Movies Books

This author has had a fascinating life as a writer. Like millions of other people, the MURDER SHE WROTE series is one of my favorites. He wrote many of those plus other books, including VERONICA, the biography of the 40s star Veronica Lake.

Veronica of the famous Peekaboo Hair was one of my favorites during my youth in Ohio. And, yes, I was one of those "chicks" who emulated her hairdo.

I always appreciate hearing behind-the-scenes tidbits about books, and this short article gave me a glimpse of Veronica that I had never known. I knew she died much too soon and that her life after Hollywood was mostly downhill. It was enlightening to hear about it first-hand by the man who wrote her bio and became good friends with her through the ensuing years. Donald Bain's depth of compassion and his character shine through in the things he did for her when so many "fair-weather friends" let her down.

Thanks, Mr. Bain, for sharing your observations with the world. I look forward to reading Veronica if your dream of getting it republished comes true. Meanwhile, I plan to read your current book, MURDER HE WROTE, about your writing life, your trials and successes.

RONNIE AND ME is a sad, but oh-so-realistic story. I highly recommend it; only wish it were longer.

The intro material in the front of "The Rough Guide to Shakespeare" says that it was "written by" Andrew Dickson, and that Dickson was born in 1979. This means he would have been 26 years old when it went to press. This fact is about as extraordinary as any in the book: even making allowances for institutional backup (Joe Staines gets "editor" credit on the same page as Dickson's "writer" credit, though in smaller type)--even making allowances, this is a book that would do credit to an author at the other end of his career. It's a work of capacious learning (which it wears lightly) and balanced good sense. I don't know of any one book that comes as close to being as handy for people who attend or read the plays, or who shop for videos. And while it doesn't presume to great scholarship, it even provides a helpful introduction to what academics would call "the literature"--with pointed commentary, not just bibliographical lumber.

Dickson's comments for videos (as, indeed, for everything else) are suggestive, not comprehensive. One isn't at all required to sign onto everything here in order to enjoy them. I think he somewhat underestimates the Branagh "Hamlet," and vastly overestimates the overblown pop-Freudian Olivier version, which almost put me off Shakespeare for life when I first saw it at the Rex Theater in Manchester, New Hampshire in 1952--and yes, I am still annoyed. But he isn't afraid to trust his own intuitions: who would have thought to include, as one of only three "Hamlet" choices, the "expressionist retelling" of Grigory Kozintsev? (He also recommends Kozintsev's "Lear"--both appear to be available from Amazon resellers).

One telling curiosity in Dickson's guide is the way it feels free to ignore the usual suspects you might expect at the Shakespearean banquet. The index includes no reference to John Berryman, none to Peter Levi, none to Harold Bloom, only one each to Mark Van Doren and Marilyn French (but he does catch Van Doren in a famous moment, asserting that "no play of Shakespeare's is better than Henry IV"). This isn't a criticism. Rather, the point is to demonstrate that Dickson is trying to exercise some critical judgment, not merely to catalog.

For the moment, I am going to stack this one with the movie guides, in the hope it will prompt me to pick and choose among Dickson's pickings and choosings of DVD performances I never heard of, or haven't got round to sampling. But it could just as well go in the library, and surely into the baggage for one's next outing to the Shakespeare festival. In short a remarkable work, with much to appreciate.

Forget those stuffy monographs written by film studies academics bent on proving how dull movies are. And while you're at it, also forget those self-conscious diatribes by soi-disant movie experts, who stare down the noses of their artistic frustrations at anything that doesn't meet their overblown and unimportant expectations. Now...deep breath...read this book!

A.S. Mott has produced a guide to film's dark genre that is fun and informative, as much about horror movies as it is about the author's life-long love for them. Featuring six chapters each imparting an in-depth study of Halloween, Psycho, An American Werewolf in London, Nighmare on Elm Street and Evil Dead II, the book is less academic than conversational, an extended sit-down with the optimus-prime of movie geeks. The text is punctuated throughout with footnotes facts, observations and fun asides. A must read for anyone interested in the subject. There's something here for dilettantes and die-hard fans alike.

