Rating: 
Summary: 4 stars
Review: This was a readable, good book. I would like to counter a point made in the March 20 review below, that comments on how Goldman takes credit for the "Good Will Hunting" screenplay, that Affleck and Damon won Oscars for. Goldman is JOKING! He's being SARCASTIC! I don't know how you could think he was being serious! He says, (when being unsarcastic) "I worked one day on the screenplay with them, gave them my opinion about a section, and that was that." Apparently some in Hollywood didn't think two young upstarts could write an Oscar winning screenplay, so said Goldman must have written it. Goldman is making a JOKE out of that rumor. Read the section again. GOLDMAN IS NOT TAKING CREDIT, but the exact opposite. And as far as the bitter tone, Robert Redford said this: "All writers have a lot of anger." It's hard to avoid among literary persons. And I'm glad he takes digs at others in the industry in this book. Writers are so important to movies, but they are treated like they are worthless (compared to directors and stars), and have little power. The one place they can vent their spleens is in books, and I'm more than happy to see them let off some steam, while entertaining me at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: 4 stars
Review: This was a readable, good book. I would like to counter a point made in the March 20 review below, that comments on how Goldman takes credit for the "Good Will Hunting" screenplay, that Affleck and Damon won Oscars for. Goldman is JOKING! He's being SARCASTIC! I don't know how you could think he was being serious! He says, (when being unsarcastic) "I worked one day on the screenplay with them, gave them my opinion about a section, and that was that." Apparently some in Hollywood didn't think two young upstarts could write an Oscar winning screenplay, so said Goldman must have written it. Goldman is making a JOKE out of that rumor. Read the section again. GOLDMAN IS NOT TAKING CREDIT, but the exact opposite. And as far as the bitter tone, Robert Redford said this: "All writers have a lot of anger." It's hard to avoid among literary persons. And I'm glad he takes digs at others in the industry in this book. Writers are so important to movies, but they are treated like they are worthless (compared to directors and stars), and have little power. The one place they can vent their spleens is in books, and I'm more than happy to see them let off some steam, while entertaining me at the same time.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time
Review: What a self-serving waste of a tree. I thought I would puke when he called John Donne "Johnny D." I didn't even finish the book.
Rating: 
Summary: I recommended this book to everyone in hearing distance -
Review: What makes this book so engaging and entertaining? Goldman weaves in his real life experiences with Hollywood icons (see Clint Eastwood episode) and sets them up like mini screen plays, allowing the reader to feel the surprise, disappointment,or delight Goldman must have felt as the events were unfolding. Goldman adds in his uniquely honest, self deprecating observations. A confection of a read, it includes screenwriting tips and betrays some serious Hollywood issues.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but that damn TONE!
Review: Whilst an entertaining read once again from Mr Goldman, this clearly does not have the freshness and immediacy of the original : Adventures in the Screen Trade. I think the problem I had with this book is captured perfectly by one of the critics of his screenplay in the book "The Big A". He refers to a underlying problem with Goldman's 'tone'. Personally, I love a subversive and original approach to a genre but doggone it, Goldman is ALL OVER THE PLACE in this book. He digresses, he gives us excepts from his tape recorded journal that should remain in his head and does the 'luvvy' routine with the stars. Plus, I was also aware that his star seems to have faded. It's Butch this and Princess Bride that, because nothing else is worth bragging about (he even admits those are his favorites!).Time to tone down Mr Goldman.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: William Goldman is in my opinion one of the best screenwriters around. If you have any aspirations in this field this should be required reading. It will quickly shatter any romantic notions you may have about the filmaking process and teach you what to expect. I especially like the section where he allows his own script to be shredded by other professionals. I think that it showed real guts and a real love to teach.
Rating:
Summary: It will not make a screenwriter out of you but....
Review: William Goldman's faults are readily apparent from even a cursory glance at previous reviews and, having read the book, they are largely accurate. However, you have do ask what you expect to get from reading a book like this. Goldman is not trying to make you like him, he's not trying to turn you into a screenwriter, he's merely trying to entertain you by opening a window slightly onto what for me was a hitherto under-reported slice of Hollywood. And this he does rather well. It is written in a chatty style , suitably indiscreet, humourously observed and illuminating about some of the trails and tribulations of the writers' life. The last section , where a portion of an unfilmed screenplay is analysed and criticised by various screenwriting luminaries, is fascinating in showing how a screenplay can almost unrecognisably mutate from an initial draft, without necessarily destroying the spirit of the original. The book is great fun, but don't go looking for a new career afterwards.
