ADVANCED PLACEMENT

Finished this script by Anthony Jaswinski.

As in TRANSATLANTIK, the script just strains credibility to the point where you just want to chuck it in the trash.  Here, a high-school student is forced to assassinate a Senator that comes to visit the school on his campaign to become President.

You would think that the security for a Presidential-Hopeful would be intense.  Not at all here.  The assassination attempt is easy.  The kid is sitting in the front.  When the Senator goes to shake his hand, the kid will shoot him three times in the head with a gun that has managed to make it through security.

It's ridiculous.  An example of this is when the lead gets attacked by a fellow student wielding....a candy cane!

Again though, Jaswinski can write.  His pages fly by.  His stories are the problem.  They're too simplistic.  Too connect-the-dots-type of writing.

Pass on this script but I'm still not ready to pass on Jaswinski.  With his style, he'll always have a chance.

PEEP WORLD

Terrible movie.  Not even worth sitting through its short 75 minute run time.  Was this a comedy?  The laughs are nowhere to be found.

What a waste of talent.  Sarah Silverman should be starring in films.  Give her a role to play.  She's funny.....except in this film.  Give Michael C. Hall something to do.  Is this really the best script he could find?  Lesley Ann Warren, Kate Mara, Judy Greer - all wasted here.  Ron Rifkin showed a lot of life in his scenes. 

How does a script like this get made?  Who read this and thought, "this has GOT to be made!"

We don't care about any of these characters.  Wherever that happens, your film is DOA.

 

DEATH VALLEY

Caught the pilot of the new MTV series.  Reminds me of RENO: 911.  It has some laughs but after awhile I can see the concept wearing thin.  How many zombies can you kill for laughs before it stops being funny?

MTV must still be smarting over dumping the TWILIGHT franchise.  Looks like they're trying to get the horse back in the barn with this and TEEN WOLF.

TEEN WOLF though has character development and can take its leads through interesting plots.  In DEATH VALLEY, since it's going for the laughs found on JACKASS, there isn't any subplots to be found.  It's all about the gross-out laugh.

We'll see how far they can take this series. 

CRUISER

Finished this script by Marc Gottlieb.

Story's about two police officers trapped in their car which is rigged with a bomb. 

The immediate comparison is SPEED.  However, that's where the comparison ends.  SPEED was smart with characters you rooted for.  You had a bunch of innocent people onboard a bus.  In CRUISER, the cops are dirty.  So do we really care that their lives are in danger?  The bomber is forcing them to confront their shady past.  As we delve deeper into their story, we come to loathe  the officers' past actions. 

By not having us root for the characters which are in peril, Gottlieb has effectively robbed the plot of any dramatic tension.  I bet half the audience will root for the car to explode.  Their situation isn't compelling.  They're getting what they deserve.

A pass on the script.  Not ready to pass on Gottlieb however as a writer.  His pages moved.  I'd look for his next one just to see if there's any growth in his storytelling ability.

 

COLOMBIANA

I don't get the title.  Shouldn't it have been called Cataleya?

Standard revenge flick that's elevated by Zoe Saldana's acting.  Kind of how Liam Neeson elevated TAKEN's script.

Lennie James is always good.  So is Jordi Molla.  Cliff Curtis has some nice moments as well.

Seems to me though that Cataleya could've found Don Luis anytime she wanted.  But let's not quibble.  The film delivers exactly what it promises: action.  Nice jail sequence plus I liked the bit about the sharks and the dogs in the end.

Luc Besson is churning them out.  Same type of story over and over (THE PROFESSIONAL immediately comes to mind) but you have to admit, he does it well.

 

KNOWING

Alex Proyas should be an A-List director.  He's got all the talent in the world.  Yet, his films just seem to miss.

KNOWING is a good example of this.  He certainly knows how to build tension.  Yet, there's long passages of time in his movies that are...boring. 

