The Producers Books

I was drawn to this book after hearing Mr. Richie's commentary on the DVD of "Rashomon". In many ways this book is a continuation of that type of commentary. One of the great things about the book is that Richie provides plenty of interesting observations about the actual filming and reception of Kurosawa's films; since he was present for most of them. He tackles the films from several angles including actual quotes from Kurosawa, his cast and crew. He discusses the creation of the films from pre-productions up to release, and in some cases even discusses how the films were received. Richie also delves into the themes and ideas behind each film, covering them in great detail.

Richie's opinions are just that, opinions. For the most part he is pretty balanced with is approach to the films. He points out the good and bad, as he sees it in each film. He does assume you've seen the films, and while he does include a synopsis, he does refer to the films quite freely. Richie does delve into Kurosawa's successes and failures with equal skill.

However Richie begins to lose steam after "Red Beard". He obviously doesn't like most of the films in the director's later period and goes to some length describing why they fail. This is a bit strange because I feel that some of the best Kurosawa (and certainly his most unique work) comes from this later period. Richie almost dismisses "Ran" as a retooling of "Kagamusha" something that I don't agree with at all. He also shrugs off "Dreams" as a summary film - and this is one of the most unique films Kurosawa attempted.

This book is an interesting read for Kurosawa fans. While I don't always agree with Richie, he does make some excellent points about the themes of the films and offers some interesting stories surrounding the production and reception of the films. Definitely worth reading for a fan looking for more of Richie's take on the films of Akira Kurosawa.

When I was a teenager this was my bible. I was fixated on Kurosawa's films ever since my father forced me to sit through "The Seven Samurai" when I was a child. This book was valuable to me for the simple reason that a good number of Kurosawa's films were hard for me to find on video (as far as a good revival showing, forget it). I found the essays to be informative and at times insightful, and, if nothing else, Richie is always good for an anecdote. However, the book takes a strange turn down a darker path in the final half-dozen chapters or so. I've always had the feeling that Kurosawa must have somehow personally offended or insulted Richie, since the tone becomes one of dismissal and personal attack. Some of the essays aren't even by Richie himself, as if he won't deign to review Kurosawa's little movies. He tells us that Kurosawa was essentially a pathetic man with no life outside of film making (how many other artists could one say that about?). He even makes fun of the poor man's musical tastes. Films like "Kagemusha" and "Ran" are dismissed with a wave of the hand, even the awe inspiring "Dodes 'kaden" comes in for something of a drubbing. Kurosawa's final films are "overly sentimental". In fact, in the recent Alex Cox documentary on Kurosawa, "The Last Emperor", Richie's cliched "sentimental" attack on Kurosawa is itself attacked by the narrator of the film! Richie's weird (seemingly) personal vendetta on Kurosawa comes across as slightly amusing, bringing to mind the old crack about film critics being the impotent man at the orgy, or, to put it another way, Richie is the Hanslick to Kurosawa's Wagner. While flawed, Kurosawa's final films are hardly sentimental treacle, and certainly don't deserve one and a half page dismissals in a book devoted to their creator. With so much interesting Japanese film studies floating around, I'm not sure Richie's bitter book is worth much now.

Donald Richie's very long-term knowledge of Japanese culture and cinema and his perspective as a Westerner make his assessment of "the Emperor"'s oeuvre very informative and valuable. This book, the most recent and complete revision of a work he first published some time back, would merit a *****, rather than ****, if his assessments of Kurosawa's films after "Dersu Uzala" were as perceptive as those up through that film. As it is, this is a highly valuable resource which is highly recommended

Donald Richie is an extraordinary interpreter of Japanese culture. He has translated many great modern Japanese books and I'm certain his knowledge of Japanese language is incomparable. Unfortunately, what he most certainly is not is a legitimate film critic. The damage he does to Kurosawa in this book is unwarranted and small-minded. More than I could take. Richie's understanding of film itself is completely inadequate, forcing him to resort to literary interpretive techniques in order to make up for his misunderstanding of cinematography and the nature of film in general. At the heart of it - he is incabable of "seeing" which is the foundation of Kurosawa's work. If you like wayward, stream-of-consciousness criticism masquerading as serious film criticism you'll certainly get your fill. But most of what Richie does in this book is lob irrelevant pot-shots at Kurosawa, his personality, "mistakes" and the overriding theme (which becomes readily apparent towards the end) that his last films were just sentimental drivel. In fact I can't think of a single film covered in this book that Richie can bear to like wholeheartedly. Not without an uncomfortable juxtaposition of his true talent (literature) and film criticism - which I found to be completely inadequate. Another gaping hole is his obvious lack of understanding of the process of filmaking, or rather the way in which this process differs from writing in meaning and structure. His tone is pompous, downbeat and arrogant. For Ritchie - Kurosawa IS the film - and that is his greatest mistake - to turn the reader's attention to the "novel" of Kurosawa. Over and over he naggingly searches (pouring over grains of sand)for a continuity in Kurosawa's work that will bring a "literary" motif to everything he has done, that is to say, every disparity that exists between one film and the next is scrutinized under the lamp of literary criticism, and summarily dismissed. I can't imagine anything more inappropriate in a work of film criticism. All in all, this book comes off as a snotty jab at a master filmaker by a master spokesman for Japanese culture who simply does not understand film. I found reading it to be a wretched experience. And I hope you will too.

Richie shows a passion for one of the world's greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema. He focuses on the films themselves instead of relying to much on biographical information to show the real Kurosawa. He looks at all of his films regardless of their obscurity. I think the great thing about Richie is his particular attention to how moving and humanistic Kurosawa's movies were and still are. Richie argues that his humanism is what allows KUROSAWA to stand head and shoulders above most filmmakers. The film stills are the real treasure in this book. They give a unique look at the films as artistic masterpieces, and how Kurosawa made good use of his training as a painter in his early years. All in all this book is absolutely essential for people who love film in general and Kurosawa fans.

