it always amazes me
writers that find this site, somehow can't find the sites like drewsscriptorama or simplywrite. Google it baby!!
Now, I'd stay away from anyone's source material (i.e. Alien 4) and seek out those writers that have their own perspective. I think if you connect with a certain way the page looks or dig the way the narrative is tight or whatever... then you have a chance of developing your own style or at least understanding what you're trying to accomplish.
Have you ever read The Thing? It's a brilliant screenplay and there's actually a few sites that you can see the storyboards as you're reading. Great learning tool. Go seek out the scenario magazine site. You can purchase 40 screen plays for 75 bucks. They're a goldmine. Read a bunch of scripts of films you enjoy, seek out the classics. (i.e. stalag 17) has been ripped off a hundred times, never duplicated.
I don't think reading mamet is going to help when he's seeking out Aliens 4, but then again Jean-Pierre Jeunet wrote Delicatessen. I say, if you're going for character driven films find Paul Auster, Horton Foote, Steve Zaillian, etc.
You can find anything you need on the net. This screenwriting game takes gumption, diligence, and a general maniacal blind pursuit of a carrot that changes direction every five seconds. I don't know one successful writer that hasn't scratched his way to his perch, and that's the point of view we get to see on the page.
I say compare two trainwrecks. Guaranteed A.
Scott Rosenberg to William Blatty.
I just went to drews and found these tasty sci fi beauties. If that's what you're searching for. (incidentally all your alien scripts are there)
12 Monkeys - David Peoples (terrific script)
American werewold in London - John Landis
The Thing - Bill Lancaster
Blade Runner - Hampton Fancher
gl - most important thing, if you're going to be a writer, try to write.
