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.]
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Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. California    3. Cinema/Film: Book    4. Film & Video - General    5. Film & Video - Guides & Reviews    6. Los Angeles    7. Motion picture authorship    8. Motion picture industry    9. Performing Arts    10. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    11. Performing Arts / Film / General   

Reviews (3)

Not very good...
I got this book for a class on the history of cinema.Unfortunately, as the title implies, it only deals with American Cinema.If this is a book for school, check out the class to see if foreign films and film history will be discussed.This book is, again, as the title implies--one-sided.Most of the movies it discusses, gives away crucial plot-points and endings.Some movies that I've been dying to see were ruined in just one or two sentences.This book is also very puffed-up and biased (I don't know any other way of explaining it).Many times throughout the book, Belton seems like James Lipton of "Inside the Actor's Studio", and goes on and on about the greatness of Hollywood, actors, director's, and films with nothing negative to say.It's not at all critical of anything and the author frequently inserts his own interpretation of films into the general text, which I found a little pompous.The book does offer up some interesting facts about the early history and the birth of cinema, but there's something about the way this book was written that makes it hard to stay interested.I think the chapters about film genres exaggerate the importance of some of them, and neglects other genres completely, ie. Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-fi, Animation, Epics, etc.Again, question the instructor and/or look at the class syllabus before siging up if this is the only book for this class.I don't believe this is a comprehensive and unbiased view of cinema and it's history.

A very useful beginners guide to American film.
Years ago I took an intro-level film class at a community college. This was the text for the class. It was accompanied (at least in my class) by a PBS video series that combined film clips with interviews and historical information. Going into the class I had little more than a passing interest in film and film history. But after taking that class, my passion for film has grown exponentially with each year. But back to the book, I really liked this book and highlighted my way from the front cover to the back cover. There are of course limitations to this book. Firstly, it deals only with American films. Secondly, this book barely breaks the 300-page mark - hardly a comprehensive volume. You aren't going to get any information on John Cassavetes here or anything. Now if you have a chance to use this book in conjunction with the PBS films, I think you'll do much better (in fact I think the vids even give a nod to Cassavetes), but even then please note that this material is for an INTRO-level film class, and won't be much good for someone who already knows a fair amount about American film. But with that in mind, the book still has a lot to offer someone looking to introduce themselves to film history. Movie spoiler
This would be a great book to read if you have no intention of watching the films discussed within, or if you've already seen them.On quite a few films, it tells the whole plot, in detail, from opening to end credits.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - General    3. Film & Video - History & Criticism    4. Film And Society    5. History    6. Motion Picture Industry    7. Motion pictures    8. Performing Arts    9. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    10. Social aspects    11. United States    12. Films, cinema    13. Performing Arts / Film / General    14. USA   

Reviews (1)

better than film school!
As an aspiring producer, I have long looked up to the indie queen Christine Vachon, and I was interested to read this book after having read her excellent SHOOTING TO KILL.I read that book when I was back in college, but this book is better.It's definitely more personal - in a way it reads like a memoir.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Movie Directors    7. Film & Video - Direction & Production    8. Independent filmmakers    9. Individual Directors And Producers    10. Motion Picture Industry    11. Motion picture producers and directors    12. United States    13. Women    14. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts   

Reviews (29)