An excellent, straightforward telling of Hitchcock's life and career.

What a remarkable life Hitchcock had. He lived to make movies and achieved commercial and (eventually) critical success - while developing his own distinctive style. Now considered by many to be the greatest film director of all time.

Hitchcock was not only a great film-maker but also a master self-publicist and a man with many hangups. If you are interested in Hitchcock, then this book will not disappoint.

This is simply one of the best biographys I have read in a long time. Incredible detail about the world of Alfred Hitchcock and his movies. The book is packed full of information and their are no lulls in the story of Hitch at all. From Blackmail, The 39 Steps, Rebecca, Rear Window, NbNW, and Frenzy you get all the information about Alfred Hitchcocks triumphs and the story behind them. A definate read for *any* fan of movies and how they are made. McGilligan has written a book that is worth at least 3 reads to absorb all the information.

This has to rank as one of the best biographies of a film maker ever written. Rich in detail, both personal as well as professional, the book is a joy to read, sending me happily back to my collection of Hitch's movies for yet another look, but with eyes opened wider than ever before. A book I shall treasure forever.

The author of this book did not forget one tiny detail. Everything you ever wanted to know about Alfred Hitchcock, personally or professionally, is in this book. It is highly recommended.

McGilligan's Alfred Hitchcock : A Life in Darkness and Light is not a "tell all the dirty secrets" biography, but rather a serious attempt to examine the man and his life, filling in the pieces through interviews, letters and published writings. That very much works in its favor. While other bios have often focused on the "dark" side of the Master of Suspense, painting a portrait of a disturbed man, McGilligan's work is more measured. We see the darkness, but we also see the light. There are some "tell all" moments that show Hitchcock's strange/dark side, but they don't come across as too gossipy.

The pacing is a bit off - the initial chapters, for instance, spend far too much time dealing with a handful of short stories he wrote for publication prior to his film career - but the writing is good, and more detail is gone into on the state of Hitchcock's life during each individual film than any other bio. It's a really strong look into his life AND his films.

For film lovers, the looks at how Hitch handled direction and his inventiveness are especially a joy to read. You get a very strong insight into how the master worked, which made me appreciate his films all the more.

This bio is very long, but also very comprehensive. Highly reocmmended.

This was a valuable primer for me even long after I started producing my own records with digital technology. It always helps beginning and mid-level musicians and producers to get real-world insights into how the pros are using the tools, and this book is dedicated to providing those "snapshots." A great addition to any home recordists' library.

Kelli Richards and David Battino have done a tremendous job bringing in the masters of this space to reveal where we are and we are going in this revoloutionary time.
On a personal level, and as an artist/producer in this space, I found great take aways from people I have studied, admired and in some cases, worked directly with over the years including Herbie Hancock, Todd Rundgren, Don Was, Thomas Dolby and Brian Eno.
I highly recommend this insightful and inspired writing. 5 stars!!

Kelli Richard's and David Battino's The Art of Digital Music is a journey into the minds of great artists and experts in the field of digital music. The information presented is very concentrated representing years of industry and creative experience. It offers insight into the evolution of music trends, the technologies that support them and an understanding about the mindset required to be successful in this challenging industry.

Learn how it is to work with Madonna or Britney Spears or what it takes to think like Herbie Hancock! Realize making music is an art facilitated by new technologies that can enhance an artist's ability to express their talent to the world without depending on a major label.

Once started you cannot put this book down as you discover each unique story within. It is amazing how much you can learn about digital music from just reading the interviews!
The Art of Digital Music is a great resource to have at home whether you actively produce music or not and makes a splendid gift for those who aspire to enter the music industry. If you ever had a song playing in your mind that you would like to bring into the world but you don't know how - this book is for you!

I liked this book quite a bit; not because it gave me step-by-step instructions on how to create music using digital technology, but more to the point because it didn't. Any book on music technology can become dated quite quickly, but when one concentrates instead on hearing a very wide variety of artists, producers, technologists and industry executives talk about how they *think*, then you have something that if not timeless is at least fresh and interesting for some time. Knowing how Todd Rundgren approaches producing or songwriting is way more valuable than knowing which button in ProTools does pitch correction.

Honestly I'm surprised by most of the reviews I see here giving this book 5 stars. Most of the people in the book, I personally don't hold in the highest regard. They all seem "past their prime" and many sound like they are remeniscing on how it used to be. In terms of the books title "Insider reveal their creative secrets." .. I find this laughable. I've read through the entire book, and there are very few concrete, CLEAR ideas on how to improve your musical craft. If you're a person that likes to learn through explicit instruction, then this book is definitely not for you. If you simply want to read interviews from some semi-relevant people that were in the music biz at one time, then this book may be for you. I would highly recommend going to your local bookstore and scanning through a few pages before spending your money.

The Hollywood Blacklist is a story which has long been perpetuated by the film industry into popular culture, but RED STAR OVER HOLLYWOOD: THE FILM COLONY'S LONG ROMANCE WITH THE LEFT takes a different approach then most, documenting the large number of movie stars who did join the Communist Party and as a result had an impact on filmmaking trends. Material from the papers of Dalton Trumbo and other Hollywood insiders examine the concurrent growth of Communism through the 1930s and war years and the growing numbers of film greats who joined, experienced inner party disagreements, and influenced the industry as a whole. It's the first book to examine the discussion groups and members who helped define and promote Hollywood radicalism and makes for an important analysis filling many gaps.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Over the years I have read many books on the Red Scare in Hollywood and could never quite understand the attraction to communism. This book does the best job of describing the issues, the attraction to communism and documentation of actual plans by the communist party concerning their intent to influence films. In reading many past books, the authors never quite expressed WHY they were communists. In fact, many of the books never mentioned whether they were incorrectly persecuted or whether they actually were members of communist party. This book provides documentation and reasoning by none other than Dalton Trumbo, one of the leading communists in Hollywood and the screenwriter partially responsible for breaking the blacklist. And in the end, he disavowed his former communist party and their teachings.

