Television Books

I'm the owner of an Entertainment Publicity firm in Las Vegas. While on a trip to Los Angeles last week, I wandered into a memorabilia shop and purchased what appears to be the original, unedited manuscript to this book. I've been reading it for the past two days and am absolutely enthralled with Mr. Cossette's story. Starting with his first break into the Entertainment Industry and proceeding through decades, I've been even more humbled upon realizing that I have worked with some of the people and organizations that he makes reference to in his earlier days in the business. For an Entertainment Industry member to a fan of all things Hollywood, this is an absolute must-read!

Pierre Cossette is a true legend in Show Business. I recommend this book for anyone serious about a career in show business. He has helped so many new artist and their careers. An excellent book.

Behind the scenes peeks into the inner-workings of show business are often self-congratulatory, full of tired insights and recycled anecdotes, and little more than glorified puff pieces. The arrival of Pierre Cossette's "Another Day in Showbiz" is all the more a truly welcome addition to the biography canon in that it both offers a plethora of quotable stories and a real attempt by its author to explain how an insider rose from being an outsider to becoming the proverbial insider without losing humility or a wicked sense of humor.

Particularly striking is Cossette's willingness to reveal his failures in addition to his many successes. A man whose winning track record includes celebrated productions in Las Vegas, on television, on Broadway and throughout the music world could easily have omitted his duds, but his candidness helps make the book resonate all the more as an instructional primer on the entertainment industry. The clear lesson here -- that it is persistency that can and does succeed -- is hardly unique to Cossette, but his cheerful yet no hold's barred spin on it gives the reader a glimpse that they could never have been privy to prior.

Getting rejected by Angie Dickinson with a romantic overture might not be something most would boost of, but the author's ability to see it as a reality check and to move forward is a perfect example of his self-deprecating style. Then again, his success with woman has obviously been quite good as witnessed by his glowing words for his current wife. In fact, his clear love for her, as well as for the other key woman in his life, is one of the book's strongest suits. Despite, or perhaps because of, his tremendous success, the obvious tenderness of the man serves as a winning example of a "nice guy finishing first."

To call him a true renaissance man may sound like a cliché, but it is perfectly apt. He knew everybody before they were anybody. Among the many highlights of "Another Day in Showbiz" are lengthy sections on his career in Las Vegas (where he not only began the tradition of the lounge singer, but booked Ronald Reagan and nearly every star of the era), an odd but telling encounter with Howard Hughes, his dealings with superstars ranging from Andy Williams to Celine Dion, his Broadway success with "The Will Rogers Follies" (including some interesting Marla Maples' anecdotes), the founding of his Dunhill Records label, and of course the book's main highlight -- his producing the Grammy Awards telecast for 35 years.

The manner in which he was able to convince a reluctant television network to air the Grammys live for the first time nearly 35 years ago is a perfect example of juggling, risking and trusting your guts. Incredible as it may seem today, there was no real interest from the network brass in such a telecast. Again though, Cossette's persistency and obvious smarts paid off. Cossette has been rightly referred to as "The Godfather of the Grammys," and anyone who reads this book will probably want to kiss his ring -- and want to go into "Showbiz."

Behind the scenes peeks into the inner-workings of show business are often self-congratulatory, full of tired insights and recycled anecdotes, and little more than glorified puff pieces. The arrival of Pierre Cossette's "Another Day in Showbiz" is all the more a truly welcome addition to the biography canon in that it both offers a plethora of quotable stories and a real attempt by its author to explain how an insider rose from being an outsider to becoming the proverbial insider without losing humility or a wicked sense of humor.

Particularly striking is Cossette's willingness to reveal his failures in addition to his many successes. A man whose winning track record includes celebrated productions in Las Vegas, on television, on Broadway and throughout the music world could easily have omitted his duds, but his candidness helps make the book resonate all the more as an instructional primer on the entertainment industry. The clear lesson here -- that it is persistency that can and does succeed -- is hardly unique to Cossette, but his cheerful yet no hold's barred spin on it gives the reader a glimpse that they could never have been privy to prior.

Getting rejected by Angie Dickinson with a romantic overture might not be something most would boost of, but the author's ability to see it as a reality check and to move forward is a perfect example of his self-deprecating style. Then again, his success with woman has obviously been quite good as witnessed by his glowing words for his current wife. In fact, his clear love for her, as well as for the other key woman in his life, is one of the book's strongest suits. Despite, or perhaps because of, his tremendous success, the obvious tenderness of the man serves as a winning example of a "nice guy finishing first."

