Reviews and Comments

Blake Snyder taught a formulaic approach to writing spec scripts. He sold two of them and so his voice is one of experience. Really, though, it was shockingly inflexible. Also, his anecdotes and classifications were antiquated in this book. Snyder presented another form of genre classification:

Monster in. the House — Of which Jaws, Tremors, Alien(, The Exorcist, Fatal Attraction, and Panic Room are examples. (Alien, Fatal Attraction, Scream, The Ring, Saw)

Golden Fleece — This is the category of movie best exemplified by Star Wars; The Wizard of Oz; Planes, Trains and Automobiles; Back To The Future; and most "heist movies." (Bad News Bears,

Out of the Bottle — This incorporates films like Liar, Liar; Bruce Almighty; Love Potion ; Freaky Friday; Flubber; and even my own little kid hit from Disney, Blank Check.

Dude with a Problem — This is a genre that ranges in style, tone, and emotional substance from Breakdown and Die Hard to Titanic and Schindler's List.

Rites Of Passage — Every change-of-life story from "10" to Ordinary People to Days of Wine and Roses makes this category.

Buddy Love — This genre is about more than the buddy movie dynamic as seen in cop buddy pictures, Dumb & Dumber, and Rain Man — but also every love story ever made!

Whydunit — Who cares who, it's why that counts. Includes Chinatown, China Syndrome, JFK, and The Insider.

The Fool Triumphant — One of the oldest story types, this category includes Being There, Forrest Gump, Dave, The Jerk, Amadeus, and the work of silent clowns like Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd.

Institutionalized. —Just like it sounds, this is about groups: Animal House, MAS*H, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and "family" sagas such as American Beauty and The Godfather.

Superhero — This isn't just about the obvious tales you'd think of, like Superman and Batman, but also includes Dracula, Frankenstein, even Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind.

On the other hand, Blake Snyder's Save the Cat Goes to the Movies is a great survey of (mostly) popular films, which attempts to fit each film to his guidelines. It works a lot better, and this approach is a lot less offensive than his page 25, page 55, etc rules: (note that he does allow that in longer or shorter films that the values are proportional)

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Opening Image (1)
Theme Stated (5)
Set-Up (1-10)
Catalyst (12)
Debate (12-25)
Break Into Two (25)
B-Story (2-hander, 4-hander) (30)
Fun & Games (30-55)
Midpoint (55)
Bad Guys Close In (55-75)
All Is Lost (whiff of death) (75)
Dark Night of the Soul (75-85)
Break Into Three (85)
Finale (A&B stores cross, synthesis) (85-110)
Final Image (110)

If you are interested in screenwriting, both books are essential, but this is not the truth. The truth is in your head. ;-)