Video Books

If your career aspirations lie in the show biz world, don't forget to consult actor/producer/casting director Steve Stevens Sr.'s So You Want To Be In Show Business: A Hollywood Agent Shares The Secrets Of Getting Ahead Without Getting Ripped Off. Stevens also has a background representing struggling actors: his 50+ years experience in the acting trenches lends to an eye-opening industry reference crucial to learning about casting, agents, and more.

I picked this great guide up last week, finished it in a day, and am totally changing the way I approach this business! There are so many little things that the authors recommend doing that I would never have thought of--I am much more confident, because now I feel like I am fully prepared when I go into auditions... Thank you!

This is my first review of anything, but I felt like I needed to give this book a plug--even though it comes from a small, independant press, this book should be in every acting/directing/theater class in the nation. Cady and Stevenson take you through the inner workings of the agent business, the right/wrong approaches to auditions, the way to work in Hollywood while keeping your sanity, all while maintaining an easy tone that gives one the confidence to take a chance and try to be a star! Great work, and a bargain for those of us who thought they knew the business.

This is an absolute must-have for all actors! After being an actress for over 20 years, I have spent countless hours reading books on the business of acting. "So you want to be in Show Business," is the most complete book I have ever read on the subject. Steve Stevens Sr. masterfully blends humor along with the no-nonsense truth about this crazy business. All while giving encouragement and sharing his passion. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Highly informative and very entertaining... anyone thinking about embarking on an actor's life should read this book! Loved it!

I bought this book for my daughter who is a Sound of Music affectionado. She loved the book and all the background materials provided.

The Sound of Music Companion by Laurence Malson, Andrew Lloyd Webber should be owned by all who enjoyed the movie.


Thanks

This is a wonderful book for THE SOUND OF MUSIC enthusiast. Lots of great background information and photographs. Thank you.

Lawrence Maslon should be thanked and congratulated for offering a concise and informative Sound of Music book. Although there have been a few Sound of Music books written in the past, this book is probably the first of its kind to tell the story in a concise manner. The Hirsch book on the film and the reissued Max Wilk book on the stage show were great books in their own right, but I think this book tops them all.

Although the numerous photos are the draw of this coffee-table book, a coffee-table book should offer much more than pretty photographs. For this it certainly delivers. His meticulously researched, well-written text tells us the whole Sound of Music story from Maria's birth to the first Austrian stage production in 2005. This book covers all important stops in the history of SOM up till now, and does not dwell too long on any one time period. An added treat is the inclusion of song lyrics and commentaries on the songs, explaining how they were written and what role they played in the musical. I admit there are a few typo errors in the text, but this well-researched book is jam-packed with facts of the musical. You could literally dip your teeth into it and come out a Sound of Music junkie. I do wish there were also lyrics and commentaries for I Have Confidence, So Long, Farewell and also The Lonely Goatherd.

In short, a really great Sound of Music book that makes a splendidd addition to any Sound of Music collection, except that the print tends to be a little too small for the size of the book. Otherwise, a really wonderful book from cover to cover, and a seminal work in the entire world of this well-loved musical. I think this is a book that deserves to be in print forever.

Wonderful! Very complete compilation of many sources regarding the Sound of Music. Covers not only the movie, but also the stageplay, the history behind the script and music, and the history of the Von Trapps themselves. The pictures are absolutely beatiful! There are stills from the movie, from the original Broadway cast, from many Broadway revivals, as well as many behind the scenes shots. This is a must have for anybody who loves the story of the Sound of Music.

The first maybe six or seven chapters of this book were really tedious for me as they really didn't seem to delve into the life of Mr. Perry as much as they explored the "times" of Mr. Perry. It wasn't until around chapter 8 or so that I was able to enjoy the book as it went into more detail about Mr. Perry's life in and out of show-biz. Mr. Perry was a character, to say the least. Flamboyant with his riches and fame, but seemingly not so smart about his future. I just don't understand why some don't see just how much of a contribution Mr. Perry made to the world of Black cinema. Yes, he perfected the character of a slow-footed, shuffling, mealy mouth, but had he not made those enroads in film, would there be the Poitiers and Washingtons of today? I wish that there was some way to actually view In Old Kentucky and Hearts in Dixie so I can actually see the character Mr. Perry created and watch as his talents were displayed. Given the times that Mr. Perry and others of his generation had to work within, I'd say that he did what he had to do. Watkins does a fine job of providing us with a fact-based and well-documented glimpse into the life and times of Mr. Perry.