To call him a true renaissance man may sound like a cliché, but it is perfectly apt. He knew everybody before they were anybody. Among the many highlights of "Another Day in Showbiz" are lengthy sections on his career in Las Vegas (where he not only began the tradition of the lounge singer, but booked Ronald Reagan and nearly every star of the era), an odd but telling encounter with Howard Hughes, his dealings with superstars ranging from Andy Williams to Celine Dion, his Broadway success with "The Will Rogers Follies" (including some interesting Marla Maples' anecdotes), the founding of his Dunhill Records label, and of course the book's main highlight -- his producing the Grammy Awards telecast for 35 years.

The manner in which he was able to convince a reluctant television network to air the Grammys live for the first time nearly 35 years ago is a perfect example of juggling, risking and trusting your guts. Incredible as it may seem today, there was no real interest from the network brass in such a telecast. Again though, Cossette's persistency and obvious smarts paid off. Cossette has been rightly referred to as "The Godfather of the Grammys," and anyone who reads this book will probably want to kiss his ring -- and want to go into "Showbiz."

Funny, interesting, juicy. One of the best books on the music industry I've ever read.

Robert Craft was on the money in his description of this monograph as "one of the most brilliant ever to be published on any composer, let alone the most difficult master of the present age." Stripping away any unnecessary biographical details, Mr. Rosen gives a surprisingly deep and insightful chronicle (for so short a book) of both the music of Schoenberg and that of his contemporaries. Whatever path serialism was to follow after Schoenberg, his own personal reasons for creating it are elucidated here more clearly and with greater historical insight than anywhere else that I am aware of. It has been popular of late to denigrate Serialism, implicating Schoenberg in some of the excesses of his followers. This has always seemed to stem from some fundamental misunderstandings about just what it was Schoenberg was setting out to do when he created his twelve-tone system. This work should be mandatory reading for those revanchist musicians and neo-tonalists who practice a sort of musical revisionism in their assessments of Schoenberg's work--indeed, for anyone who is interested in gaining insight into a composer of unquestionable genius.

Sometimes it's the simplest of observations which make the most long lasting impression.I've always been struck by Rosen's assertion that in 'pierrot lunaire' (or any number of his pieces)it wouldn't make make a huge amount of difference if the instrumental parts were transposed in such a way that the vertical relationships would be altered.Rosen notes that it would be more detrimental if the dynamic markings were altered, affecting the delicate interplay of textures.

Every book I've ever read by Charles Rosen and has deeply affected my view of the topic, and this little book is no exception. There isn't much biography in this book, it is strictly music criticism, focusing on the 'victory' of Schoenberg as well as his two students Webern and Berg.
This book went a long way in helping me to understand the aesthetics of serialism. I don't think a nonmusician would find much use in it, but I think anyone who is a musician at all and has experienced Schoenberg's music will be able to get a lot out of it.

Robert Craft was on the money in his description of this monograph as "one of the most brilliant ever to be published on any composer, let alone the most difficult master of the present age." Stripping away any unnecessary biographical details, Mr. Rosen gives a surprisingly deep and insightful chronicle (for so short a book) of both the music of Schoenberg and that of his contemporaries. Whatever path serialism was to follow after Schoenberg, his own personal reasons for creating it are elucidated here more clearly and with greater historical insight than anywhere else that I am aware of. It has been popular of late to denigrate Serialism, implicating Schoenberg in some of the excesses of his followers. This has always seemed to stem from some fundamental misunderstandings about just what it was Schoenberg was setting out to do when he created his twelve-tone system. This work should be mandatory reading for those revanchist musicians and neo-tonalists who practice a sort of musical revisionism in their assessments of Schoenberg's work--indeed, for anyone who is interested in gaining insight into a composer of unquestionable genius.

seeing that this is such a small book (barely 100 pages of text), i was surprised at the depth of this book. as one reviewer wrote, it does not get into specifics about his life ('journeys' by allen shawn is good for that), but it gets into enough. i was especially pleased with the musical analysis of schoenberg's music that was presented here, which those who understand music can appreciate; such is left out of many musical biographies that i have read, and that is why i appreciate it here. it does lend a tremendous assistance in understanding his music, and his working philosophy. (that said, though, it might mean that this isnt the book for you if you dont want to get into theory; again, shawn's book is an excellent alternative then.)in fact, after reading this, i started to read schoenberg's writings on music theory, which ifound enlightening.

Someone once told me, "The best way to learn how to color is to watch someone doing it." Gaining access to someone at that level can be difficult (and expensive). At that time, I wished I had this book. The author puts you in the room with some of the best colorists working today. It's interesting to see how each colorist approaches a scene differently and how the elements of the picture can motivate the color. For instance, one colorist may see football as the subject, another might be moved by the gritty dirt smeared over the side of it.

