While A-list filmmaker James Gunn is most synonymous with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and now revamping The Suicide Squad, he began his cinematic career as a writer for low-budget Troma Entertainment horror movies in the 1990s. Screenwriting is a skillset Gunn has continued to make a living from, having penned several screenplays for other filmmakers to direct over the past three decades.
Whether it's family-friendly animated fare, big and low-budget horror movies, or long-forgotten mockumentary and superhero outings, James Gunn has an eclectic and little-known writing resume that every fan of his films ought to check out.
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) - 5.1
According to IMDb, the lowest-rated movies Gunn has written to date are the two live-action Scooby-Doo outings released in 2002 and 2004. With the same rating on half the votes as the first, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed pits the classic Hanna-Barbera characters against Tar Monster, Black Knight Ghost, and Pterodactyl Ghost.
While the sequel may have been seen by fewer people than the first film, many IMDb users feel strongly that it is actually superior to the original due to having a faster pace, more intense action, far more convincing CGI, and a much more satisfying climax.
Scooby-Doo (2002) - 5.1
Based on a story he conceived with Craig Titley, Gunn penned the screenplay for the live-action adaptation of Scooby-Doo released in 2002. Directed by Raja Gosnell, the film grossed over $153 million worldwide on a budget of $84 million despite poor critical reviews.
Even so, many fans on IMDb feel the film is underrated and was too easily dismissed upon its release. Likewise, many felt Gunn did a great job channeling the childhood nostalgia of the show into the screenplay with hilarious jokes, call-backs, and accurate characterizations of Scooby and the Mystery, Inc. gang. Others felt the film was too tame, lame, lacking in suspense, and took the story in a strange supernatural direction that the TV show did not incorporate.
Thir13en Ghosts (2001) - 5.6
It's doubtful that many people knew Gunn contributed to the screenplay for the remake of Thir13en Ghosts, a visually arresting haunted house yarn spun by director Steve Beck. While three others worked on the script, Gunn went uncredited for his revisions.
While the film was praised by some for its monstrous creations, stunning visuals, and handsome production design, the vapid story, shrill sound effects, and poor editing were roundly rebuked by critics and IMDb users alike. The biggest criticism is that, considering how detailed and unique each ghost is, the overall experience isn't scary enough for an R-rated horror film.
The Specials (2000) - 5.8
While many might think Gunn began his superhero career with Super in 2010, he actually wrote a little-known movie of a similar ilk called The Specials in 2000. The movie stars Rob Lowe as The Weevil, the leader of the seventh-best superhero team in the universe.
The Specials also consist of The Strobe (Thomas Hayden Church), Nightbird (Jordan Ladd), Deadly Girl (Judy Greer), Minute Man (Gunn), Mrs. Indestructible (Paget Brewster), and more outcasts as they ineptly try and often fail to bolster their crime-fighting status in a superhero world dictated by action-figure and toy sales. While the film failed to resonate among the masses, it was instrumental in developing Gunn's trademark sense of irreverent humor and offbeat superhero characters.
Terror Firmer (1999) - 6.2
Directed by Troma Entertainment founder Lloyd Kaufman, Gunn also helped shape the story for the low-budget meta-horror B-movie Terror Firmer. The film concerns a serial killer stalking the city, leaving it up to a nearby Troma Film production crew to stop the onslaught and save the day.
Despite the lack of resources and critical misgivings, the chaotic maelstrom of ultra-gory violence and shockingly tasteless schlock has earned Terror Firmer quite the reputation on IMDb as a must-see cult horror film. It's the same kind of praise that Gunn's directorial work has garnered ever since.
Tromeo & Juliet (1996) - 6.1
As a 30-year-old aspiring filmmaker, Gunn wrote his first feature-length screenplay for the beloved Troma title Tromeo and Juliet, for which he also served as an associate director alongside Lloyd Kaufman. The dark romantic comedy and shocking transgressive action film is an ultra-trippy take on Shakespeare's classic tale of unrequited love.
The film drew plaudits from critics and general filmgoers alike, broadening the audience beyond mere Troma die-hards. Most importantly, the film began Gunn's career as an authoritative and unique voice, a true writing talent, and a major force to be reckoned with moving forward.
The Belko Experiment (2016) - 6.1
The most recent movie Gunn wrote but did not direct is The Belko Experiment, a no-holds-barred shoot-em-up action-thriller set in a corporate white-collar setting. When 80 Americans are suddenly locked in their work building in Colombia and are told they must willingly kill coworkers in order to stay alive, the collective is put to an extreme moral test.
While Gunn's signature dark humor and scathing self-awareness were praised by some, others complained about the weak second half of the story that fizzled out after a scintillating start. Others lauded the compelling premise but bemoaned the mediocre execution by director Greg McLean.
LolliLove (2004) - 6.2
Gunn stars in LolliLove, a silly and extremely funny mockumentary he wrote alongside co-star and director Jenna Fischer (whom he was married to at the time). The story entails a rich married couple who tries to solve the homeless epidemic in Los Angeles by passing out lollipops with uplifting mottos printed on the wrapper. Weird and whimsical, the film has all the hallmarks of Gunn's brand of humor.
Supporters on IMDb back the film's satirical depth, hilarious cameos, and a pitch-black sense of humor shared by Gunn and Fischer onscreen. The lack of awareness that the self-absorbed characters show while believing they are providing a noble service is a constant source of laughter among the movie's biggest fans.
Dawn Of The Dead (2004) - 7.3
Even the most knowledgeable horror fans may have missed the fact that Gunn wrote the screenplay for Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead redo, the universally beloved zombie movie makeover of the George A. Romero classic.
Gunn deserves all the credit in the world for introducing the fast-moving, hyper-accelerating zombie ghouls to the Dawn franchise, which up to that point only featured the slow and lumbering flesh-eaters. The invigorating remake also reinforced Gunn's palpable love of the horror genre and proved that he could really write memorable, well-rounded characters that audiences can care for and root for all the way to the end.