Movies Books

"I recommend this book to film students and anyone else who is interested in the art of mixing film sound; it contains absorbing insights into the creative process from some of the best sound designers in the industry. By engaging film sound artists in a series of revealing dialogs, Pasquariello highlights some of the practical problems and ingenious solutions to making films sound good." Ioan Allen, senior vice president, Dolby Laboratories

From May/June, 1997 issue of the Editors Guild (IATSE Local 776) Newsletter, Hollywood, California BOOK REVIEW: "SOUNDS OF MOVIES - Interviews with the Creators of Feature Sound Tracks" by Nicholas Pasquariello 240 pages, softcover - Port Bridge Books Reviewed by Dave Whittaker Nicholas Pasquariello has been writing about the technical side of filmmaking for a variety of periodicals for about twenty years, and he now has published a valuable book that collects together interviews with thirteen individuals who are all prominent in the world of film sound. The interviews span the last thirteen years, published originally in Mix magazine and others, and the interviews included here seem to have been chosen for their timelessness, a wise choice. While this book seems aimed largely at the academic film community, there's sufficient depth in the contents so as to be of value to "working professionals" in the film industry. The book is divided into two main sections about production and post-production. The production interviews are with prominent production mixers; the section on post is with re-recording mixers, sound editors, and "sound designers" who wear both hats. The balance is devoted to absorbing interviews on director/composer collaboration, the archival restorations of 'Othello' and 'Lawrence of Arabia', and the perils of translating and dubbing foreign-language versions abroad. In the production section the interviews are with Chris Newman on 'A Chorus Line' and 'Mosquito Coast', Drew Kunin on the rigors of getting usable sound on racing yachts for Carrol Ballard's 'Wind', Ivan Sharrock on 'The Last Emperor', Simon Kaye on 'Platoon', Tod Maitland on 'The Doors', and Nelson Stoll on the marriage of documentary and feature techniques and the politics of the job. It's an interesting and highly varied group of films, with an equally interesting and varied group of mixers talking. If you've never worked in production, or if you've ever complained about the production mixing on a show you're working on, these interviews can be most enlightening. You'll gain some appreciation for the difficult position these folks are in. Trying to reconcile the goal of good sound quality with the conflicting demands of preoccupied directors, camera and lighting needs, difficult locations, and budget realities, all the while "looking good in dailies", is clearly revealed to be a most elusive objective. In the post-production section are interviews with Mark Berger on re-recording 'Amadeus' and 'Mosquito Coast', Richard Beggs on sound design for 'Cotton Club' and 'Tucker', Leslie Shatz on sound design for 'Mishima', Mark Mangini on sound effects for 'Star Trek IV', and Mike Minkler on re-recording 'Explorers'. Like the production mixing section, the group of films here is quite varied and the personalities of the interviewees are often quite engaging. The post section devotes most of its length to the interviews with Bay Area professionals. As a Hollywood sound editor, I was taken aback by this at first, but then realized that this proves to be a bit of a virtue, because the multiple-hat wearing of Richard Beggs and Leslie Shatz allows the interviews to roam over the entire sound-post process, presenting a cohesive picture of what really goes on beyond the picture editing room. Perhaps this Bay Area weighting is a reflection of the tendency for many filmmakers who appreciate the value of collaboration to be attracted to the less-compartmentalized working methods there. It proves useful to read about the difficult location sound recording on 'Mosquito Coast', and then read later about the ramifications of those early decisions when Alan Splet and Mark Berger were trying to edit and mix the tracks. Where this book could be improved would be if there more of these linkages of interviews. Also, when techniques with a long history are discussed in the interviews (such as dance foley for 'Chorus Line') an internal author's reference about that history would be enlightening (as in: "Fred Astaire and others were doing this in 1934"). But these are minor quibbles, somewhat made up for by the presence of fascinating 'bonus' interviews with Vittorio Storaro and Dean Tavoularis on the cinematography and production design for 'Tucker'. There's precious little published material on the working and creative processes of film sound, and this book helps to fill the void. Check it out.

"I recommend this book to film students and anyone else who is interested in the art of mixing film sound; it contains absorbing insights into the creative process from some of the best sound designers in the industry. By engaging film sound artists in a series of revealing dialogs, Pasquariello highlights some of the practical problems and ingenious solutions to making films sound good." Ioen Allen Senior Vice President Dolby Laboratories

Maybe. Check out especially the Fallwell-Robertson commentary on Planet of the Apes (non-Wahlberg edition). They get into a little debate about some giant-ant-attack movie Charlton Heston was in once. Maybe you had to be there, but it's hilarious. Sequel! Please!

