Dance Books

This is a good book to overview the special effects for making movies. It includes history and technics for almost everything but not details. However it is impossible to include details in a book so readers need to find out the details from other resources. Overall this is a good book for gaining knowledge in special effects.

I got the book for my boyfriend. He loved it.The book has a lot of interesting and useful information even if you are just a movie-lover, not a movie-maker

Special Effects is THE BEST book you could wish for on the subject. I have a shelf full of old, an mostly inaccurate books about special effects, but with this new book I could throw the rest away. Also, don't bother with magazines like Cinefex anymore, which are very dry and heavy going. this book is a pleasure to read and has interviews with everyone who is important in the business. There are hundreds of cool photos as well which makes it very good value. Anyone who works in special effects, or is just interested in the movies should read this book. Congratulations to the author Mr Rickitt who has condensed 100 years of movie magic into a single lavish book. Dont take my word for it - BUY IT!

Yes there is great history and education in here, but the mass of photographs tells a truly beautiful tale. The artists illustrated here are for the most part the true pioneers of creating magic on film. Going into a project with truly no proven technique must have been terrifying and adrenaline pumping. Our techniques have greatly improved but since the advent of fully cg fx, the pioneering aspect is minimal. It is very well written but I can't call it a page turner since I spent so much time staring at the pictures. Great for fans and professionals alike.

I'm a film studies tutor and reccommend this title to all of my students. Why has the publisher/author allowed it to go out of print? This is the best book ever written on special/visual effects and one of the best introductions to film making and film technology generally. PLEASE REPRINT THIS BOOK and ideally, make a softback edition at a price my kids can better afford. THANKS!

When you want a great recipe, turn to Betty Crocker. But when you want a great recipe for success, turn to Bella Vlasis. Her book helped me out tremendously! And here's why:

Throughout most of my adult life I've been told that I look like a certain celebrity, so on a whim, I moved out here to Los Angeles to pursue jobs in the look-a-like business. But once I got here, I didn't know where to go or who to contact. I bumped into someone at a bookstore who suggested Ms. Vlasis' book and boy it was exactly what I needed!

After reading this step-by-step book thoroughly, I got myself some headshots and found an agent and have been well on my way to success. This book has helped me to gain confidence in what I do and the knowledge to go above and beyond what most others are doing in my line of work. From look-a-likes to agents to actors to performers - I recommend this book to anyone looking to get into the entertainment field. And as the author Ms. Vlasis writes at the end of her bio, "Break a leg!"

Just a quick note to say how pleased I am with Denise Bella Vlasis' latest book. If you produce corporate events, private events or anywhere that you use unique entertainment this is truly a wealth of information. if you think you've got the "look", then this definately is the best road map to success you can find to become a look-a-like and professional entertainer. Thank you Denise for a job well done!

As an agent booking lookalikes, I frequently get calls from people who want to get into the business. I refer them to this book. It will answer all their questions and get them started. There's also lots of excellent resource material for the seasoned performer including a list of agents who book lookalikes. A wealth of good solid information. I highly recommend this book.

this book has really helped me as a look-like-and modeling and acting- I was a student looking for a part-time job and then discovered this book- thank you!

This book covers it all! Not only is it a step by step guide, but Denise provides names, phone numbers, addresses and email addresses for all the services one would need to pursue a look a like career. Everything from photographers to agents. It's easy to read, and the fact that she let professionals write in their own words shows that Denise does not have an ego and you know what you're reading is fact, not an opinion. This is great "how to" book for anybody to read and follow!

Excellent content for 24 fans, from Season 1 to Season 5, with plenty of professional pictures of very high artistic quality, to get insights into the show cast, crew and into some of the most challenging scenes.
You have a look at off screen actors relaxing and having fun while waiting for the next shot or discussing about it or trying to focus on their lines.
Finally you feel the strength of that "24 family" Kiefer Sutherland writes about in his nice foreword of the book.
Also excellent quality of the editorial format.