Whenever I need inspiration, I turn to the last chapter in the book, "Creating Looks." This book gave me new direction that I hadn't considered in the past and has helped me build my own "PowerGrade" library. It is by far the best book that I have found on the subject both technically and artistically.

The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction

If you've ever tried to color correct in your NLE and have no idea of what all the adjustments mean (such as "input Black") and have been trying to teach yourself the software by just moving the knobs and looking at the results, then this book is for you. I am amazed after reading the first third of the book how much I have learned and how to use the built in scopes that come with most software. I may never become a colorist, but it sure makes my in-house projects far better. And when the day comes that I need to hire a colorist, I feel like I will be better prepared to speak the language. This will be another reference book that will be worn out from daily use.

I 'searched inside this book' and after reading the table of contents and the first few pages I decided to buy it. I had my reservations - not because of what I had read in the intro, but by the last few DV books I had purchased on Amazon. I am, I suppose, something in between a novice and an intermediate editor, and I edit on Sony Vegas Pro. This I have found puts me in a rather awkward category. In the past, all of the 'how to' books I've read have been far too basic or software specific.

What I really appreciated was the tone and pitch of the book. Most of the time, I find introductory books condescending - they seem to assume your inexperience equals a lack of intelligence (and corny jokes are unbelievable).

Before I read the Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction, I new more or less nothing about colour correction - my former corrections, dare I say it, were largely made using the contrast/brightness control - but this book made perfect sense to me. Steve Hullfish writes enthusiastically and encouragingly, and the book I believe would suit novices and pro's alike. The clear definitions in the margins are an excellent idea and are perhaps the key to the book's ability to transcend the novice/pro divide. If you understand the terminology move on, if you don't the explanations are right there.

Although the book does not give examples from Vegas. It explains colorist parlance in useful analogies, and offers suggestions about where to look for color correction tools in NLE's other than Avid and Apple Color. By in large, I found Vegas had most of the tools, scopes etc, and although I love Vegas, after seeing what Apple Color can provide, I do have a little 'application' envy.

One last thing... here's a small anicdote: I recently made a short film on HDV and showed a couple of people who liked it and before I new it, I was being mentored by a large post production studio. I asked them for some advice on corrections. I ended up sitting down with their senior colourists, watching the film on the big screen and talking shop with them for a couple of hours. We were talking about masks, vignettes, secondaries, colour casts, gamma and all sorts of things that, to be honest, I new nothing about until I read this book. It seems there's no substitute for experience, but because this book is full of advice from colourists with many years of experience, why not learn from your mistakes before you make them!

Glen Maw
Wellington, New Zealand

I disagree with the reviewer who said that the book claims that it's impossible to color correct with Adobe products. The MAIN readers of the first color correction book by the author were After Effects users, many of whom followed the advice of noted After Effects gurus, Trish and Chris Meyer.

American Cinematographer magazine's reviewer said this about the book: "likely to become the definitive text on the subject. Sensibly organized, lavishly illustrated and varied in perspective, it's a dense but highly readable summary of the current state of the art."

The cool thing about the book is that it is NOT platform or product specific. The author sat in on sessions with more than a dozen colorists around the country as they all graded the same images. The book walks the reader through those corrections from the viewpoint of these master colorists, instead of from the solitary viewpoint of the author. That's the value of the book. You are literally sitting in with people who have graded TV shows like "24" and "Desperate Housewives" and "LA Law" and "48 Hours" and movies like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Spiderman" or those beautiful NFL Films.

This is a book for anyone using any software product. It is a book that is more about "why" to do the things you need to do than about "how" to do them with a specific piece of software.

I originally wrote this review for my blog and decided to post it here since I think it'll help potential buyers decide if this book is for them. Enjoy...

First question: Is The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction worth reading?

Answer: Yes! Absolutely.

Second question: Is it targeted at newbies or advanced users?

Yes. To both.

The first two thirds of the book "Primary Color Correction" and "Secondary Color Correction" deals with the fundamentals of our toolsets: monitoring, understanding waveform monitors and vectorscopes, balancing shots, vignettes, HSL isolations, and more. While this part of the book can be safely skipped over by more advanced users to whom all that info is second nature, Steve Hullfish does a nice job of surveying how different software apps approach the same concepts. And when a particular software package has a unique tool for achieving a particular task, he breaks it down for the reader.