A great read on a fascinating subject by a fine writer
Reading this book makes you feel the writer is talking to you personally - it is written in a conversational style .
Required Reading...
This is not a text book, but it should be required reading for anyone who wants a career in the motion picture industry - or anyone who loves film in general.Why is it not a textbook?Because it is one heck of an entertaining read.The book runs almost six-hundred pages and I devoured it in just a couple of days.
Mixed feelings about this book
It's hard to review this book.On the one hand, I agree with a lot of what Goldman says (as well as what he says in his follow-up book, "Which Lie Did I Tell?").There's little doubt, unless you're under 25 and still think digital effects are the reason to go to movies, that Hollywood is rotting from the inside out.On the other hand, I get the feeling that Goldman would be coming up with excuses for why he never really quite made it as big in Hollywood as it looked like he once would, even if none of the problems with Hollywood existed.Because--and here's a secret--Goldman really isn't a great screenwriter.I know I'm going against the trend here.I know he worked on some major 70s films and I know he used to make bread most of us can only dream about, but honestly, his greatest contributions are Butch Cassidy and The Princess Bride, and Butch really isn't a great screenplay (it's a great *idea* for a screenplay, though) and even Princess Bride--despite all the hype in a relatively boring year--is merely so-so.If I had to pick a favorite Goldman work, of all the ones I've seen I'd vote for All The President's Men.
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Subjects:  1. 1931-    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Cinema/Film: Book    4. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Movie Directors    5. Film & Video - Screenwriting    6. Goldman, William,    7. Motion picture authorship    8. Motion picture industry    9. Motion picture plays    10. Performing Arts    11. United States    12. Performing Arts / Film / Screenwriting   

Reviews (11)

All actors can use this information
I recently re-entered the entertainment industry, Hollywood, to be specific, and I thought of buying this book. I had gotten an e-mail for it about one year earlier and I had wanted to buy it then. Upon reading this book, I began to understand things I had always wanted to have an inside scoop on when I was in the industry before. Tony Martinez may not give ALL the inside information on agents and their dealings, but he gives enough of a "bigger" picture to give an actor a leg up on what an agent wants and how the two can best work together. I think that Mr. Martinez genuinely cares for actors and that it shows in the way he has written the book - concisely, the content of the book - broad-ranging and specific examples, and how he delivers his truth as an agent - straight. I thank him for having the foresight to do it and though he may be short-sighted in some of his stories about his clients and who needs who most, I think that he delivers what he says he will on the back cover.

Must Have for Actors!
I m an actor in L.A. and without a doubt this is the best material available on the actor/agent relationship available.Everything you could ever care to know is in this book and its all told in a funny highly readable manner.Its an absolute must have and one of the true jewels I have in all my books on the business of acting.Most of em are the same, and much of those are garbage, but this one simply cant be missed.

Great insider info!
Many actors are in the dark when it comes to what an agent expects of them as a client.Well, not if they've read this book!Tony Martinez tells it like it is.Especially helpful is his chapter on what to do when you get that "all important meeting" with a potential agent.This book will definitely help you be ready when the phone rings. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acting    2. Acting & Auditioning    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Business Aspects    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    7. Performing Arts    8. Performing Arts / Acting & Auditioning    9. Performing Arts / Television / Reference    10. Theatrical agents    11. Vocational guidance    12. Motion Picture Industry    13. Motion picture acting    14. Movie    15. Television - Reference    16. Television acting   

Features

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Reviews (12)

Good information
In the course of making a film, we found this book to be very helpful.It organizes info about the business side of the filmmaking process.

Went in a skeptic, came out a believer
Being a skeptic, I tested Mark's capsule exercises on a script I was preparing for the IFP Spotlight Award. The results were unnerving - I discovered buried treasure I didn't know I had within my story and eliminated an entire subplot that didn't service the STORY. Mark demystifies the concept of marketing, asking simple, direct questions. By asking "why would anyone want to see your film?" Mark goes past just marketing and addresses the issues that draw people to filmmaking in the first place. When I put the book down, I had a clear vision of the kind of filmmaker I want to be - and a great set of tools to get there.

Helped sell my film
This book is so great! I got a copy after reading a review and it lived up to every claim. The techniques in the book's "Self-Distribution" section showed me how to set up regional sales for a film that otherwise has not made any money up until this point! I can now proudly say that my DVD is available in 17 video stores in Pennslyvania and New York thanks to the tips in this book! Get Bosko's book if you want to sell your film - it is that simple. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Marketing    5. Marketing - General    6. Motion Picture Industry    7. Motion pictures    8. Performing Arts    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Telecommunications    11. Video recordings    12. Cinema industry    13. Distribution & warehousing management    14. Independent filmmakers    15. Performing Arts / Film / General    16. Performing Arts/Film & Video - General    17. Sales & marketing    18. Technology / Telecommunications   

Reviews (1)