This book was well researched, and provides an entertaining and enlightening insight into an era that could not exist since the civil rights movement of the 60's. It speaks to social justice and inclusion, bias and the ability to transcend existing norms to earn a living at a time when, for black America, second class citizenship and economic hardship were the norm. Mr. Watkins is the professor and we are his students.

A Fascinating Character"

I'd heard the term "Stepin Fetchit," but I didn't know that there was a real person (Lincoln Perry) or movie star who used the name. So when a friend suggested I read this book I was leery. But after a few pages I was caught up in the times and in Perry's struggle to break into films and establish himself as a star. What surprised me most is that he was apparently an intelligent, gifted performer who was nothing like our picture of the "Uncle Tom" that the name is associated with. Who knew that Perry wrote for the Chicago Defender, fought for higher pay and better roles for black actors, hung out with the heavyweight champ Jack Johnson as well as Muhammad Ali, and, for years, lived such a lavish life in Hollywood. Watkins gives us a rich, detailed account of this complex, talented black comic actor. And when one reads about the racial restrictions and circumstances of black actors in the 1920s and 30s, the reasons for his being cast in the cartoonish movie roles he played become clear. He was a man before his time. I finished the book thinking that Perry, with his ambition and outrageous knack for publicity and self-promotion, could have been a star today. It seems that Perry had more flair and attitude than many of today's biggest stars.
This is an entertaining, eye-opening book - a great read. I recommend it for anyone interested in entertainment history or the bumpy road that black actors had to travel to become accepted in Hollywood, and for everyone who wants to be introduced to one of the most fascinating characters I've ever read about. Lincoln Perry's achievements need to be reevaluated and "Stepin Fetchit" definitely deserves * * * * * Five Stars.

Lincoln Perry, the man the world came to know as Stepin Fetchit, was a complex man. After reading this book, I realize I have childhood memories of seeing Fetchit in films on television. I also remember some of his imitators. Mel Watkins brought to mind cartoons like "Who Killed Cock Robin?" where a Stepin Fetchit type character was being beaten by the police. I asked my sister to quote our deceased mother using the title of this book. She said, "Stop acting like Stepin Fetchit." That made us laugh. But I also remember being taught by my elders who were the great grandchildren of ex-slaves, the subtle form of "playing dumb" to avoid being oppressed by the oppressor. Unfortunately, when "the oppressor" saw Stepin Fetchit movies, he didn't get the joke because it was at his expense. Therefore, forward thinking black people had to cringe watching some of movies movies in mixed company because they knew that this comedians "act" was being accepted as typical black man behavior. Mel Watkins did a fantastic job of explaining Lincoln Perry and the time in which he lived.

Chances are you don't know who Lincoln Perry is, and chances are you do know who Stepin Fetchit is, even though you may never have seen any of Fetchit's movies. Fetchit was Perry's stage persona, famous for playing the "shiftless darky," the slow-talking, drowsy shuffler that was the comic bane of his white masters. Perry was as full of contradictions as the character he portrayed, and both get a full biography in _Stepin Fetchit: The Life & Times of Lincoln Perry_ (Pantheon) by Mel Watkins. Watkins has previously written a history of African American comedy, and so is well acquainted with Fetchit, his fellow performers, and the social changes of the twentieth century that led to the changes in feeling about Fetchit's screen character. This biography is not just about the man and character, but about a particular aspect of twentieth century American race relations.

Perry was born in 1902 in Key West, Florida, and followed his father into performing, working tent shows, carnivals, and eventually vaudeville. Movies were not a career that black performers considered at the time, because if depicted, blacks were played by whites in blackface. Perry may have taken a job as a porter at MGM, and in 1927 he acted in _In Old Kentucky_, his first film appearance, one which got him some critical notice. Perry did not invent Fetchit's "torpid physical presence and halting, meandering speech," but he performed the role with meticulous attention and timing. When onstage before an audience, a key part of his act (it sounds like the sort of transformation for which Andy Kaufman was famous) was to come meandering out, looking lost and confused, and start a whining, incoherent monologue. He would then suddenly burst into a spirited dance that showed that the sloth and stupidity were nothing but pretense. Watkins makes the point that on the screen, there was no such transformation; Perry's sluggard, always performed with skillful languor, was the only role he got to play. He became the first true black movie star, and one of the first to have a studio contract. Like so many actors of his time, he spent lavishly and foolishly. Throughout his movie career, he would irritate studio executives so much that he would get fired from a movie or from his contract, whereupon he would go back to the road for work on the stage. He was criticized by the civil rights movement in the 1940s, and was unemployable because of it, although he could have made a comeback in drama in the sixties. He died in a home for Hollywood actors in 1985.

