"Aliens is, quite simply, awesome. It’s one of those movies that works if you’re 15 or you’re 35. It’s got action. It’s got mystery. It’s got emotion. And it’s in the running for best sequel ever. When I give notes, there’s no movie I reference more than this one. I’ve been known to bring up Aliens while consulting on a romantic comedy. That's how rich it is in screenwriting advice. Now I could sit here and whine that “Studios just don’t make summer movies like this anymore.” But the truth is, they’ve never made these kinds of summer movies consistently - movies with depth, movies with thought, movies where the story takes precedence over the effects. But when they do, it’s probably the best moviegoing experience you can have. So, keeping that in mind, here are ten screenwriting lessons you can learn from one of the best summer movies of all time........ "
Ten Screen Writing Lessons
Kill your babies
Not every film needs a love story
Always make things worse for your characters
Use your mid-point to change the game
Get your hero out there doing s#@&$ - keep them active
Move your story along
The more unlikely the action, the more convincing the motivation must be
Strong fatal flaw - rare for a summer movie
Sequence dominated movie
Actions speak louder than words (show don't tell!)
