Dance Reviews

Women Who Run the Show

Published in Hardcover by Renaissance Books (2003-04)

Author: Mollie Gregory

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Essential Reading of Important Hollywood History

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-17

I was fortunate enough to have grown up in the 1970's and I've been able to recall nearly every project mentioned in this book, from the movies to the TV series and "movies of the week." To get a look behind the projects and see how they played a part in the history of women in Hollywood gave them a whole new meaning all these years later.

Told in an open, casual style (the book literally feels like conversations with everyone involved), WOMEN WHO RUN THE SHOW is fun look back at Hollywood as well as an important document of how the ladies "stormed" the gates of tinsel town.

This should be essential reading for every woman with an interest in show business--or anyone curious about the way Hollywood works.

I love this inspiring, beautifully written book

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-09

I wonder if Mollie Gregory knew what she was going to reveal when she first started research for this book. It's an amazing book -- the journey taken by a group of courageous, talented women who didn't realize they were actually making history.

Absolutely terrific!

A Must Read Book!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-12

Mollie Gregory's newest book is a terrific history of recent Hollywood, as well as a biography of many courageous women. It is also much, much more. It is a great read, written with the ease of a novelist and the detailed facts of a top journalist. It contains many cautionary tales about the 'biz' plus it is a great how-to manual for anyone who wants a career in the entertainment field. If you were part of Hollywood in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, as I was, the stories will resonate, validate and entertain. If you're new in town --or want to be -- this book should be required reading. You will find it a fascinating peak at the real Hollywood. Enjoy!

Women Who Run the Show

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-11

A great history of show business and of the women who broke down the barricades. It reads like a novel. It's a must for anyone interested in Hollywood or the women's movement.

Women Who Run the Show

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-14

"When I started reading this book, I was amazed how controversial it was. I had no idea what women went through on the job in the 1970s through the 1990s, the period this book covers! I sent a copy to my mom in Chicago. She is 84 and has been in business all her life. She just called and told me that she has two of her friends over every afternoon, they pass the book around and read sections of it aloud, and laugh their heads off. She says that this book should be given to every retired woman because the women in this book are talking about what my mom and a million other senior women went through, too. What a great Christmas gift this book will be! (To the book editors of the Chicago Tribune, New York Times and L A Times--Wake up!)
Dave Henson, Chairman, International Foundation of Education and Performing Arts.

Write to TV: Out of Your Head and onto the Screen

Published in Paperback by Focal Press (2006-12-29)

Author: Martie Cook

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A Reality Check for Writing for TV

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-28

A comprehensive guide to anyone aspiring to become a TV writer. This book provides detailed informatin and indepth insight in all areas of the genre - from episodic to children's TV. This should be required reading for indiviuals seriously considering TV writing as a career.

Bravo!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-22

Martie Cook should be commended. She has crafted a sterling volume of informative anecdotes. I fully enjoyed her on the money look at the television industry from a writer's standpoint. I highly recommend this book to any one with interest in the television industry, or anyone who wants to see what it takes to succeed in any field of endeavor. I plan to mention this book to all my friend's and relatives in the hopes that they get as much satisfaction out of reading it as I did.

Recommended by a Professor for anyone who wants to break into the business!!!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-11

"This book takes a "real world" approach to TV writing. If you want to be a TV writer, but don't know where to begin, Cook's book will take you through the whole process, and make it seem amazingly easy. She covers practical things like how to choose a spec script that's right for you, how to find the right story for your spec, and formatting. Additionally, there is a whole section on what to do with your script once you have written it - things like how to get an agent or land your first job in the business even if you don't know anybody. Also, throughout the book there are interviews with current TV writers who also give tips on how to get your script noticed."

"Write to TV" cuts right to the chase on how to launch your TV writing career

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-09

I have read scores of books on screenwriting, but this one really stands out. With up-to-date savvy and down-to-earth clarity, Cook's book thoroughly covers all of the essentials you'd expect in a TV writing book: story, character, plot development, narrative structure, dialogue and formatting. What makes this book refreshingly different from the rest is that there is a wealth of advice and insight from TV writers on hugely successful shows such as "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives." So, you get lots of different viewpoints from creative pros at the top of their game. I also found Cook's guidance for breaking into the business, getting an agent, persevering, and eventually landing that first staff job to be immensely helpful, practical and encouraging. If you have any ambitions of writing for TV and doing it well, then the first step is to get this book now! One of the best investments I've ever made to put my TV writing career on a truly promising path.

