Film Books

This is the exact dialog that's in the movie, Happiness. I have all of Todd Solondz's other script books, and if you (really) like his movies, this, (and the others, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Storytelling) are recommended, because it's fun to read the movie when you are unable to see the movie. The subject matter in Happiness is dark, but very funny, and at times very sad.
"I came."

Happiness is a masterpiece for Todd Solondz in writing and directing. With wonderfully real characters and actors this is truly a remarkable piece. Dialogue and situations will offend everyone at the Rainbow Coalition.

Todd Solondz's "Happiness" is so insane and enjoyable that it is, in my opinion, the best original screenplay since Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." The characters are so disturbed and conflicted that when they come together the scenes are so honest and filled with disparity. Not one word is out of place. Todd Solondz has a great ear for dialouge. A super terrfic screenplay.

"Critically acclaimed at Cannes yet threatened with censorship abroad, 'happiness' deserves to do for Todd Solondz what 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Boogie Nights' did for Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson. Although it lacks some of the punch the stellar ensemble provided for the film, Faber and Faber' s screenplay allows you to focus on Solondz's prodigious talent as a screenwriter. Painstakingly funny yet deeply disturbing, alternative cinema at it's finest.

It was the Dan Clowes's artwork on the movie poster that first caught my attention. I had to watch the movie. But, alas, too much was censored. Fortunately, I managed to get a copy of the screenplay (plus the Dan Clowes cover as a bonus!).

In my opinion, I rank it above Pulp Fiction. While Pulp is intentionally made to be cool and stylish, Happiness is totally honest, minus the coolness and style. I know they're a totally different movie, but I can't help making the comparison because Pulp Fiction is mentioned in the blurp by Vogue on the back cover.

Well, I'm sorry if you're a Pulp's fan...

Just the kind of book I was looking for. Being a huge fan of Harrison Ford films I wanted to read something to the point - the making of his movies. This is precisely what you get from Brad Duke's extremely well researched and complete book. Having this book along with my Netflix subsciption and I was in Harrison Ford film school. A book like this can add so much enjoyment to the movie watching experience. I would love to see more books exactely like this one for other great actors such as Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, or any other you care to name. Duke's style is perfect for film fans who want to aquire a deeper knowledge of the films and actors they admire without the celebrity hoopla and nonsense and on the other hand without the over the top intellectualism of much film criticism that stuffs the shelves of most book stores. In conclusion, an excellent read and a very useful reference for the work of one of the finest actors of the last 40 years. A must for all fans.

This is truly very well documented book about Ford's life and his films. The author goes into great detail about his films (maybe too much detail) and you will learn something new about Ford and his films. That is a promise. I thought I knew almost all there is to know about man - I was mistaken. But I have two complaints. First is the fact that all the photos in the book are in black and white. Not a big issue but I would have liked to see some color photos. And the second and more important is that if you are not a true 100% fan of Harrison Ford, the author's method may get boring. Although an excellent book, the author doesn't use much variety. Each chapter is filled with the same kind of information. Why Ford accepted the role, how the director got involed, how the script got wriiten, some technical element and the location, what Ford thought of the project, how it was received by critics and how much money it made. Finally we have Ford's view on the project. And although great for us Ford fans, it will certainly be a bit boring for the average reader midway through the book. But nevertheless this is a very good book for Ford fans and the best thing about this book is that it tells much more about Ford and his views than the previous books about Ford. There are more Ford quotes than in previous books. Usually it is mainly what Ford's co-worker and old school friend said about him. This is more what Ford has said and those closest to him. Therefore I recommend this book for everybody who are interesting in books about films/actors but warn the average reader that it may get tiresome midway through the book.

Despite it being a tad pricey, this book is incredibly well researched - and if you're a true Ford fan - well worth the price. It truly reads like a textbook in that there's no fluff to get in the way of the facts. Mr. Duke tells the story of Ford's life chronologically and goes into - dare I say, graphic - detail into the making of his films.
Just when you thought you knew everything about the legend, it's time to think again...

'Harrison Ford: The Films' is infinitely detailed and exhaustingly researched in a way that other books simply are not. Fans and film students will find this to be a substantive and well written source for information on both Mr. Ford himself, and the trials and tribulations of film making. Moreover, Mr. Duke's work is absorbing and entertaining - not merely a bland list of the actor's acomplishments, but a witty and reverant discussion of Mr. Ford's career and life. The author graciously omits the cheap "gossip" that so often finds its way into such works, while including a well rounded look at Mr. Ford's origins and personal achievements.

In short, this book is a MUST for any Ford fan or film buff!