Making a film in which we witness the end of the world is a hard endeavor.  Kind of depressing, no?  Do we really want to go to a film to be depressed?  This film makes it worse because the heroes really have nothing to do.  Their fate is inevitable.  They cannot change anything.  It's always a dicey proposition to make a film where the lead is helpless.  There's nothing to root for.

But again, Proyas knows how to tell a story visually.  He just has to work on telling one emotionally now.

TRANSATLANTIK

Finished this script by Anthony Jaswinski.

Jaswinski is a screenwriter.  His descriptions are short.  his dialogue is sharp.  his pages fly when you read them.  His scenes move bullet-fast.  If you want to get your scripts past readers and onto an exec's desk, study Jaswinski's style.  Having said all that, I have to pass on this script.

Story's about Idelle who comes to Europe with her boyfriend Paul.  Paul proposes to her and the rest of the trip immediately goes downhill as it's revealed that Paul is working for the mob and has been stealing diamonds from them.  The mob captures Paul and takes Idelle hostage.

There just isn't anything new or surprising about this story.  It's a run-of-the-mill plot without any twists. 

Are we really supposed to root for Marius after he inexplicably has a change-of-heart and begins helping Idelle instead of continuing to work for her captors?

The biggest problem is, nothing happens until Paul is kidnapped which is finally revealed forty pages in.  That's way too long.

Looking forward to anything else Jaswinski writes.

SCARS

Finished this script by Daniel Scott Gordon.

Story's about Charlie Heksch, a cop and ex-heroin addict, who comes across a homeless bum that knows everything about him and his past addiction.  Complications ensue as the bum ruins Charlie's life in an attempt to get Charlie back on drugs.

As Charlie delves deeper into the bum's life, scars begin to appear on Charlie's body.  Turns out, the bum is Charlie's addiction personified.  In order to get Charlie to start using again, the bum begins killing off everyone in Charlie's life.  It becomes clear the bum is going to murder Charlie's wife and son if Charlie doesn't figure out a way to stop him.

Script is terrible.  Gordon's descriptions are long - if you can say in six words, Gordon chooses to say it in sixteen words.  This gets annoying fast.

It would be one thing if Charlie's on the verge of a relapse but his sobriety is resolute so we never get a feeling that he's fighting himself over his addiction.  That's a crucial element that's missing to bring this tale to life.

Pass on the script as well as the writer.



    

THE BEAVER

I loved the first hour of the film.  I never really thought much of Anton Yelchin until this film.  He's good.  And I never really thought much of Jodie Foster's directing until this film.  She's great.

It's the script that lets them down.  What's the message?  What's the heart of the story?  If it's about a father trying to connect with his eldest son, the material is woefully shortchanged.  Is it a story about a marriage falling apart?  If that's the case, again, there's not enough fireworks.  Is it simply about a man coming to terms with his own demons?  If it is, the message has gotten diluted along the way.

The last half hour of the film really diminishes the set-up.  The story goes off the rails and never gets back on track.  Mel Gibson cuts off his hand and that's supposed to solve everything?  Yelchin yells at Jennifer Lawrence and that's supposed to suddenly lay her angst to rest?

Terrible. 

Hope Jodie Foster gets more material to direct though.  For that first hour, she displayed a sure hand and a gift for eliciting great performances.





 

SOMETHING BORROWED

Terrible film.

Ginnifer Goodwin is not a lead.

What has happened to Kate Hudson?  Why would she take this role?  Her film career is sunk.

Are you telling me, the lead wouldn't commit to Goodwin because....his Daddy didn't want him to???  That's the reason that's keeping these two apart?  That's what you're going with?

John Krasinski had some nice moments.  In fact, they should've built the film around his character.  He was the only interesting one.  He and Steve Howey's character should've teamed up for a comedy.

Otherwise, the film's forgettable the moment the end credits hit.

 

PRISONER 23

Finished this script by Cody Yarbrough.

This is a quick pass on the writer as well as the script.  Story's about a group that takes out a bus transporting a very special prisoner. 