Watkins has provided a full picture of a complex man of real talent who used it in a timely way, a way that simply became unfashionable as times changed. Perry's aggressive demands to be treated (and paid) like white stars branded him a troublemaker. His fame opened doors for other black actors in less controversial roles, but his name stands for a now-regrettable image. This entertaining biography shows that there was more to him than the image.

I actually bought this book because I am always looking for great, meaningful movies to watch and when I saw it I thought this would be perfect!

Also - I passed it along to my friend who is a teacher and she has used it in her class for friday movie-days . . .

I just saw this book listed in my local paper and I ordered it right away because I have teens who are difficult to communicate with. Last night I actually sat down with my son and daughter and we watched "Scent of a Woman." We had a great discussion afterwards about cheating, friendships etc. This book was a god send. I recommend it to anyone with children who are tough to talk to. Thank you to the authors for this wonderful addition to our library.

Every parent has been confronted by the blank stare displayed by their child when confronted with a difficult topic they simply wish not to discuss with you. This book overs an antidote to that ennui with the simple, but brilliant idea of 'taking" your kid to the movies instead. This is accomplished by the easy expedient of slamming a video tape in your own home vcr.It offers the "safe" outlet of entertainment as a catylist for serious discussion by employing salient guidelines and analysis of over 100 theatrical films.

This is a terrific book for sharing with yor family and almost every family likes movies. The analysis is quite inciteful and the movies choices are interesting and inspired. The lessons are good ones and easily followed by children and adults.

I really like this book! The introduction is extremely helpful and provides a lot of insight into using films within the family structure. A giant step beyond just a movie guide, this book shows parents like me how I can use movies to learn more about my kids. I have a ten year old son who is not the easiest person to talk to, so I'm confident that many of the movies in Talking Pictures will provide the common ground needed for us to have some of those meaningful talks.

This audio book surpassed my expectations! The life of Ed Feldman was wildly entertaining and Christian Hoff does an incredible job. I feel such an appreciation for the hard work of a producer and value each movie I watch that much more. I would like to thank Ed Feldman for allowing us to step into his life and enjoy his stories of some of our favorite actors. I couldn't of thought of anyone better to narrate than the brilliant Christian Hoff. How does he do that!John Wayne was my favorite.
I recommend this beautifully written story of Ed Feldman's life to everyone.

Ed Feldman has been a distinguished producer for many years. He spent several years in advertising, and various aspects of the motion picture industry on his way up, met many of the "greats". He tells his story in a lively and convincing manner. His "7 rules" extend beyond producing and can apply to many aspects of life. I particularly enjoyed his discussion of his meeting and marrying the girl next door.

I've heard the book twice now. I obtained the CD set initially looking to hear Christian Hoff's Guinness world-record 241 voices, which are amazing, but I was treated to a wonderful story by publicist/producer Ed Feldman, with collaborators Tom Barton and Jimmy Merrill, as well.

The audiobook took me through the last half-century, concentrating as much on Bette Davis, John Wayne, Cary Grant and Barbra Streisand as on Harrison Ford, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, and Glenn Close--with wonderful backstories about Murphy in "The Golden Child" and Close in "101 Dalmations."

The stories were thrilling, so much so that I sat in my parked car not wanting to interrupt the wonderful story-telling of the antics on the set of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" or the casting challenge of Barbara Streisand in "Funny Girl." Christian Hoff brings Bette Davis and Joan Crawford back to life, and does a magnificent Streisand inflection.

And I also finally learned exactly what a producer does, as Ed (Christian) takes us through his own wonderful experience of producing Harrison Ford's and Kelly McGillis's "Witness", from having no major studio interest to 8 Academy Award nominations, including one for Ed himself.

I also finally learned what a "producer" actually does. Basically, he "fixes" problems and is the general manager of the film. One thing a producer doesn't do, though, is put his/her own money into a production! Funny, all these years, I've thought the producer was putting his/her monies at risk along with mine!!

But the best part of "Tell Me How You Love the Picture" is personal, describing how Ed met and married Lorraine, literally the girl next door in the Bronx as Ed was growing up, and how they've now been together for 53 years.

Great job, Ed, Tom and Jimmy. And absolutely marvelous story-telling and voice creation, Christian. These stories are a great and wonderful education in the movie industry over the past 50 years. Worth every penny.

