Video Production Books

This is a well written and interesting read. A must for all Tarantino fans and an excellent addition and reference for your DVD collection. Not to be missed.

This is a must have book for Tarantino fans. It is very easy to read and does not patronise the reader like some other film books do. Buy it now!

Well - I enjoyed it!!!... as an admirer of Tarantino, although not a fanatic, I found it an easy, sensible, informed read and it lead me to admire the bloke a lot more after reading this than I did before. I looked at other books recommended by the other 'critic' but they weren't (in my opinion) as smooth to read as this one - which is laid out with interesting little boxed snippets to the pages. Brilliant title by the way (which attracted me in the first place, incidentally)

"Page's book is a quick glance over Tarantino's films from literary studies perspective. A good companion if you want to check out approaches on how to look at the films. Everyone who hasn't read the indispensible trio Bernard-Holm-Smith yet, or everyone who just wants to read a simple, fast and uncomplicated analysis of his films, should ca nit, but the book just is not really more than that." -Sebastian H. (Full review available at www.tarantino.info)

Nichols has basically written the equivalent of a term paper on the films and life of Woody Allen. That is not to say that the book is dull or only a collection of non-emotive facts about Allen. It delves deep to examine the many facets of his life and the films that he has created. For anyone who really appreciates Woody Allen's films, this would be the book for you.

Nichols has made an exemplary contribution to film studies by integrating that mushy discipline with the rigor of political philosophy. She's surely smarter and better than Woody, but with her help we can see what is best about his art as moral and philosophical illumination.

Professor Mary Nichols's "Reconstructing Woody" is a profound and provocative meditation on life and art that gazes at these issues through the lens of Woody Allen's films. Nichols's treatment is unique for its insight and readability. Moreover, she succeeds in establishing three truths in her book: 1. That film is as complex, philosophic and insightful a medium for reflecting upon life as any other literary genre, combining especially the novel's ability to recreate a detailed world and drama's ability to have visual impact. 2. That the literary/dramatic reflection of life in art is not simply "reflective" or "passive," but instead represents the artist's ability to see the world through "a" world. If that artist is thoughtful and talented enough, then we do ourselves a service by trying to enter into his or her lens to view our own world. Nichols persuasively demonstrates that Allen is an artist of that rank. 3. That (and this is a very old issue in the Western world) the "sophisticated criticism" of certain intellectuals may, in fact, be less profound than the art it tries to explain. Allen himself has clearly and funnily portrayed this in his films, and Nichols, by presuming that Allen has something to teach her and us, has produced an intellectual commentary that does not distort or render shallow his dramatic corpus. In short, in confronting Allen's art through Nichols's book, the reader will emerge with a greater ability to appreciate a worthy artist's work and the world that that work represents.

As a big Woody Allen fan I really enjoyed reading Mary P. Nicols "Reconstructing Woody". Nicols is a professor of political science at Fordham University, and this book is basically her in-depth study or "thesis" on the cinematic art of Woody Allen. She digs deeply into 12 of Allen's films, namely "Play It Again Sam", "Annie Hall", "Interiors", "Stardust Memories", "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy", "Zelig", "The Purple Rose of Cairo", "Another Woman", "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Manhattan Murder Mystery", "Bullets Over Broadway" and "Mighty Aphrodite". She looks at the artisty and craftsmanship of Allen's works and gives her own interperetations as to their deeper meanings, uses of symbolism, and Woody's obvious homages to classic art and literature. She also points out what I've told people all along...that whether he is using comedy or drama as his vehicle, Woody Allen is master storyteller who creates characters of great depth! The chapters on "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and "Stardust Memories" are especially intriguing and enlightening, so much so that Nicols has actually deepened my appreciation of those films. (Not that they wern't favorites already!) I would have liked to have seen what she had to say regarding "Manhattan" or "Broadway Danny Rose", but for some inexplicable reason they were not included. Now that four more Woody Allen fims have been released since the publication of this book, it would be nice to see Nicols do a follow-up which could cover "Deconstructing Harry", "Celebrity", "Sweet and Lowdown", "Small Time Crooks" and some of the older titles that were overlooked here. If Amazon ever offers such a book, I'll be the first here to buy it!

I am a huge Polanski fan. That's the #1 reason I picked up this book.