But this book will not be without controversy as the authors are known as right-wing Republicans. While I am in the middle of the political spectrum leaning slightly to the left, I find their account very believable and documented sufficiently to overcome any perceived bias. The significance of this book to me from reading Ring Lardner's famous "I'd Hate Myself in the Morning" to watching Woody Allen's "The Front" and FINALLY getting a closing answer is overwhelming. I no longer feel the need to explore why Americans chose to follow another government's agenda to the potential detriment of our country. However, I do not fault these people for their initial attraction to communism and frankly, I don't view communism as wrong: it's just a different government method some choose. For myself, I remain quite satisfied with democracy, EVEN in these trying times. Rather, the attraction to communism was clearly a byproduct of the recent depression as well as the growth of fascism. I can live with that reasoning.

This is an exceptional book if you have any interest in the 50s, movies, or communism. In closing, I must comment on the complete disrespect shown to Elia Kazen on receipt of his lifetime achievement award some years ago when Nick Nolte and others refused to applaud or acknowledge this award. I suggest they read this book. The Red Scare was a horrible period but Freedom of Speech needs only go so far when supporting a government with intent to overthrow our own. I strongly recommend this book.

While George Clooney was simultaneously thumping his chest and patting his back for how he and his "community" are proudly out of touch with mainstream America, I was engaged in the rather more edifying exercise of reading this great new book by Ronald and Allis Radosh. For readers with an interest in the context of the culture-clash between the "Hollywood elite" and the poor benighted people who buy movie tickets and DVDs, this book is an excellent resource.

I say the "context" of the clash because this is a look at history, and a serious research work too. This is not a book that details the fashionable Leftist obsessions of Clooney, Streisand, Penn, and the rest, and therefore may be less satisfying to some readers than other recent books that address current names and controversies more directly. Instead, "Red Star Over Hollywood" digs deep into something far more serious and sinister ("sinister" comes from the Latin word for "left," by the way): the film colony's infiltration by agents of the Comintern, dedicated partisans of Stalin, and other actors, directors, writers, and executives eager to use the power of film to promote socialism in the United States.

As Clooney's speech -- and even more so, his movie -- make clear, modern Hollywood's sense of itself is built to a large degree on the legend of its heroic stand against "McCarthyism" and the blacklist (that's what makes Clooney's self-congratulation so laughable -- does anyone in Hollywood *defend* McCarthy?). But the Radoshes demonstrate not only that there really were communists in positions of influence (in other words, the witch-hunt turned up real witches), but that there was also a strong and active anti-communist Left in Hollywood. Even more than the relatively small number of conservatives in Hollywood, it was this anti-communist Left that was in the most direct conflict with the Stalinists, their apologists, and their dupes, particularly before and during World War II.

All of this is important information, but it's when they turn to their discussion of HUAC and the blacklist in the postwar period that the authors most directly confront Hollywood's defining myth. Far from the usual pop-psychology analysis of the deranged and sweaty McCarthy (and why do so few people seem to notice that *Senator* Joe McCarthy had nothing to do with the *House* Committee on Un-American Activities?) the authors have gone in-depth in committee records, and also into the backgrounds of the people from Hollywood who came before the committee. It's certainly easier to issue blanket denunciations of McCarthy and his ilk than to sift through pages and pages of dusty documents. Ronald and Allis Radosh are to be commended for doing the latter.

It's because this book is so heavily researched -- so filled with names, dates, and places -- that I note again that it may not be to everyone's taste. It is, I repeat, a work of history. It notably lacks the rhetorical sledgehammer blows of, say, an Ann Coulter book, and so doesn't have the fist-pumping, take-that-you-commie excitement value some readers derive from more polemical works. But those books seem to disappear as soon as they fall off the bestseller lists. This, on the other hand, is a book that deserves to be around for a long, long time.

Remember the Hollywood blacklist? The Hollywood Ten? I'll bet you know a lot about these events even if you weren't alive in the 1950s. That's because Tinseltown has a vested interest in keeping the memory of this era alive. It was the era of the Red Scare, of Senator Joseph McCarthy waving his infamous list of communist subversives during a speech in West Virginia. It was the time of congressional investigations, a time when invoking the Fifth Amendment might keep you safe from a contempt charge but would make you look guilty as sin in the public eye. For a select few the McCarthy era was a time of great fear, and no one feared this witch-hunt against communism more than Hollywood. Why? Because, despite the mountains of claims to the contrary that have emerged over the years, the movie industry oozed communists. There were so many Reds in Hollywood that they should have renamed the town Little Moscow. Yet even today, you won't hear about this truth in the media. You will, however, get the skinny on what really went on if you pick up a copy of Ronald Radosh's "Red Star Over Hollywood: The Film Colony's Long Romance with the Left."

Talk about exploding myths! Radosh's book, which he co-wrote with his wife Allis, cuts through the layers of denial and presents us with an ugly picture of the real Hollywood of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Vladimir Lenin, the little pipsqueak who brought the nightmare of Marxism to the Soviet Union back in the early part of the twentieth century, had a soft spot for film and theater. He believed that the best way to spread communism around the globe was through movies and plays. This is exactly what the Kremlin crowd set out to accomplish in the following decades. They managed to gain converts to their cause--men who later became movers and shakers like Budd Schulberg, Joseph Losey, and Maurice Rapf--by allowing them to work closely with the Soviet film industry. Once these people came back to the United States, they spread their plague to others with the help of party apparatchiks Willi Munzenberg, V.J. Jerome, and John Howard Lawson. In no time at all, writes Radosh, a branch of the communist party flourished in Hollywood. So many big names signed on that newcomers to the industry, in an attempt to make contacts and find work, had to become communists or fellow travelers themselves.

