How A Loaded Gun Motivated Screenwriter Paul Schrader To Write ‘Taxi Driver’

By Sean Tuohy

It’s pretty easy to tell from watching “Taxi Driver” that the person behind it wasn’t in the best mindset. Screenwriter Paul Schrader has become one of Hollywood’s most interesting filmmakers, but before the fame he was a broke, homeless, and suicidal writer.

During the 1970s, Schrader was going through somewhat of a rough patch. His girlfriend dumped him, he had no money, nowhere to life, and no career to speak of. Schrader spent his evenings driving around the city, thinking, and occasionally breaking into his ex’s house when she wasn’t around. 

Schrader wanted to share how he felt so he wrote a screenplay (this was pre-Twitter; a much simpler time).

Schrader needed to stay motivated so he hung up a poster of a cat hanging on a wire that said ‘Hang in there, baby” and then started working.

Just kidding, only Daniel Ford does that. No, Schrader came up a more…creative way to stay motivated. He left a loaded handgun on the table. Nothing says, “Stay at it,” like a .45 threatening you.

But it worked. Schrader finished the script in 10 days and then went on to have an incredible career (until he made “The Canyons”).

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Not Coming Soon: The Top Unproduced Action Scripts Part 2

By Sean Tuohy

Hollywood spends millions of dollars to have scripts written for movies that will never been made or even read by actors. However, we're are lucky enough sometimes to find them and enjoy them (Check out Part 1 of this series). The scripts below were pulled from my private collection for this list and were penned by some of Hollywood's best and brightest screenwriters.

Enjoy the show!

"Aliens 3" by David Twohy

"Alien 3" was made into a movie in the early 1990s, but there are many versions of the script out there. Several different writers at different stages of production tried to make a third story line for the film series. There are some scripts that had no Ripley in them; one had monks in a wooden space ship fighting the Alien, others had Hicks and Newt on Earth fighting the Aliens. The producers tried to mix elements from all of these to create the final version of "Alien 3." David Twohy's script stood out among them. Twohy is not new to the sci-fi genre—the grand master screenwriter has penned other top notch movies over the years—but this was one of his finest. In Twohy's script, the reader follows a group of convicts in a space station prison who must fight aliens while trying to escape back to Earth. Parts of this script were used in the final film, but, unfortunately, not the good parts. The characters pop off the page, the villains send chills down your spine, and the gory scenes make you wince. It's an awesome script.

Will this ever see the light of day? No. They already made "Alien 3," so this script has sadly been scrapped.

"The Extractors" by James DeMonaco and Kevin Fox

It’s rare to find an original action/thriller script, but this movie fits the bill. It mixes elements of "The Great Escape" with a James Bond thriller. The film follows a group of ex-cons who can break anyone out of prison for the right price, but after a failed job they have to work with the CIA to regain their freedom. The script had great characters with developed back stories and great action scenes.

Will this ever see the light of day? I hope so. They have been talking about making this movie since 2000, but nothing has happened yet.

"Til Beth Do Us Part" By Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Scholossberg

This script is funny. Not "ha ha" funny, but "I just peed myself because I was laughing so hard" funny. The script tells the tale of two best friends and a woman who gets between them. The opening scene of this script had me toppling out of my chair. It is fast, witty, smart, and has a big heart.

Will this ever see the light of day? I hope so. These guys made "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," one of the funniest movies to come out in 15 years, so I believe they can pull this off.

"Untitled Channing Tatum" by Doug Jung

Channing Tatum

Not a great title, but at least it helps to be able to picture the main character. This was an old school buddy cop/revenge movie. An LAPD cop and a Korean gangster team up to find the mobster that killed their partners. The script has some great moments and delivers them perfectly. Also, the dialogue is above average for an action script.

Will this ever see the light of day? Doubtful. Tatum is an actor (somehow…) and he can do whatever movie he wants. This was written before "Magic Mike" and "G.I. Joe" were blockbuster hits, so I don't think it’s likely that Tatum will do this script. Can they do it with another young actor? Maybe.

"Without Remorse" by Stuart Beattie (Based on the novel by Tom Clancy)

I am fan of Tom Clancy's CIA agent John Clark, a real life spy with ice pumping in his veins. However, they have never been able to bring the cold blooded spy to the big screen. This script updated Clark’s backstory from Vietnam to the Middle East and was able to keep the core of Clancy's novel while at the same time cutting out the fat.

Will this ever see the light of day? Maybe. This script has been floating around for years with different actors and directors attached to it. In an era of "Taken"-like action/revenge movies "Without Remorse" would fit right into the market.

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Not Coming Soon: The Top Unproduced Action Scripts Part 1

A big pile of scripts.