The upshot: Even if you're experienced colorist on a Symphony you'll walk away with a strong understanding how other software apps work and what you might be missing (or what advantages you may have that you didn't realize). My advice, advanced users should at least skim through these parts paying particular attention when Steve takes a moment to pull a quote from the working professionals he features in the last third of the book. There are some great tips in these sections - especially on how different colorists set up multi-display scopes to help them nail black balance or tweak color values. I ended up changing some of my displays and found a few new setups that I really like.

Overall, the first two parts are not a dumbed down discussion. While Steve starts by laying down the ground-work emphasizing monitoring and external scopes (the latter being a deep discussion that permeates the entire book - which I very much appreciate), he seems to anticipate some of his readers finding material redundant and thankfully breaks out basic terminology to sidebars. Appropriately, those early chapters work through the subject matter in the same order a colorist will typically approach their problem-solving.

The final third of the book "Pro Colorists" is likely where the advanced users will want to begin. Why? That answer leads us to our third question...

Third Question: What makes this book different than other color correction books (or DVDs)?

The soul of this book is contained in the last few chapters and on its supplemental DVD. Steve sits with over a dozen accomplished, professional colorists and puts them in front of a common software color grading platform, Apple's Color (at the time called Final Touch HD), with a Tangent control surface. He gives them all the same set of footage (also provided on a DVD), presses 'record' on a DV camera and grills the colorists about the approach they are each taking to color correcting those images. The result is the author presenting up to three colorists approaching the same shot using different techniques. Or the same technique being used on different shots. Usually in the words of those colorists. It's a great education.

Even better are the transcripts Steve provides on the DVD that didn't make it into the book but he thought were informative. I've just started to read those and already I've gotten some new ideas about different approaches to common challenges.

Another thing that differentiates this book is its largely software-agnostic approach. Color, Avid Symphony, After Effects, Color Finesse, even Photoshop are all featured in the first 2 Chapters alone. Where interfaces are similar, Steve picks a software package and follows it through - pointing out where users of other apps might find things different. I suspect that if iMovie had a color correction module Steve would have a found a place to feature it.

Fourth Question: Any final thoughts?

This is clearly a book about concepts, not tools. As much as it necessarily covers the How To of working with color correction software, it's the Why Do that is emphasized.

In fact, Why Do is the whole point of the book.

Read it. Live it. Learn it.

I am amazed with the art department for Superman Returns. The designs for The Daily Planet and Lex Luthor's yacht are simply beautiful. Absolutely pick this up and see just how much went into the design of Superman Returns. It's super!

Fans of the film SUPERMAN RETURNS must have this film book: it covers all the concepts and developmental art which served as the movie's foundation, pairing over two hundred works of art - costumes, locations, sets - with interviews with the director, screenwriters, artists and costume designers involved. Sketches and color stills accompany reviews of the plot's progression and choices in production. THE ART OF SUPERMAN RETURNS packs in the color and the depth and is the perfect accompaniment to the movie.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I really liked this book because it gave you a behind the scenes look into the film through Pre-Production artwork. I especially enjoyed all the artwork where Superman gets into a spaceship on krypton, this scene was cut out of the movie. Over all the Artists did a good job in recreating the Superman Univerise, the book supports there efforts! A must have for your (art of) Collection:)

Matt

This is a magnificent book. If you were swept away by the artistry of the movie "Superman Returns" like I was, this book is a MUST. Big photographs from the film, sketches, paintings, and storyboards galore abound in this excellent coffeetable edition.

Among my favorites are:
*A full page painting of Superman lying unconscious in a crater in Metropolis Park after falling from space
**An almost 2-page painting of Superman lifting New Krypton out of the ocean, complete with tidal waves and green Kryptonite-laced lightening
***Photos and details about the new Superman uniform - like that it is actually fit for a 9-year old boy, then stretches onto a 6-foot-three Brandon Routh so that there will be absolutely no wrinkles
****Great explanation about Superman's story-opening trip to Krypton and his starship, complete with awesome paintings and photos from deleted scenes
*****Insight about the art deco design of Metropolis - why we just can't take our eyes off of that COOL Daily Planet Building

Superman fans will be happily consumed by the book's artwork and text that will broaden their knowledge and scope of the film. It is a nice size, probably worth more than you'll pay for it, and will definitely become a collector's item! To be re-read often!

One of the best cross-promotional items I've seen based on the new Superman Returns film is "The Art of superman Returns" from Chronicle Books. This 160 page, hardcover book with dust jacket is simply breathtaking as it takes readers behind the cameras of the recent blockbuster film with hundreds of pieces of concept art, storyboards, models and miniatures, paintings, sketches, costumes and photography. It serves to show in vivid depth the amount of detail and planning that goes into making a big budget film like Superman Returns.

