Inside Out: A Memoir Of The Blacklist Review

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Inside Out: A Memoir Of The Blacklist ReviewJust a fact check here. The House Unamerican Activities Committee was NEVER run by Senator McCarthy. In fact, he was never on the Committee. He was a first year senator on the Senate Housing Committee at the time that HUAC became active in 1947. McCarthy didn't begin his anti-communist efforts until 1950. I would think the editor would do some research before referring to "McCarthy's House Committe on Un-American Activities." Plus, HOUSE means House of Representatives. McCarthy was a Senator. He was, however, a member of the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee. Little different.Inside Out: A Memoir Of The Blacklist Overview

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Writing the Thriller Film: The Terror Within (Michael Wiese Productions) Review

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Writing the Thriller Film: The Terror Within (Michael Wiese Productions) ReviewI bought this book to help me with my current script. I thought I was writing a thriller, but after reading it, I have discovered that I am really writing a horror story! At last, someone has finally dissected what a thriller IS and ISN'T. I need to see the RULES, and they are all here. Now I understand the genre. Mr. Hicks has done an outstanding job by explaining what it is and how to do it. His screenplay excerpts are excellent. I'm going to rent "Breakdown" this weekend and study the form.Writing the Thriller Film: The Terror Within (Michael Wiese Productions) OverviewDiscover the secrets of writing the thriller film in this book which will have your audiences on the edge of their seats.

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Hitchcock's Notebooks: An Authorized And Illustrated Look Inside The Creative Mind Of Alfred Hitchcock Review

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Hitchcock's Notebooks: An Authorized And Illustrated Look Inside The Creative Mind Of Alfred Hitchcock ReviewHaving been an armchair Hitchcock fan for a few years now, I was eager to read about his creative process to find out just how much he meant to put into making his films. Admittedly, I had read only two other books on Hitchcock before, Donald Spoto's "The Art of Alfred Hitchcock" (after I watch one of Hitch's flicks I crack open that book and read the chapter for said movie...great analysis)and "Psycho" by Stephen Rebello (great inside stiff - er, stuff - and a cool new cover, no less). This book, tho, was different because it is well illustrated with storyboards, (drawings of the crows attacking the schoolkids and the crop duster scene from North by Northwest among others - come on, that's cool stuff!) photostatted letters from the Master himself (was not the master of sus-'pens', I'll tell you, you can barely read what he writes...but worth the closer read). There is a plethora of script stuff in here that handily contributes to the book's heft...I found some of that to be a little much, but the more serious Hitchcock fan (bidding on original Hitchcock posters on Ebay, for example) might be more into the subtle (insightful, mind you) variations in some of "Rebecca's" dialogue, for instance. Dan Auiler did a nice job sifting through what must have been a lot of, well, 'stuff' to get to the really neat-o plot development on movies such as "The Birds" and "Marnie" and he also includes some cool backstory on a film Hitchcock had to abandon because the studio practically forced him to make "Topaz." Supposedly this unmade film could have been a real career boost, as well as possibly helped to reshape 1960s cinema. Buy this book if you love movies and want an inside look at a master's methods.Hitchcock's Notebooks: An Authorized And Illustrated Look Inside The Creative Mind Of Alfred Hitchcock Overview

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Channels of Discourse, Reassembled: Television and Contemporary Criticism Review

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Channels of Discourse, Reassembled: Television and Contemporary Criticism ReviewIn a critical writing course I taught in Spring 2002, I used Channels of Discourse, Reassembled as the core text for the course readings. The many chapters within are written by the best of the best in the fields of media studies and cultural studies, and the methodologies are presented in an easy-to-read manner which is informative and full of examples and case studies. This is an excellent book for media studies students, as its chapters lay out the basic information they should know about many of the methodologies often used in media criticism.Channels of Discourse, Reassembled: Television and Contemporary Criticism OverviewChannels of Discourse fills a significant gap in the critical literature on television. The eight distinguished scholars whose essays make up the collection consider commercial televisionin relation to the major strands of contemporary literary, cultural and cinematic criticism.