Imagine having a collection of transcripts of today's most noted pundits discussing our era's most popular movies. Impossible, you say. There's no way such a book could exist. When pigs fly, maybe. Even optimistically, it seems pretty far-fetched.

But lo, what is that in the distance? Is it...could it be?? It is! Speak, Commentary! God bless us, everyone, and just in time for Kwanzaa.

book of fake DVD Commentaries available in the United States this year. It's a gas!

i enjoyed it very much. It showed how you can stand up for what you believe.The book and the movie gave me a new look at things.i remember in history class about the event that happen with the students protesting and frought for what they believed in,but no one wanted to listen but cause hurt and pain.The book gave a whole new outlook on them event. It has and will always have place with me in my heart. Liberty Moon is incredible she showed so much faith and heart in what she thought was wrong or right.I read the book long time ago and seen on tv awhile back so alot of things are frizzybut i do that i enjoyed and when I seen it and read it it was memorable and eveytime i get a chance to see it or read I go crazy and i feel like everytime I get that chance I feel like I'm there. i give it 10 tumbs up. love ya

In the video and the book,we now see true freedom of the spirit bringing forth new love, joy and peace.For Jean, it is pure enjoyment to see her husband again as well as her friend,George and finally, her daughter,Liberty Moon. We all hope that everyone else has that same courage like Jean.

This book was truly amazing. It closely followed the episode that aired on television, and it had a litle bit of everything for everyone--comedy, romance, action, cultural differences, suspense, and, ultimately, a spiritual message of hope, truth, and courage. It helped me reevaluate my own priorities and search for whatever courage I may have deep inside me. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who loves Touched by an Angel, and anyone who doesn't.

Unlike most other 'movie tie in' books, this one is really like the movie! Most other books are still diffrent, but this one gives great detail of the movie. It has vivid descriptions of what the horses are doing, and what is around them. It is an easy but interesting read, good for all ages!

Buy now!

I love this book! It is about the life of a wild mustang taken from his home and how he returns. I read this book so long ago, and I re-read it some times. All horse lovers should read this. There are also 3 other books in the series. Read this book!

This book is great. I LOVE mustangs and this book explained a life of a horse. I could imagine everything the author wrote as I read it. My favorite part is when Spirit returns home. HORSELOVERS SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!

Great book and easy for kids to read. No nightmares here! Good story line where the good guys win and the ending will not disappoint the little ones...or the readers. This is a Tale with a meaning behind it and lessons to learn while providing action and a love story suitable for young readers. It Encouraged my kids to inquire about history and initiated a great teaching and learning opportunity for all of us. I Cannot recommend this book enough. It's a favorite in my family--the movie and the soundtrack are even better. The kids loved the movie and the soundtrack is easy listening for us too.

I bought this book for my 3 year old. I was surprised at the beautiful paintings within this book. You sometimes forget your reading a children's book. This is the story of a mustang, stolen away from his herd and his freedom. With his new friends, a young Lakota brave and his pretty paint mare, he discovers not all humans are bad, never give up, and never let them break you. The new American hero for children and yes, even their parents to love.

This is a really beautiful book...high quality...the graphics and story are excellent...my 5 year old loves it. It's a keeper.

My youngest daughter has been hooked on Spongbob since she was a year old. Something about that yellow sponge speaks to her heart.
We now own two copies of this particular Spongebob book. The first one was read to the point that it wore out.
The basic premise of this cute lift the flap book is that Spongebob goes all over Bikini Bottom delivering cute homemade Valentine's to all of his friends.

My 3 year old loves spongebob (i usually try to steer her away from him), she insisted on getting this book over all other valentine books. I was really surprised when I read it to her. The illustrations under the flaps are adorable - I was really impressed with the detailed valentine cards given by spongebob. I enjoyed reading this to her. This is definately one of the better spongebob books I've come across.

This book was a perfect gift for Valentine's Day for my two year old twins. They love SpongeBob and have most of his holiday board books. This was a great addition to their holiday collection! It is a very cute story which they enjoyed...the book is heart-shaped which is very appropriate for the occassion!

I've been a trekkie every since I was 12 years old. And lots of Star Trek Books + Souvenirs & when I saw this item I thought it was really neat. If you are a trekkie just like me you will like these post cards. Enjoy all 30 of them. ("Live Long And Prospser".)or as Captain Kirk or Picard Say At The End Of The Closing Marks. "To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before."