The Foreward by director Bryan Singer brings this home right off the bat as Singer is shown standing in the midst of a miniature version of Metropolis, surrounded by buildings taller than he as train tracks and weave all around him. It's a fascinating photo. Full color paintings show Superman's rescue of the stricken jet. Storyboards bring the rooftop standoff sequence to near life as the machine gun pours bullets at the Man of Steel to no avail.

Moving to Smallville, we see the Kent farm recreated in perfect miniature and you can't help but marvel at the skill of the model and miniature artists as no detail is too small for them to include in their work. Once painted, you'd be hard pressed to guess that you were looking at a model, and not a real farmhouse and barn.

One of my favorite parts of the book was a look at Krypton. The Krypton of this film, while similar to the earlier Superman films, is a bit darker and edgier. Superman's Fortress of Solitude gleams compared to earlier films where it was sort of a dull white.

Throughout the book, author Daniel Wallace provides even more detail about the creative process behind the various creations of settings, scenes, and costumes. Metropolis, with all its art-deco accents is truly a sight to behold. Wallace is aided by comments from the film's screenwriters, production and costume designers, not to mention Bryan Singer himself. This is one of those books designed for the avid fan or collector, or even those who might be interested in getting into film work themselves.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

This book is a well-written, exhaustively researched biography of a musical legend. It takes 586 pages to do justice to the 101-year-old icon, and will take a while to finish, however, AS THOUSANDS CHEER gives an honest, objective history of arguably the greatest American songwriter ever.

Have you ever wondered why "White Christmas", one of the best selling songs of all time was written by a Jewish man? "Easter Parade" was also written by the same man. He came to be known as the king of ragtime because of his first published song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band". Musically the songs could not have been different which makes Irving Berlin's career so impressive.
This book not only talks about Berlin's seemingly unending catalogue but also talks about the man. His contemporaries included George M. Cohan, Florence Zeigfield and George Gershwin. Berlin was not only the most prolific of all time but was a true gentleman. Even though he was never accepted by his father-in-law, he ended up supporting him in his final days.
At the end of this book I was more in love with his music and completely impressed with the man. This is a important look at a true American treasure.

This is a terrific show-biz bio that focuses on Berlin's career and tells enough about his personal life to satisfy those of us who remember how complex he was. There are many details of his projects on Broadway and in Hollywood, his publishing company, his early career as a singing waiter, and his tormented retirement. Anyone who likes the kind of anecdotes Moss Hart recounts in "Act One," anyone who is interested in the process of putting on shows and developing movies, will be fascinated by this. The book overflows with the larger-than-life personalities you expect from show business, and there are choice revelations (to me, at least), like his first encounter with George Gershwin, who as a very young man wanted to be Berlin's musical secretary but was rejected for being too talented (i.e., threatening).

The psychology (or psychosis?) of Berlin's genius is presented in a straightforward, non-babbling way. His complexity comes through in his ambivalence towards colleagues, with examples of generosity (an anecdote about the young Burton Lane), avuncularity (Harold Arlen), and rivalry (Richard Rodgers), all contrasted with the almost comical hostility he showed towards some "civilians," especially the scholarly types ("f***ing longhairs") who wanted to dissect him late in his career. His most famous paradox -- the fact that without being able to read music or play an instrument well or even sing decently, he was able to create works of matchless intricacy and depth -- is discussed thoroughly, although it will forever remain mysterious.

There are two dimensions I would like to have seen more fully explored. First, his relations with his original family are almost non-existent after his childhood. While this must be a reflection of reality, I was left curious about what went on between him and his sisters, nephews, and nieces. It's obvious that a major part of his assimilation was to reject all vestiges of his childhood, but it would have been nice to have more detail about encounters with those inconvenient relations. One of the few stories Bergreen includes -- about a sister dying of cancer -- is so painful that maybe he couldn't bring himself to pile on more.

Another aspect that could have been more developed was Berlin's technique. Although no one will ever be able to explain exactly why he's the greatest American songwriter, I would have liked more analysis about how he was able to achieve his unique combination of simplicity and sophistication. There is a total absence of musical examples, which might have two reasons: that publishers of musical bios tell their authors to leave notation out the same way authors of popular science books are prohibited from using equations, or that Berlin's estate forbids the quoting of even the smallest snippets of his songs. Or maybe the author isn't as much of a "longhair" as he seems to be from the precision and insight of his observations.