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Script: A Writer's Guide to the Hollywood Jungle Review

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Script: A Writer's Guide to the Hollywood Jungle ReviewI found this book to be very encouraging for a new screen writer like myself. I like the part where the author says there are no failures in Hollywood for writers, but they just give up. This is a great resource book that has the "whose who" of places a screen writer can get recognition. It isn't an instructional book on how to write screenplays, but where to promote one's script once it is completed and ready to sell or compete in a screenplay contest. The author also tells what kind of scripts make it to the box office and what's the kind of audience that producers want to see the scripts attract for a writer needs to know what kind of scripts sell and what doesn't. This book gives direction on where to take one's script.Script: A Writer's Guide to the Hollywood Jungle OverviewThe first, authentic survival guide for writers in Hollywood walks you through the world of developing scripts for major motion pictures and television. It's packed with invaluable insight into how the studio system and the networks function and how the producers and executives think, from a veteran insider's POV. This revised and expanded second edition also includes insight into new media, the transmedia storytelling model and includes a list of the best writing workshops and script contests in Hollywood.This book is a "must have" field manual for screenwriters and writer-producers of film and television.

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Movies, Flicks, and Films Review

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Movies, Flicks, and Films ReviewA great introduction to the entire world of film -- not just Hollywood, but a host of world cinemas from European to Latin American to African and Near Eastern. The examples used are well explained and are always pertinent to the points at hand. My favorite chapters were one on film theory (which made obscure concepts accessible to the beginner) and one that used all the concepts introduced in the book to explain the German silent film "Nosferatu." I had just seen the new movie "Shadow of the Vampire," which is based on the making of "Nosferatu"; this book made me understand for the first time what a complex piece of art that early movie is. I highly recommend this book as an affordable intro to film criticism that, while accessible and fun to read, does not talk down to its audience.The Complete Idiot's Guide to Movies, Flicks, and Films OverviewIf you love movies, this entertaining, user-friendly manual offers you a selective guide for finding what you like and for discovering films that are new to you, from 1920s French films to classic Westerns. It covers Hollywoods entire hundred-year history and explains film genre and terminology.

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Get A Reel Job Review

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Get A Reel Job ReviewI first found out about Philip Nemy through allexperts.com, where I contacted him in regards to getting into films, etc. for my daughter as she has being doing commercials and a few extra jobs on films but only locally in San Francisco. I wanted to find out more about getting into more of a principal role, etc. Philip Nemy was wonderful, answered all my questions, etc., and recommended his book to get more information. This book is a very valuable tool for anyone wanting to get into the motion picture industry whether it be as an actor, writer, director, etc.! This book covers every aspect of the industry, provides you with basically a step-to-step guide on what you need to do. No one could ask for a better book!
If you are serious about a career in the motion picture industry, no matter what aspect of the industry, I would highly recommend you purchase this book as this man knows his stuff! He use to work for Disney pictures and has now started his own company. He provides great insight into this industry!Get A Reel Job OverviewGET A REEL JOB is probably the most helpful resourceguide for finding your first job in the film industry. Whether youdesire a career as an actor, writer, director, producer, studioexecutive or crew person, this book will help you overcome the mostcommon mistakes and lead you to your first job on the road to asuccessful career in the motion picture industry.

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Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors, and Screenwriter's Agents, 2002-2003: Who They Are What They Want And How to Win Them Over Review