We have all seen "Schindler's List," and many of us have cried during the film's tear-jerking finale. Few of us, however, know what happened to Schindler after the credits rolled, during the last thirty years of his life. Richard A. Lord -- author of "Culture Shock! Germany" and "Insider's Frankfurt" -- is one of the few who know, and this entertaining story will fill in the gaps while offering some of the author's personal opinions about an elusive personage in German history.

You will learn about Schindler's trip to Argentina, his time spent in Israel, and the years spent in a small apartment in Frankfurt's red light district. Most importantly, you'll be given an answer to the question: Was this German "good"?

Excelent Audio-book, of one of his two day seminars. In it covers everything from writing a screenplay to sell it. Step by step, one by one, he takes you to every concept, developing it, in a soft pace. He says that the tape for day one is hard to follow, but I don't agree, it's so clear, that if you pay attention, you'll get it at once. It's very clear and it's also impressive the quantity of quality information he can give in this 3 hour audio. I find it perfect for novices and pros alike, because can be a refresh of concepts, or can give new ones. I like his objectivity, because after all the knowledge he transmits in this class, you can begin or finish your screenplay with a solid base, period. He also encourages to read books of others authors he mentions to deepen in the concepts he teaches, and to probably get new points of view. He also warns in not becoming a Seminar addict, or writing books addict, as an excuse to not writing your screenplay or book, you have to write everyday, beginning with 15 minutes at least, and never stop, rain or shine. He also says that one shouldn't use excuses for not writing or going at least once a week to a movie, like: money, your kids, your spouse, your work, etc... I highly recommend this Audio.

Seeing Beyond: Movies, Visions, And Values is a compilation of twenty-six essays by William R. Robinson and an assortment of his personal friends on the subject of film theory and offering a wide range of commentary and criticism of American and foreign films. In addition to Robinson the contributors include Annie Dillard, Frank Burke, R.H.W. Dillard, George Garrett, Armando Jose Prats, A. Carl Bredahl Jr., Seve Snyder, Vincent B. Leitch, David Lavery, Elaine Marshall, J.P. Telotte, Walter C. Foreman Jr., and Susan Lynn Drake. Each essay is a small gem. Taken together as a whole they form a persuasive argument that movies are a fundamentally revolutionary moral force in contemporary life. Seeing Beyond: Movies, Visions, And Values is an invaluable contribution to film theory and criticism, and a highly recommended addition to both academic and community film library reference collections.

it is really nice to receive the book that soon, if the seller wasnt live the same state as u do, and the book is in wonderful quality, so u guys no need to worry about it.

This is a very good book about a type of movie that has received very little critical attention, and most of the attention has been mere condemnation.

Whitehead guides the reader to the best and most important of the slasher films. He provides plot summary and critique as to why the film is worth watching. He uses the idea of the "Final Girl," the last person left who confronts and overcomes the killer, to combat the charge of misogyny frequently leveled against slasher films.

Whitehead also admits that a lot of slasher films are junk. Some of the films he covers, like Nightmare on Elm Street, aren't really slashers (at least in my view). But he writes in an acessible and enjoyable style that makes this a very helpful short guide to horror films of the 80s and 90s.

Any reading of this book must be deeply personal. For me, tears often came in reaction to the sheer beauty of thoughts and deeds expressed by Studs Terkel and his interviewees. Hopefully the book will spark a theatre renaissance. No matter how large your village, town, or city, there is a need for a theatre of the people. Models described in the book can spur you into activity. Highlights of more than 55 interviews are given! My favorites: those with Arthur Miller, Ruth Gordon, Jonathon Miller, Moms Mabley, Uta Hagen, Edward Albee, and Eugene Ionesco. You will be compelled to share the book, possibly by reading aloud in turn with a companion.