Video Books

I haven't gotten a copy of the book yet, and won't until I return to the US in February 2007.

I did, however, study directing actors with Lenore Dekoven, and Lenore was such a lucid, wise teacher than I wholeheartedly recommend the book sight-unseen.

Lenore's approach to directing actors may seem counter-intuitive or even rigid at first, but it's actually very flexible. Keep in mind it's an approach to constructing a framework from which to work, and once you've broken down a script and start actually directing it, you'll ultimately still have to rely on your own eyes and brain to determine whether you are communicating effectively with your actor(s).

Lenore DeKoven's book on directing should be required reading for all directors. She preaches a straight forward and artistically rewarding process. Her book gives us all access to this process in a clear, concise way. As a director, you can really use her process as a shorthand to get the results you want from your actors, designers, your entire team. Stop reading this review and start reading the book! You won't regret it!

Lenore DeKoven, doyenne of Columbia University's graduate film department has here, in "Changing Directions," documented the pragmatic approach to film direction that she has passed onto generations of film students. This year's Best Director, Ang Lee, figures prominently amongst her many successful disciples and he has provided a rather inspiring introduction to both the book and to the challenges of film directing.

Suffice it to say, this work is essential reading and reference for the dedicated filmmaker and it belongs on the shelf alongside other nuts-and-bolts film books like Robert McKee's "Story" and Mascelli's "The Five C's of Cinematography."

Written in no-nonsense prose, DeKoven teaches a directorial process that begins by articulating a "through-line" - a concise statement that captures a director's interpretation of the script. These critical 'one-or-two-sentences' serve as a reference point against which all the subsequent production decisions can be made, from design to casting. She then takes you onto the set and details how the director translates the "through-line" into language that will help the actors build their performances. DeKoven's best text is saved for a thorough and practical discussion of this relationship between actor and director.

The best, most useful, least mysterious book on directing I have ever read.

I have been a filmmaker for over ten years, directing my own films as well as working as an assistant director on numerous indie productions during that period, and I have to say that anyone who is remotely interested in directing and filmmmaking must read this book.
Both from my own experience, and from my close observation of directors I have assisted in the past, there is no doubt that directing actors is the most challenging aspect in the panoply of arduous tasks that await the film director. Some shy away from it, hiding behind the monitor, some stumble through it hoping to arrive at a performance through trial and error, but very, very few actually know how to constructively and efficiently collaborate with actors to create truthful and compelling performances. I think it's because, unlike the creative process of writing a script or generating shot-lists and storyboards, actors are mutable, unpredictable - in a word, human - and somewhat like jazz improvisation, you can't completely plan the performances in a film. Instead, you are forced to observe them develop organically in real time and respond immediately. That's difficult, and the problem is most directors (even seasoned veterans) just don't know how to talk to actors - they don't speak a language that is useful to them. This is where DeKoven's book is immensely valuable and, in my experince, unique.
It provides a real step-by-step approach to learning a new language, which enables the director to give the actor a point of departure for a performance, and allows them to quickly communicate adjustments as that performance evolves. Although the process it describes is very complex, the writin is clear and the approach is very accessible. From the director's preparatory work (what DeKoven calls the throughline), to the on-set collaboration with all creative partners (not just actors), there is no part of a director's craft that will not be enhanced by exposure to this method. This book has filled a gap that I had hitherto been unable to fill in my library of fundamental texts for any filmmaker (you know the rest: Story, Impro etc.), and is a must-have for any filmmaker's toolbox.

I'll only put a brief word here because Dr. Zhu assigned us to read her new book for our class, so I can't exactly give it a fair review.

Although the book has no photographs to see what the films are like (always bad in film books, but sometimes necessary), the book is highly readable and provides a strong overview. A reader could pick it up and have a strong grasp of the history and politics of Chinese cinema. Though her accent can be a bit difficult to understand in class, she is highly readable, well-informed, and did a great deal of first-hand research. If you're interested in Chinese cinema, this is a great starting point. The price and scholarly aim (see design comments below) will not make it stand out on a shelf, if you can find it there.

Book design comments: red, gold-stamped, clothbound book, no dust jacket or illustrations, several glaring typos to fix in next edition.

