Description
Book SynopsisThis lively biography of the screenwriter of 1980s hit movies Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, Beetlejuice, and Batman illuminates issues of film authorship that have become even more contested in the era of blockbuster filmmaking.
Trade Review"The bulk of the book details his role in the creation of numerous successful films, including
Batman,
Beetlejuice, and
Top Gun, and his battles to get his contributions to the filmed scripts formally recognized. Skaaren’s skill and efficiency—he rewrote
Top Gun in just 10 days—became legendary, and Macor explains how the changes he made to characterizations improved them." * Publishers Weekly *
"A remarkable piece of scholarship detailing the inner workings of Hollywood screenwriting in the 1980s, WGA regulations and politics, and the psychology of a highly creative and driven Minnesotan-turned-Texan who had 'Spielbergian' ambitions." * Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television *
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- One. From Hallingdal to Houston
- Two. Hollywood on the Colorado
- Three. Breaking Away
- Four. Highway to the Danger Zone
- Five. Hollywood Gothic
- Six. One Hit After Another
- Seven. Batmania
- Eight. The Man Hollywood Trusts
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Select Bibliography
- Index