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Classic Unscripted Films

Life_is_sweet The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers are still at an impasse in their mediated talks. A strike – as early as tomorrow – is a real possibility.

If that happens, movies shouldn't be noticeably affected until next year, since the scripts for films already in production are obviously completed. Still, now is a good time to start appreciating unscripted cinema.

The films of Mike Leigh (High Hopes, Life is Sweet, Secrets and Lies) are a good place to start. The award-winning British director often works from a general plot idea and has his actors rehearse for extended periods, improvising dialog as they prepare their roles.

After the jump, a few more mostly unscripted suggestions.

For something lighter, any of the films directed by Christopher Guest and starring his core repertory of actors would be a fine choice: Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind or For Your Consideration. 

One of the funniest films ever to rely heavily on ad libbed dialog – also featuring Guest – is the hilarious 1984 mock-rock-documentary This Is Spinal Tap, which traced some of the darker days of the fictitious heavy metal band.

Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story is a pseudo-documentary about a disgraced paintball champion, in the tradition of sports comeback comedies like Talladega Nights and Major League. It's also largely improvised and stars Rob Corddry, late of "The Daily Show."

And of course there's always Jackass: The Movie and Jackass Number Two, but fingers crossed for a speedy resolution to the WGA/AMPTP standoff so it doesn't come to that.

Posted by Helen Pfeffer
November 1, 2007 3:58pm


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