Reviews (10)

Perfect book for Newhart fans
Seeing on Amazon that there is an audio CD of this book makes me wish I had listened to that instead. If only to hear the amazingly funny stories that Bob tells so well. This book is like a breath of fresh air for all those who enjoy Bob Newhart's subtle and yet hysterical brand of comedy. Reading this book makes me wish his fantastic TV shows were still on in syndication somewhere. He tells his life story with the same dry wit that he tells all of his jokes.This book is a must for anyone who is a Newhart fan.

ENJOYABLE, BUT SLIGHT.
I've recently rediscovered THE BOB NEWHART SHOW on DVD and it more than stands up to my memory of it being one of the funniest TV comedies of the '70s.I was also a fan of NEWHART in the '80s and Bob's deadpan performance at this year's Emmys made me laugh out loud.So the release of Newhart's autobiography dovetailed nicely with my renewed interest in Mr. Newhart and I was especially curious to read his recollections of his years on television.
Good For Getting Your Mind Off Other Things
"I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This" is Bob Newhart's biography, with whimsical insights into his early life, tentative beginnings in comedy, and then on to "The Bob Newhart" show and stardom.As one would expect, the book is both laidback and interesting; even better it helps fill your mind with more relaxing thoughts after being broadsided with countless stories about Rep. Foley, North Korea's "bomb" (?), Iraq, Iran's pursuit of nuclear (?), Woodward's latest book, falling house prices, the stock market bubble (part II), and Barbra Streisland's latest outburst.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Comedians    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    8. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Television actors and actresses    11. United States    12. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts    13. Biography: general    14. Humour   

Reviews (6)

Now I understand the private Hepburn
I could never understand why Kate Hepburn would be so in love with a weak, drunk like Tracy. I never thought he could act.He just played his bully self again and again. It never made sense what was his deep guilt that made him drink.Now we know he drank because he was gay and could not cope.Very detailed when and with whom by the author.Explains how their relationship fit both their needs.At least 100 pages of footnotes, names, names.
A great, enjoyable read and a must have for Kate collections!
The first thing I look for in any book is a great storytelling style; one that makes me want to turn the pages and leaves me happy that I bought the book. William Mann's story of Katherine Hepburn is certainly that kind of read. Enjoyable, witty and well researched. Never stiff or boring, he asks the questions that other bios have seemed to tip-toe around. What exactly were Ms Heburn's relationships like and with whom? There are tidbits of Kate's childhood that I found fascinating as well as tales of that old-guard Hollywood machine we know as the "Golden Age".
The Private Affairs and Staunchly Maintained Public Persona of Kate the Great
That Katharine Hepburn was consciously defining and redefining her feisty, self-reliant persona for the purposes of public endearment and career longevity would seem to be an understatement, according to film historian William J. Mann's new biography of the legendary actress. The contrast between this specifically deliberate image and her private self, in particular, her love life, is the focus of the book. However, instead of the expected gossipy, posthumous dismantling of Hepburn, the author takes a more sobering look at what motivated her to maintain this dichotomy throughout her life.
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Subjects:  1. 1907-2003    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    8. Hepburn, Katharine,    9. Motion picture actors and actresses    10. United States    11. Women    12. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (24)

Excellent content but a very unwieldy format
I have now watched 2001, Clockwork Orange, and the Shining with this on my coffee table.Inevitably, I find myself looking thumbing through the book instead of paying attention to the movie.The content is great, with the perfect balance between tech-nerd info, lit-nerd info, and art-nerd info.I have particularly enjoyed the magazine interviews with Kubrick, since his attempts to explain himself were few and far between.That and, of course, the 2001 print, which I cherish like a relic.
amzing
this is the perfect way to get to know perfectly Kubrick's ideas of his films. With fotos and texts real kubrick's fans are going to be amazed by this book that was done very carefully.

