Thursday, September 10, 2009

A History of Violence screenwriter Josh Olson will not read your f***ing script.

Labels: notes

2:57 PM

7 Comments:

Sure, a professional tired of getting hit up for free work. But someone who should have didn't read the piece-of-shit script for "A History of Violence," because that film was a turd and it had everything to do with the writing. Of course, it was crippled when its source material was a graphic "novel," a vastly overrated medium if there ever was one, instilling adolescent sentiments into ostensibly adult stories.

By  David, at 7:47 PM  

It was a funny post, but more than a little over-the-top. I can appreciate his frustration if people are hounding him, but his outburst certainly paints him to be a massive jackass.

I really enjoyed A History of Violence though.

By  Global, at 10:25 AM  

I'm sure he is a jackass. I don't necessarily approve the message.

Personally, I will read your script. And critique it. But you have to pay me my rate. Because reading scripts and figuring out how to make them better is a big chunk of my business, whether I'm the guy making them better or someone else is.

By  Alex Epstein, at 10:38 AM  

The tone of the "I Will Not Read Your F***ing Script" seems unusually rude and abrasive, so I'm not sure what the point was. Maybe convince people he's a jerk and become unapproachable?

I've had people read my scripts, and I've read scripts by other writers. Seems to work out pretty well for us. If and when I don't have time to read someone's script, I'm polite about it.

As for "A History of Violence," I wasn't a huge fan of the graphic novel or the film, but I suppose both were worth the price for a single viewing. Entertaining, but well short of amazing.

Not sure what to think of David's comment about the film being crippled by the graphic novel. Dismissing an entire medium? I could never dismiss music because of a bad Metallica concert.

By  Kody Chamberlain, at 9:52 PM  

I don't think Josh was rude to the guy. The guy was rude to Josh. I have had the same experience many times over and fully appreciate the tone of the article. First you're polite. They come back. You're direct. They come back. You are blunt. They argue. You tell them the truth. You're a jackass.

The hardest thing is to draw the line. You'll have to decide who your 'real friends' are, because if/when you have time, you will read for them. But never for others.

HISTORY OF VIOLENCE? Didn't work. I enjoyed it but it was fundamentally flawed in that we couldn't fully empathise with the hero, because the hero doesn't share his feelings/motivations with us. This is an essential requirement for a strong hero.

But it has become Cronenberg's trademark and his fans don't mind.

By  Karel, at 12:24 AM  

I'm not a writer, but i read scripts for a friend.
I read that piece on deadline and I totally understood where it was coming from.
I didn't think he was rude. I think the guy asking should just have appreciated the time and effort.
At the same time, he knew it was going to come to that if he was to be frank about what the guy wrote.
I think that rant should be given to anyone who asks for free and honest advice.

By  Skyfleur, at 4:15 PM  

The guy makes public a private spat with somebody -- somebody not given a means to defend himself, either. Olson comes across as petty and vindictive. Sorry Olson, I won't read your fucking rant.

By  daveed, at 7:21 PM  

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