When you write action, you have to understand, the real trick is to humanize the action.  The real reason why LETHAL WEAPON works so well is because we all understand and root for Martin Riggs.  Same as John McClane in DIE HARD.  Or Axel Foley in BEVERLY HILLS COP.  Sure the action sequences are great but they're there to support the story.

In PRISONER 23, the whole thing exists just for the gunplay.  The characters are cardboard at best.  Paper-thin.  They do not draw us into the story.  Thus, the story becomes boring in a hurry.  All the action in the world won't save you when that happens.

  

TAKING WOODSTOCK

Boring.  We have the most monumental concert ever in the history of rock n' roll as a backdrop yet you'd never know it by watching this film.  Instead, we focus on this bland kid who comes to term with his sexuality.  Big whoop!  There's no drama, there's no excitement, there's no laughter, there's no....moments.  This is a movie!  You need big moments.

What has happened to Ang Lee?  He's lost his touch.  He used to be a master at conveying complex emotions throughout his scenes.  Now, his scenes are listless, wandering aimlessly without any purpose.  No longer do they build.  No longer do they move. 

Script should've been burnt instead of filmed.

    

BLACK DYNAMITE

Michael Jai White cannot write a screenplay.  Sure, this film might've made an interesting pitch but fleshing it out to a feature-length film has proved impossible for White.  The film limps along with humor so bad it becomes annoying.

I can understand bringing back the blaxploitation genre but you've got to do it in a way that makes fun of that movement while at the same time uplifting it.  There's no uplifting going on here.  This is just a campy exercise that doesn't celebrate the genre one bit.

You need a smart screenplay to pull this off.  One that works on multiple levels.  One that has a message to depart.  The only message we get from this movie is White and his writing partner  Byron Minns must've gotten so tired of waiting around for film roles, they decided to write one for themselves.  Sadly, they both need to stick to acting.

RIO

The songs were terrible.  The characters weren't engaging.  The story was lackluster.  You can tell ten minutes in that this is not a Pixar production.

The film would've worked better if they kept Blu at a young age.  This way, overcoming his inability to fly becomes symbolic of growing up.

Also, the younger age would've made Blu's relationship with Jewel cuter and would've drawn a bigger audience.  The way it stands now, the film doesn't attract kids and plays too small for adults.

The secondary characters aren't memorable.  The two adult supporting actors are annoying.  And the action sequences are boring.

A total misfire.

THE LINCOLN LAWYER

A throwback. 

I liked the film.  Great supporting cast.  Michael Pare, Josh Lucas, Bryan Cranston - all fine jobs in limited scenes.

This is Matthew McConaughey's best performance since A TIME TO KILL. 

I think they missed a moment when they revealed the missing gun that belongs to McConaughey.  They should have subtly introduced it earlier.  Then, when the cops tells McConaughey what the murder weapon was that killed his investigator, we'd feel his blood run cold.  That's how they shot the scene but since we don't know anything about the gun, when McConaughey's blood runs cold, we don't feel it.  It's a crucial moment that, if played right, would really hit home how diabolical Ryan Phillippe is.

Also, I don't get what Phillippe's plan was.  How does he beat a murder rap just by hiring McCoonaughey?  I can see how he can't go down for the past murder but how does that help him win this current case?

It feels as if Hollywood has stopped making movies like this.  It's a shame because when done right, the films are compelling.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Brad Furman makes next.

JUMPING THE BROOM

I liked the film.  It had conflicts that developed and moved the plot forward.  I thought though that they could do more with Paula Patton's family now being poor - a reversal of positions - but the film takes place over the course of a weekend so there really wasn't time to explore that issue in more depth.

Paula Patton should be a superstar.  If a white actress pulled off something like Patton's role in PRECIOUS, she would've become the toast of the town.

