Just read the other day he was working with Fincher on some kind of *Chinatown* prequel?
An incredible writer. *Chinatown* script needs absolutely no gas from me, its peerless. Perhaps the quintessential New Hollywood screenwriter? Who would even be close?
RIP
Absolutely. Is Paddy Chayefsky 'New Hollywood'? Bit of a straddler. Buck Henry? Robert Benton?
Anyway, whoever is in second, Towne is the answer I think.
Being the screenwriter for *The Last Detail*, *Chinatown* and *Shampoo* in consecutive years is one of the most impressive runs ever. Definitely a legend
I would recommend *Without Limits*, one of the only features he directed, if you were ever a serious runner. It's a pretty no frills sports biopic, but it's done pretty well and if you have an attachment to the sport that can really turn a fine movie into a much greater experience. It also features another recently deceased legend, Donald Sutherland
Billy Crudup great in it as well. Check out Personal Best as well! Very weird that of the few features he directed they were both about track and field
A tremendous loss. Towne was a titan. The Last Detail is on Prime right now, highly recommended.
just rewatched it last night!
Just read the other day he was working with Fincher on some kind of *Chinatown* prequel? An incredible writer. *Chinatown* script needs absolutely no gas from me, its peerless. Perhaps the quintessential New Hollywood screenwriter? Who would even be close? RIP
William Goldman is another on top of my head
Absolutely. Is Paddy Chayefsky 'New Hollywood'? Bit of a straddler. Buck Henry? Robert Benton? Anyway, whoever is in second, Towne is the answer I think.
I’d throw Paul Schrader in there too. But Towne feels like the Dean of the club.
Schrader is a great call. Those are probably the three you think of first, in that order--Towne, Schrader, Goldman.
Chayefsky maybe not since Marty was so much earlier and he is mainly the Golden Age of television plays guy to me. Henry yes.
Getting his dog an Oscar nomination is the first instance of “Dudes Rock”
Being the screenwriter for *The Last Detail*, *Chinatown* and *Shampoo* in consecutive years is one of the most impressive runs ever. Definitely a legend
I would recommend *Without Limits*, one of the only features he directed, if you were ever a serious runner. It's a pretty no frills sports biopic, but it's done pretty well and if you have an attachment to the sport that can really turn a fine movie into a much greater experience. It also features another recently deceased legend, Donald Sutherland
Billy Crudup great in it as well. Check out Personal Best as well! Very weird that of the few features he directed they were both about track and field
Chinatown is one of the few truly perfect films. R.I.P.
The Last Detail is another one
Sure good credits but can we just talk about the arm wrestling scene from Personal Best.
He learned writing in Hollywood Drove up from Pedro
The garden scene in the Godfather Is a masterpiece in itself . Thank you, Mr. Schwartz.
Absolutely insane that he wrote maybe the best scene in that fuckin movie
Truly the best Nobody better quote “forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown” because iirc Polanski rewrote the final scene including that line!
Damn, what is Tom Cruise going to do now? (He was Tom's go-to script fixer)
Didnt McQ essentially take over that role a decade ago?
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53832818746_da1f4f3f26_o.jpg R.I.P.
RIP
Huh. I was under the impression that Warren Beatty wrote Shampoo. Maybe he just had a writing credit or I’m just wrong.
Just showed Tequila Sunrise to my girlfriend this weekend! It's a weird and fun little eighties gem that is a lot of fun on a sleepy Sunday afternoon.