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52nd out of 89 books
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The View from the Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood
The critically acclaimed director and writer shares his account of the making of the three classic Star Trek films
The View from the Bridge is Nicholas Meyer's enormously entertaining account of his involvement with the Star Trek films: STII: The Wrath of Khan, STIV: The Voyage Home, and STVI: The Undiscovered Country, as well as his illustrious career in the movie business...more
The View from the Bridge is Nicholas Meyer's enormously entertaining account of his involvement with the Star Trek films: STII: The Wrath of Khan, STIV: The Voyage Home, and STVI: The Undiscovered Country, as well as his illustrious career in the movie business...more
Hardcover, 263 pages
Published
August 20th 2009
by Viking Adult
(first published July 21st 2009)
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I picked up this book because I might be doing a book of my own on The Day After, a TV movie from 1983 that Meyer directed.
Like Meyer, I've never been much of a Star Trek aficionado, and I expected to skim through the Star Trek bits and focus instead on The Day After. I'll confess that I did read The Day After chapter first, but I was so pleased by the writing style and Meyer's ability to lace in bits of artistic advice/insight, that I went back to the beginning and read the whole t...more
Like Meyer, I've never been much of a Star Trek aficionado, and I expected to skim through the Star Trek bits and focus instead on The Day After. I'll confess that I did read The Day After chapter first, but I was so pleased by the writing style and Meyer's ability to lace in bits of artistic advice/insight, that I went back to the beginning and read the whole t...more
A really enjoyable read about Nicholas Meyer, writer and director. He is probably best known for his work on "Star Trek", but he's done other things like "Time After Time", which seems to be a favorite of people.
Most people who buy this book will probably buy it for the ST stuff, but I thoroughly recommend reading the other sections as well. His personal life is not so interesting, except for when he discusses bonding with Pierce Brosnan (best known as James Bond) o...more
Most people who buy this book will probably buy it for the ST stuff, but I thoroughly recommend reading the other sections as well. His personal life is not so interesting, except for when he discusses bonding with Pierce Brosnan (best known as James Bond) o...more
I enjoyed this a lot, though you could argue that it's a bit mendacious in marketing - surprise, surprise. It is, in fact, a memoir of Meyer's career in film, as the subtitle suggests, though I'm sorry that it short-changes the fifteen years that followed his last excursion into Star Trek, probably to maintain the fiction that it is really a "Star Trek" book. Anyway, as someone who loved The Seven Percent Solution (chiefly in book form - didn't see the film until much later), but also ...more
I had seen this book around and always figured I'd read it some day. It's the memoirs of a writer/director who has done a whole lot, but is mostly recognized for the two Star Trek movies that he wrote and directed (Wrath of Kahn and Undiscovered Country).
It was pretty good, as memoirs go. I enjoyed it. It goes into his whole life and career path, and only about 1/4 of the book is Star Trek related.
He goes in depth into huge fights and backstabbing and betrayal in the Holl...more
It was pretty good, as memoirs go. I enjoyed it. It goes into his whole life and career path, and only about 1/4 of the book is Star Trek related.
He goes in depth into huge fights and backstabbing and betrayal in the Holl...more
This is a very likable memoir from a very likable person. Nicholas Meyer comes across as intelligent and passionate about his work; sometimes, a bit too willing to fight for his point of view. I was most interested in his recollections about the Sherlock Holmes pastiches he wrote--the first, The Seven Per Cent Solution, because there was a writers' strike on!--and his work with Star Trek. As has been pointed out by others, it can be argued that "the even numbered films are better" is t...more
Nicholas Meyer's entertaining look at his life in movies and Star Trek is not to be missed.
This book takes a good look at internecine Hollywood studio power struggles, and repeated battles to keep creative control.
Because I'm a Trekkie, my favorite chapters deal with making Star Trek II and Star Trek IV.
Meyer killed Spock in STII, a move that he said enraged Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. But he felt it was necessary both to assauge star Leonard Nimoy (who was tired of the ears) and to generat...more
This book takes a good look at internecine Hollywood studio power struggles, and repeated battles to keep creative control.
Because I'm a Trekkie, my favorite chapters deal with making Star Trek II and Star Trek IV.