Brad Duke's years of research, interviews and extensive travel have paid off in the biggest of ways in the form of 'Harrison Ford: The Films'. Duke's chronological peek at the stellar career of Harrison Ford is unarguably the most thorough, complete and compelling work that has ever come to the literary marketplace.
Commencing with Harrison's working class upbringing and intricately weaving it's way through years of legendary films, directors, actors, friends and business associates, 'Harrison Ford: The Films' could certainly be used as a textbook in a college course about Ford's life and career. This extraordinary book gives the reader a fly-on-the-wall look at the reclusive star's life, loves, personal passions, films and little-known philanthropic efforts. It is a rare feat when a Hollywood-themed book can manage to side-step gossip and innuendo and wind up with a true and accurate depiction of a man, an actor, a crazy business and the passion that fuels all three.
Utilizing little-known stories and interviews with industry big-wigs and insiders, the reader is "a-FORD-ED" with a rare glimpse of the movie industry and all it's workings and complications. Duke further encourages the reader with the use of easy-to-understand terminology and funny stories that, some of which, until now, have not been committed to print. You will certainly find this an easy read and an extremely insightful and funny look at the world's most popular movie star. Starting with Harrison's earliest work in television, the book faithfully chronicals the trials, tribulations and triumphs in such areas as co-stars, film budgets, script problems, studio clashes, risky stunt work and the toll that his work has taken on Mr. Ford himself.
I bought the book when it first came out and did not put it down until I was finished reading it. I found it poignant, interesting, insightful and absolutely charming. I'm sure you will too.

... but Von Doviak did it. Wow. This is the kind of pop culture read that I really like. Smart, funny, thoroughly knowledgeable. It was a fun and yet totally definitive exploration of a film genre that no one has really ever tackled. Maybe no one thought it was worth tackling? But Von Doviak braved the (swampy) waters beautifully. And being from Texas, I admit I was concerned that the book was going to rip apart my treasured Southern culture- but it didn't. This guy deserves a case of Lone Star.

You don't actually have to care much about redneck movies to like this book - I didn't, at least not much, but Von Doviak drew me into it, largely due to his amiable writing style and sharp sense of humor - he performed the impossible task of making a history of redneck cinema actually very personable. This must be what it's like to sit down and have a beer with Von Doviak and talk hixploitation. But the book is not some vanity piece meant to spotlight the author's personality at the expense of the subject - quite the opposite. Von Doviak covers his subject with a mix of knowledge and humor that reveals his understanding of the ridiculous nature of the films he has set about to cover, while at the same time treating their history with respect and providing context that deflects the possible cliched insults that could be lobbed at these movies..

We need more people like Mr. Von Doviak writing about popular culture - he presents an unusual take on a subject that is never over the top. The book is fresh, lively, unstudied in the best possible meaning of the term, and laced with a self-deprecating sarcasm that many more critics could take cues from as they get to know their subject.

I'll say it loud and drunkenly: Hick Flicks is a brilliant analysis, defining the genre and subgenres of movies by and about Redneck-Americans, or, as we prefer, "Sons of the Soil."

Von Doviak starts us with an Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow (www.drafthouse.com), as Scott canoes downriver, encountering hillbillies both planted and au naturale (that means "nekkid" or, in this case, "not planted"), to a riverside viewing of Deliverance. This experience sets Mr. Von D to wondering: "Is that banjo kid available for weddings? Failing that, should I write an in-depth analysis of redneck movies?" The answer, as Scott reveals in a surprising twist, is (brace yourselves for maximum shock value) yes.

Somewhat in the tradition of Jackass, Von D subjected himself to more movies about and by rednecks than is legal in 27 states. Von Doviak divides these into subgenres: trucker movies, stunt driver movies, chicks seeking revenge for what was done to them movies, hillbilly horror movies, documentaries about rural folk, and the like. In fact, in one of the more astounding segments of masochistic horror ever to emerge from scholarly film criticism, Von Doviak undertakes 24 hours of hillbilly horror flicks, starting with the Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which shortly emerges as one of the more intelligent and sensitive movies on the line-up. The guy deserves a Purple Heart.

Anyway, it's fun to laugh at rednecks, especially if, like me, redneck blood courses through your veins (and only occasionally coats your rage-filled hands of justice), but thinking about rednecks and the mysterious ways of redneck culture is hard work and usually limited to slightly contemptuous, brilliantly smart-assed novelists like Harry Crews. Von Doviak leads the way in thinking about an underappreciated segment of film history, one that mostly exists only in documentaries and on the USA Network now. This book's a hoot and a holler and has been scientifically proven to be more fun than a semi full of monkey sidekicks. Go buy it.

We all now know that the 1970s was the period of the American movie Renaissance, when such artists as Coppola and Scorsese and Altman broke free to strew masterpieces across the landscape. But for some of us, in certain parts of the country, it was also the time when we huddled together on the playground or at the back of the school bus to trade rumors, in awestruck whispers, about what brand of violent justice was meted out by Buford Pusser in "Walking Tall" and what wiseguy putdown Gator McCluskey said to the sheriff in "White Lightning" and what horrors were to be seen in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and just how real "The Legend of Boggy Creek" was supposed to be. It was the era of Earl Owensby and Hal Needham and a time when both Jan-Michael Vincent and Jethro Bodine could be seen playing violent rednecks. Scott Von Doviak brings it all back, in such a way as to provide an alternative film history of the period, a free-wheeling period of creative ferment, countercultural experimentation and demented hucksterism as seen through the bottom of a corn likker bottle. It also happens to be the funniest book I've read in ages.

