Raise your popcorn and toast your favorite screenwriter today because it's National Screenwriters Day and without these hardworking, creative geniuses we wouldn't have movies that make us laugh, cry and keep us on the edge of our seats. Next month's Academy Awards (Feb. 26, to be exact) honor some of the best writing of the year, along with everybody else that creates your favorite flicks. Today, however, it's just about honoring the writers. Here are a few things you can see or do to celebrate some of our all-time favorites:
Orson Welles: In addition to being a writer for theater and in radio, Welles penned one of the greatest movies of all time, "Citizen Kane." He spent his time in the city of Split in Croatia, where they have an enormous statue of Welles for all to see. It was completed by his companion, Oja Kodar, who was a Croatian-born sculptor.
Stephen King: Are you a fan of King, the author of such creepy novels as "It," "Misery" and "Carrie?" He's also a screenwriter, having written the screenplay for his novel, "Pet Sematary" and has writing credits for many other films and television projects as well (including the criminally underrated "Creepshow" -ed). There is a tour that you can take in Maine, aptly named SK Tours of Maine, where you can not only see the areas where King made famous in his movies and books, but can also get a glimpse of where he resides.
Alfred Hitchcock: If just the mere mention of his name gets you to sit toward the edge of your seat then you want to head to San Francisco, where you can take a free tour of the city and see its pivotal role it played in several of Hitchcock's classics. The tour organizers even suggest that you watch "Vertigo" before going on the tour. From Nob Hill to Union Square, you'll see some of the hotels, clubs, retail stores and other locations featured in "Vertigo" and other Hitchcock classics. You'll hear why Hitchcock chose them and how he filmed them.
Charlie Chaplin: Take a step back in time to the silent era, when Charlie Chaplin rose to fame in the early days of Hollywood. Known for his creativity in front of the camera, Chaplin also was a creative master behind the camera as well, penning scripts for his movies "Modern Times" and "The Great Dictator." There's a museum, Chaplin's World, which is located in Switzerland and is dedicated to Chaplin and his work. They even have a restaurant called The Tramp.
Stanley Kubrick: If you have a chance to visit the traveling exhibit about the life and work of Stanley Kubrick, run, don't walk. I saw it at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco last year and it was one of the best exhibits I've ever seen. The quantity and quality of material they have on this man, known for "The Shining," "Full Metal Jacket," "Eyes Wide Shut," "A Clockwork Orange," "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Dr. Strangelove," just to name a few, is mind boggling. The tour is currently in Mexico until May, so if you're nearby check it out, or keep an eye out to see when it will come to a city near you.
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