I just finished, Tell Me How You Loved the Picture and really liked it. Feldman worked his way up the Hollywood ladder from pr guy to producer and has very funny experiences along the way. The book covers Feldman's Hollywood covers antecdotes from Liz Taylor to Jim Carrey filming The Truman Show. I've never read a better book for understanding what a producer actually does. I highly recommend Tell Me How You Love the Picture.

Ed Feldman's "Tell Me How You Love the Picture: A Hollywood Life," written in collaboration with Tom Barton, is a fascinating, behind-the-scenes account of a Hollywood movie producer. Feldman, who started out in the movie business as a publicist for 20th Century Fox and worked his way up the ladder to produce big time, blockbuster hits, recounts in his book the tricky path that a movie producer frequently must walk between investors, studio executives, directors, actors and sometimes even puppy advocates in order to get his picture in the neighborhood cinemaplex. Readers, especially Hollywood movie fans, will enjoy the many humorous stories and delightful reminiscences about big named actors such as Elizabeth Taylor, Glenn Close, Jim Carrey, Harrison Ford and Eddie Murphy.

We have Community Theatre Groups. Now, with David Shepherd's ground breaking book, we can have community movie groups! Movie making is a social art similar to theatre, but the great thing about it is you get to keep your finished work and share it with future audiences. Anyone interested in screen acting and movie making will benefit from this. Most importantly, it opens up the movie making process as a community nurturing activity that can eliminate barriers and build bridges. No serious movie maker, community leader or drama teacher should be without it.

Lots of video cams get purchased every year, especially during the holidays. But too many of these cams end up gathering dust on a closet shelf. Why? After you've taped that sixth grade concert and the odd birthday party or three, there isn't much to do with the darn thing. This book opens up ways that the creative person can use their camera to experience a great group process, building friendships and making a real statement along the way.

The author has been experimenting with video and performance with regular folks for many years, and his expertise shines through. If you're considering getting a video camera, buy this book first!

David's book is rich with ideas and formats. This book is a treasure for all levels of improvisational work. It's the kind of book you come back to for new avenues and inspiration.

Innovative and exciting. I devoured this book - which can be appreciated by people from all walks of life. A fantastic creative outlet for those bored with sitting on their couch in front of the tv. By the end of the first chapter I was already shooting test footage with my friends.

Informative and entertaining. This book has some great suggestions for getting people engaged in creating and collaborating.

If you are a fan of Tomb Raider then this is the book for you. It has strategy guides for almost every Tomb Raider game ever made. Including the Game Boy Tomb Raider.

This is a pretty cool book, it has all the games rolled into one, i also really enjoyed the interviews at the end of the book.

This book is GREAT! Tomb Raider is the best game ever! I recieved my copy today and I really enjoyed it. It has everything you need to know about ALL the Tomb Raider games (except Tomb Raider 6 Angel of Darkness). It has tips on how and where the secrets are, Her moves, her enemies and how to beat the level. Also the have Tomb Raider models and an interview with Angelina Jolie! You have to order this book if you have not yet. It is a must for any collection!!

I have 3 tomb raider strategy guides from which this turned out to be the one that had everything + much more than the other two guides had. Great hints&tips, cheat codes, walkthrough, and guides on how to fight the hardest enemies, get past difficult obstacles, & where to find great secrets and how to use the most powerful weapons. Lara Croft can do anything in Tomb Raider now with the help of this great guide. The best part is that it helps you with all Tomb Raider Games not just one!

Nowadays it's almost mandatory to purchase a Prima strategy guide whenever you purchase a game. My family has been very happy with the Prima guides, and this one is no exception.

John Waters is a great artist, and I mean artist, because he's created things no one else had, and probably never would!!!! this book also gives un an insite on the sequal to a cult hit PINK FLAMINGOS, and while not has good as FLAMINGOS, it's still funnier than most, and it's obvious he wrote some parts far MS.HILL, who was one of the stars of DESPRATE LIVING, also a script in this GREAT BOOK. I beg anybody who likes any type of film, no matter what it may be to get this book, because you'll never ever look at ANY movie the same!!!!

Waters's early work is hilarious, and the book is a surprisingly good read despite the egregious absence of Waters's best flick, "Female Trouble."

Reading these screenplays was more fun than watching the movies, as I could picture the filth in a more vivid way than is possible to portray on Waters' low budget. The happenings in these plays are so utterly outrageous the sheer force of their sleazyness is more overwhelming than "art". What perverse genius! I am reduced to babblesome blandness beside it. I love it more than my own haircolor, the sound of dogs dying & of babies crying--more than my own filthyness even. Gush gush gush gush gush gush gush...