Cook's Book a "Recipe" For Scriptwriting Success!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-08

This is one of the best books on TV writing I've seen. Cook walks us through an easy to follow step-by-step process of writing a professional television script. She also gives all kinds of tips on how to get your script into the hands of a producer and/or agent. I also found the advice from industry insiders like Jay Leno, Paul Haggis and writers from shows like The Simpsons and Grey's Anatomy extremely interesting and useful. If you want to be a television writer, this is one book you definitely want to read.

Marilyn Cummings
Member Director's Guild of America

Writing Broadcast News, Rev. Ed.

Published in Hardcover by Bonus Books (1997-07-25)

Author: Mervin Block

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Simple, to the point News Reporting Fundamenttals

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-04

This book is excellent, it is well written, and fun. It is great as a complement to classroom instruction or by itself as a starter/refresher course. I highly recommend it!

Standard for Broadcast News

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-05

If you're trying to break into news on the AM/FM dial, this is a book that you must read and follow. It helps you format the way most of Radio Broadcasting does it today.

can't live without it!

Helpful Votes: 17 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-27

Ten years ago, I had the privilege of taking introductory radio writing from Mr. Block while earning my master's degree in journalism at Columbia University. If memory serves, Mr. Block also revisited my spring semester radio news course as a guest editor and instructor. He was a tough and fair instructor -- one of the many highlights of my year at 116th and Broadway.

Mr. Block's book has been indispensible to me ever since. Every so often, I reread a chapter to keep my writing fresh, and to jolt me out of the workaday rut so many reporters and anchors inhabit. Television news works on two levels, the words and the pictures, and it is a challenge and an art to make the two levels work together!

Whether you're a journalism 101 student or a seasoned professional, it never hurts to have this book on your desk (and occasionally at home!). Your viewers, producers, photographers, and managers will thank you!

If you're a serious journalist, this book is a must.

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-10

This is the bible of broadcast news writing. Well organized. I'm a 25 year veteran of broadcast news and I still find information in this book that improves my writing and reporting.

Broadcast Newswriters: You Need This Book

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-14

To paraphrase Mr. Block, "if newswriting is easy, then you're doing something wrong." This book is for the lover of action verbs and simple words. You're taught to think and to see the beauty of simple writing. And if you want to be GOOD, you must learn to TELL a story. After you read this book, the news will likely not sound the same.

Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films and Videos, Revised Edition

Published in Paperback by Southern Illinois University Press (1996-05-29)

Author: Alan Rosenthal

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Great source of info...

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-20

I find myself opening this book up over and over again . I have learned alot from the writer of this book . I would tell anyone who is going to make a documentary , they should have this book on there desk.

Sell your kids to buy this book

Helpful Votes: 28 out of 73 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-26

There is little in written text that summarise the worth of this book. I was so moved by its detailed and incisive content and direction that I sold my kids to afford the time and space, the peace required to absorb the rivetting content.
As I sat at my video production terminal I realised that the nirvana of books on docudrama had been produced. This is the sort of book that makes you go and get the authors name tattooed on your butt.
Buy , buy , buy ..

FIVE STARS, excellent, excellent, excellent.

Helpful Votes: 28 out of 29 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-25

This book is a masterful resource for any filmmaker regardless of their expertise.

No one has come close in their summation of the documentary process. It is 2001, the book was released in 1996, it is timeless. The best book on the market, a better book could only be devised by the author.

Four years of preperation in one book. Every student, professional filmmaker, enthusiast should have it. I have even allowed persons/subjects whom I was documenting to read this book. It made the process that much easier. They were extremely thankful. PURCHASE THE BOOK.

excellent resource

Helpful Votes: 30 out of 30 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-27

Even while reading this book I was able to pitch an idea for an event and documentary project, my first, and gain acceptance for the project. The concepts are helpful as well as practical.
I read a lot of books once I am interested in a subject and I would place this one at the top for documentaries.

A good guide for those first starting....

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-04

In starting something new, the potential making missteps that can derail the whole process is always present. This book helps you avoid those and has advice on how you can develop a quality product that people will want to see. Very worthwhile.

