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Twilight Zone and Playhouse 90 veteran William Froug gives indispensable advice in that the Zen encourages you to be true to your voice, write what you want, and dispense with all those books that straitjacket you into a formula. Think of the money you'll save! (Unless, of course, you have an urgent need to write a Speed or Die Hard sequel.) Froug also reinforces my Northern California bias (my home turf): two of the interviews that pepper this book are with screenwriters who live there--Bo Goldman and David and Janet Peoples.
Customer Reviews:
Not really about Zen at all........2002-09-13
I thought that this book was going to be about getting in touch with your own creativity. It wasn't. It was basically a book about "tricks and tips of the trade." That has its uses too,
but it wasn't what I was looking for. The title of this book is so misleading that I feel I did not get my money's worth. I would highly recommend "Writing from the inside out" instead. Sometimes you have to go through several books before you find one that really is useful. ...
Best Of The Best!.......2000-06-12
Through the years many how to books have been written, not only on screenwriting but just about every subject imaginable. William Froug's book is more than a "How To" book. Zen and the Art of Screenwriting is a journey into the writers soul, and Froug is the guide that leads you there.
It has been said before and I will state it again; This is the only book you will ever need to read on screenwriting! All others are obsolete and should be dispensed of at once. Screenwriting is an artform born of individual expression and intuion, not a technique. Great writing comes only from the heart!
This wonderful book of insight and interviews will help the reader abandon conventionality and follow thier own unique intuition. I highly reccommend this book to all serious screenwriters from beginers to the advanced professional. Zen and the Art of Screenwriting is a writers best friend. Get it, buy it, read it... then read it again!
A Screenwriter's Treasure.......1999-02-02
I read this book because I just finished William Froug's other book, "Screenwriting Tricks of the Trade", and I was loved and resides on the top of my list of the best/helpful books I've ever read about screenwriting. Both are geared more towards the advanced screenwriter and those who've had essays of structure and characterization up to the gills and are now ready to write something good.
One caution here: If you are looking to teach you zen, forget about it. Go buy a book on zen. If you are looking for more advanced thoughts and exploration on screenwriting, this book is it. William Froug is a wonderful teacher with much wisdom and experience to share.
Similar to another book of his, "Screenwriters on Screenwriting", you see writing through the eyes of the accomplished screenwriter, which can be very helpful for the aspiring writer to pace their careers, goals, dreams and life accordingly. Maybe that's where the zen comes in.
Somewhat Disappointed in the Content.......1998-08-24
After reading the rave reviews by others about how Froug tells you to follow your guts, I found maybe two lines in the whole book about following your instincts, and there is NO mention of Zen principles at all in the book. I found the "hype" about the book and the actual content somewhat misleading. The book does give a few clues about structure, following the same old tired format that every other screenwriting book does.
What salvaged the book for me was the excellent
Book Description
This new tapestry of Froug's essays and interviews with top screenwriters, producers and directors is a sequel to his highly popular Zen and the Art of Screenwriting. Once again, Froug proves that he can pull engaging comments from his interviewees and, with his essays, cause both novice and seasoned screenwriters to stop and rethink what they're doing. The essays are wide-ranging, covering such diverse subjects as creating your own talent, getting your scripts read, avoiding story-structure gurus, entering screenplay contests, Hollywood's rewrite panic, Hollywood's ephemeral enthusiasms, the stop-start method for studying films, guarding your surprises, reinventing old ideas, and guilt as a writer's tool. There's also a scene-by-scene look at the film Body Heat.
The interviewed filmmakers are Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon, The Omen), Scott Frank (Get Shorty, Dead Again), Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Payback), Nicholas Kazan (Reversal of Fortune, Fallen), Frank Pierson (Dog Day Afternoon, Cool Hand Luke), Eric Roth (The Horse Whisperer, Forrest Gump), Lauren Shuler-Donner (Any Given Sunday, Bulworth), Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The American President) and Robin Swicord (Little Women, Practical Magic).
Customer Reviews:
Good book, poor attention to details.......2006-06-20
Like the interviews, especially with Pierson, although the filmographies are terribly inaccurate; the dates don't match at all. Weak attention to details there.
Excellent insights from some great screenwriters.......2001-11-27
Having read about every screenwriting book that I can get my hands on, I find that these books typically fall into three categories. One, the book that promotes a certain formula for successful writing (see Syd Field). Two, the book that tells of a writer's experiences with the Hollywood scene and/or his/her take on the job of a screenwriter (see William Goldman), and then lastly, there is Bill Froug whose books decry the use of formulaic approaches to screenwriting and enthusiastically urge young writers to follow their muse and let the creative juices flow. Somewhere in the middle is my favorite, Linda Seger, who stops short of advising formulas but gives extremely practical advice for improving scripts.
