (1984) Going Back
  39. (1981) Evil Dead Script

 

Pixar Scripts

It’s no secret that Pixar has been one of the forefront runners in the film industry since their first major feature film Toy Story (1995) was released in theaters. The technical mastery of computer simulated animation was a fresh change from the traditional animation styles of cartoon films, and since then, every Pixar film has been financial successes in the box office and in DVD sales. In addition to the beautiful animation, Pixar has excelled in creating spellbinding stories that have attracted movie audiences young and old.

The writers that work at Pixar are some of the best in the business and usually have graduated from top ranked schools. Their talent is usually accompanied by rigorous study in film writing technique and is critiqued according to the high standards of the company. If any aspiring writer wants to see how a professional quality script is written, then Pixar is a great place to start.

  1. (2011) Cars 2
  2. (2010) Toy Story 3 Script
  3. (2009) Up Script
  4. (2008) Wall-E Script
  5. (2007) Ratatouille Script
  6. (2006) Cars Script [Transcript]
  7. (2004) The Incredibles Script [Transcript]
  8. (2003) Finding Nemo Script
  9. (2001) Monsters Inc. Script
  10. (1999) Toy Story 2 Script
  11. (1998) A Bug’s Life
  12. (1995) Toy Story Script [Transcript]