The Hollywood branch of the communist party worked to increase their membership and influence in several ways. One of the most successful methods involved the tried and true "United Frontism" and "Popular Front" techniques, or the forming of organizations that on the surface embraced popular progressive causes to lure in unsuspecting liberals while maintaining strong communist control behind the scenes. Radosh reveals that the concerns many people had about the rise of National Socialist Germany in the 1930s helped increase membership, although the party's propensity to change direction, oftentimes overnight according to directives issued from the Kremlin, tended to alienate many members. Also off putting was the heavy-handed discipline that could fall on an unsuspecting member at any time. Albert Maltz, for example, discovered the inflexibility of the party when he wrote an article deemed "revisionist" by the upper hierarchy. His very public refutation of his article left little doubt about the strong-arm tactics used behind the scenes. Despite the ugliness the Hollywood Reds occasionally displayed, they were somewhat successful in spreading their propaganda through films like "Mission to Moscow," "The Spanish Earth," and "The North Star." Congressional investigations threw some of these dupes in the slammer, and silenced a few more, but many never repudiated their warped views.

I enjoyed Radosh's book, the first one of his I've had the chance to read. The author and his spouse obviously know what they're talking about and, since Ronald Radosh himself was a communist for many years, he understands how these groups think and act. "Red Star Over Hollywood" occasionally suffers from dry prose and a bewildering number of groups and individuals, but the authors always manage to bring the book back up to speed by throwing in some great anecdotes. For instance, the part where we learn about Ronald Reagan (at the time a liberal) and his buddy William Holden crashing a communist get together in an attempt to inject some common sense into the proceedings is great fun to read about. Reagan got up and started talking only to find himself under verbal attack for some forty minutes. God bless him! The account of Albert Maltz's forced rehabilitation is absolutely chilling, a sobering tale that hints at the violent tendencies inherent in communism. Arguably the best part of the book, however, involves the long, strange trip writer Dalton Trumbo took from the time of his blacklisting to his repudiation of the communist party later in life. So many intriguing stories pop up in the book that the actual creation of the blacklist takes a backseat.

I have one recommendation and one warning to those readers about to attempt the book. In the case of the former, if you're not very familiar with this time period, read a background history of the Red Scare first. Doing so will assist you in learning the context for what happens here and help you learn the basics about a few of the groups and personalities associated with the blacklist. In the case of the latter, the topic is so huge that Radosh doesn't have the space to cover many of the important Reds. There is almost nothing here about Lillian Hellman or Dashiell Hammett, for example, and both of those individuals had a lot to do with the influence of communism in film and books. Nevertheless, this book is well worth your time. Read it and remember it the next time Hollywood releases yet another "we were innocent" propaganda piece.

This book has the same title as a pamphlet series on Communism written by Oliver Carlson and, though the authors claim to have used recently released records of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, I would expect it to have derived mainly from this "Red Star Over Hollywood" series. "The Red Decades of the 1930s and 1940s, and the equal and opposite anti-Communist reaction of the 1950s, became Hollywood's Great Moment on the American Political Stage."

The studios had collaborated with the McCarthyites to ruin the lives of many talented people with the blacklist of "alleged" Communists in Hollywood. If you read THE GILDING OF THE BLACKLIST by James Lardner, son of Ring, Jr., the truth will show that it just wasn't that simple. Lonnie Lardner was on WSM T.V. in Nashville for some time and is a relative of those involved.

Would you believe the accuracy of calling these names as members of ICASSP which they label "the latest Communist group" after the end of the war: Ethel Barrymore, Van Wyck Brooks, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, Harold Ickes, James Roosevelt, Fredric March, Eddie Cantor, Charles Boyer, Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Charles Laughton, and Robert Young? In a 1945 'Time' magazine article: "Frank Sinatra is one of its hardest-workest speakers. It can call on Gypsy Rose Lee to bare her navel and William Rose Benet to write a script. Lena Horne will sing at any rally, and Walter Huston will recite the Gettysburg Address." At one of their rallies in Madison Square Garden, they "were entertained by Bert Lahr, Joe E. Lewis, Myrna Loy, and Ethel Merman."

When "Stalin announced the start of a new Cold War by proclaiming the United States the world's principal and most dangerous enemy," the seeds for Joseph McCarthy were planted to call a spade a spade, to destroy reputations of not only the Hollywood elite but high-ranking government employees as well. The stars, I think, were tricked into what they did best: entertain.

The assumptions in this book leave a black mark on their careers and memory. If you don't know for a fact that a rumor about a celebrity is not just so much gossip, it is best left unsaid and unprinted. Some parts of this book can cause as much harm as the false claims of McCarthy -- after the fact. These people they named cannot clear their names, which is a dirty shame; most if not all are dead now. Today, it is possible to get anything in print -- if you know the right people, "fiction" claiming to be factual (non-fiction).

These movies are some they call Communist or about Communism: 'Mission to Moscow' from a book by Joseph Davies, published three weeks after Pearl Harbor (described as Stalinist propoganda; 'Tender Comrade,' from a book by Patrick McGilligan; 'Salt of the Earth;' 'Cloak and Dagger' written by Ring Lardner, Jr.; 'Action in the North Atlantic' and Hangmen Also Die' both in 1943; 'North Star,' 'Song of Russia,' and 'Thirty Seconds over Tokyo.' More recent films include 'The Way We Were,' 'The Front,' 'Marathon Man,' 'The house on Carroll Street,' 'Fellow Traveler,' 'The Majestic,' and 'One of the Hollywood Ten.'