A resource for producers new and old
How helpful this book is depends on how "green" you are about the film industry.Those with little to no knowledge about film production will find the book resourceful, informative and very"to-the-point" about the different types of financing available. The advantage/disadvantage sections are especially concise--it's alwaysgood to see both sides when it comes to deals potentially worth millions. The "further reading" sections at the end of chapter are alsohandy, if you want to do extra research on your own.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business Aspects    2. Cinema/Film: Book    3. Economics Of Special Subjects    4. Film & Video - General    5. Finance    6. Motion Picture Industry    7. Performing Arts    8. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    9. Budgeting & financial management    10. Cinema industry   

Editorial Review

If there is a more archetypical tale of Hollywood in the '80s than the buccaneers' adventures of Jon Peters, Barbra Streisand's former hairdresser, and his business partner Peter Guber, it hasn't been written yet. This thorough, stylish book recounts the rise of Peters and Guber, who together earned fortunes by schmoozing their way to the top, seducing gullible investors, and shoving aside the filmmakers who actually turned out successful films like "Rain Man" and "Batman." The Japanese executives at Sony, in this delightful insider account, were just the most recent and most hoodwinked in a long line of Peters' and Gubers' dupes. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Exposes Guber and Peters for the crooks they are....
The reputation of Jon Peters and Peter Guber in Hollywood is well founded.They are crooks. They know nothing about movies or the tasks of producing, they just know money and how they can legelly steal a director's idea or a screen writer's idea and make it their own.They were on hand when Sony bought Colombia and Tri-star Pictures and somewhat conned the studio into making Last Action Hero, a major flop, and yet those two made a ton of money off of it.It would be years before Sony would make a profit from their movie division. Both producers now work at Warner Brothers, which perhaps explain why that studio has been slowly going down the toilet these last several years.

How to lose a lot of money in Hollywood.
I think the subtitle of the book says it best.Jon Peters and Peter Guber took Sony for a long and expensive ride in Hollywood.
Fun, Fast, Educational
"Hit and Run" is a fun, breezy, eye-opening book. There's never a boring page. It is packed with information and concisely written. You never get the sense that the author is dragging things out just to fill a few hundred pages. Even though Guber and Peters were crooks, I think there's still plenty of things you can learn from them and they are still inspiring in a way. I thought robber barons went out with the 19th century, but now I see there are still people with the same swindler's mentality. "Hit and Run" is an eye-opening book, just like Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle." One thing I wonder very much is why all these big corporations did business with Guber and Peters without thoroughly investigating their backgrounds? Seems like there are some very stupid people running large corporations. Hollywood sure is full of sharks, whores, and criminals and always was. Innocent newcomers don't have a chance.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Business Aspects    3. Film & Video - Direction & Production    4. General    5. Motion picture industry    6. Motion picture producers and directors    7. Performing Arts/Dance    8. Peters, Jon    9. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    10. United States    11. Modern fiction    12. Performing Arts / Film / General   

Reviews (7)

Essential
Gabe�s book �The Independent filmmaker�s Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Investors� is a must for any indie film company. While many books exist on the subject, Gabe�s is able to package complex information into an easily digestible format for all readers. The book understands the changes taking place in the film industry. Get this book
If there's one book you should get in order to reach your goal of getting funding for your film or television project it is this one. I don't know of any other book out there with such detail and step by step instructions about getting the most important element of producing a film, funding. You can have the greatest idea, cast, team together in the world but if you don't have the tools you learn about in this book you'll find it an uphill battle.I've recommended this book to all my friends and colleagues in the businesss.I stake my reputation on it.Go out and get this book today!(Jeff Rivera, author of Forever My Lady)

