Slog - Comments on A Fantastic Script http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby Why I hate big-time screenwriters: The Shawshank Redemption filmmaker Frank Darabont has hit out at movie mogul George Lucas for preventing Steven Spielberg from shooting his script for the upcoming Indiana Jones sequel, claiming his efforts were "a waste of a year." Darabont wrote a screenplay for the highly-anticipated movie, which is still known by its working title of Indiana Jones 4, and insists director Spielberg was happy with it. However, producer Lucas didn't think it was good enough. Darabont tells MTV.com, "It showed me how badly things can go. I spent a year of very determined effort on something... Copyright 2008 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 11:59:13 -0800 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:37:47 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by elswinger Darabont is one of the better screenwriters and directors we have today. I mean, he doesn't make movies about horse-fucking, but he's still pretty good.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697088 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697088 Arts Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:18:56 -0800 Comment by darling463 oh please Elsie, the Henry Cowell

let us read tomorrow your obituary from marraige-guano overdose. actually, maybe just zone-out dude on darabont's 'buried alive' from '90.

]]> darling463 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697108 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697108 Arts Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:35:20 -0800 Comment by D. I met Frank Darabount in a screenwriting class when I lived in L.A. In the class we dissected The Shawshank Redemption. As it happened, I had been at a test screening for the original cut which was slightly longer.
A couple of things that struck me was that he was very thoughtful about his work which is why he turned down a lot of money from Rob Reiner to direct Shawshank in the first place.
He also was very upset that his first big screenplay Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was destroyed by Kenneth Branaugh. Which if anyone has seen the film can attest to. It's absolutely unwatchable. I doubt if Robert DeNiro can ever forgive Branaugh for humiliating him so. My personal opinion of that film is that Branaugh got so into the role of Frankenstein that he created this ridiculous piece full of self-adoration that itself became a "monster."
Anyway, I think Darabont is sincere. He's a successful writer. Why shouldn't he care about his work?
Screenplays for the most part live only if the film is produced. The studio owns the script. You can't just go off and make your own rival film. And you can't really publish it. At least seldom do. So, I'd be pretty pissed too!

]]> D. http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697128 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697128 Arts Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:52:41 -0800 Comment by Joe Lucas certainly has demonstrated with his own recent work he knows nothing about writing a good screenplay.

]]> Joe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697135 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697135 Arts Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:55:25 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi Dang it, Joe, you beat me to it.

But, yeah, Lucas doesn't know a good script from his ass.

@3,

One of the things I hated most about Branagh's Frankenstein was its complete lack of attention to the novel. Wasn't the point to make it more in line with the original story than Whale's version? Stupidity and madness.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697143 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697143 Arts Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:02:38 -0800 Comment by E. Steven My absolute, favorite comment on the role of the screenwriter came from an author, who's name I can't recall, who said that writing scripts was like being a plumber, once you've installed the toilet, you don't go back to see if someone's crapping on it.

]]> E. Steven http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697168 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697168 Arts Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:25:13 -0800 Comment by E. Steven Ah, I just remembered the guy who made the Plumber analogy. Tony Gilroy!

]]> E. Steven http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697188 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697188 Arts Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:38:07 -0800 Comment by Colin As a graphic designer in-house for a mid-sized corporation, I can completely sympathize with Darabount. I've spent months on work that I thought was absolutely spot-on for our demographic, only to have the stubborn and frankly clueless CEO scrap it in favor of something generic and ugly. It's truely heart-breaking to see so much work go down the drain.

]]> Colin http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697317 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/the_cry_baby#c697317 Arts Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:37:47 -0800