FrankenScript :: Lee Gabel's Screenwriting Journal/Blog

As much as you say this film is a retread/remake of so many other zombie/virus films of late, this film is surprisingly entertaining and suspenseful. The sets are sparse, and it boils down to a contained thriller. A lot of the time you can see a scene building up before your eyes, unknown to the [...]

This is a classic that should be seen by all. It’s frightening. It scared my son, and normally he’s not afraid of much. Even though the visual and special effects are dated and reflect movie making technology at the time (1953), it really helps sell this scary and creepy story very effectively. The performances aren’t [...]

This is a film you are either going to love or hate. Well, let me back up. You’ll either kinda love it or really hate it. There’s no middle ground. It sets up situations and never adequately resolves them. And if logic flaws irritate you, there are several in this, such as when running a [...]

Here’s a low budget film that doesn’t look like it. Every dollar is up on screen and invested in the story. The screenwriter and actor Leigh Whannell (he plays Specs in the film) stated at the Toronto Film Festival that he had a list of horror cliches posted next to his computer so he would [...]

Be warned. This movie is  not for the faint of heart. It is extremely violent and gory, and although the violence portrayed is equally against both men and women, the story thread feels focused more on violence against women. This will be the deal breaker for some. I think the story still would have stood [...]

Damn. As a fan of Stephen King, I wanted to like this film/mini series. A lot. But when I lost count of the number of horror clichés used in the first 15 minutes, I resigned with a heavy heart that this was going to be a long, hard haul. In fact, I only stuck through [...]