This book goes on to slander stars of today who have different political views from the authors, those they call 'activists.' Being an outspoken activist in America today is not the same as being a Communist! Ronald and Allis Radosh choose controversial subjects which can't be proven either way. This book is a great disappointment and should be approached in the manner of "Consider the Source." Peter Collier, a writer and their editor on this parable, should have been listed as co-author, as he went over it tooth-and-nail (line by line) and edited out what he didn't want included. Who knows what he may have added? Ronald has written another book about COMMIES; Allis, one about a consumer activist, which makes them experts on this subject.

I've never spent so much time analyzing a photo book. Each picture occupies me with about five minutes of psychoanalysis, trying to figure out the motives behind each piece of gear or memorabilia in the pictures. Each studio also confirms my hypothesis: the cleaner the home studio environment/setup, the less that actually gets done.

I recently purchased this book about a month ago, and I was very pleased with the quality of the photographs this book had. I was also surprised that some of the producers featured in the book had a lot smaller set ups than I imagined. So, it's actually good for the up and comers, that are on a budget to see that, just because you don't have million dollar equipment, doesn't mean you can't make million dollar records.

-David Grants.

I bought this for my boyfriend as a gift a couple years ago (he is a hip hop head) and it is seriously his favorite book. He loves going through the different studios and it seriously inspires him. A lot of the producers in there are not mainstream and he loves that.

knocking off one star on this book for the way they packaged the CD
it's in a little paper sleeve attached the back inside cover of the book

Now, I like my things to stay as fresh and clean as possible and this book was a highly anticipated gift to myself. That's where my troubles started...
I found it a bit difficult to get the CD out without practically ripping the paper sleeve open. Ever see a record sleeve that hasn't been cut to the right size, seams all busted out and split open. Not nice. Finally found that you gotta wiggle the disk back and forth (wikki-wikki-wikki-scratch-scratch with that fragile digital disc) to get the thing out.
Just when you think you've got it, the little white gummy strips of industrial strength rubber tape that are supposed to keep the flap closed smear their sticky gummed up gummy gum crap all over the disk. Yum.
Ruined the CD. Won't play at all now. Would like another one please thank you.

Warning - remove and destroy tape as soon as you buy this book before it destroys you.

I've got a number of books that have CDs packaged in them and this is the first one I've ever come across that was designed this poorly. You don't put the gas can next to the fireplace - don't put sticky snot like tape on a CD flap.

this book is awesome, would recommend this book to anyone who is into music, a dj. real nice book

Anyone who has seen or noticed many of my reviews probably knows at least one thing: I love BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, and FIREFLY/SERENITY. I'm about as big a fan of the work of Joss Whedon as you are likely to find. And I'm awaiting the start of his new series DOLLHOUSE more than one can easily imagine.

Nonetheless, this book is basically a puff piece. It is not a critical study, a critical analysis, or anything other than a fan raving about someone they admire. That being said, it is not a bad book for that. I merely point it out that this book is not there to dish the dirt, if dirt there is to be dished. And there is some, if not much. For instance, the book passes over a few unpleasantries, such as the inelegant dismissal of Charisma Carpenter from ANGEL (accounts vary, but one very prevalent rumor is that she was written out of the show because of a spur of the moment leave of absence she took during a few late Season Three episodes, only to return for filming the next season pregnant, something she had not apprised them of, resulting in the need for significant rewriting). Nor does the author delve into the botched attempt to have Amber Benson return in Season Seven (again, two rumors persist, one that she would have been the person that Willow saw in the otherwise wonderful episode "Conversations with Dead People," and the other that she might have returned to the show as the result of a wish that Buffy would have been granted -- after struggling with whether to remove Angel's curse or bring her mother back to life, the word is that she would have brought Tara back). Now, these are rumors. Perhaps there is truth to them. Perhaps there is none. But this is not the book that would dare deal with them. Nor Glenn Quinn's drug use, that got his arc on ANGEL ended earlier than they originally intended.

Still, I did pick up a few things that I didn't already know. And there were many snippets from interviews with Whedon and those on his shows that were obviously done for the writing for this book. So, the book becomes a source for those wanting to know more about Whedon, and not merely a book quoting other sources.

Nonetheless, I didn't end the book with complete confidence in it. I was a bit bothered by its unwillingness to engage anything the least bit controversial. I was also suspicious about whether it got every part of the story correct. Much is made of one of Whedon's college professors. Yet I know from other sources that he also profited from taking classes with renowned historian Richard Slotkin. I've read that it was in one of Slotkin's courses that he encountered Joseph Campbell's THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES and someone with strong Wesleyan film studies connections told me that he took Slotkin's course on Western films. (Slotkin is the author of a classic three-volume work on the imaginative response to wilderness in U.S. history. The third volume of that work, GUNFIGHTER NATION deals with the rise of the Western in American culture.) My point is that I'm not sure that his book tells the whole story. I could be wrong. My sources could be wrong. Perhaps Richard Slotkin did not even teach Joss Whedon. Or if he did, perhaps he did not have any influence (I took classes with many famous scholars, virtually none of which had any actual influence on me.)

So, I can recommend this and can even consider it a pretty decent book, but one must be aware of its limitations.

An interesting but somewhat fluffy look at Joss Whedon's career. This book has the same almost naive as the Mary Tyler Moore biography I read last year. The book was written at a time when Buffy and Angel were both on the air. Firefly though floundering was still on the air but there's no mention of the upcoming film, Serenity.

What the book doesn't admit to is the possibility that Joss could burn out -- which it appears he has from recent interviews. Joss is clearly very driven and clearly loves his work but does he know how to slow down?