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Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors, and Screenwriter's Agents, 2002-2003: Who They Are What They Want And How to Win Them Over ReviewThis book is mostly hype and little delivery. The "inside" information can largely be found on the net and/or in better-written books by screenwriters of prominence. The agent and producer listings are vague and of little help. The book tells you almost nothing about "what they want" and virtually nothing about "how to win them over." All in all, it's poorly written and verbose and could have been cut down to a third of its length. Some of it is shockingly inappropriate, such as recommending to African-American writers where they can get good fried chicken in LA. In sum, it's yet another add-water-and-stir screenwriting book by somebody long on self-aggrandizement and short on Hollywood experience. I also find it quite suspicious that twelve five-star reviews here on ... were posted within a three-day period. Yeah, right.Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors, and Screenwriter's Agents, 2002-2003: Who They Are What They Want And How to Win Them Over OverviewNow You Have a Friend in the Industry!So you want to get into show business? In Hollywood, it's not what you know, but who you know that counts. Whether your dream is to become a Hollywood writer or find the perfect producer to buy your script, at your fingertips are the insider hints and secrets you need to get discovered and succeed in this ultracompetitive industry. Hollywood guru and screenwriter Skip Press introduces you to hundreds of producers, directors, and agents and tells you how to reach them—by mail, phone, fax, or e-mail. You'll learn how to:·Market screenplays, novels, or short stories to the right people ·Tailor your proposal to the preferences of each producer, director, or agent ·Understand the real Hollywood and everything show business ·Find the best agent or manager"Thoughtfully written, clearly laid out, and of great value to beginners and old-timers alike. This book combines fearless opinions and invaluable hard facts—both of which are hard to find in Hollywood." —Gareth Wigan, co-vice chairman, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group"An entertaining and valuable tool for anyone interested in show business." —Paul Mason Sr., vice president of production, Viacom"An invaluable resource for breaking into the movie and television business." —Barbara Anne Hiser, Emmy-winning cable and network television producer"An insightful guide to the intricate Hollywood network." —Oliver Eberle, founder and CEO, ShowBIZData.com"The bonus for readers of this book is that Skip Press is a good writer—accessible, clear, persuasive, motivating, and easy to understand." —Jerry B. Jenkins, coauthor, the Left Behind series

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Making the Transformational Moment in Film: Unleashing the Power of the Image (with the films of Vincent Ward) Review

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Making the Transformational Moment in Film: Unleashing the Power of the Image (with the films of Vincent Ward) ReviewI'm probably Vincent Ward's biggest fan. At least I've never met a bigger fan. I have all his movies (including his student films) and all the memorabilia for all of this movies (posters, press kits, etc.)
Boy, was I looking forward to this book, as there currently exist, as far as I know, no books about Vincent Ward, other than the one he wrote himself: Edge of the earth: Stories and images from the antipodes.
I was hoping for a lot of inside information on Ward's life, his philosophy, and the circumstances behind many of his films.
There is some of that, but for the most part this book is not really about Vincent Ward's films as a whole. It's a film book, written for film students and directors. It lays out the cinematography of certain scenes and how they handle emotional progression, etc. The author also has a thesis (think of the title): that the films of Vincent Ward can be profitably studied for how they handle filmic moments where there is a turnaround, something the author opines that Ward handles well.
Maybe so, but this isn't what I was interested in. It's a lot of technical talk. What I was looking for was more of an appreciation of Ward's life and his films, and the story behind that. As I say, there was precious little of that, and quite a lot of pretentious theorizing about visual theory.Making the Transformational Moment in Film: Unleashing the Power of the Image (with the films of Vincent Ward) OverviewThis book is a bold exploration that gets under the skin of the filmmaking process and shows how audiences can be moved through deeply transformational uses of the medium. You'll learn how the raw materials of filmmaking are brought together so that the transformation happens. Key moments in films from Vincent Ward and others are used as examples, examining how the moment is staged, how visual composition is used, how narrative is constructed, how color, light and music are brought together, and how to get inside characters that we really care about. Roger Ebert describes Vincent Ward as a "true visionary." Here, the sources of Ward's filmmaking vision are revealed, offering a unique view of the creative process in film.