But even though I would have enjoyed reading more of the above, the book is totally splendid as is. The best compliment I can think of is that it does justice to one of the great artists of the 20th century.

I enjoyed Bergreen's book about Irving Berlin as I did his book on Al Capone. To think that all these great songs came from one man simply boggles the mind.

LAURENCE BERGREEN has done a terrific job in all departments. When you finish the book, you have a good idea of who IRVING BERLIN was, and what a life he had from singing waiter to AMERICAN's first great composer with JEROME KERN. Anyone interested in the story of AMERICAN music should read that book.

El libro habla de una dicotomia de las personas que aunque son de un lugar las circunstancias y la vida misma las ha llevado a estar en otro lugar como en el caso del autor. Es bien grafico en sus comentarios y a las personas como Yo, latinos que vivimos en el mismo lugar que nacimos nos da una perspectivas de las vicisitudes que pueden enfrentar en muchas areas de sus vidas nuestros hermanos residentes en los Estados Unidos continentales. Lo recomiendo especialmente a los puertorriquenos como Yo para que se identifiquen con los problemas de nuestros hermanos latinos.

This book is an amazing account of a man who has gone through a very distinct childhood which has shaped his current status as arguably the world's most influential latino reporter. This is a must read for everyone, whether you read it in spanish or its english version "No boarders," everyone will get something out of this book.

Parece que este libro no ha llamado la atencion de los estadounidenses, aparte de los latinos que vean las noticias en espanol. Eso representa una falta de interes total, francamente, porque el libro fue traducido en ingles. Han dicho ultimamente que pasamos los afroamericanos como la menoria mas grande de los EEUU. Creo que ya es la hora para establecer un dialogo entre la mayoria (o sea, los anglos) y nosotros, porque llegara el dia en que seremos la mayoria en muchos estados.

Jorge demuestra una sensabilidad enorme aqui. A traves de sus cuentos, podemos compartir la tristeza de un joven "exile" que no se comprometiera para nada, un esposo que lucha para balancear la matrimonia con su individualismo, un padre melancolico que duda del futuro de sus hijos, etc. Hay momentos en que podemos sentir la nostalgia que provoca en ciertos momentos, como cuando habla de las canciones que representan los momentos importantes de su vida. Siempre recordare "Africa" y los ochenta. Y creo que el momento en que escucho "Music" despues de 9/11 fue un momento poetico.

Hay mucho que admirar en este libro. La unica critica que tengo es que como periodista cuenta las cosas de una manera muy chronologica a veces.

Gracias, Jorge Ramos, por ser una persona tan honesta con si mismo. Eres una inspiracion.

Hopefully anyone who speaks spanish has a chance to read this book, it allows you to share into some of his extraordinary experiences, it also allows you to see a glimpse of what it's like to be one of many latinos that hopefully will create a certain level of tolerance on anyone who reads it.

Yo recomiendo este libro a cualquiera que este buscando un buen libro que hace mas que entretener.

Leer a Ramos es ameno, un libro lleno de anectodas y vivencias que solo un inmigrante lo puede entender a cabalidad, empezar desde cero como lo hizo el y como lo hacen a diario los miles de inmigrantes en el mundo es sin duda un paso muy importante de cualqier ciudadano que emigra. Algo muy interesante de este libro es la claridad de sentimiento descrito en sus paginas, es muy facil identificarse con el, precisamente por que dice lo que siente. Ya entrando en detalles sobre el libro, te ensena sin presion lo que un periodista es capaz de construir con su profesion y personalidad y mas que todo sus principios inquebrantables. Es un excelente libro que delinea el futuro de la minoria mas importante de los EEUU y de la creciente influencia de la misma en todos sus aspectos. Muy bueno por nosotros, muy bueno por Jorge.
Comprar este libro es una excelente eleccion

This book is a must for any Batmobile fan. It has lots of information and photographs about all the cars that George Barris has designed for famous people and for well known TV shows and films.

If you love cars like the 60's batmobile,fireball 500,munster's coach just to name a few then this book is for you.George Barris known for his modified cars and rods has put together a collection of photos and details of several cars.Not a comprehensive of all his cars but enough to please most people.

I had the opertunity to meet george barris at the Houston Autorama. He not only took time to autograph his book but to visit about custom cars. We visited for quite some time and he went to look at my custom car. I was impressed by his down to earth genuine interest in my projects. Movie cars built by Pegasus Motorcars he liked my designs and the wild wing on the back was his favorite. Thank you George Barris you are my Hero. Charlie Van Natter. .