I found the insights into the storylines fascinating. Joss clearly lives by the adage of "write what you know" and it shows in his work.

I highly recommend this book to the many fans of Joss Whedon. Highly informative and very well-written, this book offers wonderful insights into the mind of one of my all-time favorite writers.

Joss' fans all know Joss is a genius - this book gives us insight into where that genius came from and how it developed. It also clarifies some of the difficulties Mr. Whedon faced in his early career in Hollywood with some of his screenplays such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie) and Alien: Ressurrection. It gives us insight into Joss' early T.V. writing and script-doctoring career, as well as detailed description of his Buffy, Angel and Firefly television days.

I'd like to see this book updated, as it seems to have been published before BtVS season 7 aired, let alone the green-lighting of Serenity, the movie based on Firefly. Joss has many wonderful things in his future - let's see it here.

Candace Havens does a brilliant job of pulling back the curtain on one of the most creative minds in film and television. Her style is informative, clever and engaging. While Havens is clearly a fan of Whedon's work, she maintains journalistic integrity as she reveals behind-the-scenes facts and fresh tidbits for the most rabid fans. Treat yourself to a great read and buy this book!

This book is great. I've been a fan of Joss since the first time I saw Buffy. This book isn't all about Buffy though. It covers Buffy, Angel, Firefly and more. Funny as hell too.

I couldn't put the book down. I read it straight through in one afternoon. A lot of insight into Joss and all of the cast members of his show are interviewed. It's part biography and part, well, everything else.

Best book I've read in a while. Buy this book!

I read this book in four days! I couldn't put it down!

A tale of time forgotten, where LOVE ruled the clubs.

In all my clubbing years, I've yet to experience those special nights where there is nothing but 'love in the air'. Mel lived this!

This book helped ME live that.

I'VE HAD FOUR LONG DAYS OF PARADISE!!!

Thank you Mel, may you rest in peace.

This is truly an amazing book. And Mel Cheren has lived an amazing life, from being a record promoter in the 60s who was living a closeted life, to being at the epicenter of gay life in the 70s, to fighting the AIDS crisis in the 80s. I bought this book just hoping to get more info on the Garage but I got so much more. I got a history lesson in gay life over the past 30 years. Truly educational and fascinating. But yes I must agree with the past poster--a little too much backpatting and a little too much taking credit for other people's successes. Other than that, a fine book and one definitely worth owning if you have any interest in disco, gay life or the Paradise Garage.

I thought this book was great. I live in Boston and have spent a considerable time going back and forth to New York over the years. I think I spent most weekends there in the mid-80's. Anyway, I moved in a different crowd form Mel's Boston crew, but I knew some of them casually. His appendix held a few surprises for me as to what happened to some of them.

The book is a great gay history of that period in New York. It brought back many memories of both happy and sad times. Earlier sections were before my "era", so I found them very interesting. I felt like I knew many of the people Mel talks about and remember watching and listening as the club music scene grew. There are many interesting stories about this phase of the music industry.

My only reservation: Mel did do some great things, but Mel knows it. So we know it. A lot. Just a tad too much back-patting. Otherwise a great read about New York Gay life and the rise of club music.

As a birthday gift to myself I invested in the book My Life and the Paradise Garage: Keep on Dancing-as a summer read, along with some club classics. What a gift! The book was informative, educational, and sure enough enlightening from the first, to the last page. All of the ole Loft/Paradise Garage heads should have a copy. This book simply explored the pure essence of the disco-happy people era. I could not have invested in the book and not any of the music. I also made an investment in some of David Mancuso- Loft classics Volume 1&2, and Larry Levan hits from the Garage. While reading this book and listening to those fabulous sounds I was totally blown away! These items were the best gifts I could have given to myself. The book helped me to realize I was apart of history, a free spirit dance era that will never exist again. This music will allow me to keep on dancing while most of the great underground clubs have closed their doors. High accolades are due to Mel Cheren for putting history on paper and for his never ending pursuit toward helping others. Mel is indeed the Godfather of Disco and a crusader for humanity. Thanks to David Mancuso for sharing his space at 99 Prince Street, and the rebirth of his great sounds. Much respect to the spirit of Larry Levan the master of the turntables. Larry must must be spinning the wheels of steel, for the angels in glory. This birthday was really great! I was not dancing at the Paradise Garage, theme beach party or dusting my dancing shoes in the baby powder on the floors at the Loft. I was dancing up a storm and a sweat at home to the fierce sounds and energy of the better days. Thanks to everyone, including Amazon.com, who thought it was worth putting these products on the market. I think all bona fide party heads should have a copy of this book, and the sounds of club music which has been tucked away too long. Thank you all for keeping it real!

I must admit that I have very mixed feelings about this book.

While reading it, I never thought it was that great a read, and still now I feel the writing style is a bit simple, and also that there are a few anecdotes too many where the author pats his own back. No doubt has Mel Cheren had quite a bit of an impact on the disco/dance scene, but he should have left the praising of his persona to other people...

On the other hand, I feel there are some VERY IMPORTANT points and topics in this book, in some cases maybe requiring a bit of reading between the lines:

The rise and fall of Disco - the music, the clubs, etc. - I'm a DJ myself, and I can clearly see parallels happening in todays' (2001) Dance Music scene. "It's all just a little bit of history repeating..."

The other big thing that hit me like a hammer was all the tragedies described that happened because of AIDS. Apart from being about parties, clubbing, drugs and so on - this book to me was also an important contribution towards my awareness of AIDS. I don't think I've ever been as aware of the issue as after reading this book.

I think that in a way this publication also is a good description of the Yin/Yang principle: in every bad thing there is something good, and in every good thing there is something bad. For all the fantastic drug- and sex-parties the people in this book have experienced, they did pay a very high price. The ones who died and also the ones who survived.

