What Works & What Doesn't: "Gremlins"

Column by Christopher Shultz December 19, 2016
Is this the ultimate comedy creature feature?

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'

Column by Christopher Shultz
Even the lightest of comedies have villains.

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Halloween'

Column by Christopher Shultz October 13, 2016
Are Carpenter and Hill guilty of expository dialogue...or is there something more SINISTER going on?

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Children of the Corn'

Column by Christopher Shultz September 6, 2016
Whoever decided voice-over narration in this film would be a good idea needs a visit from He Who Walks Behind the Rows.

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Forrest Gump'

Column by Christopher Shultz August 24, 2016
Films are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. And you never know why the hell some flavors are so beloved either...

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Full Metal Jacket'

Column by Christopher Shultz July 18, 2016
It's hailed as one of the best anti-war films ever made...but is its depiction of war not as good as it could be?

What Works & What Doesn't: 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'

Column by Christopher Shultz
It's an enjoyable, fairly straightforward adventure plot with a solid Act III...or is it so much more than that?

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Showgirls'

Column by Christopher Shultz
It's not as bad as you might remember, but it still isn't good. Let's explore why.

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Badlands'

Column by Christopher Shultz
How effective is the first act of Terrence Malick's debut feature on the page?

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Citizen Kane'

Column by Christopher Shultz
It's considered one of the greatest films ever made, due in large part to it's masterful non-linear storytelling and use of sequences.

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Pulp Fiction'

Column by Christopher Shultz February 22, 2016
We're exploring the dynamics of a scene in its entirety, and what better way to do so than with Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary's timeless script?

What Works & What Doesn't: 'The Apartment'

Column by Christopher Shultz January 8, 2016
A classic from Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond — but is it "damn near perfection" as Wilder insists?

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Shaun of the Dead'

Column by Christopher Shultz
This instant classic from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright features some of the best dialogue EVER written.

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Repo Man'

Column by Christopher Shultz
The screenplay for this absurd and surreal classic features some great (and not so great) scene descriptions.

What Works & What Doesn't: 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'

Column by Christopher Shultz October 2, 2015
We're going back to rural Texas to examine Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel's seminal horror masterpiece from a writerly standpoint.

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Lost in Translation'

Column by Christopher Shultz September 4, 2015
Sofia Coppola's script not only typifies great nuts and bolts screenwriting, but also how prose-worthy and poetic approaches can influence the process.

What Works & What Doesn't: 'Chinatown'

Column by Christopher Shultz August 31, 2015
It's considered one of the best screenplays ever written, but why? Let's explore what works (and what doesn't work) about 'Chinatown.'