Essential Films

From Italian neo-realism to post-classical Hollywood, the great screenwriters have a remarkable knowledge of cinema.

Many aspiring writers, however, seem to only take a passing interest in actually watching films. We often recommend to writers a famous film by, say, Jim Jarmusch, only for them to say they’ve never heard of it. Or Jim Jarmusch for that matter.

Remember when the 2004 version of The Ladykillers came out, and Tom Hanks confessed that he’d never seen the original? Not a good image to cultivate. An understanding of the films that have shaped cinema’s history is vital to expanding a writer’s craft, so make sure you’re on top of the game by utilizing the resources below.

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Movie Books

The A List: 100 Essential Films: Jay Carr

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Steven Jay Schneider

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Movie Award Winners

Best Screenplay Oscar Winners

http://www.simplyscripts.com/oscar_winners.html

http://www.filmsite.org/bestscreenplays.html

Best Picture Oscar Winners

http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Academy_Awards_USA

Cannes Palme d’Or Winners