John August

QandA

Movies We Haven’t Seen

Film Industry

I’ve seen 54 out of the 100 films on AFI’s list of [all-time greatest American films](https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies-10th-anniversary-edition/). Of the ones I’ve missed, there are a few I do genuinely want to see. But will my life or career be negatively impacted if I never see Intolerance (1916)? I doubt it.

In episode 637 of Scriptnotes, Craig and I discuss which movies screenwriters “should” see. That is, of all the movies out there, which ones are most likely to come up in meetings, or be relevant to projects we’re writing in the 2020s?

Inevitably, one’s viewing is going to be greatly affected by when you were born. Craig and I were both born in the 1970s. Is it realistic or necessary for a screenwriter born in 2000 to have the same breadth of 1980s cinematic knowledge?

Preparing for the segment, Scriptnotes producer Drew Marquardt and I went through online lists of the 100 best movies for past four decades. Some of the lists were from Rolling Stone, others from IMDb. ((IMDb lists reflect an individual user’s preferences, which is why there’s occasionally a film you’ve never heard of. Still, this is probably better than just looking at the Oscar-nominated films from each year, which can include entries that don’t hold up.)) Drew and I marked which films we’ve never seen.

Key: John hasn’t seen | Drew hasn’t seen

Movies of the 1980s

  1. Do the Right Thing
  2. Videodrome
  3. Raging Bull
  4. Blue Velvet
  5. Ran
  6. Shoah
  7. Blade Runner
  8. Stranger Than Paradise
  9. The Thin Blue Line
  10. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  11. Sex, Lies, and Videotape
  12. Come and See
  13. The Thing
  14. Brazil
  15. Die Hard
  16. The Shining
  17. Raising Arizona
  18. Say Anything
  19. Something Wild
  20. Blow Out
  21. Stop Making Sense
  22. An American Werewolf in London
  23. The Right Stuff
  24. Paris, Texas
  25. RoboCop
  26. The King of Comedy
  27. E.T.
  28. The Terminator
  29. This Is Spinal Tap
  30. Elephant
  31. Repo Man
  32. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
  33. They Live
  34. Wings of Desire
  35. Risky Business
  36. Fanny and Alexander
  37. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
  38. The Elephant Man
  39. My Neighbor Totoro
  40. Reds
  41. The Decalogue
  42. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
  43. The Times of Harvey Milk
  44. Mad Max 2
  45. After Hours
  46. Once Upon a Time in America
  47. The Blues Brothers
  48. She’s Gotta Have It
  49. Koyaanisqatsi
  50. Fitzcarraldo
  51. Aliens
  52. Thief
  53. Sophie’s Choice
  54. Roger & Me
  55. My Beautiful Laundrette
  56. Big
  57. Modern Romance
  58. Purple Rain
  59. My Dinner with Andre
  60. Bull Durham
  61. Cutter’s Way
  62. Evil Dead II
  63. Broadcast News
  64. Akira
  65. Back to the Future
  66. The Long Good Friday
  67. Desperately Seeking Susan
  68. Blood Simple
  69. Caddyshack
  70. The Killer
  71. Possession
  72. 48 Hrs.
  73. Ghostbusters
  74. Drugstore Cowboy
  75. Vagabond
  76. Heathers
  77. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
  78. Police Story
  79. Full Metal Jacket
  80. Sweetie
  81. River’s Edge
  82. Hollywood Shuffle
  83. The Little Mermaid
  84. Midnight Run
  85. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
  86. Withnail & I
  87. Atlantic City
  88. The Brother from Another Planet
  89. Amadeus
  90. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
  91. The Vanishing
  92. Airplane!
  93. Near Dark
  94. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
  95. Matewan
  96. Scarface
  97. Miracle Mile
  98. The Decline of Western Civilization
  99. Gregory’s Girl
  100. Testament