I came across a glowing review of the book in the Journal of Asian Studies, Nov. 2004, Vol 63, No. 4. Here are a few excerpts--

"Comprehensive in its treatment of the subject matter, the book is well researched, and goes beyond the scholarships of such critics as Chris Berry, Nick Brown, Rey Chow, Shuiqin Cui, Paul Clark, Sheldon Lu, Xudong Zhang, to form a singular critical paradigm of globalization both as restraint and opportunity within which to rethink the Chinese cinema. ... Zhu's analysis of Chinese (national) cinema both as a culture and economy opens important channels of communication between economic reform and cultural production, between popular entertainment and intellectual heritage, between technology and cultural politics, and between local traditions and global markets. ...
The reader is fortunate to have a first-hand and intimate account of how cultural, intellectual and political issues are mediated through film to arrive at the state of Chinese cinema as we find it today. The author knows the ins and outs of the collective struggle of the Chinese film community to master the forces of the market in order to stay in business beyond the pale of socialism. ...
In Zhu's encyclopedic treatment of the topic, we see a rare synthesis of knowledge and understanding."

Dr. Ying Zhu's book is a wonderful introduction to the post-Maoist Chinese film industry. Useful to both scholars and in classrooms, it presents a picture of a film world that is relatively unknown to most Americans, but may not be for long. Balancing the impact of globalization and Hollywood with national needs, Chinese cinema, like Chinese industry in general, may be the coming wave. This book will give you a head start in understanding why.

Zhu's book provides a striking analysis of the Chinese film industry's
transition to a market economy. The book traces the evolution of the
film industry, and especially the film makers, from making art cinema
(as the political atmosphere in post-Mao China relaxed)
to needing to respond to the demands of the marketplace, as
the policies of the Chinese government shifted to decrease subsidies
for films and to encourage privatization, marketization, and
co-production and co-marketing with overseas film producers
and distributors. Key film makers highlighted include Chen Kaige
(Yellow Earth and Farewell My Concubine), Tian Zhuangzhuang
(Horse Thief and The Blue Kite), and Zhang Yimou (Red Sorghum,
Judou, Not One Less). The impact of the re-introduction of blockbuster
Hollywood films into the Chinese marketplace is scrutinized, both from the
perspective of box-office revenue, distribution, and screen time,
as well as the perspective of the impact on these films on Chinese
filmgoers and critics taste and expectations of what constitutes a "quality" film.
As the Chinese film industry continues its transformation, the book
explores the impact of Hollywood and globalization on national
film industries, raising important questions for all national film industries
(not just China) on how they survive and develop a (global) audience.
The book explores the exciting possibility of using the cultural advantages
of a national film industry to develop a global audience.
This book should be of interest to many readers, to students and
teachers of Asian studies, Chinese studies, film studies, and of globalization
and economic transformation, of socialist economies into market economies.
It will also be of close interest to people in the film industry and in trade
journals as it explores the role and possibilities of national film industries
in the face of a globalized film industry. Film buffs will find much of interest
here in tracing the evolution of various Chinese film directors as they may
more marketable films and found a wider audience.

A great book by Jack Hunter. Christopher Walken is a very gifted actor, and Hunter gives loads of insight into the many characters he has played throughout the years. You may even be inclined to view some of the movies, again after reading this book. It is obvious that Hunter recognizes talent when he sees it. Hunter goes beyond the typical type-casting, that many film critics are stuck on. This book has many nuggets of wisdom, and is laced with respect. Christopher Walkwn is very fortunate to have an insightful author, like Hunter, write about him. Thanks Chris for sharing your gift of acting. Thanks Jack for sharing your gift of writing. The pleasure has been mine from Indiana.

A great book by Jack Hunter. Christopher Walken is a very gifted actor, and Hunter gives loads of insight into the many characters he has played throughout the years. You may even be inclined to view some of the movies, again after reading this book. It is obvious that Hunter recognizes talent when he sees it. Hunter goes beyond the typical type-casting, that many film critics are stuck on. This book has many nuggets of wisdom, and is laced with respect. Christopher Walkwn is very fortunate to have an insightful author, like Hunter, write about him. Thanks Chris for sharing your gift of acting. Thanks Jack for sharing your gift of writing. The pleasure has been mine from Indiana.