Understand what potential investors seek
Most books for independent filmmakers focus on rudiments of the artistic industry. Gabriel Campisi's The Independent Filmmaker's Guide To Writing A Business Plan For Investors provides even the most novice filmmaker a very fine tool for understanding distribution deals, sales, and the business end of making a successful film proposal. Use The Independent Filmmaker's Guide To Writing A Business Plan For Investors to assemble a winning business plan based on proposals which work - and understand what potential investors seek in such a proposal with a title which packs in interviews with successful independent filmmakers and industry executives alike. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business planning    2. Film & Video - General    3. Film & Video - Reference    4. Finance    5. Handbooks & Manuals    6. Independent filmmakers    7. Motion Picture Directing And Producing    8. Motion picture industry    9. Performing Arts    10. Performing Arts/Dance    11. Reference    12. Reference - General    13. Telecommunications    14. Cinema industry    15. Films, cinema    16. Reference works   

Reviews (7)

75 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards
This is a must-have of any film buff and is the most comprehen-
An all-inclusive encyclopedia of the Academy Awards
This book is not a history in the since of most history books. It does not detail how the academy began, or how it changed over the years, or give you any kind of insider view of its workings. Instead, it is a complete listing of every nominee and every winner in every category since the award ceremony's inception in 1927. There are plenty of photographs of the nominees and imagesof scenes from the nominated films for each year, so it is not dry in the way many reference books are. In fact, Mr. Osborne's love of film and its history really shine through in the book. It is interesting to look through this book and see what we consider to be films that have withstood the test of time versus which ones were rewarded by the academy at the time. For example, in 1939, the Academy did recognize that "Gone with the Wind" was the best picture of the year, which people were lining up to watch in movie theaters until its television broadcast premiere in 1976. However, in 1941, "How Green was My Valley" won best picture, which is a film that hardly anyone watches anymore, while "Citizen Kane" was completely ignored. It's also interesting to see how the Academy compensated for past oversights by awarding performances that were less than stellar in subsequent years. For instance, in 1934 Bette Davis was overlooked in her performance in "Of Human Bondage". This caused a huge public outcry. The following year the Academy gave her the best actress award for her performance in "Dangerous"- a move that has largely been seen over the years as a consolation prize for what happened the year before.
Just What I was Looking For
Over the years, I have picked up a few books about the Academy Awards.I did so primarily to get a list of winners but I have also been interested in knowing the nominees.In the early days of the award it wasn't unusual to have eight or nine nominees for a particular award.However, the inference was still that there was something special about this particular movie in regards to this particular awards.I like that "75 Years of the Oscar" lists not only each award winner but each award nominee as well.I espcially appreciate the listing of all nominees for the Best Foreign Language award.I hadn't come across that before in any of the books I'd found.
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Subjects:  1. Academy Awards (Motion picture    2. Academy Awards (Motion pictures)    3. Film & Video - General    4. Film & Video - History & Criticism    5. Film & Video - Reference    6. History    7. Motion Picture Industry    8. Motion pictures    9. Performing Arts    10. Performing Arts/Dance    11. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    12. United States    13. Film theory & criticism    14. Reference works   

Reviews (1)

READ THIS BOOK FIRST!!
Film Scheduling is the basic primer of how to schedule a film. There are very expensive computer programs that will help you in scheduling -- but you have to first understand the process. This book is written by an experienced, working, Hollywood film producer. Best $20 you'll spend. Cheaper than film school! Spend a little more and get the other books Singleton's written as well and you'll be on your way to knowing more than many Hollywood execs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Film & Video - General    2. Motion Picture Industry    3. Motion pictures    4. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    5. Planning    6. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    7. Production and direction    8. Films, cinema    9. Performing Arts / General   

Reviews (2)

A must for first time producers
Being a first-time independent producer I had little knowledge of all the legal elements involved in movie deal making.I must say that even though at first this book was a little difficult to understand, given the nature of some legal terms used, it has been essential to get a clear picture of everything that must be covered to ensure proper production, financing and distribution of any film project.
A realisticly insightful literaturefor producing movies
There are so many film programs in the country but hardly any that provide the insight into the finance and legalities of the industry. Being a fresh graduate, I my self faced this problem. This book however, is a problem solver. Baumgarten's, Farber's and Fleischer's approach towards the business aspects of filmmaking is an insightful one and it provides vital information, especially for those who are just about to get their feet wet. I highly recommend this book to all the film students and especially to those who are concentrating in producing and directing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business Aspects    2. Film & Video - Direction & Production    3. Finance    4. Law and legislation    5. Motion picture industry    6. Performing Arts    7. Performing Arts/Dance    8. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    9. United States    10. Film theory & criticism    11. Performing Arts / Film / Direction & Production   