"You Better Work!" Underground Dance Music in New York City

Published in Paperback by Wesleyan (2000-07-01)

Author: Kai Fikentscher

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Great book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-15

This is a great book. It is extremely accessible. I am using it with great success for an Introduction to Ethnomusicology course that I am teaching at a Liberal Arts College. The students like the book very much. It stimulates a good deal of in-class discussion. I would highly recommend this work for anyone interested in music, dance, ethnomusicology, urban studies, popular culture, popular music, American studies, and more... It is the kind of book that affords multiple points of entry. Bravo Kai Fikentscher

An Excellent Reference in Underground Dance Music

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-02

If you're looking for a book that's an excellent reference for Underground Dance Music in New York City, then "You Better Work!" by Kai Fikentscher is great reading!

A cornerstone contribution to the exploration of underground dance music culture

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-15

Kai Fikentscher's evolutionary study and rounded presentation of New York's underground dance music and culture is a lonely triumph for a subject matter that desperately requires equal exploration of peer contributing U.S. cities such as Chicago, Detroit and Washington D.C.

"You Better Work!" is a straight edge to which much of what has been said about underground dance music culture should be realligned.

It's evident through well-crafted and intricately expressed text that the author has really done his homework. His book shines, especially when compared to similar historical efforts that clearly lack the consistent impact found in "You Better Work!".

Not only should those familiar with underground dance music absorb this essential reading, but the effort should be required academically, with particular regard to music, culture and art.

In addition to explaining fundamental concepts and techniques, Fikentscher details an often ill-reported but critical importance of UDM - the DNA of African, African American, Latino, Gay and a dejected segment of American society which defines the fabric of underground dance music culture.

Accessible and Insightful

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-13

Kai's work is a rarity in ethnomusicology; it's accessible, entertaining, and enjoyable to read. His inclusion of 12 inch singles, top UDM charts, DJ and equipment photographs, in addition to his on personal exposes in relationship to the house scene in NYC make this study a rarity within a discipline full of bickerings over authenticity, theoretical concepts and musical hierarchies. "You Better Work!" is a rallying cry for aspiring musicologists and music fans alike. If you danced during this period, it'll bring back those sweet memories of Mr. Fingers, Frankie Knuckles, Ru Paul, Acid and the like.

The Underground Unleashed

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-04

This text is the unrivaled standard for anyone truly seeking insights into the rich culture of Underground Dance Music. No long is house music an urban legend, but this book invites debate, theory, and growth based on a solid foundation of research, interaction, and presentation. From the halls of academia to the dark places where the underground lurks; each and every reader benefits from Kai's research.

If your a fan of techno... read this book.

Classics? Read.

Soulful... get to know this text.

... then Work!

-Byron

Young People's Concerts (Amadeus)

Published in Paperback by Amadeus Press (2005-12-08)

Author: Leonard Bernstein

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Just beautiful

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08

This is a great book,Bernstein is not only a genius,but a really wise man,he explain things with an ease few could match.This is book is a treasure.

An easy to understand perspective of all forms and categories of music

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-04

Young People's Concerts by composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein is an outstanding and much-appreciated reprint of the author's definitive description of his inspirational appreciation and joy for music. Presented in an expansive and highly descriptive context, Young People's Concerts offers an easy to understand perspective of all forms and categories of music, instilling a similar construct into the readers enjoyment of diverse musical traditions and presentations. Very strongly recommended as informed and informative read, Young People's Concerts is the perfect addition to every personal, academic, and community library music appreciation reference collection and reading list.

An easy to understand perspective of all forms and categories of music

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-04

Young People's Concerts by composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein is an outstanding and much-appreciated reprint of the author's definitive description of his inspirational appreciation and joy for music. Presented in an expansive and highly descriptive context, Young People's Concerts offers an easy to understand perspective of all forms and categories of music, instilling a similar construct into the readers enjoyment of diverse musical traditions and presentations. Very strongly recommended as informed and informative read, Young People's Concerts is the perfect addition to every personal, academic, and community library music appreciation reference collection and reading list.

