Rate this book

The View From The Bridge: Memories Of Star Trek And A Life In Hollywood (2009)

by Nicholas Meyer(Favorite Author)

3.68 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

067002130X (ISBN13: 9780670021307)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Viking Adult

review 1: I've been fascinated with Nick Meyer for most of my life, unknowingly at first, as he is responsible for writing and directing my two favorite Star Trek movies, ("Wrath of Khan," and "The Undiscovered Country," he also wrote half the script to IV, but I won't hold that against him) but it wasn't until I started seeing his interviews in some behind-the-scenes specials that I realized how much I really liked this guy. He is able to blend influences of classical literature such as Shakespeare, Milton, and others with the best genre fiction such as Sherlock Holmes and Horatio Hornblower, telling stories that entertain and are also about something. His films always make you think, regardless of the subject matter. This book is the director's memoir and it sheds light not only o... morento Star Trek but also on the film business in general and the art of telling stories and their place in our lives.On the surface, the books reads like a lot of other Hollywood memoirs, telling the rags-to-riches story of struggling young filmmakers with their dream projects who drive to California and slowly work up the ranks, eventually achieving great success. As with many other tales of making movies, it seems that the stories Meyer is most passionate about making are not necessarily the ones he is famous for, and many of the projects he longs to make never seem to get off the ground. The tales are a mix of praise for, and critique of, the town of Hollywood, simultaneously reveling in the magic of movies while proclaiming the downfall of the art form. All this is well trodden ground, William Goldman's book "Adventures in the Screen Trade" being probably the best of the bunch.What sets Meyer's tale apart is his erudite writing style and his penchant for classic literature. Both his films and his writing style in the book benefit from a heavy influence of good classic art in all forms, making the work a joy to read. The other main draw here is the focus on Star Trek. Although primarily of interest only to fans, the stories are interesting, sometimes funny, sometimes sad. For film buffs, they serve as concrete examples of the many points he raises about filmmaking in general, and for the fans they are simply interesting anecdotes and fun behind-the-curtain stories. Meyer in particular seemed at odds with Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's utopian vision of the future, and that tension, in my opinion, led to some of the best offerings of the franchise. That tension is also captured well by Meyer here, including a tense argument Meyer had with the aging Roddenberry over the story of Star Trek VI, about which Meyer seems quite apologetic. One would prefer to have these stories fleshed out by hearing the other side from the people with which Meyer often clashes, especially Roddenberry. Nevertheless, Meyer treads a line between self-effacing and self-aggrandizing. I'm giving this one four stars because for a Trek fan like me, its a fascinating look at the film business with particular attention to one of my favorite genre-fiction franchises. If you're not a fan of Trek, you can take one star off, but its still worth a read if you're into the business of movie-making or Hollywood in general.
review 2: I came to Meyer's book as a less-than-fanatical fan of Trek and found an interesting overview of how ideas and scripts get turned into movies. The author gains some credibility by being self-effacing and turning the blame for some failures inward, though when he makes other claims (he's the single-handed reason for the studio disclaimer you see at the beginning of DVD commentary tracks?) it does cause the reader to wonder about the perspectives of the other players in these stories. less

Download links for: The View from the Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood

Advertising