William Boyd is without a doubt a literary genius. I loved this
book and I tore through it at a rate of knots which is unusual for
me because I usually take my time to read a book. Boyd is one of our
greatest living writers. I urge anyone to get totally lost in the strange
world of John James Todd.

I'm a great admirer of Willian Boyd, a person who has enjoyed his earlier novels. I was really looking forward to reading "The New Confessions". I started it and I persisted through the first 100 pages or so, but I couldn't finish it - a very rare way for me to treat a book. But the protagonist of "Confessions" is such a bitter misanthropic voice that the book was spoiled for me.

I urge those who haven't yet read any Boyd to begin with one of his books of shorter fiction, or best of all, with "Brazzaville Beach", one of the best novels I've read in years. Then follow up with "Restless", another excellent and innovative book.

Perhaps after those two, if you're as disenchanted with "Confessions" as I was, you'll still read Boyd's next work. Had this been my first exposure to him, it might have been my last.

William Boyd is a terrific storyteller. His prose is of high quality, characterizations livid and entertaining. I'm glad to say 'The New Confessions' is standard William Boyd material. It is a faux autobiography of a Scotsman as he reminisces through his full life of the first three quarters of the twentieth century. He experiences the horror of trench warfare in WW I, he becomes a famous silent film director of the Germany avant-garde cinema, and then lives several years in turbulent Hollywood before retiring on an island in the Mediterranian. He is no hero, and not a particularly nice guy. But is life story is very rich; I wish I had a grandfather like him!

However 'The New Confessions is not perfect. The ending is a bit of a disappointment, and overall the book seems too much like his 'Any Human Heart' (..which he wrote later but I read earlier). I do wish William Boyd would return to the stellar form he demonstrated with 'Brazzaville Beach', a less ambitious but much more powerful novel.


Bottom line: thoroughly competent but Boyd can do better. Still, any average effort by Boyd is worthy read.

A wonderful rampage through the twentieth century in the vein of the best eighteenth and nineteenth century chroniclers, Boyd's fictional hero is so well drawn, so detailed and so human that each page produces new fascinations. From the turn of the century until the 1970s when he stands on the wealthy promontory of life, by the Mediterranean, looking back on his journey, Boyd produces a young man desperate to (1) lose his virginity (2) avoid dying in a trench somewhere near Ypres during the Great War and (3) find a purpose.

I was lent a copy of this book by a friend and I have enjoyed it so much that, not having read Boyd before, I have ordered two other Boyds plus this one, so I can return my borrowed copy. It should be compulsory reading for 18 year-olds studying English lit, but I suspect it won't be because it will be deemed 'too long.' Although 476 pages, they are long pages (small letters, 40+ lines) and the book, sized the same as a 'typical' paperback, would weigh in at closer to 700 pages, although the length detracts not a jot from the book's brilliance and it never feels padded, unlike many shorter books.

This fictional memoir displays Boyd's consummate skill and style to full effect, ranging across time an place to create a vivid tale. Jean Jacques Rousseau's Confessions is (perhaps arguably) first tell-all memoir, and here Boyd updates it through the reminisces of James Todd. The story unfolds chronologically from his birth in 1899 and upbringing in Edinburgh to the 1970s, when he sits incognito on a quiet island writing his memoirs. The years between are a picaresque journey through the first half of the last century and one man's attempt to create meaning in his life.

The early years in his domineering father's household document an unhappy child yearning for love and approval. His father's quest to perfect and patent medicines provides an uncommonly interesting background for this. When a family friend introduces him to photography, the die is cast. As a teenager, like so many British men of his age, he is swallowed by the first World War, where he is wounded at Ypres. Here, Boyd's descriptions manage to breath fresh life into carnage whose horror has been well-documented. Fortuitously, he is then transferred to a propaganda unit, where his talent in photography is applied to the new realm of film. Captured by the Germans, he languishes in prison, where a guard befriends him and gives him a copy of Rousseau's Confessions to pass the time. The work insinuates itself into him, and it percolates in him in the postwar years as he works in the London silent film industry. Despite marrying and fathering several children, his ambitions remain thwarted and he moves to Berlin to pursue his pet project of making an epic version of Rousseau's book.

In Weimar Berlin he embraces the vibrant (if pfenningless) art community and reconnects with his former guard, who is now an actor. Working together, and with Armenian producers, their careers start to take off and Todd becomes embroiled in a lifelong love affair with an actress. Boyd's description of the inter-war Berlin film scene is so vivid, and the discussion of Todd's career so convincing that one is tempted to put the book down and rush to the video store to see his films. With the juice to get his pet Rousseau project made, Todd throws himself full-tilt into the project, only to see the emergence of "talkies" scuttle it. This propels him to Hollywood, where makes some quiet B-Westerns embedded with subtle social messages until t he next war finds him scrambling around as a war correspondent for third-tier U.S. newspapers.

Following WWII, he falls afoul of the McCarthy witch hunts for communist in the entertainment industry and appears before HUAC. Here, is perhaps the book's one flaw. The HUAC hearings provide Todd with an opportunity to both stay afloat by naming names (some of whom have already named him), and exact revenge on his longtime archnemesis-but he doesn't take it. Although he's presented as variously idealistic and honorable, it's the one time in the book where the character doesn't hold true. And from here, the book bogs down a little, as Todd's current situation as apparent exile starts to loom over the proceedings. Despite a somewhat unsatisiying ending, the story's overall quality is head and shoulders above the pack. Once again Boyd has researched a plethora of subjects and places, and recreates them perfectly. At the same time he occasionally deploys a light comic touch to lighten this story of the search for meaning and the role of chance in life.

