Unseen humor

[E J Pennypacker]

I've noticed in a few screenplays, that the writer will use humor not in dialogue, but in the action description.

The guy who wrote Lethal Weapon (Shane Black?)described a house of a villain as, "The type of place I would buy if this script gets made".

Also, just the other day I was reading through a Buffy TV script "Phases", and it had just finished an act, but at the start of the next one, it led in with the re-cap description, and tagged to the end was "Remember?" (which I thought was quiet funny and witty).

I know this probably contributes to a 'good read', but does anyone here know of any other examples where the cinema viewer will not see the 'hidden humor' of a script? And is it even wise to use this type of humor?

EJ

PS: I want to know what you all did this weekend. What you all ate. Who you sleept with and how often.

:b

Only joking.

:)

[PteranoDon]

Won the lottery
Cheeseburgers
Jennifer Lopez
14

[E J Pennypacker]

Lopez, pleaze! She surely couldn't have made it to your house in that 30 sec break we had.

:rolleyes

EJ

PS: Adds a new spin to 'Gone in 60 seconds' though.

[Bill Marquardt]

EJ - Shane Black is noted for writing in that manner, which is normally considered improper. Probably not a good idea to emulate the style.

[wcmartell]

Won the lottery.
Cheese burgers, cheese burgers, cheese burgers.
J-lo.
Once was not enough.
Don't do what Shane Black does.

I sometimes throw in a witty line or two, but it's in HOW I describe things, not things that can't be seen. I figure if I just have to crack-wise I might as well do it within the description I'm allowed in a script. If I have to "break the rules" to get off a funny, it's trying too hard for a laugh... and that's a sign of desperation and weakness. If I acted desperate and weak, J-lo would probably go back to P-Diddy.

- Bill

[AndyWarholsGhost]

I don't ever talk directly to the reader like Shane Black did, though I do use humor for descriptions, especially if it's in a pulp fiction type of script.

Got arrested
Made bail
got drunk and wrote.....i think it was a screenplay
Angelina Jolie
STILL counting.

[Goreomedy]

Participated in the stoning of Bill and Don after they won "The Lottery."

Dunked a chili-dog in chocolate milk, berfore consuming.

J-E-L-L-O

Only once, I hate when people put bits of fruit in d'ere.

[Bill Marquardt]

The only lottery I ever won was the one in 1971 that was going to put me in the Army. If you don't know what I'm talking about, consider yourself lucky. Right, 'Don?

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> "Group W, move over and make room on the bench." <!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

(Gore guy - I read that story in Junior year. 'Ought-six, I think.)