Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 73
 Read this one FIRST June 27, 2006
Catherine Sarnecky (Oceanside, CA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was amazed at the wealth of information in this how "not to" book! I decided to read it before investing in expensive software or reading a "how to" book I ordered at the same time. I was so glad I did. One of the tips in the book is to take the time and format your screenplay rather than relying on a "fill-in-the-blanks" software program. I finished it in one weekend and am inspired to turn my short story plot into a pilot for a TV show.
Very informative, but somewhat snobbily written June 7, 2006
Fry Boy (Orlando, FL USA)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book does, indeed, tell you a great many things you'll want to avoid when writing a screenplay, but the author comes across as a bit of a snob. I'm not sure what he's so snobby about considering that his one and only production credit is on Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and he's written a bunch of fiction that no one seems to have read. Why isn't he writing great screenplays by now?
Don't get me wrong, though. The man definitely seems to know what he's talking about, having been employed as a script reader. His advice is great; his encouragement is not. If, like me, you are working on your first script, you will find the author condescending on occasion and find yourself disheartened by his "this is how Hollywood works" attitude.
He indicates that we're supposed to get everything down properly, yet he thinks Alec Baldwin was in "Sliver" when it was really Alec's brother, William Baldwin, who starred in the movie.
Flinn also refers to two characters in M*A*S*H (which he thinks is a good movie) as Hawkeye and Pierce. How about Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John? Come on, Flinn. You're supposed to know this stuff, man!
The one thing that really irritated me was when he suggested that the screenwriter NOT pick a song that a character is listening to, implying that the producer or director would pick their own music. Does the guy want details or doesn't he?
Despite all this, it's still a very informative read.
Love ya, Denny; mean it.
My New Favorite General Advice Book on Writing a Screenplay February 2, 2006
Garfinkel (Jersey City, NJ)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Very thorough and practical, with excellent examples. I used to love "500 Ways to Beat the Hollywood Script Reader" but this book is much better. Highly recommended.
realistic advice from an industry insider January 21, 2006
J. Chang
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book oozes with insight into how scripts move from paper to production. Although the first half of the book reads like a list of pet peeves from someone who has obviously read a lot of screenplays, all of the advice was insightful yet straightforward. This book was also filled with pages from popular movie scripts, which really drives home a lot of the author's advice.
The last section of the book was especially telling of how Hollywood can be expected to change your work of art into their own commercialized project, and it comes with some very practical advice on how to handle compromises to those few lucky individuals who may actually get their work seen by film makers.
And as someone who is interested in screenwriting as a hobby, it made me aware that I should enjoy the process of screenwriting because the end product (i.e. a produced movie) is far from guaranteed.
really interesting October 9, 2005
Christopher Lansdown (Ithaca, NY USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I found this to be a really interesting book. The writing style is entertaining and engaging, and a lot of the points are helpful about not just the mechanics of a screenplay but also plot and characters. I'm very glad that I bought it.
Showing reviews 21-25 of 73
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