Hick Flicks is a fantastic and fun read. It's a bit like a walk down memory lane - summers of bad movies at the drive-in. God do I miss a good drive-in.

I did have some disturbing dreams about Bigfoot and the dude from The Hills Have Eyes, but I blame that as much on my cold medicine as I do on the book.

Scott Von Doviak's voice is clear and true, with enough astute observations to border on an entry for the Cahier du Cinema. I would have liked more Maury stories, but that's me. I'm a sucker for a dog.

Now you may question the relevance of a book like Hick Flicks. Hillbilly exploitation films died out with gas rationing (more or less). But I'd argue that with all this Red State/Blue State nonsense they're probably more relevant than ever.

Hollywood marketed 30 years ahead of where politics moved in the past two elections. Put that in yer corncob pipe and smoke it.

The swoon-inducing, jaw-dropping photo of young Johnny Cash at the Hollywood Bowl alone is worth the price of this book. But don't just look at the beautiful pictures (and there are many) - read the words. Well-written, insightful, and often funny, the stories from the mouths of the stars sparkle brighter than the rhinestones on the cover. Hillbilly Hollywood motivated me to search out and find the music of artists unfamiliar to me before, and I will forever be grateful to the author for introducing me to the wild brilliance of the almost-forgotten Maddox Bros. & Rose, and others like them. This is the perfect book for anyone who loves music, whether it be country-western, punk rock, or anything in between.

Debby Bulls book "Hillbilly Hollywood" gives us a great look at the almost-forgotten flashy country and western artists of radio and early western movies. We get a thorough insiders look at the glitz and the true 'ART' of rhinestone cowboy and cowgirl wear by the country artists of the '40's and 50's. There are wonderful color images and historical photos of my favorite country legends. The book itself would be at home on Elvis's coffee table. Yum! Yum! This book is a "Five Star" ten course feast for the eyes and soul for us wannabe cowboy and cowgirl types. A true collectors item.

I'm a very hard girl to buy for (and a music snob to boot)but my sweetheart did a very good thing when he purchased Hillbilly Hollywood for me as an early Valentine's Day gift!
It's just GORGEOUS,well-written,and chock-full of stunning color images of several historic pieces of country couture including rare photos of artists that I just adore like Johnny Cash,The Flying Burritto Bros.,and (gasp!) Rockabilly Goddess CHARLENE ARTHUR!!!
It's very difficult these days to find any information on the designers Nudie and Manuel but this book covers it ALL!!!
SO SATISFYING!!!
Always,
Grey DeLisle (wife of Murry Hammond:)

Debby Bull's HILLBILLY HOLLYWOOD is an astonishing book. Her writing is never tainted by nostalgia. It's fresh, original and cleverly surmised. The physical book is about as extravagant as Nudie's glorious Western regalia--complete with rhinestones on the cover. It's a tribute to a strange phenomenon--the gone, but not forgotten completely, country-western artists of the '40s who were (regrettably) bumped from the spotlight by rock 'n roll and leftist politics. It's great to see the spirit of this era so well communicated. As a native born hillbilly and the author of THE BEAUTIFUL AND ENDURING OZARKS and co-author with my wife Crystal of 3 books on Branson (often dubbed "the hillbilly Las Vegas") I feel credentialed to endorse this book. I'm going to order a six-pack later in the year for Christmas presents. I suspect there is a bunch of closet hillbillies out there that will get a real kick from this neat book.

Who are into western wear.
I'm a cowgirl living in The Netherlands and books about westernwear are hard to find. 100 years of western wear by Tyler Beard was the one I found in Holland. Also a great book!!
Tyler send Hillbilly Hollywood to me, and I love every page of it! It's about stars and their love for the garb.

Complex, thought provoking book that helps One building the gut level instincts that eventually will be used in making a decision about which movie to produce.

De Vany presents a profound and imaginative treatment of the economics of the movie business, one that has implications, not only for similar businesses such as publishing and music, but for our understanding of the dynamics of culture. When Richard Dawkins coined the term "meme" he unwittingly paved the way for tons and tons of sexy but shallow commentary on human culture. Though that is not what he set out to do - "meme" never shows up in the book - De Vany has given mathematical form to the behavior of movie memes and has demonstrated that it is the people who are in change, not the memes.

In the words of screen writer William Goldman, "nobody knows anything" about what happens to movies once they are released to the theatres. Most movies don't even break even, much less make a profit - not in theatrical release, which is what De Vany investigates. [These days, movies make money on DVDs and TV, but that's another story, told by Jay Epstein.] That's no way to run a business, but the problems are inherent in the nature of movies as a business venture. The deep and ineradicable condition of the business is that there is no reliable way to find out whether or not your movie has a market other than putting it on screens across the country and seeing if people come to watch.

Does having "bankable" names of the marquee guarantee that the movie will make bank? No. Does opening big on thousands of screens with PR from here to the moon guarantee that the movie will make bank? No. Does a small opening mean the film is doomed? No. Hence Goldman's remark.