Superb. Exhaustive and well-written. This book provides a view into one of the greats. I had seen a number of Billy Wilder movies before reading the book, but now I have much more appreciation of the man and his accomplishments. After finishing this biography, I have resolved to watch as many of his movies as I can.

If you want to learn about how one individual can go from a rural outpost of a decaying empire to a preeminent position in the center of the world's image maker, read this book. A compelling story of a compelling life.

I decided to read this, because I just read the New York Times Rewview of Ed Sikov's new book about Peter Sellers.
The part of the book I enjoyed the most was from the beginning to World War II. The later in his life it got, the denser and more academic it became. Mr. Sikov teaches film and it got more like a textbook.
The end of the book, I have to agree with the reviewer from Vienna. It was more a book for film students. The beginning in Europe was a great look through a certain person into another time. Make Billy Wilder fictional and you have a great historical fiction piece.

This bio of Billy Wilder is a totally fascinating one, filled with both world and cinematic history. Billy Wilder, a Polish Jew, proves to be a man of unique intuition and fast thinking as he rises from the ranks of stringer journalist to screenwriter in pre-World War II Europe, escapes the Nazis, gets a U.S. resident visa and, without speaking English, is hired to write for the movies. The author beautifully captures the ambiance of pre-war Europe and a Hollywood filled with emigres. Ultimately, the book left me sad, as Wilder ages, his friends die one by one, and he is unable to keep up with the times in terms of the types of properties to which he's attracted, how Hollywood works, and what the public wants. However, there is no denying his fantastic track record, his six Oscars, and the amazing legacy of brilliance he left behind. The rollercoaster ride of Wilder's life is well chronicled in this very satisfying, thought-provoking book.

This is a very good biography of Billy Wilder. It revealed a lot about him and his career I didn't know. I disagreed with Sikov on his evaluations of a few films (I like "Love in the Afternoon" much better than he, but Sikov really seems to hate Gary Cooper) but we agreed on a lot. (Heck, we even liked the same scenes in "Fedora.")

I gave the book five stars, but I have a few reservations. My problems came when Sikov went beyond Wilder's career -- or didn't. His descriptions of politics in Interwar Europe struck me as okay, but superficial. Okay, this book will be nobody's first choice to learn about such matters, but a little more polish here would have helped. Then, toward the end of the book, Sikov keeps mentioning that Wilder was out of step with Hollywood. However, there is really nothing about what the rest of Hollywood was doing, namely how Wilder stacked up against Mel Brooks or Woody Allen in this era. I would have liked to have seen that issue addressed.

However, as a "life" of Wilder and not a study of his "times", this is a great book. Fans of Wilder's films will greatly enjoy it.

Last week marked the passing of a true Hollywood heavyweight, a man who excelled as a writer, director, and producer, who left his mark in just about every film genre, except the Western - the one and only Billy Wilder.

Wilder's death at the age of 95 will no doubt bring renewed interest in his long and varied career. It is an irony that would have brought a wry smile to Wilder, and undoubtedly one of his biting remarks. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a comprehensive study of the life and art of Billy Wilder, you should look no further than Ed Sikov's brilliant "On Sunset Boulevard."

Sure, if you're looking for an extended interview with Billy Wilder himself, there's that other book ... but like the more famous, or rather infamous Hitchcock/Truffaut sessions that inspired it ... it can only be one sided.

Ed Sikov doesn't merely tell you to take Billy Wilder at his word. He conducted original interviews with scores of Wilder's colleagues and friends, dug through production archives, scripts, notes, and film footage to assemble not only a fascinating study of a filmmaking genius, but the conclusive portrait of the man behind that genius.

Sikov's analyses of Wilder's films are fresh and exciting, and his prose leaps off the page. You know instantly that Sikov knows his stuff, and that it's a subject close to his heart.

THis book is a must, especially if you are in either Movies or TV.
It's a text for making movies. I've learned more about movie making after I read this book than I have in the entire 40 years I've been in the business.

John MoioThis is Orson Welles

I enjoyed this book very much. It's a good read, informative and entertaining. Fans of Welles will feel that they are sitting in on a conversation between him and Bogdanovich (who asks insightful and pertinent questions, not noticeably obseqious), and that's lots of fun. You learn things about movies and about Welles, and even his evasive responses are interesting.

What nobody has mentioned so far is the photographs. There seems to have been some problem with the printing, and they look, in my copy at least, like 12th-generation photocopies: washed-out, grainy and almost indecipherable. Too bad, because there are a lot of them, some of them historic, and they are just really hard to look at. I don't understand it.

As the cover quip suggests, this IS a treasure trove of insights.
I have been totally inspired by this man's conviction and boundless enthusiasm. His conception of theatre is unique and phenomenal, I dont think we will ever see his like again, not with the dumbing down of the world and aesthetics, etc.

I understand the rawness and points of many a play thanks to this man. His voice is hypnotising and authoritive.

Can genius like this ever see the light of day again?

As one who had just completed a viewing of Ciitzen Kane on DVD
(featuring the excellent audio commentary on the film by Roger Ebert & Rudy Behlmer) I turned to Frank Brady's excellent biography.This is Orson Welles completes my examination of this giant of film directorship. Over several years and in many locals the Falstaffian Welles shares his thoughts on film, his own movies and life with his devoted student Peter Bogdonovich
(himself a talented director best known for "The Last Picture Show'). If you want to know what Welles really thinks and believes this book is the Rosetta Stone for your investigation!
As Truffaut was able to discuss his life and films with Sir Alfred Hitchcock so does Peter B. do the same thing for Welles.
After all the reading and studying of Welles the man emerges as a titanic force of nature whose undisciplined genius is a wonder to behold. Any fan of Welles or Cinema should add this excellent book to your library. Well Recommended!