This set of postcards is excellent. The pictures are all great and well-varied, and all of them have excellent image quality. I was somewhat afraid that the images would be grainy from being taken from old film, but this wasn't really the case. Some of the pictures also have captions taken from the show, and they're generally quite funny. Humor and kitsch really make the primary theme of this set of postcards.

The backs of the postcards also have a good design with a gray outline of the enterprise set on a grid of gray lines (which also help to keep your writing straight). I don't know why, but the "Search Inside" feature doesn't show this. It shows the back of a rectangular card, but it's blank--not the same as what is actually on the backs of the cards in the box. Overall, this is easily one of the best postcard boxes I've seen in a long time.

I have a friend thats as much a Star Trek fan as I am, and oddly enough, isn't very computer savy. She writes letters! Real 'stick a stamp on an envelop and put it in the snail mail' type letters! She's been wanting some Trek stationary and we have a hard time finding that... especially these days. Well, when I spotted the Trek Postcards, I snatched up a box for her. She was thrilled! I even got a thank you letter from her.. on the Trek Postcard. I couldn't have found a better birthday gift for her. Thank you for making them available.

this book continues the story of the first book quite well, and provides an experience that any star craft lover will enjoy if they care to know the history of the protoss and they desire a link to star craft 2.

What some fan's may not know is that these books are encompassing characters and an overall storyline that will be part of the upcoming sequel, Starcraft 2. This trilogy is a wonderful creation of cannon, produced by a true professional in the area of Science Fiction literature.

From start to finish, the author's main goal is to always ensure the reader is fully immersed in the environment to give a sense of actually being there with the characters. Due to the unique nature of what is being described in the book, it is necessary to not only display a proper mental image of the surroundings inside the story, but to also give deep insight into the emotional and psychological aspects of not only human but zerg and protoss characters as well.

Truly a wonderful book!

Book Two explains even further the history of the Protoss, and brings forth the legacy of Adun (which Starcraft players will recognize from 'En Taro Adun'). While the author never fully explains where this 'Ulrezaj' comes from, the story makes up for it with a good storyline and a climatic battle in the end.

Also, for people who are looking forward to Starcraft II, this book would be a good read since it's starting to hint at possible connections to the upcoming game. For anyone who's seen the Terran singleplayer trailer for SC2, you'll remember Zeratul mentioning something about a secret that threatens the whole universe. In "Shadow Hunters", the preserver Zamara inside Jake Ramsey also mentions a secret that will threaten all existence. Connection? Maybe. The book also gives a lot of insight on the character of Valerian Mengsk (son of Arcturus Mengsk), who is supposed to play a pivotal role in SC2.

This is a beautiful little book. I enjoyed reading Ms. Rubin's text just as much as the photos. It reads more like a novel than a bio. including little known facts and personal interviews of his family and friends. She makes a point to illustrate the early influences of Steven's family and school life that later became themes for his movies. It is a very intimate look into Speilburg's personal and professional journey. Ms. Rubin has included many formerly unpublished photos. It all adds up to a wonderful read and certainly a lovely addition to your library, especially if you are a fan of Spielberg's work.

This is a pretty good decent sized book about both Spielberg's life growing up and his most successful movies such as Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, Jurrasic Park and Saving Private Ryan to name a few. There are some great colour photographs from the movies along with a lot of information. If you like the films he has done or are interested in his life then this would have to be one of the best books out there on that subject.

Great book for the 9-14 age group or anyone older looking for a light read. Lots and lots of interesting pictures of Spieberg's childhood, early career and blockbuster movies and behind-the-scene production. Well written and a high quality book.

I borrowed this book two times from the library at school.
I read it last night. I just have it for one week.
It's a cool book.
Steven got a camera and he filmed tons of movies on it.
And it talks about all the movies he directed.
He then became a famous director after all that stuff
i just said.
So,now,please buy this book!

The book is astonishing as I would have love to meet him in person. I have been always fascinated with Spielbergs movies and he has shown me great courage and great technical skills in which he is my number one idol because the movies such as ET and CE32 taught me how to film when I was 6 yrs old. So I could only wish to see him someday.

Thank you

The book is astonishing as I would have love to meet him in person. I have been always fascinated with Spielbergs movies and he has shown me great courage and great technical skills in which he is my number one idol because the movies such as ET and CE32 taught me how to film when I was 6 yrs old. So I could only wish to see him someday.

Thank you