But all is not chaos. Or rather it is, but chaos of the mathematical kind. De Vany shows that about 3 or 4 weeks into circulation movie dynamics (that is, the dynamics of people coming to theatres to watch a movie) hit a bifurcation. Most movies enter a trajectory that leads to diminishing attendance and no profits. But a few enter a trajectory that leads to continuing attendance and, eventually, a profit. Among these, a very few become block busters.

And those few come to dominate the statistics of movie economics. From the point of view of statistics based on the normal distribution those few are movies outliers and should be discounted. De Vany develops a statistical framework - he calls is the stable Paretian model - that gives proper attention to those block busters. The model is stable in the sense that it exhibits the same structure at all scales.

* * * * *

De Vany devotes particular attention to the structure of the movie business. During its glory years the industry was organized by the studio system. The studios owned both the means of production and the means of distribution. Stars, directors, writers, and craftspeople, all were on staff at the studios. When it came time to release films, the studio's distribution system went to work and the films went out to theaters owned by the studios and to independent theaters with long-term booking arrangement. The system worked well.

But in the 1950s an anti-trust action was brought against the studios and they were ordered to divest themselves of their theaters and stop the cozy booking arrangements. The result of that was that was that they lost the stars, directors, writers, and producers - who became independent contractors - and the costs of production went up. And those increased costs were passed on to the movie-goer.

De Vany argues, convincingly, that the studios were not a cartel that drove up prices for their own benefit. Rather, their arrangements, their ownership of theaters, helped them cope with the extreme uncertainty of the business. They had just enough direct control over exhibition practices to stabilize their income so that they could afford to keep the talent on staff. Once that stability was taken from them, they had to let the talent go. And that, in turn, meant that, each time a film was to be made, someone had to go out into the marketplace and put the team together, thus incurring transaction costs that didn't exist in the studio system.

* * * * *

An excellent book. Note that it's thick with mathmatics. But it also has lots of charts. You can read those even if you can't make sense of the equations.

How can you predict the success or failure of a film? Even if you can't predict with perfect accuracy, can you predict which movies will probably be a hit? For example, does a star guarantee a hit? Do big budgets matter? Do ratings ensure a certain level of profit? Does a movie's gross receipts in its first week predict its total gross over the entire run?

The media clearly shows that movie makers go for big stars in expensive racy or violent films that are widely distributed from the first week they open. This is what Hollywood thinks creates true hits. But think twice about trusting Hollywood instincts: Arthur De Vany looks at the empirical evidence on movie revenue and concludes that this conventional wisdom should be rejected.

De Vany shows that while stars and big budgets do indicate a movie's revenue scale, they do not predict its success. Big stars have made expensive turkeys (e.g. Waterworld starring Kevin Costner) while on the other hand huge hits have been produced without stars (e.g. Home Alone). One of the more interesting conclusions is that the old movie studio system understood implicitly that this business was unpredictable. Until the antitrust laws were used to break them up, the studios contracted stars, script writers, directors, distribution networks and movie theaters in order to own the entire stream of revenues all their movies would generate.

This way the old studio bosses could diversify their risk in what was essentially a portfolio of movies. They knew that they could not predict which of their films would be a hit so they insisted on owning them all and on managing costs so that the hits would pay for the turkeys, while leaving shareholders with a healthy return.

These results are fascinating and have a wide range of application beyond Hollywood, particularly in uncertain hit-or-miss industries as unrelated to the movies as are gold mining and oil drilling.

One word of warning. Despite what the blurb says, the book is technical. Each of the twelve chapters is a peer-reviewed academic paper in economics making full use of all the quantitative analysis tools available to a professional researcher. To get the full message, you need enough basic statistics to understand conditional probabilities, first and second moments, cumulative functions, linear regression, etc. However, each of these chapters also comes with an intro and conclusion worded in plain English. So as long as you're willing to trust the peer reviews, you don't actually need to do the math yourself.


Vincent Poirier, Dublin

I skipped the high-falutin' parts with integral calculus...BUT: Anyone who is investing a nickel in ANY entertainment medium should read this book. The buying public is discerning, fickle and SMART. Crap stinks and the first to catch a wiff of a film that stinks are like Paul Revere coming out of the theater. On the other hand, a great film can fizzle due to any number of peculiar reasons such as distribution decisions or competing releases. There is also interesting treatment of the demise of studio-owned movie houses and an argument in favor of lifting the ban.

William Goldman ("nobody knows nothin'", or something like that) has it figured out: write screenplays and wait. The Princess Bride, case in point. He even wrote the book AFTER the movie hit big.

Let somebody else put his money into film production. There is a fine line between genius and lunacy...the buying public determines which he is.

