Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Genius of the System : Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era by Steven Bach, Thomas Schatz ISBN: 0-8050-4666-6 Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Pub. Date: 15 April, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (5 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A refreshing take on Hollywood where business men are stars!
Comment: Film theorist Andre Bazin once wrote "The American cinema is a classical art, but why not then admire in it what is most admirable, i.e., not only the talent of this or that filmmaker, but the genius of the system." Quite simply author Thomas Schatz had done just that with this groundbreaking and wonderously entertaining history of the Hollywood studio era.
Up until its publication in 1988, film history had been defined by the "auteur" school of thinking where the director where the supreme artists who nutured the artform. The studio executives- the money men- were relegated to the background and often depicted as crass capitalist who often hindered the creative process.
In Schatz's eyes, men like Carl Laemmle, Darryl F. Zanuck, David O. Selznick, Harry Warner, and Irving Thalberg were intuitive geniuses who understood the art of storytelling and were able to systematically deliver that art to the masses with drive and innovation. From the low rent beginings of the Nickelodeon to steady decline of the studio system amid the dawn of Television, these men set standards that are sadly not met by today's faceless conglomerates. They all created "the movies" as we foldly percieve it and Schatz lets the creation of 20th century popular culture unfold with a finely turned narrative sweep.
Rating: 5
Summary: Fantastic resource of film history, and a fun read to boot
Comment: It's rare that one can read a book containing so much dry information such as the budgetary concerns of many many films, and still be captivated by the storytelling enough to make it work. This book reads like a well-crafted novel, with the main characters being a handful of studio executives. What results is an utterly readable, insider's look into the business of filmmaking in the studio era. The artistic genius of some of these men is acknowledged, but largely, their business dealings are highlighted. If you're afraid of such business talk, don't be. The author makes budgets and salaries an interesting and integral part of the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who just loves movies and wants to learn more about how it all started. I also recommend this book to anyone who is in or getting into the producing biz now. What a helpful and inspirational resource. My only regret is that there is just no way that I can remember all of the information that I read in this book. That's why I refer to it as a resource in the title of this review and why I will use it as such for years to come.
Rating: 5
Summary: Just an excellent book on the subject
Comment: Prof. Schatz does not suffer from the scholar's disease of academic-speak and writes a book that clearly demonstrates his expertise on the studio structure. Most books I have read extended the view of the outsider looking in at the star system and not the economics of the studios. "Genius of the System" chronicles the history of the studio's business, that is to say the economics and the people behind the economics.
If you want to read about the business structure of Hollywood during its beginnings, this is the book for you. I cannot recommend it enough.
 |
Title: Final Cut : Art, Money, and Ego in the Making of Heaven's Gate, the Film That Sank United Artists by Steven Bach ISBN: 1557043744 Publisher: Newmarket Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
 |
Title: Down and Dirty Pictures : Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film by Peter Biskind ISBN: 068486259X Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 06 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
 |
Title: An Empire of Their Own : How the Jews Invented Hollywood by Neal Gabler ISBN: 0385265573 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 08 August, 1989 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
 |
Title: City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940's by Otto Friedrich ISBN: 0520209494 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: May, 1997 List Price(USD): $16.05 |
 |
Title: The American Film Industry by Tino Balio ISBN: 0299098745 Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press Pub. Date: April, 1985 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