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Writing Television Comedy Review

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Writing Television Comedy ReviewHaving written professionally for thirty-plus years, I've read dozens of books on "how to write." They range from the sublime to the ridiculous, and only a relative few have been -- and continue to be -- helpful. Jerry Rannow's delightful Writing Television Comedy is a welcome addition to my bookshelf, not because I'm interested in writing TV comedy but because it helps me WRITE -- period! While the book does target the aspiring sitcom writer, it also offers valuable tips and inspiration for ALL writers.
I often struggle with so-called writer's block, and Rannow's book provides me with several different techniques for breaking through it. The chapter entitled Managing The Story Muscle is particularly helpful, but I can open the book almost at random and find a jump-start to get me going. Sometime's it's just a reminder, like: "So-called writer's block is simply FEAR, but when you sit down and concentrate and focus on the story at hand, you erase that fear." And sometimes I discover that the problem was in my plot, or a character wasn't ringing true.
The book also reminds me of ways to look for the humorous aspects of life, because I frequently use humor in my own writing: in radio and TV spots, print ads, newspaper articles, and the novel I'm currently completing. So if you're already a paid professional or still a wannabe writer, I highly recommend Jerry Rannow's book. It really IS well worth the price, and a whole lot more!Writing Television Comedy OverviewVeteran television writer/producer Jerry Rannow gives aspiring and experienced comedy writers a humorous and eye-opening guide to conceiving, writing, and marketing a winning TV sitcom. Drawing on more than twenty-five years' experience, he tells how to construct a story outline, structure and format scripts, develop character and dialogue, pitch to producers, collaborate with other writers, and work with network and studio executives, producers, directors, agents, writers, and stars. Full of laughs and profitable tips for making a living in the business, this book is an invaluable tool for any writer who wants to break into TV comedy.

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The Screenwriter's Sourcebook: A Comprehensive Marketing Guide for Screen and Television Writers Review

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The Screenwriter's Sourcebook: A Comprehensive Marketing Guide for Screen and Television Writers ReviewIf you're an aspiring screenwriter, there is no more comprehensive list of markets than in this book. Nowhere else are they gathered in one place. Producers, agents, managers, and contests. If you have a screenplay and want to sell it, you need this book.The Screenwriter's Sourcebook: A Comprehensive Marketing Guide for Screen and Television Writers Overview

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Killer Instinct Review

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Killer Instinct ReviewI give 'Killer Instinct' this much: it was a quick and entertaining read -- a fun ride. The type of book you tear right through in a night. However, I find it difficult to take seriously Jane Hamsher's account of events. I find it curious that every single woman in this book is portrayed as a sweet, strong-willed, honest-to-goodness saint, worthy of enormous sympathy -- (not least of all, Jane Hamsher herself!) -- while almost every single man (save for one writer friend of hers) is portrayed as, more or less, an utter demon (at times, almost literally.)* Even her "partner in crime," Don Murphy is shown, at times, in a critical light -- but never Iron-Willed Jane. She is the very picture of patience and professionalism, often beset upon, but rarely (if ever) in error. It's interesting that at several points, particularly on the production of NBK, it is implied that a lot of people on the set are losing patience with her and are irritated by her presence -- but unfortunately, we don't have their side of the story, and as far as Jane is concerned, it is (always!) all miraculously due to their inability to handle the fact that she's a woman. (!!!) Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt there's plenty of sexism in Hollywood, but Hamsher's account, with its suspiciously unfailing tendency to portray every single woman as a flawless, tough-hearted angel, leads me to believe that this is not just a one-sided account, but quite possibly entirely out-of-whack, the rays of truth refracted wildly through Hamsher's "feminist fairytale" vision of her own experiences.
Additionally, I find it interesting that while initially very smitten with Tarantino's ideas and scripts, that as their professional ties go south, he magically turns into a thoroughly talentless hack, milking stolen ideas for all they're worth. But then she remembers that NBK is her dream project, and it was, of course, scripted by him -- drats! Thinking fast, she asserts that by far the best part of the script -- the TV sitcom parody -- was the work of her writer friend, not Tarantino. Well, uh ... OK.
Particularly priceless, though, is her initial (and I think only) direct encounter with Lawrence Bender, Tarantino's producer. They meet at a party, he says hello and is perfectly friendly and polite to her, and that's pretty much the extent of her experiences with him. Given that, it's pretty amazing (and terribly questionable) exactly how much hostility she has towards him and how much dirt she shovels in his direction throughout the rest of the book. Upon meeting him, she feels "queasy," shakes, and has to immediately leave the room for some air when they part! Why? Because she feels intuitively that she has just been in the presence of -- I believe she uses the term "jackal" -- but given the incredibly over-the-top way she describes it, the impression is more that of a "demon."* And why does she feel that way? Well, it's not one of those things you can explain, see, but essentially, it seems to mainly have to do with the fact that his eyes have a distant look to them. (They "recede into an emotional abyss when he speaks" according to Hamsher.)
I've never met Lawrence Bender, and I have no trouble believing that Quentin Tarantino and Oliver Stone and the host of other male Hollywood stars and hopefuls that appear in Hamsher's tale have their fair share of shortcomings and ballooned egos. Maybe a few of them really are even bad, dishonest people, through and though. Maybe. What I find more difficult to believe is that Hamsher and her coterie of oppressed agents and starlets and mother-figures are half as immaculate as they seem in the version of events she gives us here.
I also question the motivation for writing this book. A fun ride through the Hollywood system, or just an excuse to trash-talk people who've gone on to have more successful careers than she? Looking through Hamsher's filmography, I notice her unfailing tendency to grab interesting projects and turn them into mediocre films with mediocre earnings. It seems unlikely that Hamsher would ever deign to admit to an emotion as base as jealousy, but one wonders all the same.Killer Instinct Overview