John Waters may very well be one of the most hilarious and entertaining filmakers of our time. His quest for beauty in the trash heaps can always put a smile on your face. Some folks may find themselves becoming offended by Waters' offbeat sense of humor, but it's all in good(or bad) taste. The screenplays for two of his most notorious films, "Pink Flamingos" and "Desperate Living", are at last available for a fun read. You can recapture some of his terrific dialogue and grasp a tighter sense on the humor the he tries to push. The real treat here is the screenplay for the unmade sequel to "Pink Flamingos" called "Flamingos Forever". Unfortunately, this will never be made because the majority of the first film's stars have now passed on and Waters' feels those shoes could never be filled by anyone else. Don't be thrown off by it's title, "Trash Trio" is definately a terrific excursion into bad taste.

What a treat it is to read three screenplays written by the great director, John Waters. "Pink Flamingos" proved that a cult classic could be created on an extremely limited budget. The actors were uniquely talented and the characters they portrayed unforgettable. Now that the demented dialog they spoke is on the printed page, one can savor every word. I particularly enjoyed the pledges of undying love spoken by Raymond and Connie Marble.

CONNIE: "Oh, I love you Raymond! I love you more than anything in the whole world. I love you even more than my own filthiness, more than my hair color. Oh God, I love you more than the sound of bones breaking, the sound of the death rattle..."

RAYMOND: "And I, Connie, also love you more than anything I could imagine - more than my hair color, more than the sound of babies crying, dogs dying, even more than the thought of original sin itself. I am yours, Connie, eternally united to you through an invisible cord of finely woven filth that even God Himself could never, ever break."

"Desperate Living" is a modern day fairy tale in which an obese maid accidentally kills the husband of the neurotic socialite she works for. Rather than face a trial and possible prison time, they escape to a bizarre village in the forest known as Mortville. In the book, John Waters vividly describes the place and its residents. "Everything is made out of trash and garbage, including the houses. Hideous bums, perverts and psychopaths walk the street as...leather-clad Goons patrol the street harassing the pitiful citizens. In the distance we see a fairy-tale castle." Queen Carlotta is a ruthless monarch, living in opulent splendor while her squalid subjects starve. The power of the printed word was such that, immediately after reading that screenplay, I had to watch the movie again.

The real treasure in this trash trio is the screenplay for "Flamingos Forever," the never filmed sequel to "Pink Flamingos." The action takes place fifteen years after the end of the previous story. Babs Johnson, Crackers, Cotton and Edie the Egg Lady return to Baltimore as the Divine leaders of a filth cult. The late Connie Marble's sister, Vera, is married to Wilbur Venninger, a necrophiliac who owns a funeral home. The Venningers kidnap young children and force them to drink, smoke and shoot heroin. Vera claims to be the filthiest person alive, and sees Babs Johnson as the biggest threat to her title. Vera Venninger's rivalry with, seeming victory over and ultimate defeat to Babs comprises the rest of the story. What a shame that most of the actors in the original movie had passed away by the time this was written, and the sequel will never be filmed.

Tune into Terror had to be one of the best Strange Matter books I have read.Bloodinator X was really cool.

it just rocks! i would say it is best thing since slice bread.i just hope now that my games dont have a bloodinaterX.5 star for sure

I am a reader from Springview Elementary. This book was exciting. I could not wait to find out what would happen next. 5 Stars!! This could really happen!!

Billy Keen won Nexus! The winner! But BloodinatorX a sore loser, wants to kill Billy. Killer pads, exploding microwaves, bus crashes. As Billy and his two friends Sara and Kevin fight for their lives in "virtual reality"!

Ok I have never actually read this book, but so far this one has gotten the most reviews so i figured more people must read this review the most.So the real reason im here is because i want to know why they stopped printing these books and selling them in stores.I think these books are the coolest. They are up there next to animorphs.So if anyone has any idea of how we could help bring these books back e-mail me at EulessWestaustin@hotmail.com Thanks.....laters

Tm 3 is da bomb!! The cars are cool, the music rocks, and I abeat the game with every driver. So go get it

Ineed the codes to the game twisted metal 3 toget sweettooth and darksid

I KNOW ALL THE CODES AND HERE THAY ARE

RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT LEFT LEFT MINON LEFT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT SWEET TOOTH UP DOWN UP DOWN UP DOWN INFINATY SPEACIL L1 SQUARE X R1 STARTB GOD MODE

I need codes for darkside and primeve

To kid who needs code for Sweettooth and darkside- Sweettooth - left,left,left,right,right darkside - no code found for darkside