LEONARD BERNSTEINS YOUNG PEOPLES CONCERTS WITH THE N.Y. PHIL

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-20

Take a front-row seat to see Maestro Bernstein, America's foremost musician, perform in his favorite role -- teacher. Watch and listen as he demonstrates, explains, and reveals music as you have never heard it before, performed by his beloved orchestra, the New York Philharmonic. As you enjoy the experience, you will gain something precious: a love and understanding of great music. With the Young People's Concerts, mastering music is all pleasure!

The World's Great Music -- Made Understandable and Enjoyable
Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts span fifteen years during which the incomparable Mr. Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic -- the century's most charismatic conductor leading America's premier symphony orchestra -- reached out in televised live performances to share with the whole world the joy of understanding beautiful music.

Getting to Know Symphonic Music -- From the Master Conductor! This set of Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts is a genuine musical education in a form that's fun, fascinating, and easy. Just sit back and enjoy as Maestro Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic show you the thrilling, passion-filled world of the symphony orchestra. You'll be having such a good time, the learning will feel like pure entertainment!

Something for Everyone -- Young and Old, Novice and Expert Leonard Bernstein captivated a diverse audience. The programs are called Young People's Concerts -- but when they were broadcast, millions of adults enjoyed and benefited from them, too. Mr. Bernstein speaks in familiar terms that anyone can understand -- and what he says intrigues even seasoned professional musicians.

In the world of music, for sheer education and entertainment value, there has never been anything comparable to Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts. They are, quite simply, the musical event of a lifetime.

"The Young People's Concerts are among my favorite, most highly prized activities of my life." -- Leonard Bernstein

Each Young People's Concert is an elegant, sparkling musical event-with-a-message -- a message that speaks to people of all ages who want to hear and understand music more enjoyably than ever before.

A Maestro With a Mission Pianist, composer, conductor, lecturer, author -- the world-famous Leonard Bernstein lived and breathed music his entire life because he truly loved it. He was also aware that "highbrow" music could be intimidating. So the Maestro made it his lifetime mission to turn great music into something everyone could understand and enjoy.

That's why the Young People's Concerts, aired on the CBS Television Network from 1958 to 1973, were so fabulously successful year after year. People packed the live performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Across America, families eagerly tuned in to watch every exciting new program. Around the world, television stations rushed to rebroadcast these unique musical events, translating them into a dozen foreign languages.

Maestro Bernstein's Young People's Concerts were a treasure -- a key that unlocked the door to the secrets of the world's great symphonic music. People watched... listened... enjoyed... understood... and simply couldn't get enough of the Young People's Concerts. There had been nothing like them before. There has been nothing like them since.

For You, Whatever Your Age or Musical Ability Most amazing of all, Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts appeal to people of all ages and at every level of musical ability. There is nothing difficult about these musical events. You don't need any musical experience. Every concept is simple, concrete, immediate. The Maestro describes a musical idea -- then sings it, plays a few bars on the piano, or lifts his baton to lead the New York Philharmonic through a glorious symphonic rendition of the theme. Suddenly, you hear great music as you never heard it before. You pick out melody, counterpoint, rhythm, structure -- and you grasp complex music in a way you never thought possible.

Explaining What Music Means Starting with What Does Music Mean?, Mr. Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic present one spellbinding concert-with-commentary after another, showing you step by step what makes symphonic music an art form, and why great performances draw thunderous applause from audiences around the world.

Music's Most Exciting Moments

A world of beauty and meaning awaits you in Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts. These digitally remastered recordings of the original televised performances provide you with a deluxe guided tour of great music, led by America's best-loved music teacher. The Young People's Concerts let you experience the most exciting and entertaining moments in American musical history.

You will find the Young People's Concerts delightful -- relaxed and informal, yet absolutely authoritative. And whatever your level of musical knowledge -- novice, student, or professional -- you are certain to learn and benefit from these timeless musical events.

The next best thing to a college course

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-18

YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS by Bernstein was based on his televised lectures with the New York Philharmonic, written in response to the shows' popularity. This book gathers fifteen of the best of these fifty-three transcripts, providing lectures which capture the meaning and joy of music for young audiences. From identifying the basic elements which comprise classical music to showing how musicians slip humor into music and how folk music works in the concert hall, Bernstein's YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS is the next best thing to a college course - and the concerts come on DVD elsewhere if musical augmentation is required.

