screenplays worth reading

[rasta-spouse]

I've only read two screenplays in my life Blood Simple and Pulp Fiction. Bought both hardcopy from a Waterstones in the 90s - so easily available and not from a large selection. I'm no longer sweet on the Coens as I feel they're very cut and paste, and Tarantino..well (a) doesn't seem to be an adult and (b) what he shoots isn't even trying to be in the real world anymore (but PF is the bee's knees, still).

Anyway, I've browsed various script databases over the years (Drew's Scriptorama, mainly) and read the first page or two of upcoming screenplays with some interest, but have never ventured any further. Mainly because it's quite hard to go into a script and visualise the combination of dialoge and stage direction (might as well just go see the film, right?). However, if you've actually seen the finished product then reading the screenplay is sort of an amazing experience where you can see how the director made their choices. So, I'm currently reading David Koepp's Jurassic Park draft (I was inspired by the Jeff Goldblum tribute thread) and having a ball. I'm waiting to see if the t-rex chase "objects in the rear-view mirror are closer than they appear" visual gag is in there.

Anyone here read screenplays for funsies? Or even to study them for a deeper view on a film? Or is it all a big waste of time? I think its interesting how films turn out, and where they go wonky - just thinking about the story I heard about Schrader's script for The Mosquito Cost wowing everyone whose desk it landed on and then ending up a real dodo when put into production. Or all the drafts of the Watchmen (there's about 4 online), which Gilliam declared unfilmable, finally made and then it turns out the only good thing about the film is the opening credits.

any recommendations or pointers welcome...

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Withnail and I it's a good one. The character descriptions and stage directions are as funny and quotable as the dialogue itself

[Deyv]

William Goldman's screenplays are a wonderful read. Heavily recommend his Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid screenplay.

[kalowski]

Goodfellas is a good one if I remember rightly.

[rasta-spouse]

Goodfellas is a good one if I remember rightly.

This is an interesting one - Casino & Goodfellas seem to have a level of detail and authenticity unlike any other Scorsese films.

I always thought Goodfellas was a new style of movie, feels like its built up of a series of very organic intricate vingnettes but has a tightly edited fast moving flow to it. and so many questions: was it improvised in rehearsals? or improvised on set? so how does all that affect the screenplay? i'll look into it.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm very fond of David Lynch's scripts, if only because they sometimes have a lot of scenes which never made it in to the actual film.