Movies of the 1990s

  1. Pulp Fiction
  2. Goodfellas
  3. Fargo
  4. L.A. Confidential
  5. The Big Lebowski
  6. Saving Private Ryan
  7. Fight Club
  8. The Silence of the Lambs
  9. Magnolia
  10. American Beauty
  11. Unforgiven
  12. Se7en
  13. The Shawshank Redemption
  14. Forrest Gump
  15. Heat
  16. Sling Blade
  17. Out of Sight
  18. Dazed and Confused
  19. American History X
  20. Election
  21. Miller’s Crossing
  22. Boogie Nights
  23. Groundhog Day
  24. Schindler’s List
  25. Good Will Hunting
  26. True Romance
  27. The Usual Suspects
  28. Being John Malkovich
  29. Rushmore
  30. Reservoir Dogs
  31. Braveheart
  32. JFK
  33. Ed Wood
  34. Waiting for Guffman
  35. Dances with Wolves
  36. Kingpin
  37. Dumb and Dumber
  38. Clerks
  39. Mallrats
  40. Jackie Brown
  41. Boyz n the Hood
  42. Get Shorty
  43. Jerry Maguire
  44. Bottle Rocket
  45. Rounders
  46. The Matrix
  47. Malcolm X
  48. Quiz Show
  49. Titanic
  50. The Rainmaker
  51. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  52. As Good as It Gets
  53. Barton Fink
  54. Toy Story
  55. Dead Man Walking
  56. Jurassic Park
  57. Dead Man
  58. Toy Story 2
  59. The Sixth Sense
  60. The English Patient
  61. Edward Scissorhands
  62. The Fugitive
  63. Donnie Brasco
  64. Three Kings
  65. The Thin Red Line
  66. Glengarry Glen Ross
  67. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
  68. The Green Mile
  69. Trainspotting
  70. Scent of a Woman
  71. In the Name of the Father
  72. Scream
  73. The Last of the Mohicans
  74. Leaving Las Vegas
  75. The Lion King
  76. Apollo 13
  77. Short Cuts
  78. Aladdin
  79. The Grifters
  80. Beauty and the Beast
  81. Philadelphia
  82. Wag the Dog
  83. Wayne’s World
  84. The Player
  85. My Cousin Vinny
  86. The Truman Show
  87. There’s Something About Mary
  88. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
  89. Léon: The Professional
  90. Office Space
  91. Thelma & Louise
  92. The Insider
  93. Nobody’s Fool
  94. Swingers
  95. A Few Good Men
  96. The People vs. Larry Flynt
  97. Chasing Amy
  98. Lone Star
  99. The Fisher King
  100. 12 Monkeys

Movies of the 2000s

  1. Gladiator
  2. The Dark Knight
  3. Slumdog Millionaire
  4. The Departed
  5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  6. Pan’s Labyrinth
  7. Blood Diamond
  8. City of God
  9. Finding Nemo
  10. No Country for Old Men
  11. Cinderella Man
  12. V for Vendetta
  13. There Will Be Blood
  14. Donnie Darko
  15. Sin City
  16. Mystic River
  17. 300
  18. Let the Right One In
  19. A Beautiful Mind
  20. Munich
  21. Up
  22. Memento
  23. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  24. The Prestige
  25. WALL·E
  26. Requiem for a Dream
  27. Into the Wild
  28. The Pianist
  29. Inglourious Basterds
  30. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  31. Lost in Translation
  32. The Hurt Locker
  33. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  34. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  35. American Psycho
  36. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
  37. Road to Perdition
  38. Walk the Line
  39. The Last Samurai
  40. Million Dollar Baby
  41. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
  42. Downfall
  43. Black Hawk Down
  44. Hotel Rwanda
  45. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  46. Eastern Promises
  47. Little Miss Sunshine
  48. The Incredibles
  49. American Gangster
  50. Gran Torino
  51. Zombieland
  52. The Wrestler
  53. Big Fish
  54. Crazy Heart
  55. Doubt
  56. 28 Days Later
  57. Thank You for Smoking
  58. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
  59. The Bourne Identity
  60. Taken
  61. Snatch
  62. Casino Royale
  63. The Bourne Ultimatum
  64. Almost Famous
  65. Letters from Iwo Jima
  66. Gangs of New York
  67. Children of Men
  68. The Pursuit of Happyness
  69. Tears of the Sun
  70. Avatar
  71. Collateral
  72. Batman Begins
  73. Kill Bill: Vol. 2
  74. The Aviator
  75. Saw
  76. Kung Fu Panda
  77. Ocean’s Eleven
  78. Superbad
  79. Man on Fire
  80. Minority Report
  81. Seven Pounds
  82. Traffic
  83. United 93
  84. The Bourne Supremacy
  85. Monsters, Inc.
  86. Shrek
  87. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
  88. Catch Me If You Can
  89. Iron Man
  90. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
  91. Training Day
  92. Sunshine
  93. 21 Grams
  94. 3:10 to Yuma
  95. District 9
  96. The Others
  97. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
  98. In Bruges
  99. Crash
  100. Shaun of the Dead