100 Carols for Choirs

Published in Paperback by Clarendon Press (1987-10-08)

Author:

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100 Carols for Choirs

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-28

Absolutely marvelous collection with wonderful descants and interesting arrangements. I have given copies to many people because I love this book so MUCH!!! If you've ever lived in England, or ever loved CDs of King's College Choir or St. John's College Choir from Cambridge, England, you will discover the arrangements in this great book!

A must have

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-15

This is a must have for anyone conducting a choir at highschool level and beyond. I sang many of these songs in my choir in highschool, and now that I'm starting my own carreer as a music teacher I've purchased my own copy. If you're looking for some great arrangements of classic pieces, this is the book you want. Perfect for the classroom and more.

Some of the gems of this book that I'd recommend are Lord of the Dance, and In Dulci Jubilo.

Buy this, you're missing some great music if this isn't in your collection.

Much impressed

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-10

I had to buy this book for a concert with my local music association. I was impressed with the wide variety of carols in it, despite the fact that it lacks the "Carol of the Bells," one of my favorites. I was kind of hoping that some of the arrangements could be used for informal singing, but most of them are arranged for performance.

Amazing resource for established choirs

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-25

This book is a wonderful source for any established choir. The multi-part harmonies are arranged in a unique and expressive way. The song selections range from old latin (Quem Pastores Laudavere), to religious (It came upon a midnight clear), and even encludes variations of Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls.

The masters do it again!

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-17

I had the pleasure of participating in a workshop with David Willcocks, and received this book as part of it. It was first published in 1987, but Sir David had some amusing anecdotes to share about how he and John Rutter, another name to reckon with in choral music circles, put it together.

This is what I like about it:

* These gentlemen are giants in the English choral music scene, and personify the English choral tradition in everything they do. So it's a pleasure to find that they have included many carols from other countries, as well as the English ones. It's very hard to find non-English-language carols, so this is a nice little collection.

* Their 4-part arrangements are imaginative but easy enough to sight-sing.

* It also includes a listing of church festivals other than Christmas, with the names and page numbers of carols that would be appropriate for each.

* For ease of navigation as you're singing, the verses are in Roman type while the refrains are in italics.

* For reasons that are not clear, they have chosen to include the text in the original language in some cases, but not all. The foreign language texts are immediately under the English translations, so you can sing in either language.

* At the very end of the book is the order of service for the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, with instructions on the appropriate rank of each person to read, from chorister to bishop.

If you are only going to buy one carol book, this and the Oxford Book of Carols are the best ones to consider. The Oxford has more in it, and is hugely more expensive, so I recommend this one! it'll take you several Christmasses to sing your way through it.

24: The Official Companion: Seasons 1 & 2

Published in Paperback by Titan Books (2006-09-01)

Author: Tara Dilullo

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Better THan I COuld Have Expected

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-13

I am a huge fan of "24" and I collect 24 merchandise. This guide does a great job in breaking down each episode. It gives you all the major points you need to understand. When I ordered this book that's what I expected. However, I didn't expect all of the extra content. The first 28 pages are full of behind the scenes info about the shows conceptual design and how it was created. There are interviews with the shows producers and with Kiefer Sutherland himself. I highly recommend this to any fan of "24". It is a must-have.

Good sum up

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-25

This book is great with details and background of each character, and has the details from each hour, so is very helpful if you don't have two straight non sleeping days to catch up.

All of 24

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-07

This book is full of great photos and a real treat for 24 fans. The entire book is mostly photos and arranged by season. There are photos from the show and off set. I loved it and think that all 24 fans would enjoy it.

A must have for the real 24 fans!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-31

Two pages of information per episode: timeframe with the key events, research files, additionel intel and photo's. The book also contains the profiles of the main characters of the first two seasons. A must have for the real 24 fans!

Must have book for ALL 24 rabid fans!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-04

Mike and I over at 2GuysTalking:24 have been waiting for a book like this to come out for years now. Our only complaint is why so long? This is a gorgeous book to have in your collection and is chalk full of all kinds of 24 data, background info, interesting tidbits and if that's not all, tons of great photographs to supplement.

The look and feel of the book is something you really want to get your hands on and keep. Its got more of a "Tab Newspaper" style feel to it then your ordinary book. The pages are laid out nicely and each page represents one day in the life of Jack Bauer! Each day has its own timeline of events similar to our own "24 in 60" segment we do in our podcast. A great reference guide if you need to go back to look something up.

