Ready When You Are, Mr. Coppola, Mr. Spielberg, Mr. Crowe

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Summary: DGA Magazine: May 2000
Review: "Saying that Jerry Ziesmer probably has delivered the greatest assistant director book ever written doesn't do it justice. His tales from the Kleig was in "Ready When You Are, Mr. Coppola, Mr. Spielberg, Mr. Crowe" are not only an insider-insider's look into what actually happens in the making of movies--from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" to "Apocalypse Now" to "Jerry Maguire"--but also a compendium of perceptive glimpses at the personalities and decision making by great filmmakers and actors across four decades. This book relates the biz and its lore with color, intimacy, candor and horse sense..."

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Summary: Better than I can possibly convey
Review: Buy this book right now. Even if you aren't interested in film. If you've ever walked by a poster advertising a film, buy this book. Why are you still reading this review? Why aren't you ordering this book? In fact, don't order it online here, run to your local Borders and pick it up right now. Hurry, it'll close soon! Well, okay, buy it online, but you'd better use overnight shipping! I'm warning you!!! Buy it.

Now!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Better than I can possibly convey
Review: Buy this book right now. Even if you aren't interested in film. If you've ever walked by a poster advertising a film, buy this book. Why are you still reading this review? Why aren't you ordering this book? In fact, don't order it online here, run to your local Borders and pick it up right now. Hurry, it'll close soon! Well, okay, buy it online, but you'd better use overnight shipping! I'm warning you!!! Buy it.

Now!!!!!

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Summary: The Inside Scoop From A Fascinating, Insightful Pro
Review: Disclaimer--I know Jerry from working with him on the Director's Guild Council, and I have utmost respect for him as a professional filmmaker. But I never knew his talents extended to such cogent, fun-to-read, full-of-insight writing until reading this wonderful book. It combines the best of both worlds--the "inside baseball" stuff that pro's with years of experience will still find new and fresh and helpful to their work AND the "Hollywood" anecdotage that any fan of great movies and moviemakers will read with a chuckle and a tear and a lot of smiles. If you really want to go "Behind the scenes"--save the trip to Universal's tour and get this book instead. You'll learn a lot, and have a great, great time!

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Summary: Words from the author of "Ready When You Are, Mr. Coppola, M
Review: I appreciate Amazon.com giving me the opportunity to comment on my book "Ready When You Are, Mr. Coppola, Mr. Spielberg, Mr. Crowe". The book contains my journey as a filmmaker, husband, and father from "Apocalypse Now" with Francis Coppola and Marlon Brando to "Close Encounters" with Steven Spielberg and Francois Truffaut and finally to "Jerry Maguire" with Tom Cruise and Cameron Crowe who wrote the introduction to my book. I stood beside them as their assistant director in both the sun and the rain.

It's a journey working with the best cinematic artists of our age in some of the greatest motion picture achievements of our times...and then standing at a new grave in a small cemetery in West Los Angeles near the crypts of Marilyn Monroe and Helen Hayes and asking: "Would I do it all again?"

My family and I hope you enjoy the book and come to a greater appreciation of the art of cinema and of those who spend their life's journey putting light and shadows upon the movie screens. Thank you.

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Summary: Learn how movies REALLY get made
Review: I'm the author of "Ready When You Are, Mr. Coppola, Mr. Spielberg, Mr. Crowe" and I appreciate Amazon.com giving me this opportunity to comment on my book. The book deals with my journey as a filmmaker from "Apocalypse Now" with Francis Coppola and Marlon Brando, to "Close Encounters" and "1941" with Steven Spielberg and Francois Truffaut, and finally to "Jerry Maguire" with Tom Cruise and Cameron Crowe--who wrote the introduction for my book. The book shares my thirty years of making motion pictures with some of the finest film artists of our time: Sydney Pollack creating "The Way We Were" with Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford; Francis Coppola directing Marlon Brando on "Apocalypse Now", and Bryan DePalma dealing with Al Pacino in "Scarface". The book is written to share my life and experiences in film with you in hopes that it will add to your enjoyment of film and an understanding of those who choose to spend their lifes as filmmakers. Thank you. Jerry Ziesmer