Friday, January 21, 2011

Review--American Screenwriters

Normally, Fridays are for book reviews, but after some thinking, I decided screenwriters needed some love too!

From, The Office:

Michael: (to Meridith) What are you going to do when you come into work tomorrow, and you're dead?

Dwight: I'll shove a wooden stick through her brain.

(cuts to Dwight talking to the camera)

Dwight:  There are many ways to kill a zombie...


AHAHAHAHA!  This is brilliant!  And yes, the actors delivered these lines wonderfully, but it's the screenwriters who came up with these lines in the first place.

In the movie and television industry, actors and directors tend to get all the love.  A brilliant storyline is accentuated by good acting, while that same brilliant storyline could potentially fall flat with bad acting.

But the writing remains brilliant!  So, today I'm celebrating all the screenwriters out there who don't always get the recognition they deserve.  And to do that, I share with you some priceless Office moments:








And because we can't ignore the classics:



Seriously, Mel Gibson gets the credit for this speech, but we should really honor the writer. :)

Any other lines you'd like to share?

7 comments:

  1. LOVE The Office! Thanks so much for the video clips, and you're right--screenwriters definitely don't get the name recognition that the actors get, which is a shame.

    I might be wrong, but I think you're going to Pitch Slam this weekend. If so, best of luck!!

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  2. OOOO other favorite lines: Aragorn's speech before the Black Gates and the President's speech (go Bill Pullman) in Independence Day right before they mobilize the world against the aliens.

    I'm sure I could think of other great lines that just as fantastic even without the epicness. But those came to my head right off.

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  3. Nice! Thanks for sharing those links. I confess I've never seen Braveheart (was avoiding the brutal violence)...actually, I've never seen The Office, either. Am I deprived, or what? LOL

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  4. I wrote a zombie guide as a gag gift for my friends and family and I included a line that said, "Dwight Schrute says the most satisfying way to kill a zombie is to stab it in the brain with a wooden stick. He's an expert. I still recommend keeping your distance." But, seriously, writers should get more credit for their amazing lines.
    Funny Stuff I Write

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  5. I wonder whom did Mel really have in mind while giving that speech :)

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  6. Screenwriters don't get enough credit. Great post, Emily!

    I adore the screenplay to the film 'Clue'. The actors are fantastic but it's the screenplay that makes the whole thing.

    Jai

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  7. Thanks for the comments, everyone! It's nice to see I'm not alone in my appreciation of what screenwriters do!

    And Charlie, the fact that you wrote a zombie guide is just plain hilarious! :)

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Yay! Comments! Oh, how I do love them! :D