The first screenplay I remember reading was Source Code... I found GITS and ScriptShadow when I was trying to learn about screenwriting and that script happened to be posted. :)

Barton Fink and Miller's Crossing, published in one volume by Faber and Faber.

"The Day of the Jackal" was my first read. It was so detached in its style it gave me the impression screenplays should be almost like technical manuals. That being said, it's still a terrific read (and a terrific film, for that matter!)

BTW Jeff, I remember that single volume of Coen scripts! It had a picture of Turturro as Barton Fink on the cover.

Way back in RTF 333: American Beauty, Do The Right Thing, The Fugitive, Thelma & Louise. But the most-memorable: Silence of the Lambs. Re-read several times.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day. When I was 14 I talked my mom into buying me a copy of the illustrated screenplay, it was the first screenplay I ever saw and I've been fascinated with screenwriting ever since :)

The first screenplay I ever read was 'Taxi Driver' by Paul Schrader. Followed by 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Pulp Fiction'. Found the Faber&Faber series of screenplay books by accident in a bookstore and even though they were mighty expensive for my student pocket, they have been the best investment I've ever made...

Raiders of the Lost Ark, Aliens, Napoleon (ya Kubricks)...Good first few reads. Great actually. I've got a while to go before I'm near halfway as good as those.

"Pulp Fiction" and "Basic Instinct".

"Pulp Fiction," while a great screenplay and movie, may have not been the best first choice due to all the rules Tarantino breaks, especially length (160+ pages).

I remember getting that making of "Do the Right Thing" book for Christmas when I was a kid. It included a journal Spike Lee kept during the entire process, photos, and the screenplay - the first script I ever read.

Spike Lee did an awesome job demystifying the filmmaking process for me. One thing that his book taught me that I still carry over into my screenwriting now is - the importance of a character's name. Just think of the thousands of "John's" and "Jack's" that are in cinema. How many of them do we remember?

I have reread this valuable resource as an adult and it still gives me that same jolt of inspiration - like being invited backstage during a magic show.

Ocean's 11. I wanted to write a union organizing movie with the template of a caper. A 145-page screenplay with 13 main characters (11 + Tess and Benedict) was not the best model for a first-time screenwriter.

Lethal Weapon. Had to read the script that kicked off the whole spec sale craze of the eighties.

Annie Hall. My life was never the same.

I think the very first FULL screenplay was Frozen River. It was definitely a good read.

I wandered into a screenwriters group meeting back in the 90s. Someone had photocopied pages from the script to HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, reading the action text along with the film playing in the VHS player... and I was hooked!

Mr. Brooks (that Kevin Costner movie from 2007; written by Bruce A. Evans) and The Visitor (also 2007) written by Thomas McCarthy.

Mr. Brooks was in theaters at the time where I decided to get into screenwriting and The Visitor was an absolutely random pick. Never heard of it, had no idea what it was about. It was such a great read. Always wanted to see the movie then, but saw it not until two years later.

Well, that's an interesting list of screenplays. Amazing how available they are nowadays. Again can not emphasize enough how valuable it is to read screenplays, a key part of learning the craft.

Thanks to all for sharing this bit of your personal screenwriting history!