I had the opertunity to meet george barris at the Houston Autorama. He not only took time to autograph his book but to visit about custom cars. We visited for quite some time and he went to look at my custom car. I was impressed by his down to earth genuine interest in my projects. Movie cars built by Pegasus Motorcars he liked my designs and the wild wing on the back was his favorite. Thank you George Barris you are my Hero. Charlie Van Natter. .

Great coverage of TV's Batmobile and the Munter's cars. Authors also remind you about cars you didn't know Barris did: The Beverly Hillbillies truck, the Flintstones (film of course) cars, updates of the Knight Rider Firebird, the Jurassic Park Explorers, and the infamous sitcom "My Mother the Car" (the butt of many Johnny Carson jokes). But also taking up space are forgotten cars from forgotton projects...the Bugaloos dune buggy and a TV special "Romp". Cars I would have liked to have seen but didn't make the cut include the Monkee Mobile, the Green Hornet's "Black Beauty" and the Stutz replicas made for the TV adventure series "Bearcats!". Overall a good book, but I have a hunch that only the surface of Barris' career has been scratched. How about a large format book with lots of color and details on the surviving movie cars and "Kustoms" that made Barris the legend he is?

I'm a screenwriter, and I bought this book because I wanted to see Nolan's revisions after Goyer had written the first draft. The script isn't formatted as neatly or aesthetically as the "Dark Knight" script (here it's in regular book format, TDK has it in sleek PDF) but it's still a solid script.

It has interviews (Goyer's is really short but Nolan's is substantial and informative) and artwork. The artwork is good if you wanna see how people in the industry do shot-by-shot scenes. Buy this book if you like reading scripts. Otherwise pass.

This is a legit, professional product. If you're purchasing this for either leisure or for study, you'll definitely be getting your money's worth. There's nothing wrong with those screenplays that they sell for a movie that is chock full of glossy, full-color photographs, but those publications change the layout of the script, which is another aspect of scriptwriting a student of that particular art needs to learn. The screenplay for "Batman Begins" has the complete script, a full storyboard collection, and interviews with the director and screenwriter of the film. Black and white. No frills. Professional. I highly recommend this product. You'll love it!

I've always found it fascinating on how they make movies nowadays. I've taken film classes, but it wanted to see the scripts that they use. This is the complete screenplay to the movie " Batman Begins." You not only can read the linings, but you can see how they decided to put together these scenes through the storyboards. This is an excellent item for any movie buff, or any butting filmmaker. It will give you an idea on how to start writing a screenplay, and you can go behind the scenes in see how they put together this blockbuster.

Batman begins is a awesome movie. Sweet special effects, very,very,very,very good actors, great storyline, some good princibles....ect. Don't even worry about rent'n it first, because if you like action, suspense, sweet special effects, and all that comes with a action movie, you might as well buy the dang thing!!! And you won't regret it!!! HIGHLY recommend this movie.

Being a huge Batman fan, I waited in anticipation for this movie to be released. I wasn't disappointed. After seeing it, David Goyer and Christopher Nolan have really "got" the whole idea of the myth that is the Batman.
They have stayed true to the Batman history, and have delivered what many believe to be the "ultimate comic book movie".
While probably not for the kids, this version of Batman is definately what this Bat-fan has been waiting for - tough, dark and intimidating.
This screenplay seems to reveal the original script that Goyer/Nolan pitched to Warner Bros. I say "seems to" because there are a few notable changes from the film version as released. I can only assume that Warner Bros changed certain areas to ensure that the film recevied a PG13+ rating in the US, while here in Australia it received a M15+.
Without giving too much away, the script as presented in this book has a darker edge to certain scenes, and in my opinion, is exactly how the movie should have been done.
I rate this as 5 stars based on the way Goyer and Nolan have finally portrayed the Batman as he was meant to be.
I only hope that Warner Bros can secure both Nolan and Goyer for the sequel.

Any XENA fan should just buy it ! Is just mildly irreverent, cuz the author really seems to have a warm spot in his heart for this show. The episode reviews are thought inspiring; however, the book needs an index & comprehensive TOC. The next volume or two, for the more recent seasons, are sorely overdue.

This is the ultimate Xena guide. Extremely well written! Greg Cox does an excellent job reviewing each episode with accurate facts and humerous observations. The first three seasons (I wish he would write one for seasons 4-6!) episodes are discussed along with their (possible) Mythological basis, subtex, highlights, and even an episode rating. There is also information on both Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. If you are going to buy an episode guide this in the one to buy!