The reason I give this three stars, maybe four... is because a lot of the information contained within the book (a good 50% + of written content) is simply a synopsis of each film. From his short films & Knife in the Water, all the way up to Oliver Twist. Frankly, I don't need the majority of the book to summarize movies that I already own. Even if you haven't seen some of the films, spoilers are revealed. Ones you probably could do better without.

The other half of the writing, is quite nice. It talks about what Polanski did immediately after the film and the steps he took into starting his next. All the 'in between' stuff. His way of thinking, his struggles, of course his tragedy, and other issues of the like. The book is written chronologically, so the author finds nice segues from film to film. It is also separated rather well, so reading it in sections is not a problem at all.

Overall, this is not a bad buy. It is a relatively inexpensive item with nice photographs and stills from the movie. There are some interesting facts contained within... however, if you are looking for a really informative book you might look elsewhere. This book is painfully easy to read and I personally knew most of the facts written in it already. It probably makes for a nice gift item to the younger crowd who has an interest in a particular director. It also makes for a good collectors item, so if you're a fan... by all means purchase this book. However, I favor the Roman Polanksi Interviews over this book.

F.X. Feeney's ROMAN POLANSKI showcases the most perceptive and insightful career overview of this complex and contradictory director that's ever been published. Based in comprehensive research and exclusive access, Feeney - one of our finest critics - gives us an exhaustive, but never exhausting, look at the remarkable life and career of one of cinema's greatest artists. Maybe the best entry yet in Taschen's lovely directors series, ROMAN POLANSKI by F.X. Feeney is essential reading for both the discerning cineaste and the enthusiastic movie buff, neither too scholarly nor too pop, beautifully balancing a thoroughly thoughtful and scholarly critical view with an unabashed love of Polanski's work. Can't wait to see Feeney's take on Michael Mann!

Leave it up to the rest of the world to be able to look at Roman's career and life objectively and not dwell on one unfortunate and unnecessary thing that he did nearly 30 years ago.

F.X. Feeney and editor Paul Duncan obviously spent a lot of time combing through numerous archives to come up with the many beautiful movie stills that grace these 192 pages. It may not seem like a lot for your money but appearances are indeed deceiving.

While the information and quotes are rehashed from Roman's 1984 autobiography "Roman," and other sources, it was presented in such a way as to make it fresh and interesting.

But the most refreshing facet of this book is that the author and editor refrained from writing about Roman condescendingly or passing judgment on him. They just presented the facts and ran beyond beautiful movie stills alongside the info. If only more biographies could be as objective ...

This covers Roman's life from birth to the making of last year's "Oliver Twist" so this is updated and comprehensive.

Highly recommended. - Donna Di Giacomo

Roman Polanski, born on August 18th, 1933, - he is a sinner and simultaneously unquestionably a genius. He is alarmingly chaotic and passionate, he acts as a macho and is wounded so extremely and deeply at the same time, that in his films it is often only an atmosphere of fear. He survived Poland occupied by the Nazis in the second World War like by a miracle: While both his mother and his father were taken away in concentration camps, he made himself to hide again and again. Psychologists call this power "resistance", which makes it possible for certain people to lift themselves up from the ash and to beat the dust off the clothes. Polanski lost his Mrs Sharon Tate (and an unborn baby) at the Helter-Skelter massacre of the Manson commune. Then losing his balance he stumbled into the net of a 13-year girl. The treatment by the American justice induced Polanski to leave the USA and to get local in Paris. Now there he (aged 70) lives together with his substantially younger wife Emmanuelle Seigner (leading role in his film "Bitter Moon"). Polanski was optimistic and anxious, arrogant and reckless, ironic and traumatized. The experiences of his early youth helped him for his newest cinema plant, that one about the sad childhood situation in the England of the Charles Dickens. Once Polanski noticed: "For as far back as I can remember, the line between fantasy and reality has been hopelessly blurred." Polanski indeed describes himself indirectly by the film topics which he chooses: Therefore we have to regard a hybrid character mixture of a Robin Hood with a Mac Beth, an outrageous Idi Amin mixed with a mother Theresa-type. The book of F. X. Feeney about Polanski shows us a world behind the curtains of the too briefly advisable keep-smiling interviews, it reveals something of the tricks which may help one, to overcome defeats and tragedies, depriving encirclements and downfalls by climbing tricks: This book is almost more interesting than some of the available films of Polanski ...

This is a brilliant book and particually good if your a big fan of Freddy Krueger films, like me. It tells us of Wes Cravens past and of his past and present movies.