Some of the subplots are weak (Romeo Miller chasing after Tasha Smith comes to mind) and some subplots are woefully underdeveloped ( Meagan Good and Gary Dourdan) but the actors keep everything moving forth with great performances. 

The glaring weakest though is the dialogue.  There were scenes that needed explosive fireworks (especially  the scene where Mike Epps confronts Loretta Divine and the scene where Laz Alonzo confronts  DeRay Davis) but we're given firecrackers instead.  Huge drama is called for in these situations just to deepen the conflicts and make them more memorable.

If the script was stronger, the film would've crossed-over to a mainstream audience.   
  

30 MINUTES OR LESS

Jesse Eisenberg has got to be the most unlikely lead in film today. 

The film has energy.  Here's a great example of how to mix action with laughs.  You keep the storyline as realistic as possible and make sure you don't see the punchlines coming.  The shot where Jesse and Aziz get T-Boned and turned upsidedown as they come sliding into the camera is hysterical.  You don't see that coming.

One of the few times in film where Danny McBride elevates the plot.  He brings the laughs whenever he appears onscreen.

Ruben Fleischer knows how to keep a story moving forward.  He also knows how to get a laugh visually as well bringing the written word to life.  The script was dialogue-intensive (which could have made for a boring film in lesser hands) but Fleischer handles the material expertly.

Good job all around.
  

MARS NEEDS MOMS

Who's your audience for this film?

It's too big for little kids.  It's too tame for bigger kids.  There's nothing here to attact young girls.  Pre-teen boys are looking for something more suited to teenagers.

Didn't the filmmakers learn anything from TITAN A.E?

Film is a waste.  Maybe if the mother had played a bigger role.  The emotional core is implied at rather than hit hard during the movie.  For the film to work, you had to have emotional moments when your audience chokes up.  That didn't come close to happening here.

Maybe if every chore the son hated doing came into play in the attempt to save his mother, the film might have been stronger.  The story clearly isn't strong enough to hold our interest. 

Maybe the mother should've drilled certain behavior and rules into the son's head in the beginning - those things could have then come into play later on.

I don't get how new martians can be born if the sexes are separated at birth.

This film shouldn't have made it off the drawing board.

DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT

Terrible. 

Brandon Routh simply cannot act.  He's so bland.  He cannot bring a scene to life.  This was the problem with his Superman film.  He doesn't have any charisma.

The script was atrocious.  Tries to combine the detective genre with monsters.  That might work if you had better monsters, more action, more scares and more danger.  Here, the story is limp and the plot is soggy.  Thrills and scares are nowhere to be found.

I wouldn't let Kevin Monroe direct another film.  He ruined TMNT and here he shows he can't bring a film to life.  DYLAN DOG needed to crackle with energy.  Instead, we have the male and female leads look as if they're sleepwalking through the movie. 

The film is actually unreleaseable.

 

SUPER

James Gunn made a movie awhile ago called SLITHER.  That, like SUPER, was flawed because it tried unsuccessfully to mix sensibilities.  In both films, the comedy is muted because of the violence.  And the violence can't be taken seriously because of the comedy.  Any social message is lost because of this mix that pulls you out of whatever reality the film is trying to set up.

Ellen Page does a nice job of playing this misfit that's turned on by the power she wields.  Riann Wilson is just too clunky and klutzy for us to buy into his role.  Maybe if they had let  Nathan Fillion play the lead instead and toned down the comedy, the film might have had a chance.

As is stands, I wouldn't let James Gunn direct again.  He brings cheesiness to the forefront of his films which is a turn-off.     

I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN HELL

I thought Jesse Bradford would be king of the world by now.  All of his early work led me to believe that he would become the best actor of his generation.  What is he doing in a film like this?  What happened to his career?

The film is terrible.  All "talking heads."  A lead character that we care nothing about it.  It's hard to build your plot when you're turned off by the lead's antics.

I liked Marika Dominczyk though.  She should get more work off this performance.

