Hey, movie fans...

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Posted by Briede from tunny.nrlssc.navy.mil on August 10, 2001 at 16:39:10:

This came out of my local paper. I wonder how Raiders faired. I am happy, however, by the place The Graduate received.

`Kane,' Among Best Screenplays
The Associated Press, Fri 3 Aug 2001
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Screenwriters have a real love-hate thing going with ``Citizen Kane'' and ``Casablanca.''

An informal survey of Hollywood scribes ranked those two as the best movie scripts ever but also among the most overrated.

Orson Welles' ``Citizen Kane,'' which he co-wrote with Herman J. Mankiewicz, was rated the top screenplay in the survey by nonprofit publishing house Library of America. ``Casablanca,'' written by Julius and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch, was No. 2.

``Citizen Kane'' came in second on the list of overrated screenplays, behind Quentin Tarantino's ``Pulp Fiction.'' ``Casablanca'' was No. 4 on the overrated list. All three were Oscar-winning screenplays.

The Library of America sent surveys to 4,500 members of the Writers Guild of America, the union representing screenwriters. The survey results were based on about 175 responses.

The publisher is using the results to help decide what to include in an anthology series of notable movie scripts it plans to start in 2003.

Rounding out the list of best screenplays: 3. ``The Godfather''; 4. ``Chinatown''; 5. ``All About Eve''; 6. ``Some Like It Hot''; 7. ``Sunset Boulevard''; 8. ``Annie Hall''; 9. ``The Graduate''; 10. ``The Godfather, Part II.''

``Citizen Kane'' and ``Casablanca'' likely landed on the most-overrated list because many writers were reacting against obvious film choices that draw attention away from lesser-known movies, said Max Rudin, publisher of the Library of America.

``The motives for the overrated choices are a mixed combination of contempt bred from familiarity and, I think, envy in some cases,'' Rudin said.

Other titles on the list of overrated screenplays: ``Gone With the Wind,'' ``Traffic,'' ``American Beauty,'' ``Titanic,'' ``E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,'' ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' and ``It's a Wonderful Life.''

The Library of America also used the survey to compile a list of five underrated screenplays: ``Groundhog Day,'' ``Quiz Show,'' ``Aliens,'' ``The Wizard of Oz'' and ``The Best Years of Our Lives.''





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