Author: Margaret C. Waggoner

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]

Legendary Horror Franchise Scripts

It’s difficult to make a horror film that can make a big enough impression with audiences to spark an entire franchise. Many directors have attempted to capture an audience with stunning monsters, open-ended story lines and intense special effects. However, audiences are difficult to please and it’s not uncommon for these movies to fall directly into obscurity.

But there are times when a horror movie is good enough to really get the attention of horror film addicts and the general movie-goers as well. These films, for some reason or another, just have the chemistry of a horror film concocted in a perfect manner to attract an audience and keep them wanting more.

For the aspiring horror film writer, these films are crucial for understanding what balance of story and characters is necessary to create a perfect franchise and the best way to start is at the beginning. Contained in the list below is the premiere films of several different successful franchises spanning from the 1970’s to today.  Upon close observation, an aspiring screenwriter may be able to recognize a pattern and therefore figure out a “formula” for creating the perfect scary movie. For those who choose to set upon this journey, I wish you good luck in finding the Holy Grail of the horror industry.

  1. (1968) Night of the Living Dead Script [Transcript]
  2. (1978) Halloween Script
  3. (1979) Phantasm Script [Transcript]
  4. (1980) Friday the 13th Script
  5. (1984) Nightmare on Elm Street Script
  6. (1984) Children of the Corn Script
  7. (1987) Hellraiser Script
  8. (1988) Child’s Play Script
  9. (2004) Saw Script
  10. (2007) Paranormal Activity Script

Lars Von Trier Scripts

Lars Von Trier is one of the few honest directors left in the business. The 50-something year old Danish director has created films that continuously defied conventional norms of morality, directorial style and pretty much anything else that could risk defiance. What this rebellion results in are poignant films that make an audience experience the world through the eyes of Trier. Despite his talent,  Trier is not a mainstream director nor does he desire to fall under that category. Trier once stated,

“You have to fight the urge to do a big action movie. You avoid ‘Batman.’ The bigger it is, the worse it is.” (IMDB.com, 2011).

Trier believes in expression and notices how American films are usually devoid of the individual perspective of a director- with film companies vying more for financial gain than a truly enchanting film. Trier, on the other hand, believes in film making not only as a source of income, but as a therapeutic and personal experience.

That being said, Trier suffers from many phobias including the fear of underground structures, flying and illness. His belief is that these phobias stemmed from his terrible childhood. According to Trier, his mother allowed him complete freedom over everything in his life except “feelings, religion and enjoyment” (Beltzer, 2011) which led to his paranoid complexity of phobias and anxiety attacks. These emotions and experiences reflect in Trier’s films and gives the viewer a firsthand look at the painful experiences that Trier has lived through.

 

Filmography

References

Beltzer, T. (2011) “Lars Von Trier” Retrieved from http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/vontrier/IMDB.com (2011) “Lars Von Trier” Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001885/

David Lynch Scripts

David Lynch is one of the few directors who have been able to break the conventions of Hollywood and still manage to be successful. Since 1968, Lynch has created several films that aim to distort and manipulate the world in a way that confounds the audience- sometimes to the point of traumatization. Lynch’s films are often filled with symbolism and beautiful imagery that appear to be tied into each other to tell a story. However, the films are understated in a way that allows each audience member to come to their own conclusions, if any, about the film’s purpose.

Lynch’s films are hailed by critics and the mainstream audiences alike despite the fact that his films often are bizarre and disturbing. For instance, the film Blue Velvet (1986) is a journey into a psychotic love triangle that is fueled by perversity such as voyeurism, sadomasochism and a variety of other disturbing sexual qualities. However, Lynch’s films are not pornography nor should they be placed in the same category. Lynch explores many aspects of human experience from different perspectives than most mainstream audiences are used to seeing. Anyone interested in the film industry would do themselves a favor by viewing some of Lynch films.

