October 2021 #100screenplays
It's my favorite month! October begins with my birthday and ends with Halloween!
After last month's bizzaro list, I thought I'd try to stay on theme a bit better. I don't usually recommend a watch list (although I may do that next year in conjunction with the reading list), but this month I MUST recommend "The Movies That Made Us" on Netflix because season 2 episode 1 is about Back to the Future, which is on my October reading list.
Y'all, Back to the Future is a fantastic movie to study. Hear me out. No, it wasn't an Oscar contender. But it has everything audiences love about "going to the movies" all rolled into one. (I cracked up at the clips of cast and crew trying to explain it to interviewers because everyone gave a different genre or two or four, and all of them were right!) If nothing else, watch it for the clue trail and the hope vs fear factors. I once took a physical count of the switch between hope and fear in BTTF and I swear it switches every 3-5 seconds during those last ten minutes! Incredible.
And if you watch the episode of "The Movies That Made Us," you'll find out the original ending was UTTERLY HORRIBLE. I absolutely loved hearing how the writers kept adapting to the situation in order to get the movie made, but never lost sight of the original high concept. Totally inspiring.
Big shoutout to friends who are headed to Austin, pitched to Disney, got a manager, and optioned their thriller. And big hugs to anyone who has recently received a "NO." As my pal James from Roadmap Writers says, "REJECTION IS FUEL."
Here's my script reading list for October:
- Edward Scissorhands
- Ghostbusters
- Ghostbusters 2
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- So I Married an Axe Murderer
- Back to the Future
- Back to the Future II
- Back to the Future III
- The Mask
- Moonstruck
- E.T.
- Mystery Men
#100Screenplays 2021 reading challenge by the numbers:
Total yet-to be produced scripts: 37
Total produced scripts: 114
2021 Grand total: 151
My thoughts:
It's so much fun to re-read scripts to learn new things and find inspiration. This month is no exception and I hope you make time to watch the "Back to the Future" episode of "The Movies That Made Us" because it proves the script is the secret sauce!
Keep writing friends,
Where to find scripts:
https://indiefilmhustle.com/free-screenplays-download/
https://deadline.com/2021/03/oscars-2021-nominated-screenplays-read-1234714575/
She/her. Screenwriter. Author. Script Supervisor. Visual Artist. Ex-Comic.