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A review by dexydoesthings
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told by Blake Snyder
3.0
I have had Save the Cat on my To Read list for a LONG time. Thankfully, I stumbled across this sort-of sequel within the depths of a friend's library and quickly blazed through it!
I would still be down to read the original StC, but I gotta say this one wasn't my favorite. I really enjoyed Snyder's in-depth movie breakdowns and learned a TON about the important beats of a script. Framing the beats within the context of classic films was an incredible way to communicate them to the reader, who may have wanted more examples following his initial book.
The breakdowns for the movies I had seen were really easy to follow (because of course I knew what was happening), but I did find myself struggling with some of the others. The author's habit of using the actor's name in some contexts and the character name in others was VERY confusing if you were not already familiar with the plot. He also had some personal descriptions that didn't really resonate with me, such as- "I cried like a sorority girl." That seemed like an odd comparison to make and pulled me out of the text. Maybe "partied like a sorority girl" would make sense, but I didn't think sorority girls were more notorious for crying than anyone else?
Ultimately though, this is a great tool for newbie screenwriters or big movie buffs! I would recommend it as a learning resource because it zeros in your focus on the important moments to hit in a successful script.
I would still be down to read the original StC, but I gotta say this one wasn't my favorite. I really enjoyed Snyder's in-depth movie breakdowns and learned a TON about the important beats of a script. Framing the beats within the context of classic films was an incredible way to communicate them to the reader, who may have wanted more examples following his initial book.
The breakdowns for the movies I had seen were really easy to follow (because of course I knew what was happening), but I did find myself struggling with some of the others. The author's habit of using the actor's name in some contexts and the character name in others was VERY confusing if you were not already familiar with the plot. He also had some personal descriptions that didn't really resonate with me, such as- "I cried like a sorority girl." That seemed like an odd comparison to make and pulled me out of the text. Maybe "partied like a sorority girl" would make sense, but I didn't think sorority girls were more notorious for crying than anyone else?
Ultimately though, this is a great tool for newbie screenwriters or big movie buffs! I would recommend it as a learning resource because it zeros in your focus on the important moments to hit in a successful script.