: Reviewers from The New York Times note that while the book is full of anecdotes about stars like Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch, the real star is Chayefsky himself. Itzkoff uses the writer's personal notes and drafts to reconstruct how he "imposed his vision" on the film.
: A central theme is the film's "eerie and uncanny prescience". Itzkoff explores how Chayefsky’s 1976 vision of "profit-oriented" news that would "kill for ratings" has essentially become the modern media reality. Mad as Hell: The Making of Network and the Fate...
Dave Itzkoff’s Mad as Hell: The Making of Network and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies is widely praised as an "elegantly executed" and "meticulously researched" account of one of cinema’s most prophetic satires . It offers a deep dive into the creative process of screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky, a man described as "tough, driven," and often "prickly". Key Review Highlights : Reviewers from The New York Times note