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Film Adaptation (Depth of Field) Review

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Film Adaptation (Depth of Field) ReviewAn excellent anthology of current and prevailing theories in the field of literature and film, as well as illuminating chapters from film scholars on films adaptated from novels, which serve as compelling examples of theory in practice . Professor Naremore's introduction is especially lucid and well-written.Film Adaptation (Depth of Field) OverviewWith a full and descriptive bibliography, this text provides an authoritative guide to the area of film adaption and theory and its inter-relationship to literature.--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets Review

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Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets ReviewSome excerpts from the book:
- A selection of remarks about God and quotes from the Bible in the front matter. Not a bad thing, just a bit unexpected in a book about marketing for the screen and stage.
- Half of the next page is about where to buy this book. If you're holding the book, the odds are good you don't need that information by then.
- Under 'Author Biography' on the first page: "No recognition is desired by the author. Displaying credentials serves no purpose." Well, yes it does. It tells you what experience the author has, his level of 'authority' on the subject matter, what point of view he's writing from - a studio exec will have a different point of view than a script reader.
- "No Chapter 13" (yet there's a page number for it)
- "Chapter 14 - Introduction to Trap Shooting" and "Trap Shooting Writing Opportunities." No, I am not kidding. The author is sure that you'll meet people here. You just might, but how many of them are Hollywood types who can or will actually do anything for you is questionable. It doesn't matter because this section isn't about shmoozing; it instead extolls the virtues of trap shooting as an obsession.
The author also names 5 "must-see" movies - which are actually six. Three are classics: "The Terminator" (which he calls "Terminator 1") and "Terminator 2" (which is actually titled "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"), and "It's a Wonderful Life." No, I'm not being picky. If you're going to write about screenwriting, it's lazy not to bother to get the titles right.
He includes "The Cormorant," and "England Made Me," which he "believe[s] were filmed by British prodcos." Shouldn't an author have done his research for a book on this topic? (The sixth one is "The Last Shout," a TV-movie made from a British comedy series. Draw your own conclusions on that one.)
- "The 7-Day Plan To Be A Better Christian!" (Not a chapter, just a page, but not relevant to the subject either.)
I'm not faulting the author for his obsessions, but the book needs better focus on the topic at hand. One doesn't pay [$$$] for a hodge-podge of script marketing, Christian prosletyzing, and how to get into trap shooting.
It's also surprisingly amateurishly formatted for the price. The entire thing is in Courier font with an extra space between chapters. The book has few charts or lists (learn to use bullets!), and no index. It needs better formatting, an index, and someone besides the author to edit it.
The quality of the book overall (poor formatting, mediocre editing, fuzzy focus, lack of credentials, sloppy research, lazy writing, and lack of accuracy in something as ordinary as a film title) make me question the value and credibility of the overall content.Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets OverviewWith "Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets, " readers can learn how to get an agent or sell scripts without one, save money on marketing expenses, write powerful responsive query letters, avoid script writing fatal mistakes, protect their work and submissions and more.

