Other Reviews by Matt Compton 17

• 
  Seven Billion and One Review By Matt
  A review of Seven Billion and One
  by Matt Compton on 04/01/2011
  There was quite a lot in this script that reminded me of some very fondly remembered '80's movies like Trading Places or Brewster's millions or even Big. That's a pretty good thing in my book though I think you could do with updating it a little bit... though more on that in a little bit. Overall, this is a pretty nice script. Well written for the most part, a tight story... There was quite a lot in this script that reminded me of some very fondly remembered '80's movies like Trading Places or Brewster's millions or even Big. That's a pretty good thing in my book though I think you could do with updating it a little bit... though more on that in a little bit.
  
  Overall, this is a pretty nice script. Well written for the most part, a tight story and a few funny scenes and lines as well as a little bit of 'sweetness' which I think is all too lacking in modern movies.
  
  I do however think that there are a few fundamental flaws with it which, to me, really prevent it from being a standout script. Firstly, the premise. I just don't get it to be honest. It doesn't make any sense to me. How could anybody calculate who the seven billionth person to be born is? How would that remotely be possible? What with people being born and dying literally every second all round the globe, how would this work? Also and maybe even more importantly - why would anyone care in the slightest what number any person was let alone heap riches and adulation upon them? Maybe a certain breed of z-list celebrity status would be feasible but only just. I can see this idea working but you'd need to use a different sort of 'accident of birth' type circumstance in my view.
  
  Also, the structure seems pretty off to me. The set-up is much too long and much too eventless. Make Calvin go into the alternate world much sooner. it should be the catalyst in a film like this. Set Calvin up in the first ten pages or so and show him struggling with his life and wishing for something else. Chuck the theme in there too nice and early - 'Life is what you make of it'. Let us know what your story is about and then tell us that story. Why wait about? That would also give us much more time in the alternate world with Calvin as the rich guy to see a character arc. At the moment it all just kind of happens. Put Calvin through his paces more - make him really love this new life but then learn to hate it through some really meaningful events. think about stuff that really would make Calvin have to compromise his very basic morals and ethics, stuff that would be completely intolerable to him. Something so big that he would give up millions of dollars for it. In the film Arthur this was done with the love story where Arthur gave up his money for true love rather than convenient marriage. Perhaps you could amp up the love story here - make it much more important to Calvin. Maybe something he neglects and undervalues but realises he needs more than anything else in the world.
  
  Also on that point, I think Calvin needs to be a more developed character. Show us what he likes and dislikes sure but also show us what he loves and hates, what he adores and what he despises. Make us KNOW him but also I think we kind of need to love him too. He needs to be more endearing and more quirky. Less depressing and mopey. Still make him as an everyman but give him some more unusual characteristics perhaps? I am rather uncomfortable with the way he seems to be all for the boobs n' beer but then runs a mile when confronted with anything like a real chance at any sexual encounter.
  
  I think this also brings us onto the tone. At times it feels like a light hearted family comedy from the eighties while at others it feels like a teen gross out or Farrely brothers movie. The comedy is a little inconsistent and borders sometimes on the offensive. The fact that he runs screaming from the transexual for example could be seen as a pretty unpleasant way to treat somebody who he has already had a sexual encounter with and has offered nothing but positivity towards him. Maybe his reaction should be seen as wrong in some way and the actions of a spoilt rich kid that he is becoming rather than the kind-hearted man he should be? Just a thought.
  
  Finally, I'd just like to mention your writing style which is nice and economic and flows in a pacy, slick way. I would recommend that you stop putting (beat) into your dialogue however. It simply doesn't need it and can put many readers off.
  
  I hope these comments are useful to you. This is on the way to being a pretty nice little script. read
• 
  Effectively nasty but a little...standard.
  A review of A Night At the Asylum - Version 6
  by Matt Compton on 06/12/2010
  Right away, this screenplay had plenty of promise. Its unashamedly derivative set-up directly references a thousand '80s schlock slasher teen movies and that is certainly no bad thing. This alone however is not quite enough to cut it unfortunately as simply aping a sub-genre with no fresh twists or angles just seems a little redundant. The screenplay flows quite nicely however... Right away, this screenplay had plenty of promise. Its unashamedly derivative set-up directly references a thousand '80s schlock slasher teen movies and that is certainly no bad thing. This alone however is not quite enough to cut it unfortunately as simply aping a sub-genre with no fresh twists or angles just seems a little redundant.
  
