2008′s Blacklist is filled with some of the most god-awful loglines you will ever read.
For instance:
“A female clothing designer struggles to find love and success after turning thirty.”
This is not a judgment of the actual script, mind you. And really, if your script is on this list, you probably don’t need to write an ultra badass logline at this point. But it’s interesting – to me at least – to look at loglines and figure out why some of them work for me and others don’t. There’s no hook in the one above. It sounds like almost every female oriented storyline on TV and in movies, no?
Below is a list of the ones that sound like real corkers, though. If you by chance have access to them, send them on!
EASY A by Bert Royal
“A good-natured high school student uses the rumor mill to personal advantage by pretending to be the school slut.”
There’s a lot missing here, but I love the idea of a high-school student using gossip to her advantage.
SERIAL KILLER DAYS by Mark Carter
“A dark comedy blending stories of teen love and municipal corruption set against the backdrop of a town plagued by a serial killer that decides to profit the only way it can — by creating a festival and economy around the fact that they have a serial killer.”
A town cashes in on having a serial killer? It’s like Amity Island selling snow globes with a big shark in them. I like it.
SHRAPNEL by Evan Daugherty
“Two mortal enemies square off on a hunting trip to the death.”
This one’s simple and I may be projecting too much on to it, but I like the idea of two hunters – maybe they were hunting buddies before? – turning on each other in the woods.
HELP ME SPREAD GOODNESS by Mark Friedman
“When an email predator dupes a man out of his son’s college fund, the man travels to Nigeria to confront those who ripped him off.”
Who hasn’t wanted to do this? Wish fulfillment story. Good stuff.
THE GARY COLEMAN –EMMANUEL LEWIS PROJECT by Dan Fogelman
“Emmanuel Lewis and Gary Coleman save the world from an evil madman.”
Sounds like something that’s at the bottom of a page of ideas that you write just to make yourself laugh. And Fogelman turned into something that everyone loves? Sweet.
GAY DUDE by Alan Yang
“A comedy about the friendship of two high school seniors that’s torn apart after one comes out of the closet.”
Sounds like a corner of the Apatow world that hasn’t yet been explored. Sounds promising.
Anyway, that’s my druthers. What are you favorites?
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The Gay Dude script reminds me a LOT of one of the central conflicts in Jonathan Ames’ The Alcoholic, which gets my vote as 2008′s best graphic novel. That being said, the my-friend-is-gay drama in the Ames book is less Apatow and more Oh No. And a lot more depressing.
I’ve not read Ames’ book. But the way I figure it, if the script is written well, there’s plenty of awkward comedy to be had by both the leads, then you wrap it up with the big friendship conquers all ending…
Cool find. I’d definitely watch SHRAPNEL. I like that they’re “mortal” enemies. Curious as to how the writer manages to get them on the same hunting trip…
Oh, I hear ya, C. I think the movie can be done well, and it can be done funny. It just struck me immediately as reminiscent of the storyline of The Alcoholic. That’s all.
I mean, we can go film Gay Dude right now if you want. Let’s draw straws on the gay role.