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Creative Filmmaking from the Inside Out: Five Keys to the Art of Making Inspired Movies and Television Review

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Creative Filmmaking from the Inside Out: Five Keys to the Art of Making Inspired Movies and Television ReviewThis book is a hybrid of interview collections and workbook exercises, designed to help filmmakers with their creative processes, not using the dumbed-down how-to-manual approach that so many filmmaking books employ, but in an intelligent and subtle way that engages and challenges the reader. These authors have assembled a formidable list of filmmakers -- the brains and souls behind The English Patient, Toy Story, E.R., Boys Don't Cry, many more -- and asked them more than the usual-suspect kind of questions, and by doing so have managed to go deeply into the creative process. The book interweaves the interviews with anecdotes, proverbs, and a group of creativity exercises which are several levels above the kind of artists' self-help books that have sometimes insulted our intelligence in the past. Ever wonder how Anthony Minghella thought of the opening shot for The English Patient? Or how Merchant Ivory get those stellar casts? This book actually tells you things you want to know, and then challenges you to go out and make a movie.Creative Filmmaking from the Inside Out: Five Keys to the Art of Making Inspired Movies and Television OverviewFive keys to creating authentic, distinctive work, whether you are a student, professional or simply love making films on your own For Creative Filmmaking from the Inside Out, three professors at the renowned University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television interviewed fifteen outstanding filmmakers, then distilled their insights into the "Five I's" of creativity. Learn how to: • Uncover your unique creative voice (Introspection) • Work from real-life observations and experience (Inquiry) • Draw on your nonconscious wells of creativity (Intuition) • Strengthen your creative collaborations (Interaction) • Communicate at the deepest level with your audience (Impact) This comprehensive approach provides practical exercises that will enrich and transform your work, whether you are looking for a story idea, lighting a set, editing a scene or selecting a music cue. The participating filmmakers, who have collectively won or been nominated for 39 Oscars and 27 Emmys, are: Anthony Minghella, writer-director (The English Patient); Kimberly Peirce, writer-director (Boys Don't Cry); John Lasseter, writer-director-producer (Toy Story); John Wells, writer-producer (ER); Hanif Kureishi, writer (My Beautiful Laundrette); Pamela Douglas, writer (Between Mother and Daughter); Renee Tajima-PeÑa, director-producer (My America...or, Honk If You Love Buddha); Ismail Merchant, producer (The Remains of the Day); Jeannine Oppewall, production designer (L.A. Confidential); Conrad L. Hall, cinematographer (American Beauty); Kathy Baker, actor (Picket Fences); Walter Murch, sound designer-editor (Apocalypse Now); Lisa Fruchtman, editor (The Right Stuff); Kate Amend, editor (Into the Arms of Strangers); and James Newton Howard, composer (The Sixth Sense).

