Scripts to Read

Shyamalan's scripts, to me, are a bit of a chore to read. He uses an exorbitant amount of "beats" which, while useful if placed strategically, are otherwise a poor excuse for padding out running time (in my opinion, anyway).

Some I've read and learned a lot from, and which you can find online...

Lone Star, by John Sales
The Last Boyscout, by Shane Black
Good Will Hunting, by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
Young Frankenstein, by Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks

...just to name a few. You should try to read scripts from every genre just to get a general sense of the beats and structures.

good sites

Anything by Steven Zaillian is a must.

Hannibal - people hated the movie but written very well. (skip the Mamet version unless you're curious.

I found that Michael Mann and Cameron Crowe are very good writers also. Coen Brothers scripts are very visual and educational depending on your genre.

Lots of good websites have good examples but not in format. Sometimes you can find a good PDF version for format.

www.simplyscripts.com
www.dailyscript.com
www.movie-page.com

A few personal faves that are all, in their own ways, technically excellent:

SCREAM
AS GOOD AS IT GETS
BACK TO THE FUTURE
CHINATOWN
JERRY MAGUIRE
AMERICAN BEAUTY

A few other good online screenplay resources:
http://www.iscriptdb.com/
http://www.imsdb.com/

You might consider reading the screenplays for your favorite movies. You've seen and understood the films -- now read the scripts and understand how the words translated into the visuals you loved.

Here's a couple of suggestions:

L.A. Confidential - damn good storytelling, something we should all be aiming for!
The Haunting - the 1999 remake of the 1963 (?) classic, I'm not too keen on the ending but buildup and suspense are good.
Hellboy - a surprise choice maybe but a good read and an interesting mix of horror, thriller, action, adventure.

I got those via Drew's Script-o-Rama.

-Derek
Derek's Web Page - stories, screenplays, novels, insanity.

If anyone finds the batman begins screenplay please let me know.