Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business
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Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business
by Authors:
David Mamet
Released: 06 February, 2007
ISBN: 0375422536
Hardcover
Sales Rank: 3129
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List price:
$22.00
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$13.86
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| Book > Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business > Customer Reviews: |
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Average Customer Rating: 
Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business >
Customer Review #1:
 Hollywoods House of Games
David Mamets "Bambi vs. Godzilla" is a hard-earned look at the collapse of the movie-making machine -- not to mention its declining audience. The accomplished writer-director shares his experiences in the Hollywood jungle while offering valuable lessons in cinematic technique (further explored in his excellent 1992 book "On Directing Film"). Along with his admiration for legendary directors such as Preston Sturges and Michael Powell, he shows his disdain for Laurence Oliviers soulless movie acting, religious epics and film criticism. You may not agree with some of Mamets observations, but you will understand why the popcorn tastes so bad these days -- and why more viewers prefer to enjoy cinema in the privacy of their own homes.
Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business >
Customer Review #2:
 Feet of Clay
David Mamet has written or directed several of the better films of the past quarter century. I love STATE AND MAIN, HOUSE OF GAMES, THE SPANISH PRISONER, and very much like THE WINSLOW BOY and HEIST. The ground beneath Mamet is very shaky. His characters are often fools because they dont see the truth not only about themselves, but about the world we live in. Mamet knows the truth, the subtext of his work tells us. I didnt realize until reading this book that he doesnt have a clue what truth is. He is lost in a sea of cynicism and self-told lies -- Eastern European Jews predominate among movie directors because of a shared genetic inheritance, as an example. (Nazis had the same idea, but genetics favored them, they thought.) Mamet uses historical referrences to substantiate his points, and almost always misinterprets them. He talks about Jackie Kennedy trying to crawl out of the limousine where he husband had been fatally shot as proof that we are all cowards, this when the truth was that she was placing herself in jeopardy trying to retrieve some of her husbands body matter in the hope that everything could somehow be made right.
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lt;br /gt;Here is the truth -- we are all capable of cowardice, and outrageous acts of courage. We are all fools, and at the same time possess surprising wisdom. We are far more complex than the cynical, meager, narrow world view of David Mamet. Watch his movies -- theyre fun (sometimes), but avoid this book, whose author comes across as self-important, arrogant and repulsive.
Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business >
Customer Review #3:
 The world according to David Mamet
I found this book pedantic. Was there really a need for so many 5 syllable, grab the dictionary words when Mr. Mamets stream of consciousness monologue is difficult to follow anyway? I felt no empathy because I found no attempt to relate to or touch upon humanity.
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Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business >
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