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition Review

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition Review"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting" is a phenomenal overview of the increasingly popular field of screenwriting, and it is written with care, compassion, and expertise by Skip Press. Like his earlier book, "Writer's Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors and Screenwriting Agents," this volume is chock-full of helpful advice, thoughtful analysis, and best of all, LOTS of website resources that would take hours to find on your own. Like the very best books, it will inspire you, as it has me, and I know that the screenplay I'm writing now will be better as a result of my having read this book.
If your budget is limited, buy this book, along with Robert McKee's "Story" and Christopher Vogler's "The Writer's Journey." You'll be well-equipped to begin your own journey with these fine volumes.
Five stars!The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition OverviewNow updated and revised...includes a CD-ROM! Here is an updated and revised edition of the practical and popular guide to realizing the dream of succeeding as a screenwriter. Insider Skip Press gives novice screenwriters a cook's tour of the industry, then leads them through the process of picking a winning idea, structuring and writing a screenplay, and packaging the final script for sale. • Includes a CD-ROM packed with sample screenplays, Hollywood contact information, screenwriting software demos, and more • Chapters on writing for television, including a sample TV script segment • A new chapter on sources for screenplays and movies, including how Asian films are acquired and adapted

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A Cinema of Loneliness: Penn, Stone, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Altman Review

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A Cinema of Loneliness: Penn, Stone, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Altman ReviewAlthough I missed the very first edition of this book in 1980, its second edition has been among my favorite film books for a decade. This is despite the fact that most of the film-makers discussed within (especially Scorsese & Altman) had made numerous films since the last ones featured in that edition. Now I have the joyful experience of catching up on their films with one of the finest writers on the topic of American film ever and his third edition of one of the finest books on American film ever published.
Kolker has gone back to his earlier editions and used the newer films to both confirm and refute his earlier evaluations. Many fans of film in general (and some of these directors, in particular) will not agree with many of Kolker's points. What makes this book so wonderful, though, is that you don't have to agree to enjoy it. Kolker understands that film criticism is meant to be a lively art, rather than a process of emalming great works of art. I may not agree with his assessment of each Scorsese picture but his analysis of Scorsese's significance is right on the money. At the same time, his newly added discussion of Oliver Stone is the first writing about the controversial director that gave a fair picture of his artistic strengths (there are many) and weaknesses (fewer but still significant).
Deserving of special note is the book's section on the late Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick's passing makes him the only film-maker in the book whose body of work is completely finished, a matter which Kolkee addresses in a special epitaph. It is indicative of both the quality and bold approach of the book that the author uses Kubrick's final film, "Eyes Wide Shut" as a springboard to ponder how Kubrick's work will fit into the history of cinema in the years to come. He does not make pat, easy judgements but rather admits that the still vital medium is ever shifting and even old works can take on new meanings in hindsight. It's almost enough to make me eager for the fourth edition.A Cinema of Loneliness: Penn, Stone, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Altman Overview

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Schmucks with Underwoods: Conversations with America's Classic Screenwriters Review

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Schmucks with Underwoods: Conversations with America's Classic Screenwriters ReviewAnything written by Max Wilk is bound to be genius. His breath of understanding as a dramatist and historian and rampant consumer of pop and otherwise fine culture has made him an incredible resource for people who want to learn more about their craft, the context that their craft has been created in and the meaning of life in general. I can't say enough about this author, or this book. Buy it and you won't be sorry.Schmucks with Underwoods: Conversations with America's Classic Screenwriters Overview"Where were you when the page was blank?!" a beleaguered screenwriter once asked a demanding director back in the golden age of movies. Max Wilk, an esteemed writer himself, admits "dignity for screenwriters is long overdue." That's why he has assembled this insightful homage to the men and women whose words created the foundation for our best and most-loved films. Here are face-to-face interviews with some of the historic giants of the industry, spanning the silent era to the 1960s, including Billy Wilder, Ernst Lubitsch, Sidney Buchman (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), Donald Ogden Stewart (The Philadelphia Story), R.C. Sherriff (Goodbye Mr. Chips), Albert and Frances Hackett (It's a Wonderful Life), Evan Hunter (The Birds), John Collier, Edmund Hartmann, Ben Hecht, Nunnally Johnson and many more. In addition, Schmucks with Underwoods (a derogatory label for screenwriters coined by none other than the irascible Jack Warner) includes quotes and commentary about many other towering figures of the day, including Raymond Chandler, Edward Chodorov, Preston Sturges, Howard Koch, Dorothy Parker, Herman Mankiewicz and Paddy Chayefsky. Always entertaining, this book offers invaluable insight into the craft of writing, a fascinating portrait of a lost era of Hollywood, with enough hilarious anecdotes and behind-the-scenes trivia to please even the most casual movie buff.

