Edited by Daryl G. Nickens
for the Writer's Guild Foundation
I don't know why they chose "Doing It For Money" as a title when "blood on the page" is the prevailing theme of the book. But the important thing is, buy it. Mine was $15.72 at Amazon. You can also buy it directly from Tallfellow for $24.95. Gee. Tough choice.This is one of those few screenwriting related books that you'll probably read over and over instead of reading it once and tossing it into a trunk with all those screenplays you wrote that various indy producers swore they'd opt, buy, or get made no matter what but somehow never got opted, bought or made so no matter what must have actually mattered somewhat which, according to one of my favorite quotes in the book, may not always be such a bad thing if the final product doesn't quite live up to your vision:
"Then I went to the first screening and I wanted to... well, you know, slit my wrists while jumping out of the Empire State Building after taking an overdose of sleeping pills, hoping to land in front of a bus going, say, 150 miles per hour." -- Jim KoufWait just one nose pickin', cotton candy stickin' minute. Let's go back to January 25th for a moment to a little exchange I had with One Slack Martian on a post about crushing the villain.
OSM: How about a theme that is “Can’t get no satisfaction,” so the villain jumps to his death before the hero can get his revenge. But just before the villain hits the ground, a bus plows into him—driven, of course, by the hero’s sidekick.Hmmph. Methinks OSM has been doing a little ghost writing for the big dogs. "Can't Get No Satisfaction" pretty much sums up Kouf's entry in the book regarding Another Stakeout.
By the way, Nickens is donating his royalties from the book to the Writer's Guild Foundation which is a 501(c)3 non profit corporation.
8 comments:
Wow. Good call there, MB. Of course, that scene has played out a thousand times (?).
I think I based mine on the suicide joke (yes, there are suicide jokes) where the guy jumps off the tall building and screams, “I never finished anything I ever sta____” and BAM, he is hit by a bus right before he hits the pavement.
Anyhow, amazing recall there, MB.
Well, if they were going to go for the double entendre title, they at least could have had more suggestive cover art.
Fifteen dollars is still too much for me, I'll wait for used copies to hit Amazon.
david, you wont be able to do that 4 much longer. Havent you heard?
Heard what? Is Amazon getting out of the previously read second hand business?
sounds like a great book, I am getting picky in the ones I get now but this one looks cool... anyone check out Ron Suppa's new one?
I LOVE this book. Are you talking about the Suppa book that came out in December? Something about screenwriting from the ditches or trenches or drain culverts? Or, is there another book? Doesn't matter. Haven't read it. Might borrow it from somebody but I, too, am stingy with my shelf space.
Maryan --
I happened to come across your review of Doing It For Money. Thanks for your kind words and enthusiasm. I'm happy you enjoyed it.
Daryl G. Nickens
Daryl, thank you for letting us peek through the keyhole. It should be required reading.
Post a Comment