Worth the weight (and price)
While Kubrick has been gone for years, his films remain a testatment to how good and how diverse the work of a single director can be.
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Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    3. Film & Video - General    4. Individual Director    5. Performing Arts    6. Performing Arts/Dance    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Individual film directors, film-makers    9. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    10. USA   

Reviews (83)

Witty
Whatever possessed a girl to openly admit she had a lot of one night stands, never mind write a book about it, is beyond me. Although it's witty, it's clever, it's eye-opening, it's just a bit about stuff you don't wanna know? It's all a bit too much information. But the first chapter is really shocking, Chelsea Handler says that the reason she never got into a serious relationship was because she was dared $5 by her older sister to take a photo of their mum & dad. Together. Ewwwwwwwww!!! It probably scarred her for life!
She's my best girlfriend!
I received this book as a birthday present and forgot about it at first. A month or so later I read the first page and was hooked. It was as if I was sitting in a bar drinking straight vodka, so I wouldn'tgain weight, of course, while Handler, my best girlfriend, told me about her latest romp in the bedroom.
Fall down on the ground grabbing your stomach funny!
This is a Perfect "pick me Up and Make Me laugh" book!If youve broken up with your boyfriend, or just need a Quick laugh out Loud Book, this is It!Now if You find sexual Humor Offensive, you will NOT Like it... But If Your Like the rest Of us Girls... This stuff is Hysterical!I was feeling kinda Blue, and I Had purchased this Book a While Back.I Picked it up , and thought what the hell.. Let Me Read for a While get My Mind Off My Troubles.Boy did it ever. I Couldnt put it down.It goes from One embarrassing sexual encounter to the next, and each One extremely Funny! I forgot my troubles and next thing I Know I been reading for over an hour and laughing myself silly... It is a FUN book! I was Hoping she had More Books On Here to order.. But I Didnt see any.Come On Chelsea, do It again.... ROFLMAO!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    5. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Comedians    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    7. Man-woman relationships    8. Sex    9. Sexuality    10. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts   

Reviews (3)

Graceful and Often Affecting
Donald Spoto's new biography of Audrey Hepburn will please those who wish to gain a fuller understanding of Ms. Hepburn's private life and rise to stardom.
Enchanting!!!
I am very impressed with Donald Spoto's review of Audrey Hepburn. Reading Mr. Spoto's biography of Audrey Hepburn shows a huministic side of the actress and woman the world loved and adored. This book is a wonderful addition to Sean Ferrer's book and Barry Paris's book. I am sure anyone that buys this book will enjoy it as much as I do.

Hepburn's Life and Career Skillfully Examined With Sympathy and Offers Some Surprises
There are already a number of posthumous biographies of the fabled star on the market, the most notable being her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer's loving 2003 memoir, "Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers". Author Donald Spoto adds another one, a respectful portrait that may lack the personal detail Ferrer provides but at the same time, allows enough distance from the subject to be a bit more objective. In 1983, Spoto wrote a fascinating profile of Alfred Hitchcock where the legendary filmmaker came across as a repressed, twisted individual whose outlet was the terror he could instill in his films. This time, he etches an in-depth portrait of a woman whose vulnerability, personal insecurity, and innate love of family endeared her to all those exposed to her - Hepburn's inner circle, friends, colleagues, lovers and ultimately the world.
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Subjects:  1. 1929-1993    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography And Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    8. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    9. Hepburn, Audrey,    10. Individual Movie Actors And Actresses    11. Motion picture actors and actresses    12. United States    13. Women    14. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts   

Editorial Review

Writing for the screen is quirky business. A writer must labor meticulously over his or her prose, yet very little of that prose is ever heard by filmgoers. The few words that do reach the audience, in the form of the characters' dialogue, are, according to Robert McKee, best left to last in the writing process. ("As Alfred Hitchcock once remarked, 'When the screenplay has been written and the dialogue has been added, we're ready to shoot.' ") In Read more

Reviews (142)

By far the best book on the subject
I don't have much to add to what has been written about this remarkable book, except to say that McKee has more brains and more common sense than any writer I've seen on the subject.He spells out principles rather than rules, shows how they apply equally to a Hollywood blockbuster and a Bergman film, and most remarkably explains how things that appear to be exceptions to these principles are in fact, not.Start your reading on the subject here; everything else is just a footnote.