  The screenplay flows quite nicely however and is an easy read with the characters being established quickly and effectively which is impressive as there are quite a number of them. On the flip side however I would say that this fact also means that many of them lack any real individuality and very few have their own unique voice. They also tend to speak a little too awkwardly, often over-explaining things to each other about things they are actually doing as they speak. Nothing major to be honest but just a sense of over-writing at times.
  
  Though quite snappily written the pace does begin to drag by the end of the first act with very little happening of note until past the midway point. Once the mad doctor does begin his rampage things do pick up and there are some very effectively nasty moments as he performs his trademark procedure on the helpless teens. These moments were utterly repugnant and squirm-inducing to read which I think is a pretty impressive feat to be honest! I am not convinced that we need to see the same procedure done so many times how ever. Perhaps it would be more effective if Cassie's fate was left unseen and we only get the reveal that she too has been lobotomised at the end? Just an idea.
  
  I was similarly unconvinced by the character of Matthew who is essentially a strong idea though just seems a little muddled at present. He is clearly a confused and terrible man but what makes him so fearsome and unstoppable? I personally feel that he suffers from a lack of mystery. We know all of his motivations and character far too early and therefore don't have much reason to keep watching other than to see how and if he is brought to justice. His puritanical leanings also seem a little curious considering his own sexual proclivities - not that this kind of hypocrisy is unusual or rare in the real world (unfortunately) but this guy seems to actually be almost genuine in his motivations most of the time. Obviously his logic system is pretty messed up but he does seem to believe his own reasons. The punishments for being a whore just seem a little artifical to me. I'm also a little confused as to how we are supposed to see this person - he is obviously evil even before the riot at the asylum. Maybe it would be more interesting if there was more of an arc to his character? Some struggle with his nature or change. Again, just ideas.
  
  The story as a whole also suffers from no clear reason as to why this is happening now and to these kids. You sort of deal with this in the twist ending but it just doesn't feel enough. This mad doctor has been living in the asylum all this time - why? How has nobody seen him before? Have no kids ever broken in before? That would seem hard to believe, a place like that would be crawling with horny teens, hobos, hookers and low budget filmmakers for sure!
  
  I certainly appreciate what this screenplay is going for and I honestly believe it has plenty of potential but it just needs more spark in my mind. It needs to be slicker, funnier, nastier, more streamlined and the characters need to be more unique and fully-rounded. There is something definitely cool about this story and I would love to see it reach its full potential. read
• 
  Richly imaginative but fundamentally flawed
  A review of Noel the Vampire
  by Matt Compton on 04/23/2009
  This script is a real curiosity. The logline and preamble set up the story as something very over the top and slightly tongue in cheek. It is difficult to know what to expect and that I feel is a good thing. The script launches immediately into its story and its introductions of the main characters. These are many and varied. There are plenty of supernatural creatures... This script is a real curiosity. The logline and preamble set up the story as something very over the top and slightly tongue in cheek. It is difficult to know what to expect and that I feel is a good thing.
  
  The script launches immediately into its story and its introductions of the main characters. These are many and varied. There are plenty of supernatural creatures and vampires of all persuasions and allegiances. The writer has clearly spent a long time creating the back story and 'rules' of the supernatural elements of this world. There are many fantastical rituals and laws. The idea about love being a healing force that can save all planes of existence is good, it's quite simple but different.
  
  The writing style however is very hard to read and the structure is not very coherent. There is very little in the way of description for anything that happens. Characters are not described other than in terms of age, locations are only given cursory descriptions and sometimes it is impossible to picture what is happening at all. It took a while for me to even realise that some characters fly with wings while some do not. The vampires are simply described as vampires. The reader has no idea how you visualise your particular vampires.
  
  There are often lines of actions such as "Noel struggles with some intense emotion'. That is way too vague and tells us very little indeed. It is obscure to the point of frustration
  
  The dialogue is used to carry the action and tell the plot way too much and as a result is painfully expository. Scenes go on for a very long time and seem to consist of characters relaying the plot to each other at length.
  
  There are also some quite bizarre ideas in here - how does somebody fight like a bat? Not that bizarre is bad it just does not really come across as a realistically achievable visual characteristic.
  
  I am sorry to be so negative and I do think there's an interesting and fun story somewhere in all this, I really do. I just think as it stands that it needs a complete overhaul in order to come close to working as a feature script.
  read