Filmography

Brad Dourif Scripts

There is just something about Brad Dourif that makes him perfect for horror films. His childlike face exudes innocence at one moment yet transforms into a terrifying vision when he makes the decision to be frightening. His voice can be kind and gentle one moment yet turn into a vicious tone that would be characteristic of a psychopathic serial killer. In films, he often appears to be a troubled soul tortured by angels and demons fighting for authority over him. He is a brilliant actor that encourages sympathy and hatred at will.

Since his stunning performance as Billy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Hollywood has kept him busy with films ranging from dramas to horror films. The characters he plays are always three-dimensional due to his acting ability- not necessarily the nature of the role. In the Child’s Play series of horror films, Dourif (as Chucky) captures qualities to the psychopathic dolls that not many other actors could accurately portray. In the Exorcist 3, Dourif characterizes a psychopathic serial killer with such enthusiasm that a viewer may be terrified speechless at the intensity of his scenes.

Despite the fact that Dourif has been stereotyped as a member of the horror genre, his acting ability shows his ability to blend into other roles with precision and depth that would be lost in a less talented actor.

 Filmography

 

Michael Crichton Scripts

In the 1980’s, nobody could hold a candle to Michael Crichton when it came down to sci-fi. With such big hits as Jurassic Park (1993) and Westworld (1973), Crichton created explosively entertaining stories that attracted the mainstream in record numbers. His ideas ranged from television dramas to big budget films that attracted the attention of directors and producers from all over. What Crichton really had, was an incredible ability to tell original stories that sparked the imagination and curiosity of children and adults alike.

Anything that Michael Crichton touched turned to gold as can be seen with his abundant amount of lifetime successes. As a young man, he fulfilled what many young people dream which was to be accepted to Harvard University. He was accepted into the medical program but was secretly writing stories in his spare time. His book, The Andromeda Strain (1971) was the result of his secret story writing which is what launched his career as a novelist.

So much can be learned from Crichton but nothing as important as the influence of education on creative works. Without his medical school influences, Crichton may never had created his E.R. (1994-2009) television series. If he wasn’t fascinated with computer technology, then there is no saying whether he would’ve succeeded in making Jurassic Park (1993) or Westworld (1973). His work goes to show that creativity is a result of imagination added to intelligence.

 Filmography

 

William Peter Blatty Scripts

Mainstream success is often thwarted when a director decides to make a religious film. For the most part, these films are focused at ‘specialty audiences’ that choose their films out of a sense of pious duty instead of interest. However, there are a small amount of directors who are able to bring religion into a cinematic perspective and create a film that funnels crowds of religious and non-religious people alike. Some examples include Mel Gibson with his highly successful Passion of the Christ (2004) and Cecil B. DeMille’s groundbreaking epic The Ten Commandments (1956). These films attempted to show the beauty and power of God in all its cinematic artistry.

On the flip side of the coin are directors like William Peter Blatty who have taken ideas from religion to show a much darker vision to audiences. With his first novel, Blatty was able to take one of the scariest characters from biblical text and turn it into a terrifyingly cinematic monster. The result was the notoriously frightening film entitled The Exorcist (1973). The film launched Blatty into success not only because the film was frightening but also because it was based on an actual occurrence.

When Blatty was in college, he read in a newspaper about a young boy who was demon possessed in the local area. The story intrigued him for years and inspired the film that is now considered a masterpiece. After this film came many other films including The Exorcist 3: Legion (1990) which Blatty directed, and the most recent exorcism film Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005). While Blatty has written, starred in and directed many films to date, these are the films that he will most likely be remembered for in the future and will be a great influence to film makers yet to come.

Filmography

(2005) Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist Script

(2004) Exorcist: The Beginning Script

(1990) The Exorcist III: Legion Script (Requires Subscription)

(1990) The Ninth Configuration Script (Limited Release/For Purchase)

(1973) The Exorcist Script

(1970) Darling Lili Script (Original Script for Purchase)

(1969) The Great Bank Robbery

(1967) Gunn

(1966) What Did You Do in the War Daddy?