Robert McKee is Truly a Master of His Craft
'Story' has helped me immensely. This book is to all writers what Stephen King's book ("On Writing") is to novelists.
Great book on screenwriting, great presentation
I am a writer, not a screenwriter but found this book, that was recommended by a friend, to be outstanding for writers as well. The author takes you step by step, in incredible, logical detail, through the process of communicating and screenwriting. The concepts he uses, the style, it is all very easy to understand and while it takes a will to read it, an interest in the craft but it is well worth the read if you're interested in the topic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Play/Scriptwriting    3. Film & Video - Screenwriting    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Motion picture authorship    6. Motion picture plays    7. Performing Arts    8. Screenwriting    9. Technique    10. Creative writing guides    11. Performing Arts / Film / Screenwriting   

Editorial Review

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Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (29)

Great technical information, very useful resource
This book covers everything you need from the technical aspects of setting up shots and planning your action.It uses storyboards as an effective teaching device to convey the basic and some more advanced concepts and does a better job than most of explaining the 180 degree rule.Negative reviews of this book state that it is too focused on the technical aspects of filmmaking and not as much on the people skills needed, which is true, but can a book really teach you how to talk to people?A great addition to any filmmaking library but would need resources for the non-technical aspects of film.You could make a great looking film based just on what is in this book, but it might not be the most thrilling.The writer does a good job of focusing on the work and not in telling his own stories.

Visualizing
This book is the only one I have found that goes extremely in depth into shot composition. Great book. However, if you are looking for a book that will take you step by step into how to acctually produce the movie, this isnt what you are looking for. This book is all about properly translating your vision to the screen, what works and what doesnt. Overall, this book was an amazing resource.

WHY???
Why is it that in all of these film books there is such a huge focus on storyboards? That's what a third of this book covers. I should point out that many directors, including the two greatest directors of all time, Elia Kazan and Stanley Kubrick, as well as Woody Allen, Bernardo Bertolluci, Sydney Pollack, and many more do NOT storyboard their shots. Even Welles, later in his career, admitted to making up his mind on the set, and Hitchcock, famously known for storyboards, only storyboarded the BIG shots, not the entire film. I just wish these books wouldn't focus so much on pre-visualization when many major directors DONT PRE-VISUALIZE AT ALL. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - Direction & Production    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Motion Picture Directing And Producing    5. Motion pictures    6. Performing Arts    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Production and direction    9. Television - Direction & Production    10. Video recordings    11. Approved List/Classroom Adoption    12. First World War, 1914-1918    13. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    14. Non-Classifiable    15. Performing Arts / Film / Direction & Production    16. Performing Arts/Television - Direction & Production    17. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    18. Second World War, 1939-1945    19. Special kinds of photography   

Subjects:  1. United States    2. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Motion picture actors and actresses    5. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    6. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts    7. Biography & Autobiography    8. 1908-1997    9. Individual Movie Actors And Actresses    10. Biography And Autobiography    11. Biography/Autobiography    12. Biography    13. Stewart, James,   

Reviews (6)

excellent resource
Even while reading this book I was able to pitch an idea for an event and documentary project, my first, and gain acceptance for the project. The concepts are helpful as well as practical. Sell your kids to buy this book
There is little in written text that summarise the worth of this book. I was so moved by its detailed and incisive content and direction that I sold my kids to afford the time and space, the peace required to absorb the rivetting content. FIVE STARS, excellent, excellent, excellent.
This book is a masterful resource for any filmmaker regardless of their expertise.Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Cinema/Film: Book    3. Documentary films    4. Educational And Documentary Films    5. Film & Video - General    6. General    7. Performing Arts    8. Production and direction    9. Films, cinema   

Reviews (10)