Makes me wonder about Richard Kelly.  I thought DONNIE DARKO was weird but compelling yet SOUTHLAND TALES was unwatchable.  THE BOX wasn't much better.  For him to produce a film like this makes me wonder about his sensibilities.  Studios probably will be steering clear...and rightly so.

THE CAPE

To cash in on the superhero genre, you have to have a good superhero.  Sadly, this is not the case here in THE CAPE.

David Lyons is woefully miscast in the lead role.  You need a dramatic lead.  One that's carrying the weight of the world upon his shoulders.  One that has seen his entire world shattered.  One that has to struggle with a daily existence knowing if he were to let his family know he's alive it would put them in mortal danger.  Lyons doesn't have the ability to bring this across and that's where the series fails.

Also, the cape itself is laughable.  Did they really expect us to believe that a cape can throw a 180lb-man across a room?  The creators here have mistaken illusion with reality. 

I understand why the series was cancelled.  I don't understand how it ever got past the pilot stage.

STRIKE BACK

Watched this new series from Cinemax.  Plays like a television version of DIE HARD.  Nothing really stands out in the opening episode.  Outside of ex-Delta Force, dishonorably discharged American Damien Scott, the characters are all one-note players.

Sure, you have to give a series time but you'd better grab your audience early if you want to hold onto them.  The action sequences (which is how they're selling this series) are uninspiring, the plot isn't compelling and the dialogue is simply serviceable. 

To work, you've got to provide much more internal conflicts for the leads and you have to create moral dilemmas for their actions.

Cinemax's original programming isn't off to a good start with this offering.  

YOUR HIGHNESS

Film starts off well.  It starts to drag about halfway through.  And it falls apart in the final act. 

The problem is Danny McBride plays his character the same all the way through.  What he does, he does well.  However, the film would've worked better if his character displayed some believable heart.  You've got to see a change come over him.

The script has plenty of jokes sprinkled about but they are all of the same ilk.  That gets tiring after awhile.

In order to work, the quest would have to be greater, the journey much more perilous.  The jokes would've played better if the situation was more dangerous.

McBride's sense of humor plays better on the small screen than in film. 

  

SILVERFOXES

Finished this script by Patrick Burleigh and Will Widger.

This is the kind of script that works better as a comedic short on SNL than as a feature film.  Story's about a guy that loses his girl to a Silverfox - a successful man in his 60's that has wealth and experienced all that life has to offer.  The guy, with the help of his brother who's a make-up artist, transforms himself into a silverfox to win the girl back.

There's some laughs here.  The writers certainly know how to write well.  It's really just a one-joke premise.  Reminds me a bit of the Wayan Bros' "WHITE CHICKS" in that the joke's in the make-up.  That gets old after fifteen minutes.

Pass on the script but the writers are ones to keep an eye on.  I want to see what they come up with next.

  

PAUL

I like Simon Pegg but I don't like the films he writes.  There never seems to be enough material to fill an entire movie.  There's always lots of filler.

It's a shame, too because he always comes up with such likeable characters.

Seth Rogen does an excellent job here with the voice work.  He makes Paul come alive with his line readings.

Kristen Wiig can do no wrong in my eyes.  Again though, I just wish there was more for her to do in this film.  Strictly a one-note character.

Might have miscast with Justin Bateman though.  He doesn't pull off a steely-eyed agent intent on completing his mission.

I found the film boring for long stretches.  Ultimately, I wouldn't recommend it.

 

 

ONE NIGHT STAND

Finished this script by Jeff Morris.

Having read it, I still don't know what the script is supposed to be.  It's not funny enough to be a comedy.  It's too dumb to be taken seriously as an action film.  It's too preposterous  to believe.

Story's about an NSA analyst who mistakenly sleeps with his boss' wife.  The boss, in retribution, wipes out the analyst's credit, lists him as a pedophile and terminates his employment. 

The CIA then kidnap the analyst, whisking him off to Pakistan where they torture him.  The analyst is broken out of captivity by terrorists.