Get this book. Especially at the price, you can not go wrong. If you are a fan , get this book. If you've never seen 24 before, watch it , and then get this book.

I have become an avid "24" fan and really loved this book. I highly recommend it to any fan of "24".

Loved the book--lots of color pictures and lots of great behind-the-scenes info. I would highly recommend this book to any "24" watchers.

Loved the book - came with a CD which I haven't seen yet. Unfortunatly I read it all in one day - but it is great to get a glimpse of how they put together this amazing show and a sneak peak at all the interesting people that make it work so well.

I dont want to ruin the book for you. If you loved the show then buy the book. I got it for my wife as a birthday present. Enjoy its funny.

This book is super fun! It has tons of awesome details about the writer and the story's background. Lots of pictures from the show. And I really enjoyed reading the whole script! It's all in here! From "It Sucks to be Me" to "You Can be as Loud as the Hell You Want" to "For Now"! The entire script is there so you can make sure you didn't miss anything from the show!

The only problem with this book is: you may be picking monster hair out of your mouth when you read it! This book is super hairy! But it's all part of the fun!

After seeing the touring version of AVE Q, I had to get this book. It has become my favorite show ranking over Phantom of the Opera and Les Miz. (I nerver thought that would be possible.) The book is colorful, full of fun information and most important the full text of the show. Lots of pictures and interviews including other casts besides the original Broadway cast.

As for the mentions of the orange fur shedding, I immediately sprayed both covers with a couple coats of hair spray and it has not shed at all.

Only fault I have is the book was published before the tour so no pictures of that excellent cast headed by the wonderful Rob McClure.
Don't wait BUY THIS BOOK!

Fun and whimsical, this book servers as a great "coffee table" companion to the play itself. It contains the usual info about the creation of the show and its original cast, as well as the full script. If I've any criticism, it's with the "furry" orange cover, which, though fun, tends to shed.

The show was great - the book is wonderful with the lyrics and such. The key downside to the book is that it sheds.

I feel that the book is an excellent manual documenting the brilliant production of CABARET by one of the great theatrical directors of our times. Sam Mendes. It is readible; it's well laid out;includes personal comments and historical facts and notes/interviews; and is an interesting insight into how the show was staged including costume sketches, the conversion of the former NY Studio 54 into a "classy" cabaret, etc. The photographer brings all contents to life and the whole work borders on being a topnotched manual of all theatrical arts.

I just got this book. It is so neat. I couldn't stop reading it. I love Broadway shows, and this book tells so much that I want to know. The pictures in this book are also great! I have yet to see the show but this book almost makes you feel right in the theater. I fyou want a goog Braodway book, this is a VERY good choice!

This book is absolutely delicious. It is filled with gorgeous, glossy photos of the entire beautiful cast, with lots of attention paid to my favorite, Alan Cumming. This book is a must have for any Cabaret fanatic. Even my roommate, who isn't really a fan, couldn't help but read it cover to cover! This book is breathtaking.

I've seen the movie, the revival, and I remember the original production with Joel Grey from my childhood....but nothing ever beats the book! A complete script, with stage directions and brilliantly captured moments of the play; a thick and hearty slice of life backstage at one of Broadway's most fun and intriguing shows-- get it now!

This is the next best thing to seeing Cabaret in studio 54! Pictures of the Roundabout theater production light up this book and tells the story of the revived new musical. This book does not tell the story of the Liza Minelli version, or any of the other Cabaret versions, but of that of the revival. I have seen the new production in person, and can only say that this is the next best thing...and the book even has the whole libretto in it!

This is dificult as it was bought as a Christmas gift for my 86 year old mother in law, who is the world's greatest Elvis fan! This was one thing she didn't have. However, after scanning through it, and loving him myself, I would have bought it for myself as well! It's very well done with so many wonderful pictures that seem to make him jump off the pages. A great find of a great man.elvis

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to read about Christmas at Graceland and how generous Elvis was. What was the most important to me is the photo of Elvis at Christmas, 1976.