Nonetheless, Froug's books make for an enjoyable read, although he does aim squarely at the Syd Field crowd and makes no bones about it. Froug's stance on rigid structuring (for example, the 3-act structure) of screenplays has evolved over the years. In his book Screenwriting Tricks of the Trade, he expresses some skepticism about the use of such one-size-fits-all approaches to screenwriting. Well, here we are years later, and he has become not just annoyed at the purveyors of the fill-in-the-blank structure forumulas, but downright hostile toward them. He shreds Syd Field, calling into question his qualifications to have made lemmings out of an entire generation of screenwriters. It is a theme that Froug can't shake througout his book. He interviews several exemplary writers, Pierson, Sorkin, to name a couple, and his questioning is frank and yields some wonderful commentary from the writers. But he does clearly have an agenda to shout to the whole world that the great screenwriters themselves don't adhere blindly to writing formulas. Curiously, however, I found that about half the writers that he interviewed in the book, did adhere to certain structural conventions. Despite Froug's baiting, and to their credit, they were honest in discussing the need to have turning points at key points in their scripts. This is not a book to use as any kind of a reference on screenwriting, but merely to see how the pros really approach their endeavors. I must agree with Froug that too many of the gurus of screenwriting today don't actually write screenplays themselves. If they've got these fundamentals mastered, why not go for the big bucks? I like this book because it helped me resolve where I stand on the issue of structure formulas. If you're unsure where you stand on the debate, you might find the answer in this book as well.
Customer Reviews:
good taste of Trane..........2007-04-17
a very good intro to John Coltrane and his life. Short on details and extensive background but good quotes from peers and studio musicians he played with. His uncanny drive to practice and to play his sax the way he wanted to play it is captured here. All in all a very good book but there seems to be alot missing here.
Not Bad, Kind of Cheesy in Places.......2007-03-04
JC Thomas mixes facts with imaginative accounts of Coltrane's life, for example, he writes about a practice session or two as if he is sitting and watching. It's really a tad corny, but you do get a lot of facts. Not enough attention to the Miles Davis Quintet years. I think you can do better. There was a time when this was the only biography available and we had to settle for this.
awesome rock bio.......2002-09-27
This book is excellent all around, giving good background on John Coltrane's life, discussions of many of his albums, quotes from people who either played with Coltrane or were otherwise part of his life. There's a good discography, although so much new material has been issued since the book has come out, it's become rather patchy and dated. Thomas is a good writer (terrific for a music writer) but sometimes gets way off on tangents. That's my only criticism. But you get a good sense of the man, his music, his influence on other musicians, and his place in history. You can't ask for much more than that in a rock bio.
A basic primer.......2001-10-18
Think of this as the cliff notes edition of the life of John Coltrane. An alternate title could be "I Remember Trane." The book moves quickly over the first part of his life and concentrates mostly on his recording years. The early struggling years that were characterized by drugs is glossed over and pretty much picks up in ernest with his quiting in 1957. The best parts of this easy to read book are the lines attributed to his friends or those that knew him. The insights are clearly evident throughout the book as it is filled with little known tid bits as shared by people who crossed paths with the man. It seems everyone had an opinion or crossed paths with Trane. There are studio recollections, club dates, both on and off stage memories, diary excerpts but most of all reflections on the part of fellow musicians. Some of the encounters are remarkeable, like the time Gato Barbieri, the Argentine saxophonist, met him backstage in Europe and saw the sax case he had sent Coltrane. Coltrane exclaimed "you're from Argentina" and was unaware that Gato was the man who had sent the monographed leather case. The personal recollections make this a memorable book and a quick reference point for further and more detailed reading. The pictures are minimal but historically worthy. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in Coltrane and would like to get some quick and easy insights into the legendary sax great. This is Coltrane 1A, there is ample room for further knowledge, beginning with his music.
best biography ever.......2001-06-29
This biography of John Coltrane is the best book ever written about someone. This book gives you information about his childhood, his teen years, his life on the road when he was performing with various bands, and this book gives you 2-20 line paragraphs written by John's friends or people who new him very well. This book is a must if you are a musician and wondering about jazz history, or if you are a Coltrane fan. Buy it today.
Book Description
A
Dungeon Master 2-pack that includes both a new
D&D screen and a bonus
d20 Modern screen -- in landscape format with new art.
