Bill Mesce's Books

The Rules of Screenwriting and Why You Should Break Them

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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The Rules of Screenwriting and Why You Should Break Them

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

A couple of generations ago, the movie industry ran on gut instinct--film schools, audience research departments and seminars on screenwriting were not yet de rigueur. Today the standard is the analytical approach, intended to demystify filmmaking and guarantee success (or at least minimize failure). The trouble with this method is that nobody knows how to do it--they just think they do--and films are made based on models of predictability rather than the merits of the script. This insider's look at the craft and business of screenwriting explodes some of the popular myths, demonstrating how little relevance the rules have to actual filmmaking. With long experience in film and television, the author provides insightful how-not-to analyses, with commentary by such veterans as Josh Sapan (CEO of AMC Networks), bestselling author Adriana Trigiani and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas).

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Page Count

228

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476668507

ISBN 13

9781476668505

The Wild Bunch

The American Classic That Changed Westerns Forever

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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The Wild Bunch

The American Classic That Changed Westerns Forever

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

One of the most controversial films of its time, The Wild Bunch is the epitome of the no-holds-barred filmmaking of the 1960s and 1970s. Since its 1969 release, it has come to be recognized not only as an iconic Western, but as one of the most important films in the American cinematic canon. Over the years a parade of filmmakers have tried to imitate its gut-punch effects but none have equaled it. The Wild Bunch revived the floundering career of volatile, self-destructive director Sam Peckinpah--it also hung on him the label "Bloody Sam." This book tells the complete story of the film's production, reception and legacy.

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Page Count

214

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476677468

ISBN 13

9781476677460

Overkill

The Rise and Fall of Thriller Cinema

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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Overkill

The Rise and Fall of Thriller Cinema

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

The work examines the evolution of the thriller from the heyday of the Hollywood mogul era in the 1930s when it was primarily bottom-of-the-bill fodder, through its maturity in the World War II years and noir-breeding 1950s, its commercial and critical ascendancy in the 1960s and 1970s, and finally its subsequent box office dominance in the age of the blockbuster.

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345

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476609780

ISBN 13

9781476609782

Artists on the Art of Survival

Observations on Frustration, Perspiration, and Inspiration for the Young Artist

By: Bill Mesce

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Artists on the Art of Survival

Observations on Frustration, Perspiration, and Inspiration for the Young Artist

By: Bill Mesce

From across the spectrum of the arts--theater to music, painting to poetry, and everything in between--men and women from the creative front lines share their experiences and insights on the often harsh realities of a life in the arts. Artists on the Art of Survival examines the lives of artists as some continue to struggle to find their place, others have managed to carve out a niche for themselves, and still others have, for a variety of reasons, moved on to something else. By exploring each of these paths of development, the book provides valuable, practical, and spiritual lessons in maintaining and surviving as a working artist.

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Page Count

398

Publisher

University Press of America

Published Date

ISBN 10

0761828540

ISBN 13

9780761828549

Inside the Rise of HBO

A Personal History of the Company That Transformed Television

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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Inside the Rise of HBO

A Personal History of the Company That Transformed Television

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

There are two ages in the history of television: before HBO and after HBO. Before the launch of Home Box Office in 1972, the industry had changed little since the birth of broadcast network television in the late 1940s. The arrival of the premium cable channel began a revolution in the business and programming of TV. For the generation that has grown up with the vast array of viewing choices available today, it is almost inconceivable that our ever-expanding media universe began with a few hours of unimpressive programming on a single cable channel. Written by an insider, this is the story of HBO's reconfiguration of television and the company's continual reinvention of itself in a competitive and dynamic industry.

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Page Count

291

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786497866

ISBN 13

9780786497867

Inside the Rise of HBO

A Personal History of the Company That Transformed Television

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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Inside the Rise of HBO

A Personal History of the Company That Transformed Television

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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291

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476622256

ISBN 13

9781476622255

The Advocate

By: Bill Mesce (Jr.),Bill Mesce,Steve Szilagyi

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The Advocate

By: Bill Mesce (Jr.),Bill Mesce,Steve Szilagyi

On a chalky bluff overlooking the windswept English Channel, an old man watches a horrifying spectacle unfold. Within a matter of seconds, one American p-47 Thunderbolt fires on another, mercilessly driving the crippled plane into the sea. And the old man, his cottage strafed, barely escapes. The year is 1943"--Jacket.