An incredible introduction to film.
Gianetti continues to produce the ultimate in introductory film texts.He seemlessly introduces us to the history of cinema while teaching us everything we need to know to fully understand film.After finishing this text you will no longer look at films the same way.
Giannetti's cash cow?
I'm with reviewer Robert Jordan on this one.I've taught film courses and used Giannetti's book.It is strongest on film analysis -- mise en scene, lighting, movement, etc.It is less strong in other areas, like the sociology (ideology?) of film.I haven't seen the current edition, but have been annoyed in the past by the general lack of real revision in new editions of the book.Indeed, most of the text stays the same, only the film examples are updated.Maybe this appeals to students who like to see their recent faves in a textbook but -- as the other review notes -- this hardly warrants the expense of a new book (now over $70!).In past editions, I have also been especially disappointed in Giannetti's section on lesbians and gays in film.This is an exploding field -- from Randy Shilts' book The Celluloid Closet (which Gianetti cites but gives little evidence of having read) to queer cinema and theory.For several editions running, Giannetti's attention to this area carried the long-outmoded title "Gay Liberation" (not used among gay people for decades) and never ventured much in the way of cultural deconstruction.I'm scheduled to teach a film course next term and will undoubtedly look at Giannetti's text again, but sure do hope to find something else.Since I teach at a community college of cash-strapped students, I'll also be looking at something less expensive.

Review of 10th edition
Hey, wanna make a bunch of money? Let's write a college text book! We've got a captive audience that has no choice but to buy our book. Then every two or three years we can release a new edition and eliminate that nasty habit students have of reselling used text books they no longer need. Too much work, you say? Okay, let's just slap a different picture on the cover and release the old edition again! Can't quite picture it? Need an example to emulate? Try this one:Read more

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Cinematography    3. Film & Video - General    4. Film Theory    5. Motion pictures    6. Performing Arts    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Theater - General    9. Film theory & criticism    10. Performing Arts / Theater / General   

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - Reference    3. Performing Arts    4. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    5. Films, cinema    6. Performing Arts / Film / Reference   

Reviews (1)

A must have!
Just received the book and it is absolutely great!!!From preproduction art to the finished product on screen, This book has everything you want in a "making of" art book. A must have for any animation fan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animated Films    2. Animation    3. Cinema/Film: Book    4. Film & Video - General    5. Film & Video - Reference    6. Performing Arts    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Films, cinema    9. Performing Arts / Film / Reference   

Reviews (6)

A Short History with snoring
This was a required text for an Intro to Cinema class I took at college. To put it bluntly Gerald Mast is a bore. I've never met the guy so I'm not going to comment on what I haven't seen but I have attempted to read his writings and fell asleep before I could finish the first paragraph. I'm an avid reader and have no indications leading me to believe I have ADD or ADHD but this was simply put the worst text I have ever seen about film. The author's subject matter is not only unappealing but at times also irrelevant. For example, Mast dedicates numerous pages to many shallow commercial filmmakers and leaves one paragraph for Stanley Kubrick. I'm sorry but Stanley Kubrick's impression on the medium is worth more than a paragraph. All in all a very boring read.

Extremely valuable
My accidental encounter with an earlier edition of this book was the catalyst for my taking up film studies. The book is a clear, well written and systematically organized history of movies. It has a comprehensive and up to date bibliography and filmography. Chapters are chronological in sequence, but are organized around a particular theme. The authors introduce major influences in the cinema (whether directors, 'schools', actors or events), identify principal directors and films, and analyse major issues and advances. It is an excellent introduction to the history of movies and great jumping off point for further, more specialised study. It is refreshingly free from post-modernist jargon and abstractions. If you want a comprehensive introduction which is also a good read, I recommend this book most highly.