Rating:
Summary: How to get the toys over the mountain
Review: William Goldman's follow-up to "Adventures in the Screen Trade" follows much the same form as that book. It's intended for an audience of prospective Hollywood screenwriters, but can be equally enjoyed by those interested in frank Hollywood gossip and tales from an insider. Goldman is a perfect tour guide across this terrain, for he loves to teach from his experiences, and is an entertaining and economical writer. Most of this book feels like a private chat with a friendly old uncle who's lead an exciting and adventure filled life. Goldman starts by revisiting a successful section from his earlier memoir: anecdotes from his experiences writing his most recent work. Tales of adapting his own "The Princess Bride", his love for the material and for Andre the Giant; the good intentioned but eventual failures of "The Year of the Comet" and "The Ghost and the Darkness" (the latter is a good example of how the material can get away from the writer once an egotistical star is on board, in this case Michael Douglas); and how he went about adapting "Misery" and "Absolute Power". This last example was my favourite, for even though the book it's based on was pulp, and movie barely registered, Goldman uses it as a fine example on the problems of adapting, and how you need to be ruthless just to make the thing work. He takes you through his process step-by-step, and the parts where he's racking his brain on how to make the sucker work are tangible in their frustration. Also, there were some nifty Clint Eastwood moments that make you respect the Man with No Name even more. The second section takes a look at several of Goldman's favourite film scenes (from a screenwriter's point of view), and proposes to analyze why they worked. While his passion for these moments is palpable, Goldman skimps on the analysis. Why was the zipper scene in "There's Something About Mary" so effective? Why does the chess scene in "The Seventh Seal" resonant still? He does a fine job, though, finding the importance of the cliff scene from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". But then he should know that one inside out, because he wrote it (Warning: if you have never seen or do not at all appreciate "Butch and Sundance", I'd stay away from this book; Goldman has enthusiastic affection for his first big hit, and returns to it often for examples; I myself love the movie and was glad to read more about it). The best part of this section is his attempt to wrestle credit for the crop-duster scene in "North by Northwest" from Alfred Hitchcock, and give it to the screenwriter, Ernest Lehman. I was convinced. The third section offers the reader a chance to be screenwriter. Goldman presents several newspaper clippings as examples of possible source material for an original screenplay. He then takes us through the process of molding and shaping the materiel to the demands of the screen. It's pedantic Goldman at his best. In the final section, Goldman presents an original screenplay he's written to various professional screenwriters, to show the function of a "script doctor" (Goldman's latest and most notorious Hollywood incarnation). The screenplay he's written, a tired detective adventure called "The Big A", is still in process, and it's a treat reading Goldman thinking out loud. He doesn't know where to go with the story at some points, and presents the reader with various possibilities. He's unsure about a scene he's just written, and admits to its inadequacies. He's having problems with character, and admits to that too. But Goldman is not nearly as hard on himself as those he's solicited for help are. This was my favourite section of the book. On the one hand, the submissions he's received are biting, witty, and malicious in the most entertaining of ways. On the other hand, they full of a variety of great ideas, all of which would turn "The Big A" into a bona fide movie. Tony Gilroy (who wrote "The Devil's Advocate") is particularly effective on both of these fronts; his writing is lovable curmudgeonry at its best. If Goldman ever decides to finish off this trilogy, I'll be right there waiting. Whether in narrative prose or memoir form, his writing is easily digestible, fun, and most importantly, informative. He wears his passions on his sleeve, and invites the reader to do the same. I was right there with him the whole time, lapping up his nuggets of wisdom. I guess the best praise I have is that everytime I finish a Goldman book, I get the itch to go write a screenplay myself. And feel perfectly equipped to do so.
Rating:
Summary: Another insightful book about making movies.
Review: William Goldman's sequel to Adventures in the Screen Writing Trade is almost as much fun as the original. He does have his quirks -- for example, he seems obsessed with his height versus that of some Hollywood stars. Nevertheless, his ability to tell a good story about his experiences in Hollywood would make him the perfect dinner companion. He also provides useful information about what works and doesn't work in screenplays. Unlike others in the business, he is unpretentious. He does not take on the mantle of the "great artist." However, he has done some great work on major movies. If you enjoy movies at all, you will enjoy this book. Aspiring screenwriters will be somewhat disappointed because, although the book does discuss Goldman's methods, it is not a how-to type of book. It is a very good book for the rest of us.
Rating:
Summary: Another insightful book about making movies.
Review: William Goldman's sequel to Adventures in the Screen Writing Trade is almost as much fun as the original. He does have his quirks -- for example, he seems obsessed with his height versus that of some Hollywood stars. Nevertheless, his ability to tell a good story about his experiences in Hollywood would make him the perfect dinner companion. He also provides useful information about what works and doesn't work in screenplays. Unlike others in the business, he is unpretentious. He does not take on the mantle of the "great artist." However, he has done some great work on major movies. If you enjoy movies at all, you will enjoy this book. Aspiring screenwriters will be somewhat disappointed because, although the book does discuss Goldman's methods, it is not a how-to type of book. It is a very good book for the rest of us.
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