By Sean Tuohy

Hundreds and hundreds of movies scripts are written and then sold to studios and then never made. Somewhere in Hollywood there are stacks of unproduced scripts that have been sitting and collecting dust for years. Studios will buy the scripts, work on them for a while, maybe a producer or A-list actor signs on to be involved, and than for whatever reason it falls through. The way of Hollywood.

As you might have noticed, I am fan of action films. I love to watch and write action movies. The first script I found and read was Steven de Souza's copy of "Die Hard" when I was 14 years old. Since then I have spent many sleepless nights trolling message boards and search engines for copies of scripts. I love reading a new script. The joy of seeing "fade in" at the top of the page, followed up the scene heading, is indescribable.

During my years of searching I have come across several unproduced scripts that have never seen the light of day. After reading these five scripts, I felt cheated by Hollywood for not allowing these imaginative and original stories to be made in to movies!

Well, here is my chance to share them with you. Below are the top five unproduced action movies that Hollywood has sadly forgotten, but stay very much alive in my head.

"The Nice Guys" By Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi

Well-written screenplays and Shane Black go together like peanut butter and jelly. "The Nice Guy" is one of the funniest screenplays I have read. The script is filled with black humor, snappy dialog, and vile bad guys with happy trigger fingers. The noir story follows two men; a burnt out private detective and a fighter who try to solve a who-done-it in Los Angeles. Nothing is what it seems. While working the case, the pair get caught up in drug induced car chases, neighbor shoot outs, and hotel brawls. The script is written in crisp and to-the-point lines, the dialog flows smoothly, and nothing feels forced.

Will this ever see the light of day?  Maybe. Black left the scene for a good 10 years, but came back swinging with indie-hit "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and the mega-hit "Iron Man 3" so it could get made as a small indie movie.

Note: This script was acted out at the 2012 Austin Film Festival and featured Thomas Jane. It was not recorded, but there are stills available.

"The Quick Killing" By Ken Nolan

Ken Nolan penned the 2001 war-drama "Black Hawk Down" and has done some punch up work in Hollywood, but this script made a name for him. A classic action movie that has deep roots to action films from the 1960s and 1970s, the script told the story of a reformed gangster trying to make some extra cash quickly. Nolan penned a great action script; everything was kept short, but the action scenes are big and over the top populated with tough guys of few words.

Will this ever see the light of day? Doubtful. Hollywood is no longer making shoot'em up action movies like this. They want massive CGI movies that have little character and just look cool. A movie like this does not fit in to the Hollywood mainstream.

"Hell Bent...And Back" by Doug Richardson

Doug Richardson

All screenwriting nerds know this script. It was known for making a big splash for being one of the biggest spec sales. It was never made, which is tragic because when you read the script you find yourself reading a love letter to the movies. This script was penned by fan boys who grew up loving movies and wanted to write the kind of movie they watched growing up and they pulled it off. The World War II action film is filled with cigar-chewing, wise-cracking good guys who know when to talk and when to shoot. You also have bad guys who drive around in tanks and are looking for trouble. Most of all, you have a great flow of story and character building throughout the whole story.

Will this ever see the light of day? Doubtful. Like so many well penned action scripts there is no place in the market for this kind of movie.

If you want to learn more about the true behind the scenes story of this movie go read "A Million Dollar View" written by screenwriter Doug Richardson. You should also check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our interview with him.

"Exit Zero" By Kurt Wimmer 

Kurt Wimmer is one of the few action writers who is able to blend outlandish and good story together. This 1990s action-techno story is "The Net" on blow. A computer nerd and a mentally ill woman are chased across the country by a computer that will bring down mankind. The ending twist is only something Wimmer could pull off without it making sound cheesy.

Will this ever see the light of day?  No. The fact that "Eagle Eye" was made and did really well doesn't help the cause. Both "Eagle Eye" and "Exit Zero" have similar story lines and I don't see Hollywood making a squeal to another Shia Labeouf movie any time soon.

"Godzilla" By Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot 

When they decided to make an American remake of monster king Godzilla, Rossie and Elliot ("Pirates of the Caribbean") were asked to create a story for the building-destroying lizard. The pair wrote a fantastic monster movie that would have been a great way to introduced Godzilla to American movie goers. Instead, the studio tossed the script and made the heap we all saw in 1998.  

Rossio and Elliot's script had a strong cast of characters, an larger than life idea that worked, and plenty of things getting blown up. Also, the sight gags in the script are knee slapping good.

Will this ever see the light of day?  Nope. After the previously mentioned 1998 version of "Godzilla" did not do well at all and ruined my weekend, Hollywood held off from making another movie. Now, they are taking another stab at "Godzilla" and it looks like they may pull it off. They have a great team behind the camera and in front of the camera, and it looks like they are actually going to try this time around. Pity, because I would have paid extra to see Rossi and Elliot's version.

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