Dustin McNeillTaking Shape: Developing Halloween From Script to Scream

documentaries, special features, etc., you have to ask what is left to tell? It's in this book. Authors did an AMAZING job in sharing new and interesting info about our favorite series. Only true fans could put something out like this. Super thick book, too. I was quite surprised to see the size, when I opened the package. If you have any doubts about whether to drop the $$$ on this, forget them. Any real fan wants this book.

The original Halloween is one of my all time favorite films!It's fun to read the origin story of this amazing film!Full disclosure:I enjoy the other Laurie Strode installments. The Michael and Laurie storyline is Halloween for me.But Halloween II, H2O, and Halloween 2018 don't come close to the original.The other sequels and Rob Zombie's reboots are not at all interesting to me.I watched each film again in preparation for reading about them.The additional viewings did not change my above opinions.This book made me appreciate that each film was an attempt to bring something new to the series.The behind the scenes stories are almost more interesting than the films.This book is s really interesting glimpse into the cutthroat film industry. The studio system is revealed to be a tangled mess of investors and studio execs that place profit over loyalty and creativity. The main theme here is greed and control! So many poor decisions killed the potential of each sequel.I came away sympathizing for those involved in these films. They were pressured to cut corners, make ridiculous concessions, and denied the opportunity to tell good stories.No wonder John Carpenter and Debra Hill sold their stakes and ran.Glad the story of Halloween III was included here and given equal treatment. It's an underrated, flawed attempt at a fresh story free of the Michael Myers mythology. Too often it is excluded from the franchise.Pick this up if you are interested in the Halloween films. I'm glad I did.

If you can't get enough Halloween-the films-in your life, the book Taking Shape belongs on your bookshelf or in your Kindle. The writing is accessible without getting bogged down with technicalities, but the technicalities are in there. The reader gets all the 'behind the scenes' stories already familiar from commentary tracks and documentaries, with even more details fans will devour. Opinions about various sequels are left to the interview subjects and quotes from original film reviews, while the authors stay mostly neutral, which is greatly appreciated. This edition takes us all the way through the Halloween series from the 1978 original right up to Halloween 2018. I completely enjoyed Taking Shape and learned a bunch of new details about my favorite Horror franchise. And I'm looking forward to reading the second volume soon.

When I read the Magnotta Halloween book, which is similar in size and appearance to this one, I was very disappointed in its (lack of) contents. I wanted an in-depth review of the Halloween franchise, and thankfully, this book delivers the goods!Every film in the franchise is covered here, including Season of the Witch, the Rob Zombie films, and the 2018 same-titled sequel to the original Halloween. There are in-depth examinations of changes to the drafts prior to filming, deleted scenes, alternate TV scenes, director’s cuts, and even discussions of how the novelizations differ from the theatrical releases they coincided with. Not only that, each chapter ends with interviews of various contributors, from screenwriters, directors, editors, and cinematographers to even the novelization authors.Overall this is a wonderful, well-researched book that should be on the shelf of every fan of this franchise.

Taking Shape: Developing Halloween From Script To Scream was a really fun and informative read that is a must for any fan of the Halloween film franchise. Dustin McNeill and Travis Mullins use a host of interviews and quotes from a variety of people involved in the productions, from John Carpenter's original classic to Rob Zombies re-imaginings to the newest installment released in 2018. We get script and story development on all the films, accounts of the production shoots, unmade script details and sometimes tales of development hell, scarier than the films themselves, when attempted sequels fell victim to artistic differences and studio interference. It's a fast and fun read and one that gives a detailed account of the making of one of horror's most renown series from many of those who were involved. A recommended read for anyone who is a fan of this classic franchise, or horror movies and filmmaking in general.

I'll get right to the point before filling in the details: this one's a home run. As a fan of the Halloween series, and--more importantly--a huge fan of behind-the-scenes books, I was excited to hear about Taking Shape, and was not disappointed when I got my hands on a copy. Each film in the franchise is given equal attention, and the wealth of information about the troubled production of some of the less impressive sequels (yeah, I'm looking at you Halloween 5 & 6!) is staggering. That being said, as parts 5 and 6 are my least favorite Halloween movies (and don't even get me started on Resurrection!), I expected to lose interest in the book during the sections that covered those films. Not so! If anything, those chapters were more interesting than the movies they examined, as the authors went into remarkable detail about the troubled productions and behind-the-scenes meddling that resulted in such poor movies. I highly recommend this book to even the most casual Halloween fan, but if you're a die hard like me, it's a must-have!

Very nice book. Lots of nice information about every movie and lots of story behind each movie. I bought second book just because I liked the first one.

Finally, the Halloween behind the mask book fans have been waiting for. After decades of only dvd/blu ray docs the authors have produced a brilliant piece of work analysing each film and interviewing crew members. They are fans but they are prepared to vent their frustrations of a finished film where needed. In particular Halloween 6 gets a fully deserved roasting as though the authors had a 25 year beef to get off their chests.Ignore the criticism about lack of photos, they are not needed due to the quality of the writing and devotion to bringing their opinion of each film.If you are a serious Halloween franchise fan this must be on your bookshelf.

A fantastic reference guide to the Halloween series that brings us up to date with the films. I enjoyed the behind the scenes material and the interviews. It was also nice to learn more about the original series that largely existed before the Internet. H20 was my favourite film and there's a shocking lack of resources from that film so it was good to learn more.

A truly superb book chronicling the stories from behind the scenes of every Halloween movie. As well as looking at all of the discarded drafts and alternative versions, the book also delves into the various novelisations of the Halloween series. It's genuinely absorbing stuff! Also features lots of interviews with key people from the franchise. Hugely recommended for fans of the series and for anyone interested in film production too. And I've seen Halloween 5 in a totally new light from reading this book! It's a great read!

Absolute must have for even the most die hard of fans! I love that they give as much attention to the later entries in the series, so if you have aSoft sport for the curse of Michael Myers you will be pleased. Clearly written by authors who are passionate about the series. An encyclopaedia of knowledge on the shape, including deleted scenes, novelisations, interviews, tv versions etc etc.100% recommended.

This is a book that no self-appointed Halloween fan should be without. Chuck full of fasinating information about the franchise, its been an immense pleasure for me personally to dive into the backstory of - as of 2019 - these eleven chapters of all hallows mayhem.Hope you enjoy it.