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Production Design and Art Direction (Screencraft Series) Review

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Production Design and Art Direction (Screencraft Series) ReviewTexts on Production Design are just plain fun to read. When I received this text I looked with great anticipation at the big white space and contemporary layout on the cover. Turning that first page, and the second page, and third to see more, and more, white space, accompanied by extremely small print and small reproductions of rare conceptual drawings, storyboards, photos and architectual drawings from films designed by 16 masters of their craft, was a disappointment.
Compared to books like "Hollywood: Legend and Reality" Edited by Michael Webb, from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, which also had rarely seen drawings and photos, the visual layout and design lacked impact and clarity. Print within the storyboards, often important clues to how the scene was shot, is hard to read.
Ettedgui's beautiful book is an illustrated interview book, but the interviews prove anecdotal more than educational.
Compared to the Text: "Film Design", compiled by Terence St. John Marner, part of The London Film School Series, 1974, the explanation of how production design was technically done on individual films was meager.
In "By Design, Interviews with Film Production Designers", LoBrutto knows what questions to ask in interviews with 20 masters of their craft to relay meaningful information about how the film industry, as well as these designers, work. Ettedgui's work cannot compare in content to LoBrutto's.
As an independent reviewer, I review books on the filmmaking craft for what they can help you learn about the craft on your own. This is a beautiful book. If your eyesight is 20/20 or better you might not even mind the small print, but once past the intial oh-oh, ah-ah of the size, design and layout of this large text, the content rates not much more than 3 Stars.
Pamela Jean Curry, Film Director in Training at Film Studio Faux,Parody of Motion Picture Film Studio Training.Production Design and Art Direction (Screencraft Series) OverviewIn Production Design and Art Direction sixteen of the world's greatest production designers discuss their craft, revealing the creative process which led to the look of the most memorable films of our time.Contributors include Dean Tavoularis (Godfather Trilogy), Dante Ferretti (whose work with Fellini, Pasolini and Scorsese covers the span of the best of Italian cinema) and Anna Asp (Fanny and Alexander).As aesthetically appealing as any art book, Production Design and Art Direction is densely illustrated with drawings, scripts, storyboards and models, as well as stills from the films. This book is part of the Screencraft series, which includes the enormously successful Cinematography, also by Peter Ettedgui and published by Focal Press in the US. The text is based on the words of 16 masters of the craftBeautifully produced and lavishly illustrated with drawings, scripts, storyboards, models and stills from memorable filmsPart of the Screencraft series, the first books to explore the crafts of filmmaking by tracing the entire creative process through the eyes of leading practitioners

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The First Time I Got Paid For It: Writers' Tales From The Hollywood Trenches Review

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The First Time I Got Paid For It: Writers' Tales From The Hollywood Trenches ReviewMaybe I missed the fine-print or something, but this book isn't what I was expecting, really, or what I was looking for. The book doesn't get three stars because it's bad -- it's not a bad book -- but because I think, well, the title is a sort of false advertising. When I picked up the book, I was expecting essays by successful writers about how they broke into the business of screenwriting ... inspirational-type stuff. Instead, what the book contains are stories about:
"The first time I ...
"... sold a tv-pilot after working for fifteen years as a staff-writer for a highly successful television show."
Or ...
"The first time I ...
"... adapted one of my highly sucessful stage plays into a screenplay."
And so on.
Many of the personal essays are interesting, some are funny, and the book is worth reading, if what you want to read are the kind of mildly amusing, sometimes hopeful essays contained in this book. If what you want is a book of essays by highly successful screenwriters about how the broke into the business, you'll find little (although some) of that here.The First Time I Got Paid For It: Writers' Tales From The Hollywood Trenches Overview

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