During the research for Dog Day Afternoon, Pierson became overwhelmed and nearly walked away from the project. Thankfully, he didn’t. His screenplay masterfully blends tense drama and black comedy into a gritty New York heist film that treated the LGBTQ community with sensitivity and respect well ahead of its time.

Friday (9/8) - 9:15
Saturday (9/9) - 7:30
Tuesday (9/12) - 7:00

Corruption, politics, and water rights in 1937 California doesn’t sound like prime material for a thriller, but Robert Towne’s razor-sharp dialogue could make anything exciting. Couple that with an uncharacteristically restrained performance from Jack Nicholson, and you’ve got a neo-noir classic.

Saturday (9/9) - 4:40
Sunday (9/10) - 7:00
Wednesday (9/13) - 7:00

William Goldman’s filmography is so stacked, we're just going to post a few of the films he wrote and hope that convinces you: Stepford Wives, Marathon Man, All the President’s Men, A Bridge Too Far, The Princess Bride, Misery, Maverick, and, of course, the genre bending western hangout movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Sunday (9/10) - 4:30
Monday (9/11) - 7:00

Romantic comedies get a bad rap, and a big part of that is how damn hard it is to write a good one. You have to craft likable, funny characters, with just enough flaws to create drama (without the audience turning on them). Then, you need these people fall in love, without the whole thing feeling hollow and contrived. It’s a literary high-wire act that Nora Ephron mastered, and there’s no better showcase for her talents than When Harry Met Sally.

Friday (9/8) - 7:00
Saturday (9/9) - 2:30
Thursday (9/14) - 7:00