Meyer killed Spock in STII, a move that he said enraged Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. But he felt it was necessary both to assauge star Leonard Nimoy (who was tired of the ears) and to generat...more
While Star Trek fans may never agree on which series is the best (it will always be Original Series, hands down), most fans will agree that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is the best entry in the long-running film franchise. In fact, were it not for Khan and it's success, it's likely we'd only have the original 79 episodes and a couple of movies to discuss when it comes to one of the greatest franchises in modern entertainment history.
A lot of ink has been spilled in recent years...more
A lot of ink has been spilled in recent years...more
Meyer's memoir of how he started his career as a publicist, then accidentally became a novelist and finally a filmmaker is a must-read for everyone who wants to make movies. Witty, honest and chock-full of great anecdotes (and at times painful realizations about himself and his decisions) "View" was hard to put down. The "Star Trek" stuff is informative for even the casual fan, but what I really enjoyed learning more about is his love of Sherlock Holmes and authorship of The ...more
I normally don't do memoirs, I'm not much interested in reading about someone's abusive childhood in a war zone where they grew up with a cleft palate. Or whatever. Or the converse, I don't give any measurable amount of shits about how some billionaire lied, cheated and schemed his way to the top, or how much he (was lucky) believed in himself. Or she. Whatever.
But Star Trek. Well, shit, yeah.
Mostly I was interested in hearing some behind the scenes stuff on Shatner....more
But Star Trek. Well, shit, yeah.
Mostly I was interested in hearing some behind the scenes stuff on Shatner....more
I love Star Trek. I love Dr. Bones. I was thrilled to get this book as a Christmas gift from my dad. I don’t know anything about Nicholas Meyer, so I was pretty surprised how influential he was in Hollywood. The book starts off detailing his life from well-to-do Doctor’s son to a hardworking movie reviewer at the University of Iowa (boring!) to his chance at Hollywood. The details given about Star Trek II, IV, and VI were great. I was hoping to read more juice than conflict though. I have...more
Not to be tossed aside lightly, should be thrown with great force, etc. Okay, that's not quite fair. There are some parts that are worth reading for Trek geeks. Like: Meyer's desire to create a submarine-like atmosphere in the second film, Ricardo Montalban being excited that Meyer was actually going to direct him, various behind the scenes things concerning the filming.
However, Meyer's pre-Trek/non-Trek life is not terribly interesting. Skip it. Also, there is tons of political...more
However, Meyer's pre-Trek/non-Trek life is not terribly interesting. Skip it. Also, there is tons of political...more
The Book Warehouse was going out of business at the OKC Outlet Mall and was blowing out what looked to be their final inventory for $1 a book.
I stumbled across this book which had all the trappings of my reading interests...Star Trek, filmmaking, making it in Hollywood.
It took me awhile to get through it even though it's a short book, but I enjoyed it none-the-less and have a new found respect for Nick Meyer.
If I ever see his 7 Percent Solution on sale, I'll d...more
I stumbled across this book which had all the trappings of my reading interests...Star Trek, filmmaking, making it in Hollywood.
It took me awhile to get through it even though it's a short book, but I enjoyed it none-the-less and have a new found respect for Nick Meyer.
If I ever see his 7 Percent Solution on sale, I'll d...more
I almost stopped reading this book on page four, where Nicholas made a political metaphor that so enraged me I was sorely tempted to put the book down. Instead I gave him one more chance, just one, and he never gave me cause to regret for the remainder of his tale. Instead I found the rest of the book to be very enjoyable.
He relates the story of his life in Hollywood, including directing Star Trek II and VI. Admittedly this was the hook that drew me in, but his story as a whole as he...more
He relates the story of his life in Hollywood, including directing Star Trek II and VI. Admittedly this was the hook that drew me in, but his story as a whole as he...more
Star Trek gets top billing here -- no surprise when you consider the Trekkie sales factor, and heck, it caught my eye in the library too. But most of the book about the life and evolving work of a guy who "loves movies and tries to make good ones." I've enjoyed Meyer's writing for a long time -- I think I first ran into The Seven Percent Solution back in Thorntown -- and reading from his perspective just adds a little more to it.
Unfortunately, it also added several movies t...more
Unfortunately, it also added several movies t...more
Smart and informative, like reading old war stories written by your favorite brilliant uncle, "Memories" offers all kinds of treasures Trek and otherwise. Written in the same eloquent and economic use of language that made Khan and Country the classics they've become. Wonderful stories about how his career began, then petered out, then came back around - has a rare candor, without becoming too self-indulgent or (worse) boring.