Useful to anyone running any type of roleplaying campaign, this Deluxe
Dungeon Master Screens 2-pack contains both a
Dungeons & Dragons screen and a bonus screen for the
d20 Modern Roleplaying Game.
The tables on the back of the
Dungeon Master's Screen have been revised and updated to comply with the changes made in the new version 3.5 core rulebooks released in 2003.
Every table includes a page number reference you can use to look up more detailed information. You’ll also find some tables modified specifically for this screen that will help you get the information you need as quickly as possible during play.
Also included is a bonus four-panel screen geared toward the action-packed world of your
d20 Modern campaign. Because both screens fully support the d20 System, they can be used separately or together by an experienced
Dungeon Master or Gamemaster.
Customer Reviews:
Not bad if you can find it under 10 bucks w/ shipping.......2007-05-09
The tables include:
-Equipment hardness/hitpoints
-Substance hardness/hitpoints
-Break/Burst DCs
-Items affected by magical attacks
-Size and AC of objects
-Object hardness/hitpoints
-Wall stats
-Door stats
-Turning undead
-Increase/Decrease weapon damage by size
-Attack roll modifiers
-AC modifiers
-Influencing NPC attitudes
-Missing w/ a thrown weapon figure
-Climb check DCs
-Listen check DCs
-Combat Actions (AoO)
-Concentration Check DCs
-Skills list (Armor check, AoO)
-Ability modifiers
-Movement and Distance
-Hampered movement
-Armored/Encumbered speeds
-Max distance for spot checks
-Detect Magic stats
-Detect Evil stats
-Light sources and illumination
While the list is comprehensive, I was looking for some random encounter tables, oh well. The screen is short and while I didn't think that would be an issue, it is. I'm now paperclipping the D20 Modern screen (which has a few D&D relevant things on it, but not many) on top of the D&D one (they're the same size exactly).
Cool, but not necessary.......2007-04-03
Cool looking, but you could do without them. Nice quick info on inside, but again could do without.
Never shipped.......2007-02-08
We ordered this a month ago. We kept waiting and checking.. not shipped yet. Wait some more, not shipped yet. The item said "usually ships in 1 to 2 weeks" however, in 4 weeks, still "not shipped yet". Recomend if you want this, to buy it somewhere else. We ended up canceling this order and getting it somewhere else. Amazon doesn't know how to ship this particualr item.
Nice, but pricey.......2007-01-12
The charts selected for the inside of the screen are surprisingly useful; basically, they selected a lot of the things that most frequently come into play during a dungeon crawl, but that most people wouldn't bother to learn or remember. Things like various item and material hardnesses, common modifiers to AC, various types of actions and whether they provoke Attacks of Opportunity, skills, movement penaltes, light, and auras for both magic and evil/good. The creators were thoughtful enough to include the book and page number for various charts in case you need to get more info. On the downside, as other reviews mentioned it is surprisingly short for a screen, and pretty high-priced considering what you get. Yeah, yeah; you get a bonus D20 modern screen. Wow. I'd say that seven bucks would be a more reasonable price; five if it didn't come with a D20 modern screen.
It ain't that bad -- it's actually pretty good.......2006-09-22
Generally my opinion is that a screen is a screen is a screen. However, this screen is actually better than most. I like the landscape, 4-panel format because it means I can see and be seen over the screen, while it still hides my map, my notepad and my dice rolls. It also has a better center of gravity since it is lower and wider, which means it almost never falls over, even when struck by a handful of dice or my marauding 18-month old. That is not a claim that most portrait-oriented screens can make.
Is the screen a black-out room and cone of silence rolled into one? Of course not. If you need the full height of the older-styled 11" screens, this one won't work for you. But really, if you are playing with people who can't keep their eyes off the occasional flash of paper behind the DM's screen, don't blame the screen; get new friends.
For my part, the most important part is that WoTC (a company I don't think much of normally) actually gave some thought to what was on the screen. The inside is well thought out, with useful charts and tables easy to hand. Easily the best part is the full listing of all actions, and whether they are free, standard, or movement equivalent, and whether they provoke an Attack of Opportunity or not. The table with hardness ratings for standard items is also useful for those spur-of-the-moment actions when the PCs want to break down a random door, chop that chest open, or split a table in two.
Normally I wouldn't bother to review a screen, but this one has such an unfairly low rating that I almost feel sorry for it. It's a good product; I use it in every session, it keeps the players' eyes off the important stuff, and it's durable enough that even after 2 years of use it's in quite good shape. If for some reason you don't have a screen already, you could do a lot worse than this one.
Book Description
A Dungeon Master's screen designed especially for the Eberron campaign setting, including a bonus poster map of Khorvaire.
