A GREAT Book about Writing, Directing, and Producing Films & Shows You Know

[Pink Freud]

What do these movies...

"Legends of the Fall"
"About Last Night"
"Glory"
"Courage Under Fire"
"My So-Called Life"
"The Siege"
"Blood Diamond"
"The Last Samurai"
"Trial By Fire"
"Love and Other Drugs"
"Leaving Normal"

and these TV series...
"thirtysomething"
"My So-Called Life"
"Once and Again"

all have in common?

It's Ed Zwick, who with his business partner Marshall Hershkovitz in Bedford Falls Productions, either wrote or directed all of the above. In the case of ABC's "thirtysomething", the first season barely made it to the end, with critics and viewers complaining of privileged yuppies in Philadelphia moaning about their guilt over their affluence and success. But...those second, third, and fourth (final) seasons were outstanding. Who can ever forget the sinister ad shop boss Miles Drentell (David Clennon), or Michael's questioning of why he's even in that business ("The Dance of Advertising") viewtopic.php?t=1503014?

In his book "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood", which I bought like new for $10 on Thriftbooks , Zwick speaks candidly about all the projects he's written and directed, produced ("Shakespeare In Love"), and speaks at length about the genius --- and maddening idiosyncracies --- of some of the household names he's worked with closely, especially Denzel Washington (3 movies); Brad Pitt; Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon --- Denzel feared "This kid's gonna blow me off the screen" --- , Meg Ryan --- who refused to get into a helicopter even while portraying a helicopter pilot --- and Tom Cruise.

His description of what Tony Shalhoub went through to ace a key scene in "The Siege" will have you standing and applauding. How he saw the knee-buckling talent in Claire Danes at thirteen is nearly worth its own chapter.

Each chapter is closed with a list of "guess who did this?" clues about what he's learned in those forty years on the front lines about scripts; studios; financing; and the nuts and bolts of actually getting everyone and everything where they/it needs to be, be it a local studio soundstage, a remote location --- he actually got New York City to shut down the Brooklyn Bridge for three hours to shoot a scene in "The Siege" ---, or another country. The logistics demands alone may swear you off forever from producing or directing anything.

As a former journalist and an award-winning scripter, Zwick knows how to keep the reader engaged in this great book. I've slept very late the past few days because I take the book to bed with me, and just can't quit turning pages.
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/hits-flop ... q=73870034

[GelatinousEndive]

This book has went out for a while, right? I think I heard the author interviewed on NPR more than a year ago. I was going to get the book and then forgot about it so maybe I’ll chase it down.

Edited to add: yeah it was published February 2 024, so that would be about the time I heard the author on his book tour.

[Pink Freud]

This book has went out for a while, right? I think I heard the author interviewed on NPR more than a year ago. I was going to get the book and then forgot about it so maybe I’ll chase it down.

Edited to add: yeah it was published February 2 024, so that would be about the time I heard the author on his book tour.

Here's a used copy for less than $7; scan down the page a bit: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Zw ... &_osacat=0

You'll find author Ed Zwick refreshingly modest and humble, not at all like the David Mamets, Peter Bogdanoviches, Stanley Kubricks, and David Finchers of the DGA. They often produced terrific movies, but I'd never want to work for any of them. Mamet is, essentially, the Christ-like Peter O'Toole character in "The Stunt Man". Kubrick --- who probably destroyed Shelly Duvall during "The Shining" --- and Fincher think nothing of doing 100+ takes of a scene; and Bodganovich is....Peter Bogdanovich.