Movies of the 2010s

  1. Parasite
  2. Mad Max: Fury Road
  3. Django Unchained
  4. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
  5. La La Land
  6. Dunkirk
  7. Whiplash
  8. The Irishman
  9. Your Name.
  10. Avengers: Endgame
  11. Inception
  12. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
  13. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
  14. Blade Runner 2049
  15. 1917
  16. Avengers: Infinity War
  17. Locke
  18. Calvary
  19. The Hunt
  20. Interstellar
  21. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  22. Guardians of the Galaxy
  23. The Hateful Eight
  24. Logan
  25. X-Men: Days of Future Past
  26. Captain America: Civil War
  27. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  28. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
  29. Inside Llewyn Davis
  30. Baby Driver
  31. Marriage Story
  32. The Social Network
  33. The Dark Knight Rises
  34. Her
  35. Manchester by the Sea
  36. Knives Out
  37. Confessions
  38. Arrival
  39. Gone Girl
  40. A Silent Voice: The Movie
  41. Ford v Ferrari
  42. A Quiet Place
  43. Nightcrawler
  44. Fruitvale Station
  45. Prisoners
  46. Skyfall
  47. Warrior
  48. Thor: Ragnarok
  49. The Avengers
  50. Joker
  51. Wind River
  52. Frank
  53. Green Book
  54. Deadpool
  55. Spider-Man: Far from Home
  56. Jojo Rabbit
  57. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
  58. Deadpool 2
  59. Nocturnal Animals
  60. Kick-Ass
  61. The Grand Budapest Hotel
  62. Gravity
  63. Room
  64. 12 Years a Slave
  65. Inside Out
  66. Toy Story 3
  67. Argo
  68. Moonrise Kingdom
  69. Moonlight
  70. Burning
  71. A Star Is Born
  72. The Great Beauty
  73. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
  74. 13 Assassins
  75. Coco
  76. Hell or High Water
  77. The Farewell
  78. The Wind Rises
  79. The Martian
  80. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
  81. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
  82. Get Out
  83. Toy Story 4
  84. Black Swan
  85. Sound of Metal
  86. Dallas Buyers Club
  87. Black Panther
  88. Midnight in Paris
  89. 127 Hours
  90. The Big Short
  91. Sicario
  92. True Grit
  93. The Revenant
  94. Drive
  95. Zootopia
  96. The Wolf of Wall Street
  97. Bridge of Spies
  98. Masquerade
  99. Rush
  100. Weathering with You

A few thoughts on Sora

Film Industry, Geek Alert, WGA

Yesterday, OpenAI announced [Sora](https://openai.com/sora), a new product that generates realistic video from text prompts. ((Sora is a great name, btw. It doesn’t mean anything, and doesn’t have any specific connotation, yet feels like something that should exist.)) The examples are remarkable.

A TV writer friend texted me to ask “is it time to be petrified?”

I wrote back:

> I don’t think you need to be petrified. It’s very impressive at creating video in a way that’s like how Dall-E does images. A huge achievement. For pre-viz? Mood reels? Incredible. We’ll see stuff coming out of it used in commercials first.

> For longer, narrative stuff, there’s a real challenge moving from text generation (gpt-4 putting together something that looks like a script) to “filming” that script with these tools to resemble anything like our movies and television.

> Writers, directors, actors and crew have a sense of why they’re doing what they’re doing, and what makes sense in this fictitious reality they’re creating. I don’t think you can do that without consciousness, without self-awareness, and if/when AI gets there, stuff like Sora will be the least of our concerns.

With a night to sleep on it, I think there are a few larger, more immediate concerns. Writers (and humans in general) should be aware of but not petrified by some of the implications of this technology beyond the obvious ones like deepfakes and disinformation.

1. **Video as input.** Like image generators, this technology can work off of a text prompt. But you can also feed it video and have it change things. Do you want *A Few Good Men*, but with Muppets? Done. Need to [replace Kevin Spacey](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jan/05/removing-kevin-spacey-from-movie-was-a-business-decision-says-ridley-scott-all-the-money-in-the-world) in a movie? No need to reshoot anything. Just let Sora do it.

2. **Remake vs. refresh.** Similarly, any existing film or television episode could be “redone” with this technology. In some cases, that could mean a restoration or visual effects refresh, like George Lucas did with Star Wars. Or it could be what we’d consider a remake, where the original writer gets paid. What’s the difference between a refresh and a remake, and who decides?