Reviews (3)

Terribly Outdated and Poorly Edited
If you're looking to produce a very low-budget, extremely independent movie this book is not for you.If you are a completely green producer, this book is helpful in the sense that it gives you the page design of all the important budget forms at a much cheaper price than purchasing Movie Magic.However, the primary example in this book is a Coppola film, "The Conversation," which had a budget much higher than one could afford just with personal investments.Thus, a lot of adjusting math figures is necessary for you to get what you need out of it.What's more, this book is in desperate need of a new edition: this was printed in 1996, and a lot has changed in terms of technology and film "norms."For example, this book says the average mileage reimbursement is 28 cents per mile, which I'm sure was true in 96, but now, nine years later, the average acceptable payment is 40 cents per mile from a studio and 32 from an individual (ie low budget indie).Cell phones are not even mentioned once in this book.It's also a hard read because it's hard to get past the sophomoric spelling mistakes and typographical errors.These are small, insignificant details that just appalled me: I can't take advice from someone who doesn't know the proper use of "your" or "you're." Overall this book is just frustrating.I'm sure he is a fantastic force in the film industry, but the execution of this book made it seem like he just doesn't care; it feels like an afterthought.

WRITTEN BY A PRO
Author Ralph Singleton knows his stuff. He is not a "wannabe" producer (check out his credits on the IMDb!). Do what I did--take the complete 'do-it-yourself course' with the Scheduling book, Workbook andForms book. Computer budgeting software is great -- but this book actuallyteaches you HOW to budget -- not just put numbers in columns.

An excellent guide for new and experienced producers.
I used this book in the recent shooting of a feature film, and found it and the separately-available workbooks very helpful.The workbooks use examples from an actual film budget ("The Conversation"); thetext is clear, compelling, accurate and up-to-date.Best of the "howto" film production books I have seen and used. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Budgeting    2. Business Aspects    3. Film & Video - Amateur Production    4. Finance    5. Motion Picture Directing And Producing    6. Motion picture industry    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. United States    9. Films, cinema    10. Performing Arts / General    11. Performing Arts-Business Aspects   

Reviews (3)

A 'must' for any film director, producer, or Hollywood wannabe.
BOFFO! HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE BLOCKBUSTER AND FEAR THE BOMB comes from the editor-in-chief of Variety and co-host of AMC's Sunday Morning Shootout, and provides a vivid, experienced look at Hollywood, using nearly thirty hits from film, TV and theatre to examine the making of blockbusters and the lessons they hold for any would-be hit maker. From budget concerns to anticipating changes in audience tastes, BOFFO covers pitfalls as well as successes and is a 'must' for any film director, producer, or Hollywood wannabe.
Mini "making of" documentaries
Think of each of these essays as half hour VH1 specials on "The Making of . . ." a series of unexpected and unlikely hits.It seems hard to believe that all of the films, TV shows, plays, and personalities here (CSI, All in the Family, The Godfather, Lord of the Rings, Oprah, Cats, and more) - things that are American media icons - were once turned down, cut back, and, once they were finally allowed to begin, had so many chips stacked against them (organized crime wasn't so sure they wanted anyone making THE GODFATHER), that it's a miracle any of them saw the light of day.Andrew Lloyd Webber was about to pull the plug on CATS a week before it opened.How each of these productions and people eventually made it to the top makes for fascinating reading.