This is a great source of information about Christopher Walken, his movies, and the themes that drive them - however - it does tend to overanalyze, and contains little information on Walken that you could not pick up yourself on the internet. It seems that Walken is not the chatty type. In his own words, he enjoys working and is not proud of all the 90+ features he has appeared in, but he does have his favorites. I have no idea after reading this book if one of these top ten are in fact the actors favorite - rather they are showcased as his best performances. This is a lot of speculation, as Walken has an incredible amount of work, including broadway shows to choose from. So if you are looking for that personal touch, it's not really there. You have to ask yourself though, is there really anything behind Walken as a person that would warrant a personal touch? From all appearences, he works, he goes home, he works some more. He has been married to the same woman for 30+ years, thinks he cooks really well, and aside from the really odd stab at screenwriting (he wants to do the John Holmes story - apparently he is fascinated with Holmes' life, and the attention paid to Holmes' member vs. the real man behind the porn - Okay Chris - you get the different award) he would appear to be reasonably stable (discounting the Natalie Wood thing, but even that is scandal of the most mundane variety.). Christopher Walken is a person who has lived his entire life on film (since the age of 3) and no doubt will die on film as is his wish. So perhaps there is no personal touch to be had and his films are the only window into his life, aside from the odd interview (such as his most recent wish - to host a cooking show). If you want to experience an exhaustive analysis of ten of what are his best well-known films by good reviewers that have never interacted personally with Walken himself - this is for you. If you want to read Walken on Walken, get the playboy interview.

I only rate this book with 4 stars because of its interesting subject - not for the editor Jack Hunter. Did Hunter actually read it? I was completely distracted from the material by the numerous spelling and grammatical errors. An actor like Christopher Walken deserves better treatment than this sloppily thrown together collection of essays. Though some of them were pretty interesting (Deer Hunter, Comfort of Strangers), I found myself wondering if Hunter actually watched all of the actor's major films. How could he include The Addiction and Suicide Kings in the Walken Top 10 but leave out the awesome performances in At Close Range and Biloxi Blues - both with gripping climax scenes that deserve essays of their own. A comparison of Walken in his stand-off with Sean Penn to Walken's flip-flop stand-off with Mathew Broderick (Walken is held at gunpoint by Penn/ Broderick held at gunpoint by Walken) sorely needed to be added to this collection. Will someone please re-write this book?!?!! Heck, give me a week; I could do better than this.

Cinema Au Naturel may only be 288 pages long but it packs a lot of good information into those pages. Author Mark Storey became a fan of those corny old nudist movies of decades past (primarily the `30s to the `60s) and researched the subject. The result is an entertaining and informative book on exploitation filmmaking second to none. Along the way he covers censorship, the Golden Age of exploitation (including nudist) films, and what the courts had to say on the subject.

Storey breaks down the subject of nudist exploitation films into the following periods: classic, late, and contemporary. He then looks to what the future will bring to the genre. At the end, Storey lists his "top twenty" nudist films and explains his choices. You may not agree but Storey certainly backs up his words.

Is Cinema Au Naturel worth the purchase price? Definitely, especially if you're interested in nudist history. Nudist films, along with magazines, whatever the motivation for producing them, served as most folks' introduction to the world of nudism/naturism. Some were good emissaries, some merely tawdry excuses to show female flesh on the screen, but they did provide that first glimpse into a different, often misunderstood, world for many. Marl Storey has gone a long way toward filling in some of the gaps in nudist history with Cinema Au Naturel.

If history, or nudism/naturism, or films are among your interests, you'll find that Storey's book, Cinema Au Naturel, scores on all three levels.

Dr. P. Rapoport's review of this book is excellent. I agree this really is an amazing work and is well worth picking up for someone who is interested in clothing-free expression. I have found it truly invaluable in helping to organize a local film festival with others about naked freedom. I would like to give a review from the viewpoint of a non-naturist/nudist who is active in clothing-free advocacy on public lands.

Mark Storey is, without a doubt, the most qualified person to take on this project. He discusses nudist/naturist film and video within the context of naturism and nudism, and he goes beyond. He brings up many of the important issues and addresses them extremely well. The book is quite comprehensive and well-researched. For these reasons, this will be a tough act to follow. I finished the book feeling fully satisfied with such a comprehensive work.

There are significant works though which may exist outside of the nudist/naturist context which deserve serious discussion, perhaps in the broader context of clothing-free expression. Also, I would like to see that future editions include a DVD with excerpts from significant works.

