If you've seen the garrulous Mr. Hanks on a talk show, particularly Graham Norton, you've got the tone of this book. The title describes the book entirely. And, of course there are many references to typewriters and WWII. Overall, very enjoyable. ( )

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The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks tells of how a movie is made, from the idea of a talented five-years-old to its release. Mr. Hanks’ fictionalize account is certainly eye opening and entertaining.

Little Robby Andersen has always heard about his uncle Bob Falls, a WWII vet who served as a flamethrower and was struck with PTSD. One day Uncle Bob comes riding in on his bike and leaves a huge impression on the talented Robby who bases a comic-book anti-hero on him when he grows up.

Decades later, Hollywood’s hottest director Bill Johnson buys the rights to Firefall, Bobby Anderson’s comic, for making a movie. Together with assistants, actors, technicians, and locals Johnson starts filming Knightshade: The Lathe of Firefall in Lone Butte, CA – which is, unbeknownst to him, Bobby Anderson’s hometown.

I’ve enjoyed Mr. Hanks previous book, Uncommon Type, and when I heard he is writing a book about making movies, I was excited to find out what it’s all about. I do enjoy reading about movie-making in general, even though it seems that the books are much more exciting than the actual process.

The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks is an exciting journey into what it takes to make a movie. From the inspiration of the writer as a young boy, to the movie star vying for the role, and the directory, producers, and a congregation of professionals who tackle obstacles daily.

I thought the novelization of movie making made the process a lot more interesting, capturing the energy, excitement, and mechanics which gets lost in non-fiction accounts. The author’s unique perspective about the behind-the-scenes folks and their unseen contributions are fascinating as they are informative.

Producer Al Mac-Teer (Alicia) and a ride-share driver Ynez Gonzalez-Cruz who becomes instrumental in the production, were, for me, the two most interesting characters. All the of the cast, however, gets a developed with a background story from Lane Wren, the movies star who’s afraid of being stuck as a sex-symbol, to Bailey who represents the Hollywood superego which almost destroys the production, from the makeup artists to the teamsters.

The author, as we all know, is one of the nicest people in the world, and the book has endearing subplots which help to bring the story, and the movie, together. The movies are meant to be a shared experience, delighting audiences, sometimes even makes us think even in a superhero films (which I love).

The ending at Times Square cinema, while corny is still a moving bit and appropriate. Kudos to
Robert Sikoryak who illustrated the graphic novel, included in the book, which the brought fame to the fictional Robby Andersen, and is brought to live by a team of fantasy-makers. ( )

I enjoyed this trip behind the making of a movie, from source material to post production from someone who knows all about it. I found the source material a little dull but the book picks up after that. The statement that came to my mind was 'it takes a village to raise a child' and it definitely takes a village to make a movie, something that happens everyday when you think of everything out there. Some of the insights that the fictional director of the picture comes up is very profound. ( )

Stopped @ 25%

More of a “not right now” than a real DNF. Although the book so far was well-written and narrated, I just wasn’t in the right mindset for it and couldn’t give it the attention it deserves. Will pick it up again in the future.

I purchased this book as an audible book knowing the Hanks would be the [primary] narrator. That was enough info for me to make the decision. Unfortunately, I didn't read the fine print (not so easy to do on e-purchases on my iPhone), and I didn't understand that the beginning of the book was the "back story" for the movie about to unfold. Once I figured that out....WOW, what a fun book! Fun characters and the fact that the movie entire cast read their parts... (dot dot dot). Wonderful read. I was sorry the book didn't immediately take me into the director/writer's next project. BTW, the backstory is quite important to the whole. Don't skip it (dot dot dot). ( )