Moonstruck, Joe Versus the Volcano, and Five Corners : Screenplays

Rating:
Summary: SHANLEY BRINGS US OVER THE MOON!
Review: Alright, let's face it: John Patrick Shanley is a genius. How else can you explain a reader's overwhelming mirth brought on by the simple turn of each page from his fine Oscar-winning screenplay "Moonstruck" nearly 14 years after the movie's release? Who could ever forget Loretta Castorini slapping Ronnie across the face shouting matter-of-factly "Snap out of it!" Or mom Rose, at the kitchen table bellowing "Your life's goin down the toilet!", and last but not least ornery but lovable Cosmo declaring "Everything is temporary!" It's a movie/literary lovers delight... And who could forget Shanley's elevator ride in "Five Corners"... or what Heinz did to his delusional, corinthian topped mother. (It's a shocker!)... Oh, and Joe floating on his trunks in the middle of the ocean, picking at his eukele. Aw, it was so much fun to be able to go back and experience these fine tales. Thank God someone had the sense to publish them. Shanley fans will not be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: SHANLEY BRINGS US OVER THE MOON!
Review: Moonstruck and Five Corners are fun reads -- wry and off-beat. Also fun is the introduction written by Shanley, which describes the anxieties, fears, and dating experiences which helped him write these screenplays. Apparently, his writing is very personal. What is disappointing at times is his writing style. The author is a playwright by training and it often shows, particularly in Joe Versus the Volcano -- a very contrived and stagey screenplay.

Rating:
Summary: WRY, WITTY, BUT WRITTEN MORE FOR THE STAGE
Review: Moonstruck and Five Corners are fun reads -- wry and off-beat. Also fun is the introduction written by Shanley, which describes the anxieties, fears, and dating experiences which helped him write these screenplays. Apparently, his writing is very personal. What is disappointing at times is his writing style. The author is a playwright by training and it often shows, particularly in Joe Versus the Volcano -- a very contrived and stagey screenplay.