I would take issue with his choice of "top-twenty" nudist films. I would agree that all of those listed are historically significant in the history of the development of nudism/naturism, but in the general context of clothing-free expression in film there is more out there of significance, and some of the latter might be much better suited for introduction to clothing-free freedom for one who is looking for something inspiring. The distinction should be made, perhaps there should be two lists.

My own recommendations for those looking for films that have significance in clothing-free expression that are not included in this book would include (and these can be found at http://www.bodyfreedom.org/guide/film.html): Naked States, by Arlene Donnelly Nelson; Naked World (released after this book), by Arlene Donnelly Nelson; Being Human, by Lisa Seidenberg; Burning Man Festival, by Joe Winston; among others out there.

Bottom line, get the book and also check out the videos above! Happy reading and viewing! :)

This book fills a big gap by engagingly bringing together much fascinating material. Readers will probably find it absorbing indeed, even if they have an interest in only part of the subject.

Of course, it helps to be curious about nudity. Is there someone who isn't? (Okay, no one has to admit it.)

Throughout Cinema au Naturel, Storey offers pointed but polite observations on films, nudity, sex, censorship, American socio-cultural history, and much more. He encapsulates the history of nudist films mostly within the exploitation genre (which may not mean what it seems) and expands definitions and connections to make it all fit seamlessly together. Along the way are welcome discussions of the MPAA and the infamous Hays Production Code from the 1930s, the history and theory of nudism in America and elsewhere, and the people behind nudist books and films, like authors and producers Jan Gay, Doris Wishman, Craven Walker, and Edin Velez.

Supplementing all this are illustrations. These are no grainy video stills -- but posters, covers, and other art of considerable historical value. Later in the book are recent color photos of nudists in various settings being as normal as can be. At the end is a selection of the "top 20" nudist films. And Storey indicates where to find this material.

Because most readers will be unfamiliar with them, much of the book describes what goes on in and behind many nudist films, from the early examples close to the turn of the 20th century, to a few only recently released. With a sharp eye and even sharper mind, Storey analyzes as he goes, never obtrusively but always lucidly, often with doses of quiet humor.

He doesn't shy away from controversy, whether over a film such as Peter's Day in the Sun, or over numerous governmental edicts to Rescue the Declining Morals of America. One state board censored references to pregnancy in a film, claiming that "the movies are patronized by thousands of children who believe that babies are brought by the stork, and it would be criminal to undeceive them."

That was 80 years ago. What has changed in body-phobic, hide-and-peek, protection-by-repression America? This book is a subtle exploration of that question among others.

For many, it's admittedly hard to distinguish nudity from sex, exploitation from information, and nudist films from porn. Over the course of this thoroughly researched and finely written book, those challenging complexities become life-affirming as they reflect, interact, and change. Far from a book only about film, Cinema au Naturel is that rare item, a splendid sorting out of a whole lot of things that matter.

This reference work provides critical reviews and in-depth background information on a wide range of motion pictures and videos concerned with nudity. Storey has zealously researched the subject and supplies many leads in the endnotes and appended filmography. The volume itself is profusely illustrated with black & white and color photos. These include cinematic stills, publicity graphics, and portraits of performers, directors, writers, etc. The dating of the titles which the author evaluates span from the first decades of the last century to our own day. For the most part, the works reviewed derive from England, the U.S., Germany and France. Included are fictional narratives as well as documentaries, arising out of contexts as varied as exploitation movie-making and pro-nudist proselytism. Storey is himself a naturist. His writing style is incisive, quick-paced, and at times humorous. He teaches philosophy at Bellevue Community College (Washington State) and is on the editorial staff of The Naturist Society journal.

This book is exactly what it says, it is comprehensive (it covers his whole life in great detail). It's Illustrated (it has pictures and photographs throughout the book). It can most definitely be used as a reference to many things, Drama, The Arts, Claude rains, life in british poverty. Overall this is a very good book.

As a life-long film buff, I've long regarded Claude Rains as one of the finest screen actors in movie history. He stole every scene he was ever in and enlivened even the worst of his movies. His voice was incomparable, like "honey with a little gravel thrown in." In addition, there was his formal manner, the way he moved... the whole package was quite mesmerizing. Prior to this book, I had to glean my information on Claude from various Hollywood books and many interviews with the inimitable Bette Davis, who adored "my gorgeous Claude." I have to agree with Bette, Claude Rains was everything in a man that discerning women want: sweet, brilliant, a gentleman and sexy as hell. If you're a Claude-besotted soul, this book will please you enormously. The photos alone are worth the price, as are the all-too-brief recollections from his daughter. Excellent work on an essential actor.