Yes this book is truly the best gift anyone can give the Elvis world.
I have to admit that this is the "BEST" Elvis publication to date.
The photos are beautiful, touching, warm, and holiday-oriented and the information is fantastic.

A great package all the way around from cover, to size, to quality. This was money well spent!

Jim Curtin (who I have found to be the top author on Elvis books along with his writer Renata Ginter), is truly top of the line in his publications.

I did notice that Curtin's books lack the fabrications that ALL other Elvis books have. No BS in his books and what a relief!

It is quite nice to sit down and read something nice on Elvis for a change, rather than have to put up with made-up stories and information about his sex life, his drug addictions, his death, his fetishes. God let the man rest in peace.

My request is to have all the publishers publish books ONLY by Jim Curtin and Renata Ginter from now on.

Just imagine, no more bad Elvis book would be ever pushed on the public again! That would be Elvis heaven!

Hey people who know Elvis Presley fans or are you an Elvis Presley fan and don't have this book, buy a copy of the book. In chapter 22, the author Jim Curtin tells the people reading the book that he met Elvis Presley in 1976. This is the first and only Elvis Presley spend Christmas.

And there are aslo pitcures in this book. And one looks pretty funny. It's a Elvis Presley t-shirt from the 90's, and there is a pitcure of an animated Santa Claus tells a person on a phone, "No, No, I said Elves, Send Me Fifty Elves." He has Elvis Presley look alikes but wants elves. (Page 152). I laught at A Very Funny Christmas. Which is on chapter 15. Some of you people might or might not know that Elvis Presley was once poor. And you can read about how he spend his poor Christmases.

I guess you are never to old or young to learn. In 1965, Elvis Presley decide to dress up as Santa Claus and had children on his lap telling him what they want for chirstmas. And when he had bigger children, he tried to get a hold of his laughter, but couldn't and got out of a mall, without people seeing him laugh.

You can aslo read Christmas Quotes by Elvis Presley. Like when he tells that he believed in Santa Claus until he was age 8. He had learn that it was his parents doing the role of Santa Claus. Why do parents use Santa Claus as a excplaimn to children at christmas who brought the presents fr them, and at Easter, when tell it was from the easter bunny, when it really was from them? Isn't that a lie? This is a great book to read whether it's Christmas or not.

I came across this book in a local used book shop.
For some reason this book was not sold outright in the main bookstores.

My first initial reaction to this book, once I flipped through it, was:
too bad: some of the printing is not high quality.
But hey, once I looked through the book and read some of the stories, my second reaction took over:
wow the contents are really nice!
as an Elvis fan, I loved the collectibles and as a result I bought another copy off the net.
one is for my library and the holidays and the other I use as a collectible guide.

This is a GOOD book (a real good one) and its done by someone I really didn't know anything about, nor had I heard of him.
But I did do a check on him, once I liked his book, and he did 6 other books on Elvis.
I will see if this man, who proclaims to be the world's foremost Elvis expert, is the real thing, or another self proclaimer like the "fantastic four" (Lichter, Dowling, Tunzi, Guralnick/Jorgensen)

A hint though: from what I see in this book, this man may actually be the REAL DEAL!
he has quality and intregrity.

Very fun with great words and rhymes. My son can't get enough of this book. We read it everyday before bedtime. Highly recommend!

After checking this book out from the library multiple times, I figured my 5 and 3 year olds needed a copy for themselves. This is a lyrical, funny and memorable story that should please everyone!

My daughter loves the rhythmical bounce to this book! It's like reading a song! Very Fun!

My girlfriend and her son absolutly love it. It must be read with a little bit of a rhyme

I bought this for my grandson's birthday and haven't given it to him yet. I am sure he will love it. Its a very cute book.