Hollywood Economics: How Extreme Uncertainty Shapes the Film Industry by Arthur De Vanyn (Routledge) (Hardcover)
What do stars do for a movie? Aside from earning a higher least revenue, a star movie has only a slightly higher chance of making a profit than a non-star movie De Vanyn shows. If the star's agent extracts the higher expected profit in the star's fee, then the movie almost surely will lose money. This De Vanyn calls the curse of the superstar.
Opening big and leading at the box office is a momentary success. A movie has to attain or sustain box-office dominance over many weeks to make major money. The size of the opening does not predict how the ensuing battles will evolve or how much money the film will take in. Why do executives compete so strongly for stars when they can assure no more than a higher expectation of a movie's least revenue? It seems to be based on a belief that the opening predicts how much a movie will make. That turns out to be false, as this study shows.
The articles are grouped into four parts: dynamics, wild uncertainty, judges and lawyers and extremes. There are three chapters in each of these parts. De Vanyn writes a brief introduction to each part noting the main issues, techniques and results of the papers contained therein. De Vanyn has not sacrificed rigor or completeness; these are refereed articles, published in scientific journals and their results have been independently confirmed and replicated by other authors many times over.
De Vanyn also provides a couple of new chapters that were not published previously. One of these concerns artists, primarily actors and directors. It examines how productive they are and how they are paid. De Vanyn establishes the Price-Evans law of artists, estimate the half life of a star and see if one can separate luck from talent in career patterns. In another new work for this book, De Vanyn puts all this work into a more complete model, a model that begins to bridge the gap between standard management and economic models and the reality of the business.
In the Epilogue he muses on how one might manage a business where nobody knows anything. It is here that De Vanyn takes up the fundamental flaws his research reveals about the way the modern corporate studio manages the movie business.
Finally perhaps we will see why conventional models fail spectacularly to explain the movies and why De Vanyn had to invent a new kind of economics to come to grips with this endlessly fascinating business. Perhaps De Vanyn has built a consistent and fundamental model of the industry that is of interest not just to scientists, but to movie fans and moviemakers, too. And De Vanyn shows that these models can be applied to other industries as well.
In science, as in the movies, creativity takes you to unexpected places. This study is exciting because we get unexpected and wonderful discoveries. It is hard to imagine at the outset that by applying high-brow mathematical and statistical science we end up proving Goldman's fundamental truth that, in the movies, "nobody knows anything."
None of these results is more surprising than finding out that, hard-headed science puts the creative process at the very center of the motion picture universe. There is no fool proof formula. Outcomes cannot be predicted. There is no reason for management to get in the way of the creative process. Now tell then that! Character, creativity and good story-telling trump everything else. Now let's see some fresh movies made!

This book happened to be published at a time when several of my friends were getting married and it makes an excellent bridal shower gift for the friend who loves old movies. This book is similar in set up to Schreier's other great book "Hollywood Dressed & Undressed" in that there are photos of movies with a bit of text and director and costuming credits. It is a simple set up, but it lets you view the fabulous wedding scenes in films through the years, such as "Haystacks and Steeples" (1916) or "Show People" (1928) up to newer films like "Where The Heart Is" (2000) or "Runaway Bride" (1999). Scattered throughout are photos of real celebrity weddings such as that of Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg (1927) or Shirley Temple and John Agar (1945). Great book by this great fashion historian who owns the largest private collection of 20th century couture!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories and studying the pictures. Hollywood Gets Married focuses on a very important aspect of the movies and movie stars-weddings and all the trappings that go with getting married and unmarried. You can enjoy the beautiful pictures of brides, but all along you know that the real stories are what happens to the people, both as film characters and in real life.
If you are a film buff, get this book. Its focus on Hollywood weddings is lively and informative. If you love movies, you will love the book.

What a wonderful book! I just loved all the pictures and the fabulous stories. And this is not a book about weddings, but about Hollywood...such fun! It is the perfect gift for anyone who likes to be entertained.

Sandy Schreier's "Hollywood Gets Married" is a delectable bon-bon of a book, and great reading for anyone who is either starstruck or interested in movie costume design. She admits in her foreword to being subject to those twin little girls dreams of a) being a movie star and b) being a bride, and her infectious enthusiasm for both subjects comes across brilliantly here.

Schreier offers us a delightful overview of Hollywood weddings here, with everything from silent films to modern-day set pieces to real-life Hollywood brides in both their Hollywood and their personal incarnations as brides. As you might expect, there are some omissions here (what, no Liza Minnelli? No Cher? No Lucille Ball? No Jane Fonda?), but for the most part, Schreier does a super job of hitting high points of Hollywood wedding lore including, of course, the much-married Elizabeth Taylor (who graces the front cover of the book and gets her own special section inside).

Aside from the terrific photographs--many of which I'd never seen, and I own entirely too many movie-oriented books--the eye candy is more than matched by the many anecdotes, like:

1) Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's bridal gown designer was African-American;
2) "Bride of Frankenstein" actress Elsa Lanchester's bridal hairdo in the film was inspired by ancient profiles of Egyptian queen Nefertiti;
3) Olivia de Havilland kept her Dior costumes from the 1962 bridal picture "Light in the Piazza" and when she sold them later at auction, the successful bidder was the House of Dior, buying them for their collection;
4) Marilyn Monroe's gown from her first marriage (at age sixteen in 1942) was later worn, sans sleeves, by Monroe's niece on her first date.

This is a wonderful book and reading it is a completely pleasant way to spend an hour or two.

Hollywood Gets Married put a huge smile on my face! It's so exciting reading through all the funny antetodes and trust me, the Hollywood pictures are GREAT. I had read Hollywood Dressed & Undressed - Schreier's previous book - which I loved by the way, but this one I think is even better!

