Because these last few posts about loglines have been wildly popular, I’m coming back again with loglines and blurbs of the WGA’s 101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (*So Far). Having scoured The Annual Black Lists, IMDB, and Amazon, I’m presenting the below loglines and blurbs, and I’m dividing…
Category: Oscar-Nominated Scripts
Black Comedies
The 49 Subversive Choices of ‘Jojo Rabbit’
Watching Jojo Rabbit (and then re-watching it) gives a formidable lesson in the difference between good and outstanding storytelling. Let me explain… Good storytelling provides a beginning, middle, and end with a protagonist who endures conflict/antagonism (both internal and external) in every scene, a rising line of action within three…
Loglines
Q. How Do the Annual Black List Loglines Appear on Amazon and IMDB?
Last week, I presented loglines from the WGA’s 101 Greatest Screenplays (collected from the internet) and, whoa did I got a positive response. I also got criticism. In using IMDB and Amazon as sources, I was reminded that we don’t know for sure if the loglines posted were actually the…
Black Comedies
Decoding ‘Parasite’: Screenwriting Insights
Logline of Parasite: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan. Script Can Be Found Here Summary of Parasite: Parasite begins with the Kims, a destitute family of scam artists who live in a Seoul basement. Father Kim…
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
Screenwriting Takeaways from ‘Oppenheimer’
Logline of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer: Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing the atomic bomb, forever changing the course of history. Script Can Be Found Here Summary of Oppenheimer: Oppenheimer is an epic historical drama centering on two narratives. “Fission” follows J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian…
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
‘Anatomy of a Fall’: Screenwriting Takeaways
Logline of Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall: Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their son Daniel live a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead, the police question question if he was murdered or committed suicide, and Sandra becomes the main suspect….
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
‘Poor Things’: Screenwriting Takeaways
Logline of Poor Things: Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. Script Can Be Found…
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
‘Past Lives’: Screenwriting Takeaways
Logline of Celine Song’s Past Lives: Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make…
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
‘May December’: Screenwriting Takeaways
Logline of May December: Decades after their scandalous relationship made headlines, a couple starts to unravel when a famous actor arrives to research them for her new film. Script Can Be Found Here Summary of May December: May December begins around Memorial Day of 2015 when Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman)…
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
‘Maestro’: Screenwriting Takeaways
Logline of Maestro: The life of the legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein and his complicated, decades-long marriage to Felicia Montealegre. Script Can Be Found Here Summary of Maestro: Maestro begins with Leonard Bernstein (a.k.a. LB; played by Bradley Cooper) giving an interview to PBS in 1989, playing the piano…