This is designed for big, big, big fans of Wes Craven. It is a slim book whose text seems to be primarily based on magazine articles and newspaper clips. The book gives a fairly good overview of Craven's history and philosophy in a readable and serviceable style.

I have been an avid fan of Wes Craven and his movies, But this book gives you more insight on his better movies, and gives you respect for his unsatisfactory movies. As well as getting inside his head and knowing what these movies really mean, After reading it you know what each movie is "really" all about. For anyone who is interested in Horror movies, or any genre of Movies, you should definately read this book.

At first thought, many people probably would have thought director Wes Craven to be some kind of unbalanced oddball because of some of the films he has made. Not to mention some of the gnarly and overly violent scenes he has created in his numerous films. What kind of a person would of made "The Last House On The Left", or "The Hills Have Eyes"?. Or have a geiser of blood shooting up from a teenaged boy's bed in the original "A Nightmare On Elm Street"?. Well, Mr. Craven. That's who. Newbies just finding his work and learning more about him, might be surprised to find that Mr. Craven is the exact opposite of what you would of thought. Instead of coming across as some crazy horror film director, he comes across more as a polished and highly intelligent man who looks and dresses like a college professor. "Freddy" star Robert Englund even once made that comment after meeting Wes for the first time after auditioning for the first Freddy movie. This book delves right into the entirety of Wes' career and offers glimpses into the makings of each ones, not to mention his own life. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 2, 1939. One other interesting note was how his family were a deeply religious baptist family. The religion and the nature of his family's religion is something Wes goes on to discuss a bit further in the book. It's also incredibly interesting to know that Wes never saw a movie until
he wasin college. The good and the bad from his work is brought to the forefront and dissected. A running theme thru the book is the effect that horror, and many of Wes' films, have had on the world. Is it good?. Is it harmful to children?. Is it responsible when someone commits a crime and says they did because of watching "Scream" or any other movie?. That is some of the interesting bits you will read about in this book. Author Brian J. Robb, an autobiogrpaher who has done work on such other people as Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, River Phoenix, and Leonardo DiCaprio, does a nice job of getting the information there and making it easily accessible and interesting to read. Granted, the book isn't entirely perfect. It's a thin and light book that could probably be read in one sitting. Also, many of the quotes seem like they were taken from many other sources. It doesn't feel like Wes had directly talked to this book or was involved in any interviews for it. I'm just guessing. It would of been better if it had a tad more in depth, but I'm not really complaining for as it is a great book. The "Nightmare On Elm Street" films are thoroughly researched and talked about here. It is kind of odd that every single one is accounted for since 4 of them had nothing really to do with Wes at all. I did get the feeling that Wes wasn't properly treated at time by New Line over the "Elm Street" series. These films were what really made Wes known, until a little movie called "Scream" came out to terrify theatergoers in 1996 and made Wes not only a household name again, but proved that he is master and back at the top of the horror list. Much talk and detail goes into all 3 of the "Scream" films as well. Overall, this is avery entertaining and enjoyable read. From his trouble with getting a film done, going without money, and the ever present cencorships board, and other things you will read about in this book, Wes Craven has had his struggles. But as always, he rolls with the punches and he always gets back on his feet again. This is a book that satisfy fans, newcomers to him and his work, and genre buffs all over the world.

The layout of this book is interesting and accessible. It is basically an extended conversation between two fans of Godard, who just happen to be very learned in film studies/theory as well. The chapter on "Weekend" is particularly good. If you are finding yourself drawn to Godard, but do not know where to start, try this book.

Even for those unfamiliar with all of Godard's films, these conversations are interesting. Although the book sometimes reads like a postmodern primer with footnote references and keyterms to all the 'right' writers of the sixties and seventies, the analysis is generally more complex and undogmatic. The scene by scene structure of each dialog also guarantees a trueness to the original "text" of the film, that is not always found in critical writing on film.

"Speaking About Godard" by Kaja Silverman and Harun Farocki will stimulate Godard afficionados into conversations about Godard's work as the authors have themselves in this book. The authors devote chapters to selected works from the French auteur's oevre analyzing and debating specific aspects of the films. They attempt to find the meaning of specific scenes in the following Godard films: "Vivre sa vie", "Le mepris"("Contempt"), "Alphaville", "Weekend", "Le gai savoir", "Numero deux", "Passion", and "Nouvelle Vague". Some film stills accompany the authors examples from the respective films. You may not always agree with their analysis, but they don't always agree with each other. Of course, Godard's films are so rich with meaning, they are open to debate. The conversational style of the book makes it a great read for those stimulated by the great filmmaker's work.

