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doruga's review against another edition
4.5
Brilliant. Just Brilliant. I didn't really need the last part, but then again, I'm not trying to be a screenwriter, so who am I to complain?
daydreamangel18's review against another edition
4.0
Love the behind the scene of some iconic films and also great insight into the moviemaking business.
cltnbutcher's review against another edition
4.0
A legendary book by a legendary writer. Written in anecdotal bites, it's a breezy read and filled with interesting insights to old school Hollywood.
andrewgraphics's review against another edition
4.0
Fun book, conversationally written, early enough in Goldman's career that he could admit he didn't have all of the answers; short sketches of what it was like working on each of his major films, with a dissection of turning a short story into a film, and interviews with other filmmakers who would be involved and how they would work out the challenges his script presents.
Great overall, but from what I had heard from friends was expecting him going a little more in-depth into the process: why this kind of scene here, and what it sets up later on.
Would love to read his version of this now.
Great overall, but from what I had heard from friends was expecting him going a little more in-depth into the process: why this kind of scene here, and what it sets up later on.
Would love to read his version of this now.
pumpernikel's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book fascinating, mostly because I enjoy William Goldman's writing, but also learning more about movie production than I knew previously.
ktothelau's review against another edition
5.0
Will read again at another time, hopefully more consistently. However, I feel this is a must-read for those interested in entering the film scene, writer or no. It's not a how-to book on screenwriting, but rather an experiential account of the film industry from a screenwriter's perspective.
Also, it's William Goldman. C'mon, the dude's a brilliant writer.
Also, it's William Goldman. C'mon, the dude's a brilliant writer.
corrompido's review against another edition
2.0
I did not finish this book. It was interesting but I was too removed from the movies and stars that he was talking about as I rarely watch movies from before the 1980s.
gregbrown's review against another edition
4.0
Charming and interesting with the requisite gossip, but man was it deflating to reach the point where he shows off full screenplays (Butch and Da Vinci) only to find them suffocating. The way Goldman writes out the shots is way too prescriptive to make for an pleasant read, and frankly tries to do something more in the domain of the director.
tcatsninfan's review against another edition
3.0
It's an interesting look at Hollywood, but it's really outdated now. Business models in Hollywood and the current list of celebrities are quite different from what's discussed in this book. Some of the information is timeless, sure, but this book isn't as interesting to me because he spends a lot of time talking about older movie stars like Humphrey Bogart and Sam Peckinpah.