3. **Animation vs. live action.** How do we define the video material that comes out of Sora? It can look like live action, but wasn’t filmed with cameras. It can look like animation, but it didn’t come out of an animation process. This matters because while the WGA represents writers of both live action and animation, studios are not currently required to use WGA writers in animation. **We can’t let this technology to be used as an end-run around WGA (and other guild) jurisdiction.**

4. **Reality engines.** In a [second paper](https://openai.com/research/video-generation-models-as-world-simulators), OpenAI notes that Sora could point to “general purpose simulators of the physical world.” The implications go far beyond any disruptive effects on Hollywood, and are worth a closer look.

It seems like a long way to go from videos of cute paper craft turtles to The Matrix, but it’s worth taking the progress they’ve made here seriously. In generating video, Sora does a few things that are really difficult, and resemble human developmental milestones.

Like all models, Sora is predictive, making guesses about what just happened and what happens next. But it feels different because it’s doing this in a 3D space that largely tracks with our lived experience. It remembers objects, even if they’re not on screen at the moment, and recognizes interactions between objects, such as paintbrushes leaving marks on the canvas. ((Not to dive too deeply into theories of human consciousness, but the ability to internally model reality and predict things feel like table stakes.))

Sora makes mistakes, but the results surprisingly good for a system that wasn’t explicitly trained to do anything other than generate video. Those capabilities could be used to do other things. In a jargon-heavy paragraph, OpenAI notes:

> Sora is also able to simulate artificial processes — one example is video games. Sora can simultaneously control the player in Minecraft with a basic policy while also rendering the world and its dynamics in high fidelity. These capabilities can be elicited zero-shot by prompting Sora with captions mentioning “Minecraft.”

Sora “gets” Minecraft because it’s ingested countless hours of Minecraft videos. If it’s able to create a simulation of the game that is indistinguishable from the original, is there really a difference? If it’s able to create a convincing simulation of reality based on the endless video it scapes, what are the implications for “our” reality?

These are questions for philosophers, sure, but we’re all going to be faced with them sooner than we’d like. Sora and its descendants are going to have an impact beyond the cool video they generate.

FTC proposes new merger guidelines

Film Industry, News, WGA

The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice have drafted new [merger guidelines](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/07/ftc-doj-seek-comment-draft-merger-guidelines) outlining how the agencies should approach corporate consolidations.

Here are the key points:

1. Mergers should not significantly increase concentration in highly concentrated markets.
2. Mergers should not eliminate substantial competition between firms.
3. Mergers should not increase the risk of coordination.
4. Mergers should not eliminate a potential entrant in a concentrated market.
5. Mergers should not substantially lessen competition by creating a firm that controls products or services that its rivals may use to compete.
6. Vertical mergers should not create market structures that foreclose competition.
7. Mergers should not entrench or extend a dominant position.
8. Mergers should not further a trend toward concentration.
9. When a merger is part of a series of multiple acquisitions, the agencies may examine the whole series.
10. When a merger involves a multi-sided platform, the agencies examine competition between platforms, on a platform, or to displace a platform.
11. When a merger involves competing buyers, the agencies examine whether it may substantially lessen competition for workers or other sellers.
12. When an acquisition involves partial ownership or minority interests, the agencies examine its impact on competition.
13. Mergers should not otherwise substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly.

These are good principles! Notably, they’re not obsessed with whether a merger is likely to raise prices for consumers. Rather, they look more broadly at how consolidation impacts all the components of an industry.

The FTC has invited public comment on these draft guidelines. As of today, there are over 1,000 comments. The WGA has encouraged its members to [share their experiences](https://secure.everyaction.com/FsY4lF9SsEmjHM4YWKB7lA2). Citizens working in every industry should write in as well. Mergers affect all of us, and these policies could shape the next few decades.

I submitted my comment today. Here’s what I wrote.

—

I’m a screenwriter and novelist who has seen firsthand the impact of mergers and consolidation in the film and publishing industries. That’s why I’m writing in support of the FTC and DOJ’s Draft Merger Guidelines. We need to revive and rethink antitrust enforcement in this country so that it recognizes consolidation’s impact on workers, sellers, consumers and citizens.

My work as a screenwriter has found me working for both Disney (including 2019’s *Aladdin*) and what remains of Fox (where I currently have a series in development). I believe Disney should never have been allowed to buy 21st Century Fox in 2019. Not only did it increase concentration and reduce competition for consumers, it did the same for writers. This issue is addressed in Point 11 of your draft guidelines: “When a merger involves competing buyers, the agencies examine whether it may substantially lessen competition for workers or other sellers.”