(1965) Promise Her Anything

(1965) John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! Script (Torrent Download)

(1964) A Shot in the Dark

(1963) The Man From the Diner’s Club

Bret Easton Ellis Scripts

Any avid adult readers in the 1980’s knew who Bret Easton Ellis was. The film circles had the ‘Brat Pack’ consisting of young stars and starlets who were taking the world by storm. The reading circles had their literary version, consisting of young writers who were capturing the world by storm. Out of the literary ingénues came Jay McInerney, Tama Janowitz and, of course, Bret Easton Ellis.

Ellis’ first novel entitled Less Than Zero gained monumental success by the time Ellis was a mere 21 years old. His writing style reflected a life that most people had never seen nor imagined in their lifetime. His novels led readers into a world where wealthy, upper class kids squandered their opportunities, engaged in drugs and partying and lived an overall self-absorbed lifestyle even to the point of their own destruction. Audiences had not seen anything like Ellis’ work before and received him with open arms, ready to hear more about this world that few hold the key to.

Hollywood noticed the marketability of Ellis’ work as well and requested that Less Than Zero be turned into a movie. Ellis agreed and the result is the deeply depressing and shocking 1987 film of the same name. Since that film’s release, Ellis has been able to turn many of his other novels into major motion pictures- some that were received with great honor by the film industry.

The dialogue is always insightful and full of literary symbolism that would make even the most gifted poet green with envy. The stories draw the audience in like a teenage boy to a peephole. We are guilty but desperate to know what Easton has on the other side of the wall for us to see.

A lot can be learned from Easton novels and the screenplays that have resulted from his mastery of the English language.

Films Based on Easton’s Novels

  1. The Informers
  2. The Rules of Attraction Script
  3.  American Psycho Script
  4. Less Than Zero

 

 

Tom Holland Scripts

With the release of the new Fright Night (2011) film starring Collin Farrell and David Tennant (Dr. Who), many people are dusting off their old VHS copies of the original film that was made in 1985. This is not to say that the remake isn’t any good. In fact, the new rendition of the classic Fright Night could probably be blamed for the rising popularity of the original film which has jumped up to the top 500 films that are searched on IMDB the week of the remake’s release! Amidst all the excitement, Tom Holland (the director and writer of the original film) has come to the attention of the press as being the cause of this uprising of nostalgic horror movie fans… and with good cause!

Tom Holland is a director and writer of horror films including Psycho II and Child’s Play. He has worked alongside big name actors and directors, including Stephen King and Anthony Perkins and has contributed a great amount of distinguished horror films to mainstream audiences. Fright Night was his directorial debut and carries a great amount of his individual style and ideas. His films are notable for their vibrant dialogue, personable heroes and intense film shots. Combined, they have earned Holland a place on the list of the most influential horror film writers/directors of this time.

 Notable Films (as Writer and/or Director)

 (1988) Child’s Play Script

(1985) Fright Night Script

(1996) Thinner Script [Transcript]

(1983) Psycho II Script

(1982) Class of 1984

 

Neil Gaiman Scripts

Despite the fact that Neil Gaiman is not a film director, he has made a significant impact on the film community. This 43 year old actor is one of the most well received authors of this generation and has spread his exciting storytelling style to many different genres including music and film. In the animation film genre, Gaiman re-wrote the script for Princess Mononoke so it would be better received by American audiences. In addition, Gaiman is responsible for the story that led to the development of the popular children’s film Coraline. Gaiman wrote several short stories (of which the film was based) and the idea was turned into a screenplay by another writer.

In addition to these two films, Gaiman also co-wrote the script for Beowulf, the major motion picture made in 2007. While the idea for the film was not his own (based on an ancient mythological story), he brought the story new life with stunning dialogue. Another major motion picture that he was involved with is Stardust which bragged an all-star cast and was based on a novel that Gaiman had written previously.

Undoubtedly, the film community has realized that Gaiman has a way with storytelling that cannot be taken for granted. Whether he is writing a script, novel or short story, Gaiman is able to turn everyday words into an exciting secret that everyone wants to hear.

  1.  (2007) Beowulf Script [Transcript]
  2. (2009) Coraline Script [Transcript]
  3. (2007) Stardust Script [Transcript]
  4. (1997) Princess Mononoke [Transcript]