Backstory 4: Interviews with Screenwriters of the 1970s and 1980s (Backstory (Paperback))

Continuing Patrick McGilligan's highly acclaimed series on Hollywood screenwriters, these engrossing, informative, provocative interviews give wonderfully detailed and personal stories from veteran screenwriters of the seventies and eighties focusing on their craft, their lives, and their profession. __Backstory 4__ is a riveting insider's look at how movies get made; a rich perspective on many of the great movies, directors, and actors of the seventies and eighties; and an articulate, forthright commentary on the art and the business of screenwriting. The screenwriters interviewed for this volume include well-known Oscar winners as well as cult filmmakers, important writers who were also distinguished directors, and key practitioners of every commercial genre. These writers have worked with Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Peter Bogdanovich, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood, and other film giants of the so-called New Hollywood. The stories of their collaborations—some divine, some disastrous—provide some of the most fascinating material in this volume. They also discuss topics including how they got started writing screenplays, their working routines, their professional relationships, their influences, and the work of other major writers and directors. __Backstory 4__ features interviews with Robert Benton, Larry Cohen, Blake Edwards, Walter Hill, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Lawrence Kasdan, Elmore Leonard, Paul Mazursky, Nancy Meyers, John Milius, Frederic Raphael, Alvin Sargent, and Donald E. Westlake.

Continuing Patrick McGilligan's highly acclaimed series on Hollywood screenwriters, these engrossing, informative, provocative interviews give wonderfully detailed and personal stories from veteran screenwriters of the seventies and eighties focusing on their craft, their lives, and their profession. Backstory 4 is a riveting insider's look at how movies get made; a rich perspective on many of the great movies, directors, and actors of the seventies and eighties; and an articulate, forthright commentary on the art and the business of screenwriting.
The screenwriters interviewed for this volume include well-known Oscar winners as well as cult filmmakers, important writers who were also distinguished directors, and key practitioners of every commercial genre. These writers have worked with Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Peter Bogdanovich, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood, and other film giants of the so-called New Hollywood. The stories of their collaborations—some divine, some disastrous—provide some of the most fascinating material in this volume. They also discuss topics including how they got started writing screenplays, their working routines, their professional relationships, their influences, and the work of other major writers and directors.
Backstory 4 features interviews with Robert Benton, Larry Cohen, Blake Edwards, Walter Hill, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Lawrence Kasdan, Elmore Leonard, Paul Mazursky, Nancy Meyers, John Milius, Frederic Raphael, Alvin Sargent, and Donald E. Westlake.

Robert Benton : the new traditionalist / interview by Christian Keathley Larry Cohen : manic energy / interview by Patrick McGilligan Blake Edwards : jumping around / interview by Bill Krohn Walter Hill : last man standing / interview by Patrick McGilligan Ruth Prawer Jhabvala : out of India / interview by Vincent LoBrutto Lawrence Kasdan : a humanist in Hollywood / interview by Graham Fuller Elmore Leonard : the hot kid / interview by Patrick McGilligan Paul Mazursky : a map of the heart / interview by Nat Segaloff Nancy Meyers : late bloomer / interview by Fred Topel John Milius : the good fights / interview by Nat Segaloff Frederic Raphael : renaissance man / interview by John Baxter Alvin Sargent : pursuit and destination / interview by Patrick McGilligan Donald E. Westlake : the worst that could happen / interview by Patrick McGilligan. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION ROBERT BENTON THE NEW TRADITIONALIST LARRY COHEN MANIC ENERGY BLAKE EDWARDS JUMPING AROUND WALTER HILL LAST MAN STANDING RUTH PRAWER JHABVALA OUT OF INDIA LAWRENCE KASDAN A HUMANIST IN HOLLYWOOD ELMORE LEONARD THE HOT KID PAUL MAZURSKY A MAP OF THE HEART NANCY MEYERS LATE BLOOMER JOHN MILIUS THE GOOD FIGHTS FREDERIC RAPHAEL RENAISSANCE MAN ALVIN SARGENT PURSUIT AND DESTINATION DONALD E.WESTLAKE THE WORST HAPPENS BIBLIOGRAPHIC NOTES ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS GENERAL INDEX INDEX OF FILMS, PLAYS, AND BOOKS Continuing Patrick McGilligan's highly acclaimed series on Hollywood screenwriters, these engrossing, informative, provocative interviews give wonderfully detailed and personal stories from veteran writers of the seventies and eighties focusing on their craft, their lives, and their profession. Backstory 4 is a riveting insider's look at how movies get made; a rich perspective on many of the great films, directors, and actors of the seventies and eighties; and an articulate, forthright commentary on the art and business of screenwriting. Features several interviews, giving detailed and personal stories from veteran screenwriters of the seventies and eighties, focusing on their craft, their lives, and their profession. Looking at how movies get made, this work offers a different perspective on many of the great movies, directors, and actors of the seventies and eighties.