If you're a fan of Hollywood then you need to be a fan of Schreier's - buy the book.

Mr. Hull gives us an honest, no-holds-barred account of the Americans we've envied, the heroes who put their art before all else because there was no other way to go for them; the circus people, the singers, dancers, musicians and backstage people who brought us the kind of talent that only total dedication could have produced.

We see these people perform for the mere price of a ticket, never really understanding the dedication that brought them to that stage, the sacrifices in their personal lives that brought their dreams to reality. We drink in their talent, are mesmerized by it, then go back to our own lives as they get on the next bus to the next stage in the next town. Mr. Hull gives us this life in it's rawest form. Thank you, Mr Hull, for giving us our heroes on a silver platter.

Reading Gene Hull's Hooked on a Horn, I found myself in the presence of such music and showbiz greats as Benny Goodman, Elvis Presley, Katherine Hepburn and many others.

A well-told life story of a musician and entertainer, in a unique and refreshing style.

"Hooked On A Horn: Memoirs Of A Recovered Musician" is the autobiography of Gene Hull who first became interest in music when, at the age of ten, was taken by his parents to a live stage show where he saw the Benny Goodman Orchestra perform. This is the personal story of a professional musician who lived and played through the era of the big bands, the emergence of the music and social issues of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Gene Hull combine humor and a keen observation to reveal to the reader what a life on the road, encountering such music greats as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Elvis "Presley, Dave Brubeck, Vic Damone, Leonard Berstein, and such eminent entertainers and actors as Katherine Hepburn and Woody Allen was really like. "Hooked On A Horn" is very highly recommended and entertaining reading (enhanced with an accompanying music CD) that will have a special appeal to students of 20th Century American music, and those who appreciate an engaging memoir (with something of an ironic twist) of a man who lived through interesting times

Gene Hull invites you for a ride in his memoir-mobile, and it's quite a trip! He doesn't polish it up and pretend it's a BMW of a life. His life has been a good vehicle, but not always dependable. You get the lumps, bumps and potholes of his life along with some high, smooth Tarmac. Just when everything's going fine, there's a flat tire or the thing runs out of gas. Somehow he salvages it, cranks it up, and gets it on the road again.

His honest retrospect gives us all things to think about: family ties and values, and how pursuing the dream of being a professional musician affected his personal life. I appreciate how, with the wisdom of age, he understands the motivations and interactions with his parents and grandfather.

The man drops names like a deciduous tree in autumn, but never by way of boasting. You always feel his sense of awe, and sometimes disappointment, in meeting or working with with some of the biggest names in entertainment. Some of the 'leaves' Gene dropped were Count Basie, Tex Beneke,Sarah Vaughn, and Katherine Hepburn. The personal meeting with Miss Hepburn is quite funny and points out what a gracious lady she could be.

The leaves kept piling up around me as I read- Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Mel Torme, Sammy Davis, Rosemary Clooney (yes, George's aunt!), and Vic Damone, with whom 'Gene Hull's Strings' performed in Las Vegas. There's a bump in the road in that story you won't want to miss. And raspberries to the treatment Lena Horne was given in Vegas. Then again, I grew up on The Jackie Robinson Story, so I shouldn't have been surprised with Gene's vignette.

Another big bump in the road occurred at the 1962 Newport Jazz Festival with a happy ending forty-one years later. But you'll have to take a ride with Gene yourself to find out what that was all about.

Thanks for the ride, Gene. May you never run out of gas!

HOOKED ON A HORN - Memoirs of a Recovered Musician by Gene Hull

As I specialize in reviewing POD published book, I regularly receive memoirs-twenty-five in the past four months, to be exact. In addition, I have reviewed novels based on the true-life experiences of the authors: Clouds Are Always White on Top by Nolan Lewis, Battle Downunder by Charles Rush and Fears Flutterby by Rose Lamatt, to name a few. Memoirs are written for many different reasons: to share a problem, loss and insight with others; to help work through the loss of a loved one; to share travel adventures and aspects of different cultures; to purge one's soul-confess our human foibles; and, in the end, to remember and immortalize one's own life.

Hooked on Horn is indeed a memoir, but in many ways, so much more! It's a sea adventure, a musical adventure, a small insight into our greatest jazz musicians in eras past, a family adventure, a mother's pride for her son's success. It is the story of a young man's dream, begun at age 10, and his disciplined `alpha' efforts to make that dream come true.

The parts of Gene Hull's life that he has chosen to share about his professional musical journey are entertaining, educational, humorous, musically enlightening, heart wrenching, poignantly inspirational and presented with a creative flair. Gene has been in the music/entertainment field just about all his life. He has put together a number of bands, been on the road with big-name bands, conducted bands and produced shows. Prior to retiring, he produced award-winning productions and ice shows for Royal Caribbean International.

