Wet Hot American Summer: The Annotated Screenplay

by Michael Showalter, David Wain, Michael Ian Black (Foreword by), Jesse Thorn (Preface by)

Overview

The screenwriters behind the cult classic comedy present the definitive behind-the-scenes companion volume.

With its unbelievable ensemble cast, Wet Hot American Summer hilariously skewered 1980s teen comedies while becoming a beloved classic in its own right. Now screenwriters David Wain and Michael Showalter have created a behind-the-scenes annotated version of the original screenplay that launched a thousand Halloween costumes. They provide commentary on how and why they made the artistic decisions they did while writing and filming the movie, as well as the Netflix series that came after.

The book also features reproduced ephemera from filming—photos, original (and scathing) reviews, AIM chat conversations, marked up script pages, and so much more. Written and curated by Wain and Showalter, this is the must-have guide to all things Wet Hot.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683354109
Publisher:	ABRAMS, Inc.
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	216 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Michael Showalter most recently directed the 2017 film The Big Sick. He co-wrote and directed the 2016 film Hello, My Name Is Dorisstarring Sally Field. He is a co-creator of the television show Search Partyon TBS. Michael co-created the TV miniseries Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later on Netflix. Showalter’s other film credits include Wet Hot American Summer, They Came Together, andThe Baxter. He is a founding member of the comedy groups The State and Stella. David Wain is the director and cowriter of six feature films, including Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models, Wanderlust, and They Came Together. His most recent critically acclaimed movie A Futile and Stupid Gesture tells the story of National Lampoon and its cofounder Doug Kenney. On television Wain co-created, directed, and costarred in The State, Childrens Hospital, Stella, and two Wet Hot miniseries for Netflix. He’s acted in dozens of movies and TV shows including Dog Days, Broad City, Another Period, Drunk History, Portlandia, Bob’s Burgers, and his own web series Wainy Days.

Editorial Reviews

“If you love the movieWet Hot American Summeras much as I do, but for some reason don’t like watching it, then I guess this is the perfect book for you.

B. J. Novak

Watching Wet Hot American Summer for the first time was an ‘Aha’ moment for me. The blend of physical comedy—bizarrely specific—and wildly heightened characters made me see the vast possibilities within the world of making comedy, and making comedy with your friends.

Abbi Jacobson

Wet Hot American Summeris one of the funniest films ever made. This is a must-read for any fan of comedy out there.

Rachel Bloom

"This book is a must-have for fans of Wet Hot American Summer, and a musn't-have for fans of The Lovely Bones."

Megan Amram

I saw Wet Hot American Summeropening weekend and it blew my comedy mind. And now this book has blown my book-about-classic-cult-comedy-with-insights-and-anecdotes-that-really-elevate-the-whole-experience-of-something-I-already-loved mind.

Nick Kroll