Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay

Rating:
Summary: Not my idea of good movies
Review: The book itself has a booring look. The letters are small, no pictures and so on. It could have something of interest though. I did not think so. I obviosly do not like the same kind of movies as the author. I like Terminator, Alien and Indiana Jones. Of the list of good movies listed by the author was only Thelma and Louise one of my liking and three I count as boring. If you like the very dramatic kind of movies you will like this book. If you are more for the action-type of movies, do not buy this one.

Rating:
Summary: Something Different
Review: The reason that many reviewers pan this book is the reason that I highly recommend it: it is academic and theoretical. Horton bases his character theory on the idea of the "carnavalesque." It is this internal unpredicability that really brings characters to life.

This book is not for everyone. Horton has a habit of criticizing the plot-driven Hollywood blockbusters and idealizing small independents and foreigns. This can be a bit irritating after a while. If you know the basics and have read all the overly simplisitc and formulatic books (I too am no fan of Syd Field) this is an interesting and different angle to check out, with a much more academic style than most. But it's definitely not a simple "how to," so if that's what you want, look elsewhere for the basics.

Rating:
Summary: open minded
Review: This book does not present a recipe (well, it does too indeed but not the kind I mean here), for a recipe is limited. I found advices to create brighter characters: just as you may only add salt and pepper following a recipe when inexperienced, making a meal just Ok, and then, cooking again and again, you find out The Special Spices Balance, making your meal the event others won't miss..... There is not only one solution, but many, and that's fine.... Here are not only good advices for screenwriting, but also courage to see the people as they are...

Rating:
Summary: The Worst!
Review: This is, by far, the worst screenwriting book I've ever read, almost as bad as Lew Hunter's piece of drivel. If you read this book and follow its instructions, I'll bet you won't be able to write a screenplay at all. Buy "Story" instead.

Rating:
Summary: A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
Review: You never know where you'll find good humor. One of the reviews panned this book because it would not help him wrtie movies like "Terminator". THANK GOD! I have found that it's beneficial for me to read a variety of screenplay books, to get different perspectives on the craft. The great thing about Mr. Horton's book is that it offers a very unique perspective of screenwriting, differentfrom anything else I've read. If you're concerned with depth of character and variety of character, the perspective that Horton offers is invaluable.

Rating:
Summary: A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
Review: You never know where you'll find good humor. One of the reviews panned this book because it would not help him wrtie movies like "Terminator". THANK GOD! I have found that it's beneficial for me to read a variety of screenplay books, to get different perspectives on the craft. The great thing about Mr. Horton's book is that it offers a very unique perspective of screenwriting, differentfrom anything else I've read. If you're concerned with depth of character and variety of character, the perspective that Horton offers is invaluable.

Rating:
Summary: Spice up your screen stories with some character gumbo!
Review: You're as likely to discover memorable charactersin most scripts as you are to discover gold dustin the L.A. riverbed. Everyone reverentlypitches "strong characters" as essential to astrong story, but no one tells you how to do this.Andrew Horton eloquently demystifies the processof character creation. Having a MFA in screenwriting, I was familiar with some of thematerial, but I found a lot of the book, includingthe approach, fresh, inventive and inspired

Rating:
Summary: Spice up your screen stories with some character gumbo!
Review: You're as likely to discover memorable charactersin most scripts as you are to discover gold dustin the L.A. riverbed. Everyone reverentlypitches "strong characters" as essential to astrong story, but no one tells you how to do this.Andrew Horton eloquently demystifies the processof character creation. Having a MFA in screenwriting, I was familiar with some of thematerial, but I found a lot of the book, includingthe approach, fresh, inventive and inspired