A real grab-bag
Peter Bart admits that the book is a grab-bag of essays on blockbuster movies, TV series and stage shows. I found it entertaining enough, but I'm not sure I got much out of it. He basically presents the history of a couple of dozen shows, several of which have already been chronicled in longer, more informative books (Casablanca, I Love Lucy, King Kong, etc.). This book is not unlike a Reader's Digest version of famous show business stories. I did find one item that I think is a mistake. In his "I Love Lucy" chapter, he writes that William Frawley and Lucille Ball hated each other. I've never read that before. I think he meant to write that Vivian Vance and Frawley hated each other. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - History & Criticism    3. History    4. Motion Picture Industry    5. Motion pictures    6. Performing Arts    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Television    9. United States    10. Films, cinema    11. Performing Arts / Film / General   

Editorial Review

From the nudie cuties of the 1950s to celebrity porn in the late 1990s, Read more

Reviews (20)

Porn stars are my friends
Read in a fortnight, compulsively and earnestly, this book is a must buy for several reasons.Oral (pun intended and not intended) histories are the best way to handle such topics as Punk Rock (covered by the same author) and the Porn industry, because there are so many stories to tell, so many plotlines running congruently and so many voices that demand to be heard, that to try to weave them into one narrative would be nearly impossible and would be difficult to read.While some of the FBI, Mafia and other criminal plotlines aren't quite as interesting as the behind the scenes of the actual films, they are still pertinent to the overall story.
Legs McNeil is great...
This book was not as good as Please Kill Me, but still a great fast read. The Mafia parts were a little boring but it was still a very juicy read.

Positively Obscene....
...the potential this book had and wasted.It really should be subtitled "The Uncensored Oral History of the Mob Syndicate From 1972 to 1999."The shady figures who financed pornography during this period, many of who paid the ultimate price for their "ill gotten gains," have as much if not more "screen time" in this narrative than the stars and makers of adult movies.Not that they aren't interesting.Reuben Sturman is a fascinating figure - the most profitable pornographer in the history of the world was satisfied to cultivate his own little corner in Ohio.And the story of John C. Holmes ties to the "Wonderland" killers is gripping.And when the authors aren't detailing these shenanigans, and the efforts to stifle the industry by FBI sting operations, we get generous accounts of the "recreational" activities of the stars, etc.Apparently when they weren't fornicating for the camera they were sniffing, snorting, injecting, and inhaling.Enough of that goes a long way.
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Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Erotic films    3. Film & Video - History & Criticism    4. History and criticism    5. Motion Picture Industry    6. Motion Pictures Of Specific Genres    7. Oral history    8. Performing Arts    9. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    10. Pornography    11. Sex in motion pictures    12. United States    13. Cinema industry    14. Films, cinema    15. Performing Arts / Film / History & Criticism   

Reviews (4)

Overstuffed with insight and information
Hearst Over Hollywood is a book that could appeal to a large cross-section of readers - historians, movie buffs, those with interests in journalism and media, etc.Louis Pizzatola has done an incredibly admirable job in compiling sources and data on William Randolph Hearst and presenting him in a new light - something very difficult to do after over 100 years of Hearst representations in the media and popular culture.That in itself makes it a worthwhile read.
Insanely great!
The author describes himself as a visual artist and amateur film maker. I've got news for him: he's a first rate scholar too. I cannot remember the last time I've read a book on history that was so well presented and so amply documented. If you want to understand how the US came to become a "wag the dog" TV-ocracy and how CNN could morph into a televised version of the National Enquirer, check out this masterpiece. The source of our present day media sewer can all be traced back to Hearst's turn-of-the-century and-beyond media 'experiments.' This book belongs on the bookshelf - in a featured location - of anyone who is interested in 20th century American history. It's an absolutely stunning work of scholarship, packed with well documented detail, and completely approachable.

Prodigious research and packed with information!
I have never read such a well researched and detailed examination of any topic. There are many Hearst books out there and many books about the innner workings of Hollywood but this book really does have it all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1863-1951    2. Biography    3. California    4. Film & Video - General    5. Film & Video - History & Criticism    6. Hearst, William Randolph,    7. History    8. Los Angeles    9. Modern - General    10. Motion picture industry    11. Motion picture producers and d    12. Motion picture producers and directors    13. Performing Arts    14. Performing Arts/Dance    15. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    16. Publishers and publishing    17. United States    18. United States - General    19. American studies    20. Biography: film, television & music    21. Film theory & criticism    22. Media studies    23. Performing Arts / Film / General    24. USA