Rating: 
Summary: Maybe fine for scriptwriters, but not for the general public
Review: Sure, the book has lots of stories, but he writes like an insider more obsessed with the process than the craft -- and he's not even that insightful about the process. Indeed, Taylor rarely makes a point at all -- chapters just go on and on like an overlong hack piece. Read William Goldman -- or another real scriptwriter -- before bothering with this one.
Rating: 
Summary: A good source to find specific agent's names!
Review: The Big Deal helped me to become familiar with some of the big names in screenwriting marketing (i.e. Peter Scott), who can get MORE than a foot in the door in Hollywood. I learned about valuable screenwriting competitions, which allow a writer safe exposure to experienced "inside" readers. A MUST for all screenwriters!
Rating: 
Summary: The Truth About Hollywood is...
Review: The book is fresh. Up front and honestly Thom states this book is not about writing a screenplay. There are other books on how to do that. I'm a first time writer/director of my own short feature. I'm raising my own capital and Hollywood can look or not. Thom's insights certainly speak truthfully and can set the uniformed, disillousioned reader on the right path. Remember people, this is a "business." Business is war, so arm yourself accordingly. Read everything you can get, form your own opinion and then write true to your self.
Rating:
Summary: *Really* Big Deal
Review: This book isn't just fun to read. It's actually useful - a healthy, realistic slap in the face to anybody who thinks it's easy to sell a script. The stories the author tells are both frightening and hilarious. The old moguls like Mayer and Goldwyn were infamous, but today's crew make them look like Einsteins. I teach college film courses, and there's always at least one student in each class who wants to be a screenwriter in Hollywood. Now I can recommend a very readable book of real-life case histories - one that spells out to them - from lots of industry insiders' perspectives - what the (big) deal really is.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for aspiring feature screenwriters
Review: This book was recommened to me by two working pros in the industry. Taught me a lot, too, but as I've decided I want more creative control, I am moving to writing novels.Book covers several hot scripts which later became successful movies . . . WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, SEVEN, THE PLAYER, IN THE LINE OF FIRE, THE LAST ACTION HERO and WATERWORLD . . . each came in to the hands of powerful Hollywood people by different routes. More importantly, readers get the opinions of inside screenwriters and producers about marketable scripts. Something you almost will never find in the basic novels on screenwriting by Syd Field or Michael Hague. Get it, read it and, if you still want to do it, go to WORDPLAYER.COM, which is run by two working pros who graciously give out their information for free. Things you wouldn't know unless you knew writers in the industry or started working in it for several years. Good luck!
Rating:
Summary: A must read for aspiring feature screenwriters
Review: This book was recommened to me by two working pros in the industry. Taught me a lot, too, but as I've decided I want more creative control, I am moving to writing novels. Book covers several hot scripts which later became successful movies . . . WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, SEVEN, THE PLAYER, IN THE LINE OF FIRE, THE LAST ACTION HERO and WATERWORLD . . . each came in to the hands of powerful Hollywood people by different routes. More importantly, readers get the opinions of inside screenwriters and producers about marketable scripts. Something you almost will never find in the basic novels on screenwriting by Syd Field or Michael Hague. Get it, read it and, if you still want to do it, go to WORDPLAYER.COM, which is run by two working pros who graciously give out their information for free. Things you wouldn't know unless you knew writers in the industry or started working in it for several years. Good luck!
Rating:
Summary: It's not about the money.
Review: This is an absolute must for anyone serious about writing for Hollywood, but not because it tells you how to land the million-dollar deal hinted at in the title. No, this book gives hope to those who live by the old industry adage 'good writing will be discovered.' In fact, this book warns against the pitfalls of doing this for money. Through all the amazing tales of double-dealing, poor decision making and strange coincidence that goes into these deals, this book reminds us that as a writer you must write what you love. Do that, and not only will you survive, but you will succeed. Should be required reading in film school.
Rating:
Summary: The Inside Edge
Review: Thom has the access that only industry insiders have, and he openly shares it with the readers of his book. This access got him interviews with REAL players in the biz, who disclosed invaluable insights that outsiders would not have been privy to. The reader is shown the odds against getting a script produced, and ALSO the potentially wonderful rewards of winning the "spec script lottery." Subjects include the role of agents, and the horrors of "development hell." There's even a chart detailing the successful efforts of superstar and lesser-known screenwriters who prevailed with their spec scripts, and how much they were remunerated for efforts that did NOT result in produced works. For less than what the average tank of gas costs, readers are provided a thorough and enjoyable education - WITHOUT having to move to Los Angeles!
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for any serious screenwriter.
Review: What a jewel this book is! As screenwriter, just starting to hit my stride, I find Thom Taylor's book work's as a "how-to" as well as a "how-not-to" book. It is fascinating to read about the evolution of such films as, "While You Were Sleeping," "In the Line of Fire," "Seven," and others. The detailed stories of heartache and passion make for more then just a good-read. He makes you appreciate the process. As a founder of a non-profit organization, I found a strong connection with first-time writers trying to get someone to recognize their exceptional work. (Jeff Maguire's 9 year struggle with "In the Line of Fire" had more ups and downs, twists and turns, than the film!) This book makes you want to rush to your video store and rent the movies mentioned, to look at them again from a technical aspect. With my goal of writing a winning spec, and keeping a non-profit organization going, I don't find much time for sleep. I gladly give up an hour a two a night just to read another chapter, another story of hollywood dreams. I almost walked past this book. I'm glad I didn't.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for any serious screenwriter.
Review: What a jewel this book is! As screenwriter, just starting to hit my stride, I find Thom Taylor's book work's as a "how-to" as well as a "how-not-to" book. It is fascinating to read about the evolution of such films as, "While You Were Sleeping," "In the Line of Fire," "Seven," and others. The detailed stories of heartache and passion make for more then just a good-read. He makes you appreciate the process. As a founder of a non-profit organization, I found a strong connection with first-time writers trying to get someone to recognize their exceptional work. (Jeff Maguire's 9 year struggle with "In the Line of Fire" had more ups and downs, twists and turns, than the film!) This book makes you want to rush to your video store and rent the movies mentioned, to look at them again from a technical aspect. With my goal of writing a winning spec, and keeping a non-profit organization going, I don't find much time for sleep. I gladly give up an hour a two a night just to read another chapter, another story of hollywood dreams. I almost walked past this book. I'm glad I didn't.
| 