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Page Count

326

Publisher

Bantam

Published Date

ISBN 10

055380118X

ISBN 13

9780553801187

Officer of the Court

By: Bill Mesce

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Officer of the Court

By: Bill Mesce

From the critically acclaimed author of The Advocate comes a new novel of military suspense featuring a hero who dares to investigate the crimes that war often hides. Officer of the Court is the stunning tale of a man defying the military establishment and risking his life to solve a murder — a murder that conceals a shattering act of betrayal. On a remote Scottish island the body of an American officer has washed ashore. Major Harry Voss, a lawyer in the Army’s Judge Advocate’s office, doesn’t hesitate to take the assignment of finding out who killed Lieutenant Armando Grassi, and why. Harry worked with Lieutenant Grassi on the case of a murdered American fighter pilot shot down by his own comrades. That inquiry left good men dead, a woman destroyed, and justice undone. For Harry, this is a chance to right the wrongs of the past. Meanwhile, World War II is raging: London has survived the Blitz, Nazi submarines have been swept out of the North Atlantic, and the Allies are poised for victory on the Italian front. From the beginning, Voss and his new partner, Captain Woody Kneece, are certain that Grassi had uncovered something about secret night flights between England and a remote base in Greenland. Now they must follow Grassi’s footsteps. And when they do, they are drawn inexorably into a dangerous conspiracy — and the fiery crucible of the war. There is far more to Grassi’s murder than meets the eye. Harry’s investigation will take him from the rear echelons to the front lines in search of the truth. But, as Harry knows, the truth is often the first casualty of war. In a world where soldiers guard their secrets with their lives and ruthless, powerful men orchestrate world events for their own gain, Harry is facing an almost impossible task. He cannot guess how much this investigation will cost him personally and professionally. But as he and Kneece, each with something to prove to himself, come closer to a shocking revelation, the more they find themselves challenging a military establishment that takes no prisoners. Here loyalties are meant to be betrayed, allies can turn easily into foes, and the line between combat and cold-blooded murder can become tragically blurred.

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Page Count

360

Publisher

Bantam

Published Date

ISBN 10

0553801783

ISBN 13

9780553801781

Tides

By: Jr. Bill Mesce

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Tides

By: Jr. Bill Mesce

Tides is a short story collection.

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Page Count

164

Published Date

ISBN 10

1947021931

ISBN 13

9781947021938

The Defender

By: Bill Mesce (Jr.),Bill Mesce

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The Defender

By: Bill Mesce (Jr.),Bill Mesce

In the critically acclaimed novels The Advocate and Officer of the Court, Bill Mesce Jr. introduced readers to a new hero in the world of military suspense. The Defender is the electrifying tale of Major Harry Voss’s most riveting case yet: a wartime court-martial that could cost an innocent man his life—and cover up another innocent man’s murder. THE DEFENDER The case against Lieutenant Dominick Sisto is overwhelming. It’s so overwhelming that Major Harry Voss hasn’t been called in to prove him innocent—but to fight for a less severe sentence when the guilty verdict is read. Charged with disobeying a direct order from a commander, Sisto is accused of fleeing in the face of the enemy at a place called the Huertgen Forest. But the more Harry looks into the case, the more he suspects the official story is far from the real one. As Voss is raced to a secluded castle in Wiltz to defend Sisto, the war in Europe escalates and the Allied forces mount an offensive against the Nazis that will reach a climax in the Battle of the Bulge. Summoned personally by an old friend who will preside over the trial, Voss has a personal connection with the accused going back to the neighborhood where he watched the young lieutenant grow up. Still, determined as he is, Voss isn’t sure he’s the right man for the job. He hasn’t defended a criminal case in years and he’s up against an ambitious hotshot JAG prosecutor chosen by the brass to win at any cost. And that cost may well be justice, truth, and the lives of innocent men. For as Voss unravels what really happened on Hill 399, he discovers that Sisto was a hero, not a traitor, and that the one man who can prove it vanished in the blood and chaos of war. As the trial builds to a shattering climax, Harry is driven to visit the Belgian site where the drama unfolded—and it’s there he must find evidence that he’s not just walking the hallowed ground of a battlefield...but the scene of a crime. Evocative, tense, and relentlessly paced, The Defender is a superior military thriller that takes us to a place where loyalty turns into betrayal, allies turn into enemies, and comrades in arms can become cold-blooded killers.