Produced by popular demand, this DM screen is useful to Dungeon Masters running campaigns in the Eberron setting. It includes all the tables from the D&D Deluxe Dungeon Master's Screen, with modifications and additional material appropriate for game elements unique to the Eberron setting. The front showcases a beautiful widescreen-format piece of Eberron artwork, never before seen in its full glory. Also included is a poster map of Khorvaire, the primary setting of the Eberron campaign, with borders, trade routes, and other details not printed on any previous full-sized map.
Customer Reviews:
Comes with a Wonderful Map of Eberron.......2007-09-11
I really like this DM screen. My kids and I are playing and the art helps them feel like they are in Eberron. The map put me over the top. I purchased this product knowing of its errors a priori. However, the map was a nice surprise. I must have missed it in the other reviews.
The Only DM's Screen You Will Ever Need.......2006-09-03
I bought this expecting it to be only used during my upcoming Eberron campaign - I was dead wrong. This has every table you will need, and some you won't for the non-Eberron games. It's horizontal so I don't feel like I'm at a seperate part of the table than the gamers. It provides all the privacy I need for rolling dice and stashing papers. I can wrap it all the way around, almost to both edges of the table around me, at a comfortable visibility level. I could have a player sitting next to me and successfully hide my rolls.
Definately a recommended purchase - especially for the low price.
Warning about the Eberron DM Screen.......2005-08-22
Overall the screen is good;
The landscape format is fantastic, you can see over the screen when you need to see what's going on, yet it still provides the DM some privacy.
The artwork is great (even if it is a reprint of artwork from "The Order of the Emerald Claw" adventure cover, it is expanded).
The details and tables on the screen, in general are excellent.
And the map that is included is an awesome play aid.
BUT.....
HOUSE JORASCO IS MISSING FROM THE LIST OF DRAGON MARKED HOUSES!!!!
I mean it's just a basic cut and paste from previously printed lists of Dragon Marked Houses OR any basic editing should have caught this oversight.
UNFORGIVABLE, especially when, of the 3 Eberron specific tables included on the Deluxe Eberron Dungeon Master's Screen, the main one is incomplete!
This poor quality is becoming more and more common from Wizards D&D releases of late. Very, very disappointing. As you may be able to tell, I am still furious about this oversight, so I just wanted to warn people of the incompleteness of the product, when compared to its description on the back of the product.
Enough said...
The only screen you'll ever need.......2005-08-21
This is, quite possibly, the best screen yet released for D&D, regardless of setting. Including tables for everything from Cleric's turning checks to Influencing NPC attitudes, as well as a handy Days of the Week and Months of the Year guide for Eberron's calendar (among a large number of other goodies), it's clearly meant for a high-roleplay campaign. Things like Item Breac DC's and what actions provoke what are also included, and it does quite a bit to lower the ammount of time some of the more rules-driven areas of the game take up in game time. Also, since it uses the D&D Deluxe Screen landscape format, I really don't feel half as "cut-off" from the players as when using my Forgotten Realms screen.
Still, there are areas in which the screen could be improved. There are three emblems (the same as the O in the Eberron logo) on the DM's side of it in which another table could be placed. Also, when viewed from a high angle the text doesn't contrast very well with the table background... and since my group generally plays around a coffee table, my players can easilly tell when I'm looking something up when I have to lower my eyes almost to the level of the screen. It's something to look over before the game while players are building characters (or before they arrive) or during the occasional in-session break, but otherwise to be reserved for really sticky deal-with-the-rules-lawyer situations.
Average customer rating:
- Her adventures are truly unexpected
- Unexpectedly Amazing!!!
- Absolutely Delightful!
- One of the best
- The First Mrs. Pollifax Novel of the Series - Very Enjoyable
|
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
Dorothy Gilman
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Similar Items:
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The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax
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Elusive Mrs. Pollifax
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A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax
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Mrs. Pollifax on Safari
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Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station
ASIN: 0449208281
Release Date: 1985-01-12 |
Book Description
"Mrs. Pollifax is an enchantress."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a widow with grown children. She was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings. She wanted to do something good for her country. So, naturally, she became a CIA agent. This time, the assignment sounds as tasty as a taco. A quick trip to Mexico City is on her agenda. Unfortunately, something goes wrong, and our dear Mrs. Pollifax finds herself embroilied in quite a hot Cold War--and her country's enemies find themsleves entangled with one unbelievably feisty lady.