Speaking About Godard is one of the more interesting and unique studies of Godard's films. Silverman and Farocki's close reading is a great idea. This yields impressive results, particularly where films like Numero Deux and Le Gai Savoir. Their reading uncovers many interesting connections that wouldn't be apparent any other way.

The book covers a nice selection of films. One can find studies of Vivre sa Vie and Weekend elsewhere, but these offer fresh insights. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with their conclusions, their readings will make one see these films in a different way. The chapter on Numero Deux is worth the price of the book alone. Though I'm sure many won't have a chance to see Le Gai Savoir, but the authors should be commended for tackling such a difficult, obscure film.

Other reviewers have leveled criticism of "lightweight" and "fluffy" at this book. These are entirely unfounded. Only the most superficial reading of this book would lead to such irresponsible and incorrect conclusions. The writing style is clear and accessible, and the conversational format makes it easy to understand. Just because the text isn't dry, pedantic, or prolix doesn't mean that the ideas and concepts aren't deep.

With so many books published about Godard, one must be very discriminating when deciding what to spend one's valuable time reading. Some believe that the idea of the close reading is unfashionable, but in this instance, it's a very effective tool. There's something here for even the most seasoned Godard fan.

I bought this book recently and just finished reading it. Being new to movie making I found this book helpful to understanding the jargon of movie making; cuts; framing; and much more.

This is a good basic book for those new to movie making. Well worth the price.

Hi ,
I bought this book a week ago .Iam a software engineer and i was never associated with film industry either in theory nor in practice .I actually wanted to read about scripts and i had mistakenly bought this book .

To my surprise ,this book is wonderfully written .To a non-art guy like me ,it was pure bliss reading this .He starts with the most common sense issues to topics like framing ,cut ways ,editing .He touches upon each and every aspect in the making the film .No false promises ,no hypes -Just plain common sense and knowledge .

The intresting aspect is that while he discusses all the technical aspects ,he does not assume the user to be film-savy guy or anything like that .Also ,there are few examples where the user can actually think of alternatives and be a active reader .

The bottomline - As a non-art student ,after reading this book ,i got a different way of appreciating films !Well ,isn't it more beautiful to appreciate arts than juding it ?

What are u waiting for ?Just go and grab this book !

Gotta say, with many, many books telling you how easy it is to make a hit film it's nice to have come across and read this honest, and highly readable, approach.
I liked the size, unlike several other film making guides it wasn't some 'Book of Lore' that requires lifting equipment to read. You could probably fit this in your back pocket and read it over a couple of afternoons(or nights...)
It's simple, it doesn't fly away with obscure technical speech, and I liked the way when some film making process was on the verge of getting complicated, there's a breather and explanation that allows the reader to follow EVERYTHING.
It actually talks about creativity and how to go about writing scripts and thinking of stories as well as how to get the most out of camera and methods and procedures of making a film. I don't think I've ever seen a book or on-line guide that merged these themes so well. Three for the price of one!!
I guess the British guy who wrote this, knows what it takes to get a film started and made. OK, there's a few Britishisms, but the information is pretty universal and above all simple and helpul.
Definitely good background reading to my film studies course.
I feel as though I have discovered a real gem here.
T.D.

Did anyone forget that making films should be fun? The guy who wrote this book sure didn't. This has got to be the first book where everything is infused witha real sense of enjoyment and fun, but at the same time combined with simple and structured learning. I've read some real stinker film making guides for my media production college course, but this book bucks the trend big time.
Highly reccomended reading for the media or film production student!!
Read, enjoy, have fun, learn.

Total Directing is a very thorough book on directing narrative (for both film and television) which will leave you with a sense of awe at how complex a task film-making is, but at the same time give you enough concrete, technical advice to make you feel you could actually become a director yourself.

The book covers the directing process from first idea through to post-production, with particular attention placed on reading and marking up a script in order to block (plan actors' movements) and plan shots. The chapters covering blocking and camera placement are very detailed, with specific advice on how to shoot scenes with 2, 3, and 4 actors. There is also good coverage of other technical issues such as post-production (editing, sound effects, music).

The other aspect of directing covered in this text is the human aspect. Here, Kingdon illustrates his points with sidebars describing his own experience on various productions, and with references to well-known films and quotes from directors, famous and unfamous. There is a good discussion about how to work with actors to make the best use of their skills, as well as some material on the culture and politics of TV and Hollywood production.