Nicholas Meyer is a kind of person I wish was running Hollywood: smart, savvy, and passionate about good storytelling. He admits his vanity and doesn't hesitate to be self-congratulatory about the success of his projects (notably The Seven Per Cent Solution and Time After Time, as well as the two Star Trek features he directed).
Since he writes and directs his own scripts, it's fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes look at the collaboration between Meyer, his actors, and the studios...more
Since he writes and directs his own scripts, it's fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes look at the collaboration between Meyer, his actors, and the studios...more
I first experienced Nicholas Meyer with "The Seven-Percent Solution" which spurred my interest in Sherlock Holmes. I ran into his work again when he helped save the Star Trek franchise with his work on "Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan". This memoir tells of his Hollywood career focusing on the impact of Star Trek on his life and vice versa. It is a well-written, enjoyable story. His observations are memorable and not preachy. He tries to tell the whole story: recounting...more
A must-read for Star Trek fans and an adequate read for anyone else. Not many insights and Meyer glosses over some of his more interesting (but less popular) films, but his anecdotes about saving the Star Trek film franchise are fantastic and his personal revelation that he will always be a secondhand artist is touching.
Still, the prose is thin at time, and the ending devolves into a meaningless timeline.
Still, the prose is thin at time, and the ending devolves into a meaningless timeline.
Surprisingly, given that I've loved several of his movies, and that his three Sherlock Holmes pastiches (his term, not mine) have been among some of my favorite books my entire adult life, I didn't like this book that much at all. Again, this is very surprising to me - movie buff, generally enjoy behind-the-scenes stuff, and a Star Trek fan (but not fanatic).
Basically, he comes across as pretty much a jerk. With anger issues. That's about it.
I guess the best I can say for ...more
Basically, he comes across as pretty much a jerk. With anger issues. That's about it.
I guess the best I can say for ...more
This one was hard to rate for me - the stuff about the films (Time After Time, Star Trek II & VI) was very interesting, as well as the story of how The 7% Solution came to be. OTOH, he glances off the edges of some very personal stuff (the death of his mother & his wife) in seemingly superficial ways.
I'd recommend this to fans of his work & to Trekkies.
I'd recommend this to fans of his work & to Trekkies.
Most of the Trek anecdotes are interesting, but I got a little bored with Meyer's discussions of his other film work -- which is my own fault, since they're written with the same flair and humor as the Trek bits. An interesting read from the guy who directed the two best ST films: Wrath of Khan and Undiscovered Country.
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Nicholas Meyer's memoir follows his time as a writer through his time as a director. I haven't seen most of the films he wrote or directed, but thought it was interesting. I also like that unlike some memoirists, he wasn't afraid of taking the piss out of those who had done him wrong in the past. Hooray for Hollywood gossip!
It's nearly always a pleasure to read a book written by someone I have met -- and this is no exception. Meyer is an alum and generous supporter of his alma mater, The University of Iowa. This is an interesting descriptor of his work on the Star Trek movies.
Aside from the 26,857 references to movies and actors I've never heard of, this was an interesting look at the behind the scenes from the writer/director of three of my favorite Trek films.
Nick Meyer does a good job of showing the reader what it's like to have a writing career in Hollywood; he mostly emphasises his work on Star Trek (being part of films II, IV, and VI), since he knows mostly Trekkies will be reading his work. There's nothing too insightful here, but it's an okay read.
Not worth skimming let alone reading. Written by the man who wrote the Wrath of Khan script.
A good story about the inner workings of Hollywood. Not just for Trekkers!
Fascinating book by a great writer/director.
Very interesting look at the machinations of studio politics. Thanks for the loan, Brother!
An interesting look into the film industry. Though I am a Star Trek fan, I think I found the overall look into "the biz" to be the more enthralling part of this memoir. I would suggest it to anyone interested in either Trek or making movies or both.
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Nicholas Meyer (born December 24, 1945 in New York City, U.S.) graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in theater and filmmaking, & is a film writer, producer, director and novelist best known for his involvement in the Star Trek films. He is also well known as the director for the landmark 1983 TV-Movie "The Day After", for which he was nominated for a Best Director Emmy Awa...more
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