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296

Publisher

Bantam

Published Date

ISBN 10

0553802399

ISBN 13

9780553802399

The Wild Bunch

The American Classic That Changed Westerns Forever

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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The Wild Bunch

The American Classic That Changed Westerns Forever

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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Page Count

214

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476638004

ISBN 13

9781476638003

Overkill

The Rise and Fall of Thriller Cinema

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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Overkill

The Rise and Fall of Thriller Cinema

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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345

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476609780

ISBN 13

9781476609782

The Rules of Screenwriting and Why You Should Break Them

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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The Rules of Screenwriting and Why You Should Break Them

By: Bill Mesce, Jr.

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228

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476668507

ISBN 13

9781476668505

Artists on the Art of Survival

Observations on Frustration, Perspiration, and Inspiration for the Young Artist

By: Bill Mesce

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Artists on the Art of Survival

Observations on Frustration, Perspiration, and Inspiration for the Young Artist

By: Bill Mesce

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Page Count

398

Publisher

University Press of America

Published Date

ISBN 10

0761828540

ISBN 13

9780761828549

The Advocate

By: Bill Mesce,Steven G. Szilagyi

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The Advocate

By: Bill Mesce,Steven G. Szilagyi

An apparent friendly fire incident over the English Channel in 1943 prompts an investigation by the Judge Advocate's office, led by cynical lawyer Harry Voss, who soon discovers that the wartime incident may be more than it seems. Reprint.

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Page Count

420

Publisher

Bantam

Published Date

ISBN 10

055358197X

ISBN 13

9780553581973

Officer of the Court

By: Bill Mesce

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Officer of the Court

By: Bill Mesce

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360

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Bantam

Published Date

ISBN 10

0553801783

ISBN 13

9780553801781

The Defender

By: Bill Mesce Jr.

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The Defender

By: Bill Mesce Jr.

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Page Count

263

Publisher

Bantam

Published Date

ISBN 10

0553898043

ISBN 13

9780553898040

Murder in the Atchafalaya

By: Jim Riley

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Murder in the Atchafalaya

By: Jim Riley

Kristi Blocker, a new Treasury agent, finds there is more to south Louisiana than Cajun music, hot boiled crawfish and cold oysters on the half shell. The petite agent flees into the vast Atchafalaya Basin after confronting the killers of her two coworkers. Hawk Theriot, the only federal agent assigned to this swamp that is larger than the state of Rhode Island, must use his unique skill set to track her down. The odd pair, as different in style as in stature, uncover layers of corruption and deceit common in Louisiana, often with unexpected outcomes. As they dig deeper, the counterfeiting ring they are tracking turns the tables. It hunts them. And the ring does not have in mind to wish them good health. The peril grows as they peel back layer after layer of deceit, corruption and betrayal. They learn to depend on each other as they near the rotten core of the cabal. Then they discover the real danger is closer than either ever dreamed.

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Page Count

392

Publisher

Hawk Theriot and Kristi Blocke

Published Date

ISBN 10

195050218X

ISBN 13

9781950502189

Time Flies

By: Bill Cosby

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Time Flies

By: Bill Cosby

The author's observations on aging and the way we view the world at different stages of life.

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Page Count

194

Publisher

Bantam

Published Date

ISBN 10

0553277243

ISBN 13

9780553277241

Bill Nye's Western Humor

By: Bill Nye

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Bill Nye's Western Humor

By: Bill Nye

Although Bill Nye (1850-1896) was America's best known humorist in the late 1880's and early 1890's, his work is little known today--his books long out of print and his columns yellowing in newspaper files. Now T. A. Larson, a dyed-in-the-wool Nye fan for more than thirty years, has assembled the best of Bill Nye's work, most of it dating from the seven Wyoming years when Nye made his name. The selections are chosen from Laramie, Cheyenne, and Denver newspapers and from six books published in the 1890's. The resulting collection is both good fun and a valuable picture of a lively period.

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Page Count

236

Publisher

U of Nebraska Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0803258216

ISBN 13

9780803258211

Bill Nye's Red Book

By: Bill Nye

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Bill Nye's Red Book

By: Bill Nye

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

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