Another great biography from John Soister. Mr. Soister wrote the definitive book on Universal horror films from the 1930's a year ago, now he publishes the definitive biography of one of filmdon's acting giants, Claude Rains. A book on this wonderful actor was way overdue. Soister proves it was well worth the wait! Each of Rains' films is recounted in detail, with Soister's well informed opinion on each film, and Mr. Rains' performance. If you are a fan of Claude Rains, or Hollywood's Golden Era, THIS is a must book for you! He may have been short in physical stature, but Claude Rains was a towering giant when it came to talent, style, and film presence. You won't be disappointed in buying this great work!

Claude Rains, A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference is the book Claude Rains fans have been waiting for for years. It starts off with a wonderful mini bio from his daughter, Jessica. Especially nice, is a charming story about them going to see 'The Invisible Man' together. The reader gets a sense of Claude Rains, the man as well as Claude Rains, the actor. Both are well worth reading about. There is a detailed synopsis for each movie with lots of little backround tidbits and loads of great photos. Also discussed, in less detail, is his stage, tv and radio career. The author says that the book is a 'labor of love' and it shows. If your a Claude Rains fan, and who isn't,buy the book... you'll love every minute of it.

Read this book some 20 years ago. Found it rare among this series in that -- A), it was at times critical of both Cooper and some of his films; and B), it was filled with both positive and negatives from critics at the time of each film's release. As I said, rare for this series. Recently went to purchase it for a friend, and found out it is unavavilable? Why!?!

I bought the"Films of Gary Cooper" some 30 years ago and still enjoy reading it. However, I find that Mr. Dickens underrated, at least in my eyes and more recent reviews, two of his finest films. Those are "Man of the West" and "They came to Cordura". Whereas, Mr. Dickens thought they should be relegated to that movie boneyard in the sky more recent consideration and mine too, consider them to be very good films.

Aside from this, I highly recommend this book. I would not part with my copy. It is, in most respects, a very good review of Gary Cooper's movies.

Read this book some 20 years ago. Found it rare among this series in that -- A), it was at times critical of both Cooper and some of his films; and B), it was filled with both positive and negatives from critics at the time of each film's release. As I said, rare for this series. Recently went to purchase it for a friend, and found out it is unavavilable? Why!?!

I bought this book in the fall of 1975 and after nearly 25 years, still find it hard to put down once I pick it up.

Writing a screenplay requires understanding specific formatting rules, especially if you intend to try and have that screenplay sold or produced. I have just ventured into writing screenplays and this book certainly helps answer a lot of basic questions of formatting. Beyond the basics, it also gives advanced and varied options to communicate ideas. The use of examples is very helpful. At the end, common errors are reviewed and corrected in various ways. It is a book that helps you use the format to most effectively communicate your ideas. Certainly good to have has a reference once you get acclimated to the structure.

This book is definitely the best screenwriting manual on the market, and anyone who dreams -- even in their wildest imagination -- that they might someday want to write a screenplay must have this book. It should also be part of the reference library for anybody who is currently in the script writing business.

I recommend this as a reference for anyone who wants to find answers quickly. I have several screenplay formatting books and this one is definitely one of my faves. I don't think that any one book is the be-all-and-end -all guide to writing screenplays, but this is a must have for you collection. It allows you to reference information without searching for hours and having to read all of the preceeding information.

I was in the process of writting a script and had lots of questions on the Hollywood format, almost all were answer by this excelent book.

Do not look in here for dramatical structure, this you need to look for somewere else.

Arts/Entertainment

An Insider's Tale
Book Review by Denise Cassino

Betty Jo Tucker is in love. She always has been. From early childhood, Betty Jo has been smitten with the silver screen. Her love started as an infatuation and grew into a mature study of film and renown as a world-class movie critic.

In her book, Confessions of a Movie Addict, Betty Jo takes us through those early childhood memories of movies, covering her eyes at the scary part, acting out the roles of her favorite stars. Then she landed herself some real jobs as a film critic which gave her a pass into all of the biggest movie events from premieres to the Academy Award Presentations.