There is a supplemental chapter at the end with some interviews with directors describing their different paths towards becoming directors and giving advice to the aspiring director.

To summarize, this is a great book to read if you are serious about wanting to be a director and are looking for specific technical instruction rather than (or in addition to) "inspiration" and grand ideas. This is a book you will be able to use to solve concrete production problems when you make your first film that involves working with real actors in a professional or academic setting.

The book is also well-suited for a course in film school or media studies, although if used in a hands-on course where students are expected to produce films, it will need to be supplemented with material that covers the details of using a particular camera and editing platform. (The book does a good job of covering both film and video and not choosing an editing device or program, but as a result, certain details are necessarily missing. This is not a fault in the book. One can't expect a single book to cover the entire process of film-making, and this is a book focused on directing actors, even though it touches on other aspects of production.)

very effective, simple, but interesting the book gives a complete insight in directing. It is really difficult to find such a complete book, I found it a great book.

It is my opinion that the only books on filmmaking that should be read and utilised are the books which are written by people who know what they're talking about. This is a book on filmmaking by a man who has never made a film! I've always found that to be ridiculous. The types of film books I read are mostly interview books, because you are getting the information straight from the source. Also, there are many books wwritten by actual award-winning, famous directors. For example, MAKING MOVIES, by Sidney Lumet. As far as interview books, you have what I call the "big four," being CONVERSATIONS WITH WILDER (Cameron Crowe), HITCHCOCK (Francois Truffaut), THIS IS ORSON WELLES (Peter Bogdonavich) and, in my opinion the best, KAZAN: THE MASTER DIRECTOR DISCUSSES HIS FILMS (Jeff Young). These are actual directors speaking about the craft. Wouldn't it be better to read books on directing from actual directors? But, its up to you. It's your choice. Learn the craft from masters like Hitchcock, Kazan, Welles, or Wilder, or you can learn from Tom Kingdon.

There's nothing wrong with reading interviews with master film directors, but they rarely give you the practical, hands-on information you need for becoming a professional director. Tom Kingdon's book is one of the only books that guides you through the steps and skills a director needs to know to take a script through to the final cut. I'm a professional documentary filmmaker, script writer and production teacher in a major media arts college, and in over twenty years of teaching, this is the first time I've assigned a directing text.

So by all means, study the words and works of Hitchcock, Kazan, Scorcese et al, but don't expect them to teach you how to break down a script or rehearse actors or many of the myriad tasks and procedures essential to being a real director.

I got this book about 1/2 for curiosity and 1/2 for an interest in multimedia art exhibits (tangentially related to VJing). I'll repeat the other reviews: the DVD is useless. But the book is quite a good introduction to VJing if perhaps a bit dated now as the technologies central to the activity have progressed.

The VJ Book is awesome. I'm so glad that this book is available. It's one of the best books made on the subject for people in the future to refer back to when researching the history and origins of VJing--especially in the US. There is alot of material in the interviews that I have never seen dealt with anywhere else in print. A common observation by some VJs interviewed in the book is that the aesthetic quality of VJ art at dance parties usually far exceeds the quality of any video installation that one might find in a museum. And yet, the museum installation usually gets way more funding. Anecdotes and stories that come though in the book's interviews are great at showing the nuts and bolts issues that VJs have faced in working their craft--insights that are hard to find outside VJ circles. In my opinion, VJing is one of the highest forms of visual art, yet has remained mostly underground and misunderstood because it is so historically new. There are no pictures in this book--its all written info. But the included DVD makes up for that--its a rare window into a world of VJs united in their artistic passion, but amazingly diverse in their styles and methods.

There's been so much discussion online about the development of a VJing book, but this one wins the prize as the first - or at least the first to make it into our letterbox. As a trailblazing tome on such a complex and rapidly growing and changing field, I can certainly forgive it a few errors and omissions.

The DVD is just OK - all the best material on it has already appeared elsewhere, such as the Eyewash Sessions, and there are some inclusions that I can't for the life of me see as VJing in any way. Calling something VJing isn't an excuse for a badly made music video clip. But hey, even without the DVD, the book's good value so just consider it a bonus.