Several stories conjured up a tear or two. The first is about the 1962 Newport Jazz Festival. Gene's group, the Jazz Giants-a band of ex-professional musicians who wanted to play interesting big band arrangements, was selected to be the guest opening band. This was their big opportunity! Allow me to quote several passages:

"Months zoomed by with extra rehearsals, arrangements being polished, new ones written, PR mailings to hundreds of jazz fans, stories and interviews in local papers, even radio interviews. Interest in us steamrolled. We were becoming a household name in Connecticut. . . .

"We kicked off our program at 8:00 PM. I don't remember a note we played; it went so fast. But I do remember the brass section screaming out into the night with colossal fire. The saxes steamed together like bonded brothers and took their ensemble sound to another level. From our first note, the energy and drive poured over me, almost putting me in a trance. The band was like a locomotive. Get out of the way everybody. Here we come.

"The applause was generous from the sell-out crowd who had come expecting to see the famous. . . . In reality most every player had managed to play close to his best at the same time. A rare moment for us. I was proud to stand up there in front of this real band of brothers, who had laid it out for all to hear. This is who we are, world."

They were expecting the album from the 1962 Newport Jazz Festival to be their "big break." But, as fate would have it, all the tapes were spoiled by an electronic quirk. There would be no album, and ultimately, the Jazz Giants's sound was lost with no `recorded' history. If Gene was 12 in 1941 when he received his first saxophone, he would have been 33 in 1962.

The second story took place over forty years after that Newport Festival. Peter, one of Gene's eight children, tracked down the live recording of the 1962 Festival and contacted the Library of Congress.

"The Gene Hull Orchestra, The Jazz Giants," had been recorded at Newport '62. A single CD could be assembled from the tape and made available with permission of the producer and for non-commercial purposes only."

Peter chose a family reunion in 2003 to present Gene with the CD of the live recording.

""Just looking at the packaged CD placed before me gave me a jolt like a sudden electric current. Shivers came right from the stomach. Then I completely lost it.

"Dad," my daughter Amy whispered, "why are you crying? I've never seen you cry."

"I don't know."

But I did know. I was seeing my yesterdays. My grown children as wide-eyed little kids, asking me where I was going. And me telling them, "Straight up." The Jazz Giants rehearsing at Bill's Castle. A boy sitting on a bus on a cold winter night, clutching his first saxophone wrapped in a pillow case. All the jazz concerts the band had played. Katherine Hepburn scolding me. Benny Goodman captivating me. Paul Whiteman berating me. Woody Herman and Duke Ellington making me feel humble. Las Vegas dazzling and disappointing me. The years with Damone. Elvis greeting me with such honesty. The miles of piled-up travel. And saying good-bye to a teary young family on the front porch, as I'd leave to seek fame and fortune on yet another road trip. . . .

I tried to tell my family that this CD was more than just a recording, that their lives were in it as much as mine. It didn't matter that I couldn't find the words. They knew.

We listened to the CD together. The sound of the band-its energy and musicality-far exceeded the memories I had parked away. Now suddenly the sounds were alive and bright again, clearer than ever.

The look on their faces was worth the struggling years. The kids understood at last why the Jazz Giants had been one of the most important musical accomplishments of my life, and appreciated what it took to create it.""

So, if that doesn't grab you, you're either dead or nothing will. I highly recommend this delightful, entertaining memoir and hope with its next edition we find a CD included so that we too can enjoy the sound of the Jazz Giants.

Reviewed by Kaye Trout for Kaye Trout's Book Reviews, specializing in POD published books.

At first I thought this book wouldnt be that great because there are a lot of names that I didnt recognize when looking at the index of people interviewed. However, that is because a lot of the names are the behind the scenes people who may not be 'names' unless you study the credits at the end of movies. There are some very interesting stories here. There is one good interview where a guy indicates how he screwed people all the way to the top of his field and later himself was screwed by someone he trusted. Payback. Karma. I hated that guy, but Im glad he told the truth. Each interviwed person is shown in a photograph. This is a well crafted book, done in a simple way and it works.

Major Hollywood stars had to work hard to break into the industry and make it big, but few places chart their stories under one cover. HOW I BROKE INTO HOLLYWOOD: SUCCESS STORIES FROM THE TRENCHES gathers dozens of Hollywood's greatest successes under one cover, including not just actors but writers, directors, designers and more to provide profiles of the best and how they worked to achieve their goals. Inspirational chapters profile nearly fifty such Hollywood success stories and will appeal to any interested in learning from experience.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I loved this book, and highly recommend it to anyone interested in working in Hollywood, or to any creative type struggling to find career success. There are 67 first-person stories (from a variety of producers, actors, editors, lawyers, writers, etc.), and the interviewees have been incredibly generous in sharing not only their successes, but also their humble beginnings, self-doubts and failings. That willingness to show the true journey, warts and all, is what makes this book so inspiring, and such a gift. Many thanks to those who participated, and to the authors for making it happen.

A word to the publisher: this book has all the hallmarks of a classic, but the cover art and title don't match the contents. I almost passed it over on the shelf because the graphic design looked low rent, and it seemed to just be the personal story of the two authors, whose names I didn't recognize (sorry, guys). When it comes out in paperback (which it should--promote this baby!), how about listing some of the well-known participants on the cover, and changing the title to How I Broke Into Hollywood, 67 Success Stories from the Trenches? This book is a winner!

