William Goldman

Marathon Man
$14.95
This is one of my all time favorite books. Goldman's characters are perhaps a bit exaggerated, but in a good way. They're the polar opposite of what you'd find in most 'popcorn thrillers' nowadays, which develop characters only as plot vehicles. This book is much more colorful when compared to 'classic' works by authors like Fleming and Ludlum.
And while the movie is good, it DOES NOT do this book justice. It carries none of Goldman's wit, humor, and edginess that make this book so brilliant. The film version also completely changed (and ruined) the book's darkly satisfying ending.

This book is a fast, quick read, but that doesn't mean it's made of fluff. I highly recommend it.

William Goldman: Five Screenplays with Essays
$19.95
Just go ahead and try to write a screenplay like William Goldman and you'll get slammed! Yet despite the "flowery phrasing" the author of some of cinema's greatest screenplays is a master at getting you to play the movie in your head! It's the great ones that get to break the rules.Every script is an enjoyable read, instantly and visually compelling, and a real lesson for writers on how to use language to give Actors, Directors, Cinematographers, and Script supervisors what they need to know as poetically and economically as possible.I particularly enjoyed reading about the decisions that went into the making of The Great Waldo Pepper. As a kid, this movie really turned me around. It was a life affirming tragedy and it painted an emotional picture of a man's life using every color on this writer's pallette. Worth the price for this one alone!All the essays prefacing the screenplays are a fascinating read, and a window into a facet of film history.

Adventures in the Screen Trade
$19.99
This is a good read and in a relaxed style. The movies and people are dated but having said that, this is still very good at describing the basics of how Hollywood works.

Boys and Girls Together
$14.00
If you like intelligent and slighty naughty you'll love this one!

also up there with Geek Love(Dunn), Post Office(Bukowski), Tom Robbins, Martin Amis and a bevy of others...