Extremely valuable
My accidental encounter with an earlier edition of this book was the catalyst for my taking up film studies. The book is a clear, well written and systematically organized history of movies. It has a comprehensive and up to date bibliography and filmography. Chapters are chronological in sequence, but are organized around a particular theme. The authors introduce major influences in the cinema (whether directors, 'schools', actors or events), identify principal directors and films, and analyse major issues and advances. It is an excellent introduction to the history of movies and great jumping off point for further, more specialised study. It is refreshingly free from post-modernist jargon and abstractions. If you want a comprehensive introduction which is also a good read, I recommend this book most highly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Communication    3. Film & Video - General    4. Film & Video - History & Criticism    5. History    6. Motion pictures    7. Performing Arts    8. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    9. Films, cinema    10. Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication   

Reviews (4)

Disappointed- Not what I expected
I have been giddy with excitement for this film to open. I've always been interested in Marie Antoinette and I actually played her charactar in a play when I was younger, so when I saw this book I became overjoyed and bought it. I guess what I was expecting was a story-form version of the movie (which I've not seen yet- it releases tomorrow) but instead I received what seems to be an over-priced copy of a screen-play with decidedly few lines (I read through it ALL in 20 minutes if that...) that shows no emotion nor pulls you in. It shows some shots from the movie, that are medium quality at best and some - I dare say - low-quality and blurry photos. I am disappointed that I paid so much for something that I guess I thought would be very different.
Poor Quality........High Price!!
I am sure the movie will be great, but this companion/screenplay is quite lackluster. With such beautiful imagery you would think the book would be bursting with wonderful shots. Not the case. Small book, small blurry images. Little or no designs, making of, publicity shots, etc. Save your money!! Oh well....

Photo books usually disappoint...
And they're usually expensive. They do this because producers know people will buy them... fans. When I bought this, I did it with the great expectation of having some of the most beautiful stills form this film. The thing is that the pictures that are on the internet, are so much better than the ones on this book. And they're kinda blurry! Or maybe is the paper but they do lack of the quality that other photo books from movies have.
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Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - General    3. Performing Arts    4. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    5. Films, cinema    6. Performing Arts / Film / General   

Reviews (374)

Karrine Steffans Sees The Light
in that the whole industry exploits vulnerable women of color such as Karrine Steffans.I know some would say that they participated voluntarily but I hear stories such as Ms. Steffans regarding music industry's exploitation and abuse of women who starred in rap videos.The whole hip hop video scene has come under fire recently by all sectors of society for its sexual and violent content.
Lacking something
Karrine's story was gripping, but there was emotion missing. I felt like she was just sitting back, giving a list of things that happened and not really grasping the effects of them. Regardless, I think she is a strong woman and I admire her willingness to say, "ENOUGH!" and get her stuff together.

An Entertaining Read
I really liked reading this book. I finished it in one day. At first I felt bad for. Then, as I read more, I thought she was stupid and by the end of the book I questioned whether she learned anything at all. I mean, yes she knows her mistakes, but I dont think she has learned from them. Overall, I think this book was a great read. I would recommended it to anyone who wants to live the Hollywood lifestyle. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Actors    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    8. Individual Actors And Actresses    9. Performing Arts (Specific Aspects)    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Stripteasers    12. United States    13. Women    14. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    15. Biography: film, television & music   

Reviews (6)

'Thought I'd Died and Gone to Cartoon Heaven
Like many of my peers, as I grew up, my interest in animation gravitated toward the full animation of the Golden Age: Robert McKimson, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, et al, for a long while disdaining any form of animated minimalism, even the kind represented in this book. By the age of 7 or 8, we had come to associate Top Cat, Deputy Dawg, The Flintstones, The Jetsons and all the minimal animation that had once been among our favorites with shoddy cheapness. (Even as a small child, I remember several of us sitting around talking about cartoons, and laughing to scorn at the way the same background tree kept passing every couple of seconds in Hanna-Barbera chase scenes. We wondered, did they think we weren't catching that?!) 'Limited animation', those dread words, became poision for all us growing young animation fans.
For moderns only!!
Because the style was bastardized by budget-minded network television to grind out cheesy Saturday-morning fare, modern animation has severely negative connotations for a great swath of the general public. Indeed, much of the production work beginning in the 1960s was farmed out to sweatshops in Mexico and Korea where the animation fell into the hands of lowly paid, barely competent novices. (That practice continues to this day, with such eyesores as The Simpsons.) However, in the "complacent" 1950s, when the style was developed, it was highly original and sophisticated and brought into movie theaters and television ads by Disney expatriates and left-leaning malcontents looking for a new edge. This highly anticipated book by Amid Amidi is a visual feast and an incredibly well-researched documentation of "cartoon modern" and comes with the highest recommendation. For companion videos, I also recommend some titles from Something Weird Video, notably Beer Commercials From The Golden Age Of Television, which features some priceless Mister Magoos and other "off beat" ad shorts. Also from SWV, check out their series of Hey Folks!-It's Intermission Time for other great modernistic stuff. But at Amazon's discounted price, put this wonderful book in your hands first.

