Part Hollywood history, part history of the art of storytelling, this title is infused with Kaufman's wit, intelligence and love of words. The plots are those of classic films from the 1940s, and the characters are the bosses, bombshells and bad boys of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
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"...a very superior example of motion picture craftsmanship." -- Pauline Kael on Millard Kaufman's Academy Award-Nominated screenplay Bad Day at Black Rock.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read even if you aren't a screenwriter!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Plots and Characters: A Screenwriter on Screenwriting (Hardcover)
Anyone who loves stories of old Hollywood or anyone who appreciates a good story, wonderfully and wittily written, will appreciate this book. Kaufman captures the nuttiness of Hollywood - he is an iconoclast in the best sense, having lived the experiences himself. Also wonderful to read are the vignettes scattered throughout by contemporary screenwriters, including the writers for "Seinfeld," for "Thelma and Louise," and many others. The pictures in the middle of the book, which include beautiful shots of Elizabeth Taylor, Monty Clift, and Eva Marie Saint, make the book worthwhile in themselves. Anyone who has struggled with writers' block, even doing a paper for school, will appreciate what Kaufman has to say on this subject. The book is a pleasure to read - fast and funny.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Either you got it or you don't.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Plots and Characters: A Screenwriter on Screenwriting (Hardcover)
If you're desperately seeking a how-to manual on screenwriting, maybe it's not your calling. In any case, I found this book to be useful and interesting. I've thumbed through such standbys by Robert McKee and Lajos Egri - they're just stating the obvious and reverse engineering successful films and literary works. That's something anyone with a brain can do, I think. When Millard Kaufman was writing, there weren't any how-to books, preying on the masses seeking a low-mid six figures writing- deal. A lot can be learned from a writer like this.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A writer's great read,
By A Customer
This review is from: Plots and Characters: A Screenwriter on Screenwriting (Hardcover)
An absorbing, intelligent, funny and revealing book, which makes it a great read for writers as well as readers with no such aspirations. After reading the book I finally got free of any guilt feelings I had for liking "The Fugitive" so much. Thanks to "Plots" I now know what a superb scritpt is behind that film. I wish I could be so sure about any personal potential to ever match its excellence.
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