{"product_id":"9780061843167","title":"Screen Plays: How 25 Screenplays Made It to a Theater Near You--for Better or Worse","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this fascinating survey of contemporary screen craft, David Cohen of \u003cem\u003eScript and Variety\u003c\/em\u003e magazines leads readers down the long and harrowing road every screenplay takes from idea to script to screen. In interviews with Hollywood screenwriters from across the board—Oscar winners and novices alike—Cohen explores what sets apart the blockbuster successes from the downright disasters.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTracing the fortunes of twenty-five films, including \u003cem\u003eTroy\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eErin Brockovich\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLost in Translation\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Aviator\u003c\/em\u003e, Cohen offers insider access to back lots and boardrooms, to studio heads, directors, and to the over-caffeinated screenwriters themselves. As the story of each film evolves from the drawing board to the big screen, Cohen proves that how a script is written, sold, developed, and filmed can be just as dramatic and intriguing as the movie itself—especially when the resulting movie is a fiasco. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCovering films of all kinds—from tongue-in-cheek romps like John Waters's \u003cem\u003eA Dirty Shame\u003c\/em\u003e to Oscar winners like \u003cem\u003eMonster's Ball\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Hours\u003c\/em\u003e—\u003cem\u003eScreen Plays\u003c\/em\u003e is an anecdote-filled, often inspiring, always revealing look at the alchemy of the movie business. With Cohen as your expert guide, \u003cem\u003eScreen Plays\u003c\/em\u003e exposes how and why certain films (such as \u003cem\u003eGladiator\u003c\/em\u003e) become \"tent poles,\" those runaway successes every studio needs to survive, and others become train wrecks. Full of critical clues on how to sell a script—and avoid seeing it destroyed before the director calls \u003cem\u003eAction!\u003c\/em\u003e—it's the one book every aspiring screenwriter will find irresistible.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47147987960048,"sku":"9780061843167","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780061843167_p0.jpg?v=1763624052","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780061843167","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}