Directors: Take Two

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This extraordinary volume is the second compilation of interviews based on the award-winning documentary series The Directors. Writer-director Robert Emery presents thirteen of Hollywood's most prominent directors -- from Rob Reiner and Garry Marshall to Terry Gilliam and Arthur Hiller. Providing an informative introduction for each director, as well as insightful commentary from some of the director's star players, Emery then lets the directors speak their minds regarding their working habits, their particular triumphs, and the film industry at large. These witty and outspoken experts share opinions and stories that will entertain and inspire every reader: from Robert Zemeckis' fascinating explanation of the motion-control camera and computer imagery used in the Back to the Future sequels to Alan Pakula's memories of early days at Paramount, working with Billy Wilder, George Stevens, and Alfred Hitchcock to Garry Marshall's revelation of what he does best on a set ("get the star out of the trailer"). With a full filmography and list of awards for each director, The Directors -- Take Two belongs on the bookshelves of all film lovers and aspiring filmmakers.

SYNOPSIS

This volume is the second in a planned series of books based on on-camera interviews conducted for the Encore Movie Channel's documentary series, "The Directors." The directors featured in this volume include Rob Reiner, Joel Schumacher, Robert Zemeckis, Alan Pakula, John G. Avildsen, John McTiernan, Marth Coolidge, Herbert Ross, William Friedkin, Arthur Hiller, Terry Gilliam, John Badham, and Garry Marshall. As with the first volume, each entry includes a minimally-edited text of the interviews, plus a full filmography and list of awards for each director. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

In this second volume of interviews, Emery offers insights into the works of Rob Reiner, Robert Zemeckis, Terry Gilliam, and ten other prominent directors. Based on transcriptions from the Encore Movie Channel production The Directors (minus the interviewer's questions), the chapters present the directors speaking in a sort of choreographed monolog. They spin stories of how they got started and talk about their films, tackling subjects like television, the casting process, studios, the industry today, and what the future holds. Each chapter includes a filmography and list of awards. Although the book's style is a bit confusing, the end result is an intimate portrait of the kind of men and women who elect to direct film today. For all public libraries and film collections.--Kelli N. Perkins, Herrick P.L., Holland, MI Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Biography Magazine

...what this book has in great abundance are insights, great and small, into each filmmaker's creative process.

Kirkus Reviews

A raw, messy volume of interview transcripts, saved in part by the unquenchable entertainment value of behind-the-scenes stories of how directors bring their movies to life. This edition is a spinoff of a monthly series of interviews conducted by Emery for the Encore cable network, although these are not transcripts of the shows. Emery is a CEO of Media Entertainment and a director himself, but there's not much of him in this work except brief introductions of his subjects. He doesn't even question the directors, who include James Cameron, Lawrence Kasdan, Richard Donner, and John Carpenter. All of the talking is left to the directors themselves, in whatever clipped or rambling or rambunctious manner they choose to employ. The result is a mishmash of material that never makes much sense as a collection. There's lots of repetition, run-on sentences, and lost inflections. At some points, it's hard to follow the speakers' narratives because the questions aren't provided. At others, it feels as if one is reading a reporter's notes instead of a book. The good material comes at the beginning of each section, as the directors talk about how they got started in the business. These were young men—all men in Take One—all of them movie lovers who found their way to Hollywood because of their passion (although Ron Howard was thrust before the camera before he could walk). The directors are led through their films one by one, doling out tidbits about casting and telling how they feel about their work. Unfortunately, most of their stories are cut short before they gather momentum, and nobody makes any startling revelations. Nevertheless, any volume that assembles the thoughts of SidneyLumet, Spike Lee, Sydney Pollack, Norman Jewison, and Robert Wise is going to have some plums—for readers willing to dig deep enough. (b&w photos, not seen)