Customer Reviews:
Her adventures are truly unexpected.......2007-09-07
Bored and in excellent health for a woman who is retired with nothing more to look forward to than her gardening meetings, Mrs. Pollifax decides that there are only two choices in her life. Take one giant step off the roof of her building in New Brunswick, New Jersey or pursue a dream that she has had since childhood. With the decision made she boards a bus for Langley, Virginia and decides to be a spy for the CIA. Taking place during the cold war, Emily Pollifax is sent to Mexico to retrieve important documents, that doesn't seem difficult until she is forced to outsmart Red Chinese military men with nothing more than a pocketknife and a Christmas tree. This woman could definitely give MacGyver and Forrest Gump a run for their money.
Unexpectedly Amazing!!!.......2007-06-13
I thought this might be cheesy. It was fantastic! After having loved Ian Fleming, this was a great substitute. I look foward to reading the rest of the series.
Absolutely Delightful!.......2007-02-09
This is the second Mrs. Pollifax book I have now finished and I adore them. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is a delight in her adventures and this one is full of thrilling adventures. I am now hooked and will be reading every Mrs. Pollifax book there is. They are thoroughly enjoyable...
One of the best.......2006-12-14
I've read this book many times as well as listened to the version narrated by Barbara Rosnblatt. I highly recommend both. This book is what whodunit mysteries should all have; a likeable character, strong storyline, suspense, humor and good pacing. All the characters in the book are quite real. Even when the storyline seems hard to believe, you believe it because Mrs. Pollifax says it is so. Emily Pollifax also develops as a character not only within this book but within the whole series.
This book isn't as much a mystery as an adventure/suspense. It's also lighthearted, because Mrs. Pollifax sees this it as an adventure. She was willing to give her life to her country but isn't willing to give in easily!
Though I'm far from retirement age, I felt a kinship with Mrs. P. I think that's the feeling most people get from reading these books. She's the woman next door, the lovable grandmother/aunt figure who also can surprise you. In fact, a lady I talked to said she wanted to be Mrs. Pollifax. My only disappointment is that this book is so short. But then, Dorothy Gilman is a writer who knows when to quit, which only adds to her writing.
The First Mrs. Pollifax Novel of the Series - Very Enjoyable.......2006-08-06
If you're new to the Mrs. Pollifax series of mystery books - this is the very first. As such, it's a great place to begin. You'll be completely entertained learning how this grandmother goes to work - undercover - for the United States government. She really is unexpected, as the title declares. She's everything you would wish a grandmother to be - but she's extraordinarily clever, notices details on the fly and incredibly resourceful. If you enjoy Miss Marple from Agatha Christie - you'll also love Mrs. Pollifax. (Although I'd never say the two are interchangeable - they seem to go at detection in entirely different ways). We get into the characters thoughts often - rather than just being pulled through a story's actions blindly. It makes her escapades all the more harrowing when you develop such a feeling for what each side is thinking. Very entertaining. A great bed time read.
Average customer rating:
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The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
Manufacturer: Fawcett Crest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000H0NRIU |
Customer Reviews:
Charming Debut of Mrs. Pollifax!.......2006-05-20
The first book in the beloved Mrs. Pollifax series gives the background as to how this elderly, yet irrepressible grandmother joins the CIA. Bored and disillusioned with her life, she decides to volunteer to be a spy with the CIA. She dresses herself up (hat and all), shows up on the doorstep of the CIA building, and waits to meet with the director. A mix-up occurs, and she finds herself on a whirlwind adventure that sends her around the globe and tests her patience, strength, and determination. Only Mrs. Pollifax could find her way out of prison in Albania, and helping other prisoners, she proves to herself and the CIA that she is an invaluable resource.
Having read the entire Mrs. Pollifax series, I was hooked by this charming debut. Mrs. Pollifax was vulnerable in the beginning (she contemplates suicide when she feels that she is not needed) but finds inner strength to overcome all of the ordeals she faces while on her mission for the CIA. The book was also an introduction to another wonderful character, Farrell, who plays a large part in this and future books in the series. If you are looking for something a bit unexpected and like adventure, try this series.
Enjoy!
Product Description
Five stories condensed into one volume
Books:
- A History of the French New Wave Cinema (Wisconsin Studies in Film)
- A Knight at the Movies: Medieval History on Film
- A New History of Japanese Cinema: A Century Of Narrative Film
- A Short Guide to Writing about Film (Short Guides Series)
- A Woman's View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women, 1930-1960
- Quotable Star Trek
- Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho
- An Unauthorized Guide to Godzilla Collectibles (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
- Batman Begins: The Official Movie Guide
- Bazin at Work: Major Essays and Reviews From the Forties and Fifties
Books Index
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