Every bit as good as expected...plus!
The author, through his blog and elsewhere, has made a passion of the brilliant, colorful, and grandly stylized types of cartooning and animation that came to prominence largely in the 1950's. This book--intelligently written and organized, and magnificently illustrated--strikes me as having been a genuine labor of love. It's just about perfect.
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Subjects:  1. Animated films    2. Animation    3. Art    4. Art Criticism    5. Film & Video - Amateur Production    6. General    7. History & Criticism    8. History - Contemporary (1945- )    9. History and criticism    10. Photography    11. Techniques - Cartooning    12. United States    13. Comic book & cartoon art    14. Comics & Graphic Novels / History & Criticism   

Reviews (2)

A life as funny as his work...
Peter Falk has written the ultimate autobiography, although Mr. Falk himself insists that it isn't an autobiography.The book is written in short chunks, each a hilarious anecdote from his life, which would make it very easy to put down between stories--except that it is so much fun that you can't put it down.
Peter Falk, at his best
This book deserves more than five stars: it is Peter Falk at his best... the great actor can entertain in many roles.. as actor, as artist, as author. He has a lot of interesting stories to tell. And he does it in a brilliant way. He brings us a lot of interesting stories - about his life and work. No doubt, Peter Falk is one of the greatest!
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Subjects:  1. 1927-    2. Actors    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography And Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    9. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    10. Falk, Peter,    11. Personal Memoirs    12. United States    13. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts   

Reviews (4)

Turthful?
First of all, I am one of many hundred of thousands who are wannabe screenwriters/writers. I do not live in L.A. and have no intention to. That being said, I am still learning the "industry".
To be brief, I liked it
Briefly -- I enjoyed this book immensely.Whether it's any good as advice to aspiring writers I couldn't say, but I hope its audience won't be limited just to them.It's made up of short punchy bits that didn't tax my attention span, and many of them were laugh out loud funny.It won't be appreciated by those who don't care for rough language, but, having read two of the author's previous works, I was pretty well prepared for that and found it actually rather milder than expected.It had little relevance to my own life & hard times, and it won't revolutionize my world.Nevertheless it was worth the time and money.

The new WGA guidelines.... (psych)
Okay, this book has been out long enough for there to be more than one review, so to show my support, I have to add one here since I missed his book tour in SF by a mere TWO days. I can't believe it. I just don't read newspapers at all anymore. Didn't the book come out in August? But they wouldn't tour him in August. It's like December: business shuts down like a Jewish girl after her wedding night. Just as well. What would I have done, anyway? Lurk? Smile? Try and say something unusual and charming? Not gonna happen. Book tours are exhausting so speed-dating an author with a series of blurts is too much. Best to read his blog on his site of his own name. I'll remove this review later on because I like to be private (I remove all my reviews), but this is a cockfight of a book, quick stabs, perfectly designed for actual writers with attention spans too short to actually READ real paragraphs anymore. It's got so much teeth-baring energy and the irreverence of someone who can handle running into anyone on the street. We're talking COURAGE, baby. No cowering here. [By the way, writer/artist friends, read Rollo May's THE COURAGE TO CREATE to see this all diagrammed out.]