Along the way, there's a real terrorist named Carlos the Coyote who has blown up a senator who, we later learn, is in cahoots with the analyst's boss.

The script is a total mess.  By the halfway point, you realize you're the one being waterboarded by these pages.

Pass!  

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT

They should’ve left this film on the shelf. This type of mundane material might have made the grade on that idiotic THAT 70'S SHOW but it’s clearly inferior when you bring it to the big screen. Who hasn’t seen this story done much better at least fifty times before? If you’re going to do it, at least bring something new to the table. Compare this screenplay to AMERICAN PIE. One becomes a new classic while the other is instant dreck.

Jackie and Jeff Filgo clearly belong in the land of bad sitcom writing. And Topher Grace belongs in the land of bad sitcom acting.

It’s the first time I’ve seen Anna Faris bring absolutely nothing to a role. Gotta fault the director for that because she’s usually guaranteed to delivers laughs.

What was the need to set the story in the 1980's? At least in THE WEDDING SINGER or HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, the setting has a point. Here, like the rest of the film, it’s just puzzling. Jokes aren’t made at the 80's expense. A social comment about how times have changed isn’t found.

Terrible writing that results in a terrible movie.

SOUL SURFER

Inspirational.  Can anyone really hate this story?  Puts a lot of things into perspective. 

Still, it feels like a movie-of-the-week.  A good movie-of-the-week but a movie-of-the-week nevertheless.  Good acting all around.  Worth seeing.

By not delving into the more dramatic aspects of the story (the anguish, the parents' guilt, the hardship of dealing with the disability), it robs the viewer somewhat.  I understand that's not the film's intent - the story is one of inspiration - but it would've made the viewer much more sympathetic because I'm sure 90% of the audience would've reacted in a much more negative fashion if this happened to them.

But again, the film leaves behind an important message and makes you see things differently.  Any film capable of that is good.
      

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

The second best film I've seen this summer.  Rupert Wyatt brought the thunder.  The story bogs down a bit when Ceasar is separately from James Franco and the apes seem to learn combat strategy on the fly but these are minor quibbles.

The CGI work is devastatingly good.  However, they work because the story is built upon emotional truths.  The scene where Ceasar protects John Lithgow by attacking the neighbor is amazing.  It feels real because the story has beautifully set up their relationship.  This is a perfect example of how CGI should enhance the narrative...not become it.

James Franco does a nice job.  His attachment to the young chimp feels genuine in their early scenes. 

Ceasar's eyes are able to dominate his scenes.  They speak volumes.  Just an amazing job.

I expect to see Wyatt climb the ranks quickly.  He knows how to tell a story visually and is able to portray emotions and feelings easily.  That's a hard thing to master and he pulls it off effortlessly.
    

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED

You're either going to find this film sappy or poignant.  Based on Dr. Oliver Sacks' "THE LAST HIPPIE," the film tells the tale of a father trying desperately to reconnect with his son after the son has a tumor removed from his brain.

J.K. Simmons performance is amazing.  He should be used in every single film in need of a strong supporting actor.  His talents are exceptional, giving emotional weight to each scene he's in.  You can feel the pain and anguish he goes through as his son is returned to him as well as feel the guilt and anger that's built up over the years from their broken relationship. 

Dr. Oliver Sacks is a godsend.  Think of how many lives he's touched through his work with his patients.  Think of how many relationships he's helped to repair.  He's given hope to so many people.  He can truly say he's made the world a better place.

Film has the power to heal.  Unfortunately today, that power's been mostly forgotten.  I applaud THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED.  I wish we could see more stories like this up on the big screen.

 

MYTH AND LEGEND

Finished this script by Erik Sommers.

It's an intriguing premise.  Heroes really existed.  Their heroic feats grew into legends.  And then, society would attempt to kill them off out of fear.  So the heroes were forced to go into hiding, living amongst us throughout eternity.