The book is short and covers some complex technical topics a little too flippantly at times - eg, as a PC/Resolume user, my guess is that their criticisms of that program's poor performance were due to use of incompatible codecs with their clips. Perhaps if they'd got user reviews by professional VJs for each of the main packages it would have been more accurate and balanced.

Having said that, this book isn't about technicalities. The writers' and interviewees' passion for what they do is palpable. The main message of the book, at least to my mind, is that it doesn't matter HOW you do what you do, and that there is no right or wrong way to VJ. It's an art, and no instruction-book is going to make you any good at it, if 'it' isn't inside you.

There is a fairly American focus, but that's fair enough. The European, Australasian and other regional cliques can write our own books. This is a great starting point. If we Aussies want to claim credit for modern VJing thanks to the Fairlight CVI, that's another whole book to write.

The most wonderful thing about the book (and the reason I've bought 8 copies to give away already) is the historical contextualisation. I knew there were some early experiments with Colour-Music, but I had no idea they went back to the 1700's, when clavessins were made with precious stones, mirrors, lenses and candles to project coloured light. I want one!

A quote from the book that I think applies equally to anyone considering buying "the VJ Book":

"In writing these pages, I have felt myself to be addressing two classes of readers, namely those who know something of the art of Mobile Color, its past history, its hopes and its aims; and others who have never even heard of the subject...from the latter, I would ask for as open-minded a consideration of the subject as they can give me." AW Rimington, Colour-Music (1912).

Here, here.

VJ kattyb, VJzoo.com

book was very inspiring, really broad introduction, with lots of glimpses into what it really takes.
DVD was a total letdown, but then again not if you knew the useless airhead who compiled it.
would have been five stars without the DVD (although it does include some tasty demos of software)

This book covers a lot of ground and does a great job describing exactly what an art director does. However, the book was published in 1994. Technology in the past decade has dramatically changed the nature of film production, so a lot of the information in this book is very dated

I am a video production teacher and this book is an outstanding resource to teach kids what a career as an art director can entail. The chapters are clear and have great graphics and pictures to reinforce the information. My students who have used the book so far have enjoyed it.

For the art or architecture student who is into films and is still uncertain of a career direction, this book lays out the procedure and the challenges in becoming a motion picture art director or a production designer. While covering the "nuts and bolts" of the work, the messages are often driven home by war stories from the author's own experiences in the business. Easy Reading.

Es un libro que explica bien el trabajo de los directores artísticos norteamericanos, su utilidad en otros países es más dudosa. Buenas ilustraciones, bien escrito.

A great book. The photography is well selected. An insightful analysis. A little excessive in intelltualizing the ideas of Wong Kar-Wai's art.

I only wish it would emphasize more on how seductive and sensual his works are, and how skillfully he uses the props and sounds(cigarettes , blood-red bedcover, the Falls, wallpapers etc.), the lighting (mastered by Christopher Doyle), colours (like stained glasses), and the make-up (thick, dark eye-brows rendering a Latin flavour) to exude nostalgia, time, sensuality, sorrow, and romanticism. It's very Hong-Kongish. Wong's art is all about feelings.

(P.S. Try to get Christopher Doyle's Photo Journal on Happy Together. Magnificient photography from the footages. Well written in both English and Chinese).

As a big Wong Kar-Wai fan, I had to have the book. But most of the "critical analysis" goes way too far in trying to "understand" his films. He must get a great laugh when he reads about these author's claims of knowing the deeper meaning he was going for. Check out the pictures and forget about the articles.

This is the only book out on one of the most inspirational director around now. Wong Kar-wai inspired me to become a scriptwritter, and a film director. His films are so filled with real energy and feeling that he shows the asian mind on film better than anyone ever has. This book talks about his achievements, and also explains his films. From his first film, As Teas Go By, to his last film, Happy Together, the writters of this book explain the fundamentals of his writtings and goes further by explaining what every film tried to express. If there was ever an aspect in his movie that you never understood, then it is explained in this book. Although costly, the book is worth all the money because of the rich photographhic pictures included. This is a must have for all film enthusiastics, and any Wong Kar-wai fanatic like myself.

Every fan of the Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar Wei should immediatly check out this book. It contains a critical review of all of his films to date, going into depth on the possible meanings and significant aspects of each film. As a graduate of a Film Production program, it can be a bit heady, but still very interesting. The best part is at the end when two interviews with the famed director are combined. It is a real treat to her Wong Kar Wei talk about his own work! The photography, mostly by Christopher Doyle, gives a great glimpse into the world of Wong's films.