"Embrace Ultra-Ability" by Shirley Cheng is a powerful book that demonstrates a spiritual insight I have not seen in a person as young as she is. By skillfully intertwining her spiritual insights with her personal story, she is able to explain how every one has the ability to enjoy a happy, loving and prosperous life full of rich rewarding journeys. A person can not read this book and in reality ever "feel sorry for themselves" again. I highly recommend this book for those seeking ways to embrace every aspect of their lives and develop them to serve others.
Rowena Holloway, Co-Author of the Pray it Forward trilogy.

Shirley Cheng's seem to be able to take on some of life's toughest struggles and by keeping her faith strong in her God and herself, she has been able to do things in her life that might slow down the average person.
After reading "Embrace Ultra-Ability" it seems to me that most of us could learn a thing or 2 on how to soar above our limitations.
Her clear style of writing and thought process made reading this book a self discovery journey.
Elizabeth Cassidy,CTACC
Branching Out Life Coaching

Shirley Cheng is a queen of optimism and inspiration. Her faith in God and love of life are unwavering no matter what challenges she had to face in her short life of twenty four. Her enthusiasm and wisdom about life are contagious.

"Embrace Ultra-Ability" should be read by every human being. If you are facing challenges in life you will learn how to overcome them. And if you don't face any challenges be grateful for every moment you live on this earth, because life is a gift.

Lea Yekutiel - author, Los Angeles, CA

With a pure heart and boundless enthusiasm, Shirley Cheng's new book unveils the foundation of faith, gratitude, love and hope that has brought her through the challenges of life. Just as steel is tempered through fire, this soulful author has been transformed through the many difficulties of her young life. Adopting Shirley's positive views on living and using some of her suggested techniques can bring the same resolute strength into your life with wonderful results. A timeless and ageless fountain of hope that can be read over and over.

In a society that is self absorbed, unjustly critical and judgmental; out comes an honest and humble perspective from a young, prophetic muse, whose inner perception is astounding.

"Embrace Ultra-Ability!" - defines the very essence that truly needs to exist in all of us. We have no place for pity within our lives after reading about the determination, resilience and extreme faith Shirley holds towards her life and her experience. The courage to share her understanding in anticipation others will follow, is a sheer sign of true leadership and accountability.

And as a matter of fact, each teenager should be given this book in High School as a basis from which to build their values, morals and gratitude toward life.

With what we view as set-backs, Ms. Cheng views her challenges as monuments of growth and turns them in to the highest of accomplishments and achievements. I honor her endurance and envy her strength.

Very well done...What is next Ms. Cheng?

If you're reading this review, then you must not own volume one of Firefly: The Official Companion. If you did, then you wouldn't need a review to sell you on this one. So I have a piece of advice for you: buy both books. If you have a place in your heart for Firefly, then make a place on your coffee table for these books. Each one is overflowing with behind-the-scenes information about every episode of Firefly. There's sure to be something to interest every fan. I particularly enjoy all the prop info. You get detailed views of props and weapons, along with insight from the prop team as to how they made or modified each item. Fascinating stuff, and indispensable if you're a gamer.
Treat yourself to these books. You won't regret it.

Great resource for the true Firefly fan. The show scripts are fun to read, especially with the chinese words translated, so you know what the gorram they were really saying. I loved the section: Jayne's Weapons, with a detailed look at Vera, one of the most notorious guns ever to grace the small or big screen. They discuss how they designed Vera, where the original gun came form, and how they added the special touches to make it unique to the Firefly 'verse.
A plethora of inset comments from the actors, and production crew, throughout the book, add insights into the action behind the scenes of making the show. Floor Plans of Serenity, and displays of various prop models of the ship, and many other props used make a nice addtion to the wealth of information.

This is the follow-up and completion of companion books to the cancelled-but-still-growing-its-fanbase Firefly television series. It provides the shooting scripts ans photo stills from the remaining episodes, as well as numerous sidebars featuring backstories and insights into the actors, crew, props, and the inner thoughts of series' creator, Joss Whedon. This glossy volume is heavily laden with color photographs, costume concept designs for the various characters, and pre-production sketches. If you have a love for the series and the Big Damn Movie ("Serenity"), you will feel compelled to buy this book.

