Edgeworks: The Harlan Ellison Hornbook & Harlan Ellison's Movie (Edgeworks, 3) [Hardcover]

Harlan Ellison (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: White Wolf Pub (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565048377
• ISBN-13: 978-1565048379
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,090,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars You really have to forgive Harlan for that movie, June 22, 2000

By 

Tim Lieder "Founder of Dybbuk Press" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Edgeworks: The Harlan Ellison Hornbook & Harlan Ellison's Movie (Edgeworks, 3) (Hardcover)

The third in the Edgeworks series, this features the classic Hornbook - a book of essays written in the 70s concerning everything from Los Angeles crime to restaurant reviews to Three Dog Night to people that you wish you could help but you can't. While some of these are dated (restaurant reviews for restaurants taht don't exist for example) many of these are just as contemporary today as they were in the 70s (my personal favorite is "No Offense but F--- Christmas" and the author's threat to track down anyone who sends him Christmas cards after it.)

If I was only reviewing the Hornbook I would give it five stars, but unfortunately there was that movie script. Written because a producer asked Ellison what he would write without restrictions, the back cover advertises a scene with a giant Boll Weevil knocking over farmhouses. Ellison is almost proud of the fact that the studio practically threw the script at him in disgust.

For once Hollywood was right. The only reason why anyone would want to read this thing is because the legend of the unfilmable script is so prevalent that you have to look at it.

The comparison it a car crash is not unintentional. That thing is a smug trite self-satisfied putrid mass of horror. I think it's about an idealist who gets corrupted but I'm not sure. There is so much 60s jingoism in it that I expected to look up from my couch and see the ghost of Abbie Hoffman crying.

Every writer writes horrible stuff from time to time. Harlan Ellison is one of the greatest American writers ever and you have to forgive him for the dumb stuff that gets into the mixture. That screenplay is one of the dumbest things ever written by Ellison. If you ever want to get soemone hooked on Harlan Ellison, make sure they read about a dozen great stories and essays (Best that shouted Love, Deathbird, WHimper of Whipped Dogs, etc.) before they are even allowed near that screenplay.