When Disney bought Fox, it came at the immediate cost of redundant employees’ jobs. It then created downward pressure on the wages throughout the industry, with one less buyer for the services of writers, directors, actors and crew.

I can offer a specific example from my own experience. In 2018, Fox brought me in to meet on a high-profile book adaption for their Fox Family division. By the time it came to make my writing deal, the proposed Disney merger was announced and the division wasn’t allowed to pursue any project that might compete with Disney’s own. All of the executives on the project were let go.

In the process of Hollywood development, projects disappear and executives get fired all the time. What was unique is how this merger broke so many pieces simultaneously, from studio feature films to indies to cable to broadcast television. We should consider not just the immediate negative impact, but also the after effects. Tom Rothman, who used to run Fox’s film division, noted that “Consolidation under giant corporate mandates rarely promotes creative risk-taking. And in the long run, it is always a challenge to compete against horizontal monopolistic power.”

I also work as an author, with three books published by Macmillan and an upcoming book published by Crown (Penguin Random House). Consolidation in the industry means that 60% of books published in English come from just five publishers, and we nearly dropped to four. They have unprecedented control over the market, limiting options for retailers, authors and readers.

I’m a proud member of the Writers Guild of America, West, and have served on both its board and negotiating committee. The entertainment industry’s history of unchecked consolidation is a major factor in the strike of 11,500 writers including myself on May 2 against our employers, who collectively negotiate our three year contract as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). SAG-AFTRA has joined us on strike, their 170,000 members seeking a contract that fairly compensates us for the value we create.

It is essential that antitrust agencies consider how any future proposed mergers in this industry — such as the long-rumored Apple/Disney deal — would impact writers and other industry workers. It’s not enough to wait and see; antitrust agencies should proactively investigate and announce decisions, so CEOs don’t propose deals that paralyze the industry.

These Draft Merger Guidelines are the solid principles we need to maintain a vibrant, competitive environment that serves all Americans.

Thank you for the consideration of my comments.

—

You can submit your own comment on the FTC’s [public comment page](https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FTC-2023-0043-0001).

The One with Patton Oswalt

Episode - 589

Go to Archive

Books, Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Talk, Transcribed

John and Craig welcome comedian, actor, writer and Jeopardy! champion Patton Oswalt to discuss joke structure and building standup specials. Patton pulls back the curtain on his writing process, how he develops a comedic premise, and earning an audience’s trust.

We also dissect M.O.D.O.K., punching up other people’s scripts, and the art of adaptation. We then answer a listener’s question about writing films that include standup comedy.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss characters who keep secrets for no reas– there’s no time to explain!

Links:

* [Patton Oswalt](https://pattonoswalt.com/) on [IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0652663/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/pattonoswalt/)
* [“Wackity Schmackity Doo!” from Patton Oswalt’s Werewolves and Lollipops](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stuFuQOaHzM)
* [Animation of Patton’s “Christmas Shoes” joke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq10bz3PxyY)
* [“The Ham Incident” from Patton Oswalt’s Finest Hour](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOyAlOWPuoY)
* [M.O.D.O.K.](https://www.hulu.com/series/202e4b17-c57e-4a2d-9c1d-342e3a092a22) on Hulu
* [Silver Screen Fiend](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Silver-Screen-Fiend/Patton-Oswalt/9781451673227) by Patton Oswalt
* [Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity](https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/151/2/e2022060640/190443/Clinical-Practice-Guideline-for-the-Evaluation-and?autologincheck=redirected) by the American Academy of Pediatrics
* [Dracula: The Evidence](https://shop.beehivebooks.com/products/dracula) by [Beehive Books](https://beehivebooks.com/)
* [Melanie Lynskey answers questions for Dear Prudence](https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/01/melanie-lynskey-dear-prudence-advice-week.html)
* [Murderers’ Row – Melanie Lynskey](https://vimeo.com/244123581) by Scout Tafoya
* [The Unloved](https://www.rogerebert.com/mzs/the-unloved-part-110-tank-girl) by Scout Tafoya for RogerEbert.com
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
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* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
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* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Timothy Lenko ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by [Drew Marquardt](https://www.instagram.com/marquardtam/) and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/589Standard.mp3).

**UPDATE 4-11-23** The transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2023/scriptnotes-episode-589-the-one-with-patton-oswalt-transcript).