“WHY did this movie need to be made?” The blogger Carson Reeves was questioning the purpose of “Hitchcock,” the Fox Searchlight film starring Anthony Hopkins as the director who risks his reputation on a dubious project titled “Psycho.”

The biopic, in Mr. Reeves’s opinion, seemed strangely preoccupied with Hitchcock’s food obsessions. “When things don’t go right, he eats,” Mr. Reeves added. “There’s really nothing deeper to it than that.” Concluding his review Mr. Reeves checked off a box labeled “barely worth the read.”

At the time of his Oct. 30 posting Mr. Reeves had not seen “Hitchcock” (which was released Nov. 23). Instead he was evaluating the screenplay by John J. McLaughlin.

Analyzing scripts is the currency of ScriptShadow, Mr. Reeves’s blog devoted to scrutinizing professionals’ work in development and efforts from amateurs. Five days a week he offers a breezy course on screenwriting theory, passing along tips on structure, character and dialogue to an eager audience of aspiring writers.