This book takes us through many of the hilarious adventures of a movie critic, from embarrassing moments to dining with the stars. Betty Jo shares with her reader many of her best and most clever interviews, sometimes with animated characters! Betty Jo also includes a plethora of reviews on dozens of movies giving the reader a critical, but fun summation of everything from box office hits to cult sleepers. This is a real insider's tale of seeking, meeting and interviewing many of the hottest movie stars ever to flash across a marquee.

If you want to know what it's like to dish and dine with the Hollywood crowd, this book will do the trick. A great gift for any movie lover, Confessions will make you green with envy at Betty Jo's inside access to the stars.

Reviewed by Jill Cozzi,

Recently I received a press release announcing a Malcolm McDowell retrospective at the Walter Reade Theatre. I forwarded it to a friend, along with a message:

"Gee, do you think I should go to this, walk up to
Malcolm McDowell and say, 'I saw A CLOCKWORK
ORANGE at my college auditorium and three weeks later
was deflowered by a guy who looked an awful lot like
you did then?'"

Now, of course I would never do such a thing, because such an occasion would reduce me to a babbling idiot. But then, I'm not Betty Jo Tucker.

If I WERE Betty Jo Tucker, however, it wouldn't even be an issue, for she would just walk up, make her confession without batting an eye, and two hours later walk away with notes from a truly killer interview. That's just the way she is.

Tucker is arguably the most unique presence among the many film critics on the Web today. In a world dominated by snarky teenagers and twenty-something self-anointed cineastes, Betty Jo Tucker is a gleeful, unabashed movie-lover; not a film buff, but someone who loves the experience of filmgoing. At seventy-plus, she retains the same joy in moving pictures projected on a screen as she did that first time she walked into the "picture show" to see FRANKENSTEIN -- in its first run. A critic who came into the business late in life after raising two children, one divorce, one remarriage (to the same husband), and a distinguished academic career, she is an anomaly among Web critics in that she does NOT subscribe to the Alice Roosevelt credo of "If you can't say something nice, come sit by me."

In her new book CONFESSIONS OF A MOVIE ADDICT (Hats Off Books), Tucker shares her infectious joy in the moviegoing experience with the rest of us. It is truly "a life story with everything but the movies edited out." Written in a breezy tone, CONFESSIONS is truly a snark-free zone. Tucker, who has set herself up as the premier lobbyist for the Return of the Movie Musical has even managed to find the good in such crap-fests as the Britney Spears vehicle CROSSROADS. She doesn't love everything put on film, but you've got to love a critic who's eligible for Social Security but can still laugh her way through the likes of the surrealistically sophomoric CABIN BOY and who reacts to the ghastly THE PRINCESS DIARIES by remembering to call her granddaughters and tell them how terrific they are just as they are.

Where CONFESSIONS OF A MOVIE ADDICT falls short is in Tucker's underestimation of our interest in the journey of a woman through academia, homemaking, and into film criticism at an age when most of us have long since given up our dreams. This may be "a life story with everything but the movies edited out", but many of us would love to see what's left on the cutting-room floor.

Whether she be recalling a mishap at an X-rated film, admitting she laughed out loud during 'Cabin Boy', or taking an imaginary film festival trip, film critic Betty Jo Tucker's novel 'Confessions of a Movie Addict' will have you envisioning her tales of a life at the movies as if she were talking directly to you. Betty Jo's stories are vivid, enthralling, and quite often amusing. Not only does it provide one wonderfully detailed story after another, Betty Jo's book comes with several of her to-the-point film reviews, a collection of celebrity interviews, a photo gallery, an index of movie-related books and websites, and a checklist to see if you indeed are a movie addict. I have read 'Confessions of a Movie Addict', and as a critic myself, I can proudly assure you that Betty Jo Tucker is one of the finest critics out there and a person who flat-out loves the movies, from the good to the bad. 'CoaMA' is an excellent slice of cinema life.