I thoroughly emjoyed this book, very readable, lively and interesting. The interviews flow like fascinating stories. The advice from those who made it will apply to almost any endeavor so the book should appeal to a wide audience.

If you are looking for some gossip-rag style tales of how Hollywood's biggest names got to where they are, then this isn't the book for you. There are a few big names in this book, Bernie Mac among them, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

This book, rather, is a thoughtfully introspective look at how many of the behind-the-scenes people working in Hollywood accepted crushing rejection time and time again, dealt with monetary difficulties while pursuing their dream, the tips and tricks they used to become known and well-employed in Hollywood.

Screenwriters, producers, actors, music supervisors, agents, and costume designers are featured, among other jobs, and their tales are inspiring and really helpful. Each person interviewed in this book really seemed to set aside their ego and talk truthfully about the times they doubted themselves and what could have made things go more smoothly in their journey to Hollywood elite. The advice given is really solid, and could benefit anyone in any career, but especially in the brutal film/ TV industry.

I'd definitely buy this book for any friend considering trying to make it in Hollywood. The advice and stories are entertainingly given and would be valuable and interesting even if they didn't end up pursuing that particular dream.

If you're one of those people that think only of Kaye Ballard as one of the "Mothers-In-Law" from TV, or that funny album with the balloons on it, treat yourself to her wonderful autobiography, "How I Lost 10 Pounds in 53 Years.!" Not only a fascinating story of the lady herself, but a warm-hearted look at practically the history of show business (Vaudeville, Broadway, Night Clubs, movies, radio & television). She's done it all, and you'll meet your favorites (and a few not-so) as only someone who's been there and done it can tell. Best of all, Kaye is her honest and humble self (What? A star with humility?) Yup, throughout her illustrious career, she's still the star-struck kid in Cleveland's RKO Palace worshiping the idols on the silver screen, and dreaming of Hollywood. Haven't we all been there? Starting as a teenager, performing in a Chinese restaurant (it's funny already!), through to today's still very active cancer-surviving octogenarian, here's Kaye at her funny, loveable best, sharing her successes and disappointments in one of the best autobiographies in a long, long time! Read it, you'' love it!

Loved it. Wish she had written more, could read her stories forever!!!! She is too funny...

I recently read Ms. Ballard's memoir in 10 days while I was staying with my parents as my mother recovered from knee replacement surgery. It was the perfect book to read during this time--very funny and light--but also an honest, heartfelt tale. If you don't know who Kaye Ballard is, well, you should. She's a wonderful comic actress who's starred in films (The Ritz), on TV (Cinderella, The Doris Day Show, The Mothers-in-Law) and on stage (The Golden Apple, Carnival, The Pirates of Penzance, Follies). I saw her perform back in the '90s in a small cabaret called Toulouse in Chicago (now sadly closed). It was a horrible snowy night--and my friends and I were the only ones who braved the elements to see her show. And so Ms. Ballard--being the classy, talented dame that she is--performed for us. We all LOVED her--and you will LOVE her book. The lady knows how to write an honest, entertaining account of her fascinating life. So sit back, relax and let Kaye tell you all about her legendary 60-year career. You'll have a wonderful time--I know I did.

I enjoyed reading this book very much - it gave real insight into the life of a single woman in show business. Kaye is a fantastic personality and very honest in this book about her career and friendshiips. She is a real lady with a great sense of humor. Nice photos too of some old favorites when they were younger. I would definitely buy this book again. A+

Kaye Ballard's name is well known in show business: she's performed in burlesque, nightclubs, big bands, and stage and here provides a memoir packed with anecdotes from her career. Her upbeat memoir comes packed with anecdotes from her 50-year career and will prove a real treat for any familiar with either Kaye Ballard's career or the world of stage and TV.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a great overview of modern video technology and achieves the authors' goal, namely "easy to understand explanations of the entire world of video."
Each chapter is pretty much self-supporting, so you don't have to read the entire book cover to cover. Having said that, the book is a fairly quick read. The copious illustrations are clear and the use of real world equipment is helpful to those that may be exposed to it.
This isn't the book to give detail about ever single aspect of a topic, but it certainly gives you enough to make use of the more specialised texts.

This book will help the novice understand the basics of video. It covers everything in video to allow for a broad knowledge into this field.

When i started to read this book, I could no longer stop with to reading it.
It's reads so nice and everything is explained so clearly.
That is what i've to say about it.
If you want to know more about video, go buy this book. it really helps alot.

"How Video Works" was just the right book for me. For the reader who has little knowledge of video, or who wants a comprehensive review souce that treats the subject from the ground up, this is an excellent choice. Video is a feature of my business, but I am not a technician. This book gave me the understanding I needed to be effective when discussing video and made an immediate impact on my ability to work with customers. It is an excellent reference, well written, and easily readable by both the technician and non-technician alike.

This book really helped me understand all the parameters of video and audio and all the different formats, particularly the new stuff like hi-definition. it made something that seemed complicated easy. A great read for anyone who is interested in learning more about the technical side of video