Tales from the Script (2009)

Director: Peter Hanson

Writers: Peter Hanson, Paul Robert Herman

Composer: T.J. Raider

Starring: A shitload of screenwriters including John Carpenter, Shane Black, Jane Anderson, Larry Cohen, Frank Darabont, Antwone Fisher, Mick Garris, William Goldman, Peter Hyams, Richard Rush, Paul Schrader, Ron Shelton, Guinevere Turner

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Hollywood screenwriters finally get the last word.

Plot: Dozens of Hollywood screenwriters share hilarious anecdotes and penetrating insights in "Tales from the Script," the most comprehensive documentary ever made about screenwriting. By analyzing their triumphs and recalling their failures, the participants explain how successful writers develop the skills necessary for toughing out careers in one of the world's most competitive industries. They also reveal the untold stories behind some of the greatest screenplays ever written, describing their adventures with luminaries including Harrison Ford, Stanley Kubrick, Joel Silver, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Nah.

I fancy myself as being pretty damn creative in certain areas.   Anyone who reads this blog will know that writing isn't one of them (but you like the pretty pictures, don't you?).  One thing I've always known about movies is you've got to start with a good script.  If you don't then you risk having a bad film.  Sure you can get guys like Brando or Olivier that make even the most trite dialogue sound reasonable and you can spend $50 million on special effects but that will only carry you so far.  If the story sucks the film will likely follow.  This documentary is almost dizzying with how many people we get to hear from and frequently but it never lost my interest.  I admire people who can create the starting point for a picture, the foundation.  It's shocking at the amount of lunacy that those in charge of production (the often talentless suits) inflict on the creative types that makes it happen.  Will it ever cease to amaze me?  Probably not but it's great hearing the stories these talented people have to tell.