I missed Firefly, the first time around, and didn't discover the series until after I'd rented Serenity. I can't call myself a confirmed browncoat, though I really *really* liked everything about the show.

But when I saw this book on the library's New Books stack, I grabbed it. I think you should grab a copy, too, even if you're no die-hard fan. Because this book is _fun_.

Most of the book is episode scripts (half of them; the other half are in Volume One). That's worth the price alone, because the scripts are immensely readable. Like other intelligent shows, the dialogue is both fast and thoughtful, and you might not have caught everything when you heard it the first or second time around. In particular, the scripts include the translations from the Chinese expletives, and most of them are _very_ funny.

And the "stage direction" is not the dispassionate descriptive sort ("Man enters, wearing a hat"). It reflects the entire mood of the show:
INARA walks towards them, heading for the stairs up to the shuttle catwalk. She's dressed with stunning elegance.
KAYLEE: Hey there, 'Nara. Heading off for some glamorous romance?
Simon turns, momentarily stunned by her elegance.

If you're a screenwriter, this is absolutely a must-have.

The book is also peppered with cast interviews, stories about the creation of Firefly's theme song, production explanations on how, for example, they created Niska's Skyplex. In this book, you can spend an enjoyable few hours investigating how a show can be done *right*...even if the network screwed it up.

Just to let future buyers be aware....this book (and Vol. 1) are basically just the scripts to the (REALLY FUN) shows. As my husband put it, "It's just the lines, without the wonderful delivery the actors achieved in the shows." I thought it would be more like the various other "about" books that exist about popular movies/TV shows - full of pictures and other fun "about" stuff. In my opinion, these two books were not that.

Wonderful is too weak a superlative to describe this book. Written in a factual style and incorporating historical events such as Peary's trek to the North Pole, it is one of the most delightful stories about Christmas ever written. There is also a detailed account of the land expedition by Will Steger, the only man to actually see Santa's village at the North Pole.
The chapters are:

*) The reindeer by the river: It was a wondrous thing. In which the author tells of his search for the true Santa Claus.
*) The echo of hooves: Searching for yesteryear's reindeer. In which Santa's history is detailed, past adventures are recounted.
*) The North Pole today: On the roof of the world. In which the kingdom is visited, the elfin life is described.
*) The miracle of reindeer flight: Mysteries explained, science revealed. In which the way he does things he does is discussed.
*) Eight tiny reindeer (Plus one): Santa's starting team and his helpers. In which a host of heroic animals and people are met.
*) Like down on a thistle, evermore: Work that never ends. In which the future of Santa Claus and his mission is pondered.

The spirit of Santa Claus within the concept of Christmas is a powerful one, in this book you can capture some of that spirit and appreciate the strength of the man and his mission.

I have this book, with some handwritten annotations. The author got a couple facts wrong, but then I used to be in the Air Force, worked in many. many different command posts and operational centers, and well somethings are still classified. Some good guessing and all!

Cute book, I love it, my husband, a "Santa Helper" loves it, our teens liked it (really!) and the few copies I have given as gifts were very well received.

If you have older kids this is a great book.

I have the movie with Bridges and Thomas and I love it. It is called "The Christmas Secret" it is suppose to be taken from part of the book "Flight of the Reindeer" I don't know if that is true or not. Because I did not buy the book yet.

There is a Santa Claus! This is an amazing book, written in documentary style about the existence of Santa and his reindeer. It is a delightful addition to anybody's coffee table at Christmas time or any time. I really love his description of how he found Rudolph, and how he guided the team that one year, a small reindeer with a big heart. The description of the reindeer's year is fascinating!

This book will warm the hearts of Virginias everywhere. Yes, there is a Santa Claus!

I found this a long time ago in a bargain bin for $2. I *love* this book--it's one of my all-time favorite books. Although I haven't put up a tree in years, it's now a tradition to read this book every year. It puts me in the Christmas spirit--and adds realism, proof and perspective to the Christmas mission.

Buy it and make your own family tradition.