If you want a perfect reference for every Xena episode of the first three seasons that is enjoyable to read and very informational, this is the book for you. It makes up for its lack of pictures with great wit and an amazing style of writing. You learn a great deal about the origins of myths and the like. You even learn some ideas about possible symbolism in some of the episodes. This is a show that can always be read on many levels, and when this author peels away the top layer you do find much deeper ideas in many cases. Although I do not always agree with the "rating" he puts on every episode and I do not agree with every comment he makes, all in all it is a wonderful book that makes you think. And you can't agree with someone all of the time. I do respect him though for taking the time to make such a wonderful compendium to the greatest fantasy show in television history. Hopefully he'll create an updated version at the end of this year, to include the fourth and fifth seasons. I always reach for his book after I watch an old episode to read his ideas and I'm dying to be able to do that for the newer episodes also. Please, please write a sequel! In my opinion, the fifth season so far is the greatest Xena has ever had. It deserves a book from him, as does the fourth.

Although completely unauthorized, this is the finest book on Xena Warrior Princess. It contains reviews and insightful remark about the first three seasons of the show. Greg Cox also gives us a "reality check" in which discusses the actual historical/mythological context that the elements of each episode contain. He discusses continuity matters and character motives. He also included reviews of all the Hercules episodes that Xena and Gabrielle appear in. This is a book for fans written by a fan. Read, enjoy and Battle On! YiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYi!

This book is a great companion when watching the reruns on the USA network. Unlike "official" books on Xena, the author is not afraid to question a bad episode, but fortunately that's seldom required. He does a great job cross referencing recurring actors, characters, scenery(!) and related Hercules episodes, and his remarks on historical tie-ins are really illuminating for a non-history buff like me. I bought this a year ago and I reference it almost daily. The writing is clear and clever, and obviously done with love for the show. Please, Greg, we need a volume 2! I recommend this over all other Xena books I've read.

For a change, we have here a most outstanding gay story which doesn't mention AIDS every three paragraphs - in fact, I believe it only comes up once. What a relief! It's the most moving love story, where those who fall in love just happen to be two boys. This really has to be read to be believed - no review could do it justice, so my advice to you is simply to get hold of a copy! You will also fall in love - with Jamie & Ste, Leah, her Mum and Sandra - Jamie's Mum. You will laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. A modern masterpiece. Some further advice to you, when you've finished reading, find a Mama Cass/The Mamas And The Papas CD and lap up the atmosphere. You'll notice how many songs could have been written especially for "Beautiful Thing". By the way, Mama Cass didn't die choking on a sandwich - she had a heart attack.

Who better to adapt a stage play for the screen than the playwright? Jonathan Harvey's jewel of a love story glistens in the eyes of Jamie and Ste, two lads from London who discover love in the arms of each other, and glows in the hearts of all who are fortunate enough to read Harvey's words or see the movie that he scripted. BEAUTIFUL THING is just that - a wonderously beautiful thing!

I BELIEVE, THAT BEAUTIFUL THING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FILM OF GAY GENRE THAT I'D HAS SEE, IS A FRESH FILM, THAT TELL US A STORY VERY COMMON IN OUR SOCIETY. I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE HOMOSEXUALITY WAS SOMETHING BAD, BUT WITH THIS FILM I CHANGED MY POSITION IN FRONT THIS CONCEPT. THE ACTORS SCOTT NEAL AND GLEN BERRY BETWEEN OTHERS MAKED AN ESPECTACULAR ROLL AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SCREENWRITER AND THE DIRECTOR, THE SCREENPLAY IS VERY GRATEFUL.

Beautiful Thing is one of the warmest, most positive stories about gay love I have ever read. More importantly, it is about love in general, and all the fears, hopes, dreams, etc. that go with first love, not just gay love. I can't recommend it more highly for anyone, gay or straight.

It is about two school boys who fall in love.

A long hot summer on a housing estate in South London. James is bunking off school, whilst his Mother Sandra juggles job promotion and her relationship with hippy-dippy boyfriend Tony.

Next door lives Sassy Leah, who spends her day listening to Mama Cass records. In the same block, Jamie's class mate Steve, although sporty and popular at school, Is bullied by his drunken father. One day Steve, seeks refuge in Sandra's flat and ends up sleeping head to toe with Jamie...

Author says "The only images I really had of gay people when I was growing up were those public boys in cricket jumpers taking each other punting on the river, or the working class boys who got kicked out and ended up working as rent boys. This play in which somebody can be working class and still have their sexuality accepted. That was my agenda. It's not about what you get up to after lights out, it's about falling in love."

The feel good book of the summer film 96

We love the book and the film

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