Story focuses on Paul Bunyun.  He was once called Hercules.  He was called many named throughout time.  However, he's now an extremely bitter man, hiding out in Venice amongst the freaks and street people.

Along comes the Death Goddess, intent on resurrecting the Gornok, a monster that will devour everything in sight.  Then, she reasons, the humans will again fear the Gods.

The problem is, the PG-13 script doesn't have the required laughs needed to make a film like this work.  We're firmly in GHOSTBUSTERS territory here.  However, aside from the premise, the script lacks wit.  The visuals are there but they need to support a great story in order to work.

Alma, the human working with Paul to thwart the Death Goddess is weak.  She's a poorly written, cliche character.  You never get a sense that she's Paul's true love interest.

We drift from one action sequence to the next without ever feeling for the characters or buying into their plight.

Project needs a page-one rewrite.  There's an extremely workable concept here.        

     

AGAINST THE WALL

New series on Lifetime.

Here's one that shouldn't have made it past the pilot stage.  Story about a female detective who comes from a family of cops and takes a promotion in Internal Affairs.

Family of cops?  Isn't this Blue Bloods?

Rachel Carpani just isn't cut out to be a lead.  She doesn't hold the screen.  And the little quirks that the creators have given her - falling over things, singing in public - aren't endearing, they're annoying.

Episode ends with Rachel going out on an officer-involved homicide only to discover that the officer involved is her brother.  Like we didn't see that coming.

Show's terrible.  Pass.

LAST VEGAS

Finished this script by Dan Fogelman.

Story's about four senior citizens that go to Las Vegas and rediscover their vitality.

I was so impressed with CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE, I went back and read this script by Fogelman.  There must be two Dan Fogelmans.  LAST VEGAS is trite, boring as hell, and dry as a bone.  No laughs to be found here at all.

First off, who's going to see this?  The leads are all in their late 60's.  Do we really want to see them hanging around a pool at the Palms casino?  Are we going to laugh when they try to pick up 20-year old hotties?

This is a bad concept.  Normally, I would give something like this twenty pages before I toss it.  However, since Fogelman wrote it, I read the entire thing.  Wish I had tossed it.  Total waste of time.

 

BULLET RUN

Finished this script by Andrew Hilton.

There's absolutely no character development going on in this script.  However, it's wall-to-wall action that can easily translate well into all the foreign territories.

Story's about a group that takes down a North African terrorist and attempts to transport him back to America.  However, the terrorist's billionaire father has other plans and hunts the group down to get his son back.

Full on action sequences with a ton of car stunts. 

After the success of FAST AND FURIOUS, you have to give this script a hard look.  You need another pass to flesh out the characters - Ben in particular doesn't come off too well - you would think he'd be a little more emotional going after the man that gunned his young daughter down in cold blood.

Here's an example of the script not quite being there but you go full throttle anyway because the action can carry it home.

WE HATE YOUR GIRLFRIEND

Finished this script by Wendy Molyneux & Lizzie Molyneux.

Extremely well written.  The character of Mercy Moser jumps off the page. 

However, as NO STRINGS ATTACHED and FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS have shown us, romcoms dependent upon dialogue for laughs have a hard time finding a wide audience.  WE HATE YOUR GIRLFRIEND falls into this category. 

Today's comedies require visual jokes.  The more outlandish the better.  Think BRIDESMAIDS or THE HANGOVER.  WE HATE YOUR GIRLFRIEND doesn't contain any visual humor which makes it a hard sell.  The Molyneux girls are talented writers but they're probably better suited in television.

Story's about a group who hate their friend's (CALEB) girlfriend.  The girlfriend breaks up with Caleb sending him into a tailspin.  Along comes Mercy Moser who's a dead ringer for the girlfriend.  The friends come up with an idea to have Mercy pose as the girlfriend in order to bring Caleb closure so that he can move on with his life.

Pass on the script but the writers are definitely ones to keep an eye on.