Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #513063 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
"Our opinion: "Sharp, funny, astute, and wise essays about the entire movie industry"

Customer Reviews

An insiders view of what does and doesn't work in Hollywood.
This book collects Goldman's essays from the New Yorker and Premiere throughout the 90's which he dismisses as the worst decade in Hollywood's history. Many of the articles present inside information on films that hadn't been released and it's fascinating to see just how wrong (or occasionally right) everyone could be. I mean, can you believe that everyone thought 'The Bodyguard' could be a serious Oscar contender? The essays aren't linked as such but Goldman did conduct the same guessing game exercises every year about the holiday season and the Oscars. There are some interesting insights into the screenwriter's craft - Goldman explains why he likes 'Titanic' despite the awful dialogue, and why 'Saving Private Ryan' was bogus. He's entertaining as ever and the book is a worthwhile companion to 'Adventures in the Screen Trade' and 'What Lie Did I Tell?' Generally, a good read if you like his books, a little lightweight otherwise.

Not his best
I found this a little disappointing. "Adventures in the Screen trade" and "Which lie did I tell?" set a very high standard and range over Goldman's (long) career. These lighter pieces are basically reprrinted articles, focusing on predictions for the Oscars and for box-office success. It gets a bit repetitive - especially as many of the films were forgettable and are now, rightly, forgotten. There are fewer of his own insights and fewer anecdotes about his career.

Perhaps one to leaf though rather than read cover to cover.