/features/the-lists/1833 /features/the-lists/1803 /features/the-lists/1776 /features/the-lists/1757

Top 10 Revenge Films

You’ve had a hard day at work. You’ve had an argument with your partner. Your kids are giving you hassle. The Sky man didn’t turn up when he said he would, and you are still left with no television. You’ve run out of tea bags. Read more

Top 10 Supernatural Films

What is the 'Supernatural' film? For me, it is the gulf that separates the islands of fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres-- it exists within the realm of phenomena that is barely within believability to be scientifically explained, but just slippery enough to elude true Read more

Top 10 Zombie Films

As with every slightly cult-ish genre that I write on, I feel the need to outline what exactly it is I’m writing about to avoid an onslaught of geeky abuse and terror. When I say “zombies,” I’m talking about the undead or, rather, the dead Read more

Top 10 Science Fiction Films

No other genre in the spectrum of cinema is as dependent upon the imagination than Science Fiction. In a Universe as vast and awe inspiring as the one we happen – by chance or by design – to occupy, it is difficult sometimes to render Read more

Top 10 Revenge Films Top 10 Supernatural Films Top 10 Zombie Films Top 10 Science Fiction Films

Movie Reviews

TV Reviews

Five Plot Point Breakdowns

Screenwriting Features

The Re-Re-Write and The Writer’s Diet

Nom, Nom, Nom Odd-Jobbers, I’m staring at a blinking cursor. My re-written screenplay outline needs to be re-re-written, and nothing worth re-re-writing is entering my stupid head. My bloated stomach’s grumbling and it…

Top 10 Revenge Films

You’ve had a hard day at work. You’ve had an argument with your partner. Your kids are giving you hassle. The Sky man didn’t turn up when he said he would, and you are still left with no television. You’ve run out of tea…

The Writer’s Path: Success Through Failure

My Dearest Odd-Jobbers, There’s something ironically humbling about receiving a call informing you that your script has been passed on while scooping up a literal massive pile of dog crap at your “eight to six” job. Usually…

Top 10 Supernatural Films

What is the 'Supernatural' film? For me, it is the gulf that separates the islands of fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres-- it exists within the realm of phenomena that is barely within believability to be…

Top Ten Lists

Top Fifteen Movies That Changed Cinema

The internet is littered with scores of "Best of..." movie lists; we even have a few. The angle of this list is a bit different though. These films, for good or bad, changed the course of the movie industry and forever…

Top 10 Romance Films

Love. It's a pursuit that inspires joy and jealousy, happiness and hatred. It is perhaps the most powerful emotion in the world. And while most people spend their lives trying to sustain a loving relationship, it's no wonder…

Top 10 Rom-Coms

Call it what you will; a guilty pleasure, an escape from reality, or a film your girlfriend forces you to watch. Depending on your viewpoint, the romantic comedy is one of the most celebrated, or abhorred, sub-genres of…

Top Ten Best War Films

Most people seem to have a passion for at least one particular genre, if not many. But when it comes to war film aficionados, I’ve learned they tend to watch it all, not too dissimilar from horror junkies, yet war film fans…

Character: The Entire Iceberg

Screenwriting Script Tips
Okay, so your protagonist is a 17-year-old orphan and heroin addict living on the streets of Hollywood. She wants to be an actress, convinced that fame will solve all her problems, but what she really needs is just to be loved. Eventually, she ends up in front of the camera on a porn set somewhere in The Valley, and that’s when the real tragedy begins. This is a good start. You have an interesting character, full of flaws (addiction, abandonment, self-absorption), she has a clear goal, gets locked into a complicated situation, and most importantly, you understand the…

12 Angry Men (1957)

Screenplay Five Plot Point Breakdowns
Screenplay Genre: Drama / Mystery Movie Time: 96 minutes 1. INCITING INCIDENT Twelve jurors are set to the task of reaching a verdict of a teenage Hispanic boy who has just been tried for murdering his father, with a guilty verdict sending the boy to the electric chair. Once in deliberation, the jurors take a preliminary vote, but Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) is the only one to vote "not guilty" because he feels the boy at least deserves a review of the case before they hand in their verdict. (00:11:42)
Copyright © 2012 The Script Lab LLC - Help  |  PR Media Kit  |  Advertise  |   Site Map  |  Jobs at The Script Lab
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy / Safety Information / California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. All rights reserved.