The advice and rantings of a Hollywood script reader tired of seeing screenwriters make the same mistakes, saving the world from bad writing one screenplay at a time. Learn what it takes to get your script past one of these mythical Gatekeepers.
Michael F-ing Bay
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Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Webshow: "Gross-out Gags"
Today's video deals with a trope that can be hilarious when used correctly, but quickly repulses me when done badly. I speak of gross-out gags involving bodily fluids.
Totally agree. I'm pretty sure the number of times this gag has been used to good effect can be counted on one's fingers. I was actually thinking about this exact problem when I saw KICK-ASS 2 and (minor spoiler alert) Hit Girl uses the device that makes the high school girls spontaneously projectile vomit and shit themselves. I don't think that gag got a single laugh or even an obligatory "eww" in my theater.
Good scripts often get rejected, while bad scripts often get made.
Someone is writing these awful scripts, and someone is saying they are good enough to be movies, while claiming the good scripts aren't.
So is this a writing problem, or is it a case of incompetent readers who don't know good writing when they skim it?
Maybe the readers recommending only their own scripts. It would explain a lot.:-)
As an aside, there's a produced screenwriter who frequents several screenwriting forums, dispensing wisdom for all.
He often complains that the very low IMDb ratings of his features are the result of the meddling of others, but the guy unwisely makes his original scripts available via his website.
After reading some of them, I find it hard to imagine any way to make them any worse than they already are.
And yet he has a dozen or so produced titles to his credit, none of them scoring above 5 on IMDb, and most around 2-3.
Who is it that thinks this stuff is actually funny? There's no accounting for taste, I guess.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. I'm pretty sure the number of times this gag has been used to good effect can be counted on one's fingers. I was actually thinking about this exact problem when I saw KICK-ASS 2 and (minor spoiler alert) Hit Girl uses the device that makes the high school girls spontaneously projectile vomit and shit themselves. I don't think that gag got a single laugh or even an obligatory "eww" in my theater.
ReplyDeleteGood scripts often get rejected, while bad scripts often get made.
ReplyDeleteSomeone is writing these awful scripts, and someone is saying they are good enough to be movies, while claiming the good scripts aren't.
So is this a writing problem, or is it a case of incompetent readers who don't know good writing when they skim it?
Maybe the readers recommending only their own scripts. It would explain a lot.:-)
As an aside, there's a produced screenwriter who frequents several screenwriting forums, dispensing wisdom for all.
He often complains that the very low IMDb ratings of his features are the result of the meddling of others, but the guy unwisely makes his original scripts available via his website.
After reading some of them, I find it hard to imagine any way to make them any worse than they already are.
And yet he has a dozen or so produced titles to his credit, none of them scoring above 5 on IMDb, and most around 2-3.
So where does the fault lie?
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