As a recently retired college professor who can go to more movies now, I was delighted by this substantive insiders tale told with such happy and light-hearted grace, candor, and humor. The sophisticate and the novice, young and old, will find Betty Jo Tucker's "show-don't-tell" approach solid, informative, and entertaining. She charmed the socks off me! Betty Jo takes us into her fascination with this dimensional art form, with her life story deftly stitched into the background. "Because confession is good for the soul," she tells us, "I admit enjoying films mostly for their escapist entertainment qualities. But I also love to be enchanted by cinematic artistry, enlightened by a great story, and inspired by memorable performances." We grow together with this unpretentions, knowledgeable professional hooked on movies as she moves from going it alone, to being mentored by the best, including the famous "UK Critic" Ian Waldron-Mangani--who, she tells us, could have been her grandson. I found "Confessions" to be a great three-in-one deal: HerStory, terrific interviews, and crisp reviews. We meet some of the greatest names in film from the U.S.--directors David Lynch and M. Night Shyamalan, Oscar winners Anjelica Huston and Angelina Jolie, and the legendary Debbie Reynolds, along with top international figures, including British actor Sir Ian Mckellen, French actress Judith Godrech, Japanese filmmaker Masayuki Suo, and Oscar-winning Czech director Jan Sverak. Stellar interviews include those with Annette Bening, Willem Dafoe, Tony Shalhoub, and Aidan Quinn. Among her top reviews are "Chocolat," "Bridget Jone's Diary," "Mouline Rouge," "Planet of the Apes," "Legally Blond," and "Scary Movie." Along the way, she tells some delightful stories on herself: great gaffs--foot in the mouth, clear to the knee, as Josh Wise, one of my former students, once wrote. After enjoying "Confessions," you'll never read a review the way you used to!

I've always suspected that writers would be the most interesting of all functionaries in the movies, as they're the ones who think it all up in the first place, and this book proves me right. Fascinating, probing glimpses into the hearts and minds of a marvelous collection of writers. Just buy the damn thing.

A marvelous book for writers-- I ordered copies as Christmas presents for all of my writing students.

OK, I'm prejudiced. I read many of these interviews in the versions that were published in the Writers Guild of America's magazine and thought they were terrific. I called up my editor at Heinemann and told her that she should get in touch with Susan Katz and collect them into a book. My editor (who is obviously quite smart) did and it makes a swell book indeed. Katz is a screenwriter talking to screenwriters about writing; she asks questions from the perspective of an insider and gets real answers as opposed to the surfacey stuff you tend to get in shorter newspaper interviews. My favorite? Probably the slightly testy interview with Mike Leigh talking about how he used improvisational input from his cast in creating SECRETS AND LIES. (But then, I'm particularly interested in improv used for writing.) There isn't an ounce of fat in this book. Smart, useful stuff.

This is a collection of interviews with famous screenwriters, such as David Mamet, Tom Stoppard, Callie Khouri, Horton Foote, Anthony Minghella, etc. If you want to really feel as though you, yourself, have had a wonderful conversation with these infamous screenwriters, this is the book for you. Ms. Bullington Katz has an extraordinary talent for asking just the right questions and truly listening to the answers, and I have never read such compelling, engrossing interviews in any book before. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books, writing, movies, tv, and/or just reading a terrifically well written book! I can't wait until she has another book coming out!

A graduation requirement for my high school is a year-long senior research project on a subject we choose. This project includes a year-long research portfolio, a piece of work applying the research, as well as a 20-30 minute presentation. I decided to research costume design for films. The first book I found was this book by Richard La Motte, and it was the most helpful book out of all 27 that I read for my research project. This book not only tells of costume designing itself, it shows what goes on behind the curtain, the business of it, the organization and preparation involved in costume design, etc. This book truly is a costume designer's manual. There is so much helpful information written in a clear way, there are examples in the book that help the reader understand the information even more clearly, as well as some designs by the author himself. This book helped me ace my Senior Project, and also inspired me to study and pursue costume design for films.

I found this book to be incredibly useful. Even though I work in stage theater, its information is immediately applicable for all levels of productions. It has tips for organizational skills, outlines of how things work, who does what, advice on how to manage your time, working with actors, dealing with unexpected problems, etc.

I've read it several times and each time I get something new out of it. Read this book, apply it, and you will be a shining star that gets hired again and again for productions.

An excellent "how to" for anyone in the costume or fashion business, or someone wanting to know more about the inside scoop of what it takes to make the costumes in a movie come together. Well written. Gave me a better appreciation for how movies look.

This book is probably THE most informative book I have ever read, irregardless of the subject. Everthing you need to know about costume design is here, in this book. Critical information when contemplating a career, that you cannot get in a classroom. The author has been there, worked in the "trenches", for years, has had a successful career, and is now willing to share years of accumulated knowledge. I was amazed at all I gained from this book.