The Schreiber Theory: A Radical Rewrite of American Film History
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About this book
With Oscar season upon us David Kipen asks whos responsible for Hollywoods best movies? In an edgy and funny manifesto critic David Kipen says au contraire to that old film school theorythe auteur theorythat gives all the credit to the director. Instead in honor of the mother tongue of Americas first screenwriters Kipen uses the Yiddish word for writer to coin "The Schreiber Theory " which decrees that knowing who wrote a movie is often a far better guide to knowing whether the movie will be any good or not. Kipens new heresy topples the old orthodoxy by studying the careers of screenwriters past and present in a witty two-pronged attack: In part one he dismantles the auteur theory and presents a convincing argument that screenwriters are the guiding creative geniuses behind the best films. In part two he offers a compendium of mini-biographies of great screenwriters past and present. Who wrote Casablanca? Who wrote Twelve Monkeys? Who wrote Dead Girls Dont Tango? What else did they write? It all makes The Schreiber Theory an engaging read and a one-of-a-kind reference for movie lovers and film students alike.