Each day featured on a page layout also has a section where they link interesting pieces of information that you might not already know about 24. For example, the $200,000 Mason was accused of skimming in the first season is linked to his son in the second season. Pieces like that really present a whole new perspective to the show that you may not catch when watching it.

Mega Kudos goes to Tara DiLullo for writing such a great book. You definitely want to get this in your collection. Mike and I were so impressed with the book we decided to have Tara on the show to ask her more about what went on behind the scenes and what to expect in the future. Check it out at [...].

24: The Ultimate Guide

Published in Hardcover by DK ADULT (2007-10-15)

Author: Michael Goldman

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Coffee-table book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-14

This is a coffee-table book, gloriously illustrated and full of the familiar faces--living and dead, heroes and villains. If you want a more technical book--akin to the Star Trek: Star Fleet Technical Manual--the get 24: The Counter Terrorist Unit Handbook.

I have wrought my simple plan
If I give one hour of joy
To the boy who's half a man,
Or the man who's half a boy.The Lost World (Dover Thrift Editions)

A must for any 24 fan

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-06

This is a great collectors item for any fan of the show. First, the book is written as if it is a non-fictional guide to CTU. There are lots of details about all major characters and info about characters who didn't last or live long. This guide features everything from long recaps of all 6 days to detailed information about weapons and vehicles used. There were many times when I would stop and say "I forgot that happened on that day" or "I forgot that girl from Rosanne was in this". Michael Goldman gives us a well written and informative companion to the show that reminds us of why we got hooked in the first place. Well worth the purchase.

ultimate guide to 24

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07

terrific companion to the show - answers alot of questions and gives many interesting tidbits as well as pictures!

PARA DISFRUTARLO MAS DE 24 HORAS!!!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-19

"24: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE" es un excelnete libro que te guia sin mayor esfuerzo, a traves de las laberinticas tramas de las primeras seis temporadas de la ultrafamosa serie "24". Lleno de datos interesantes y resumenes bien redactados, acompañados de muchisimas fotos y diagramas a full color, encontraras aqui los momentos claves de cada "dia", ademas de los profiles de los perosnajes principales; la infame galeria de villanos y "topos"; los caidos en accion de CTU; las armas, tácticas y locaciones usados en la serie. Imprescindible para todos los fans de la serie, pero un serio peligro para los no iniciados, pues este libro es un gran y maravilloso SPOLIER para ellos. Bravo!!

The Ultimate Gift to 24 Fans

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-04

I have the season companion guide "24: The Ultimate Guide" by Michael Goldman, $24.99 US, Hardcover, coffee table size (12" x 10"), which covers all 6 Days/Seasons.

I wanted to take this opportunity to say to all 24 fans considering this book: I love it!

I leave it on my living room table, and people check it out and it always makes them interested and starts conversations that branch into all sorts of things.

The quality of the pages and pictures is outstanding. The visual appeal of the book could not be better - there are high quality glossy photos that are just amazing. There are inset synopses called a "Fact File" for the major characters, Day/Season synopses of course, and the volume includes a plethora of inset character faces, sets, and scenes large and small.

The book relates some details that cannot be derived or inferred from the DVDs, such as details of field gear and other technologies, history trivia, and of course the Fact Files on many of the characters.

There is a brief enthusiastic "Welcome" to the book from Joel Surnow on page 6.

This book is a very appealing and satisfying presentation of the whole 24 experience, and well worth the money paid. I would recommend it just for the pictures, even if there was no text!

Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Modern Plays)

Published in Paperback by A&C Black (2004-04-01)

Author: Dario Fo

List price: $13.95

New price: $7.99
Used price: $3.80

Average review score:

A bitingly funny satire

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-09

"Accidental Death of an Anarchist," by Dario Fo, is adapted by Gavin Richards from a translation by Gillian Hanna. The Methuen Modern Plays edition contains an introduction by Stuart Hood; Fo himself contributes an author's note and a postscript. The opening pages note that the original Italian edition had a copyright date of 1970. The author's note describes how the play was inspired by the death of an anarchist being held in police custody.

This outrageous comedy opens with a character known as the "Maniac" being brought to a police station. It's a very "metatheatrical" piece; Fo warps theatrical conventions and makes jokes in a way that reminds me a bit of Luigi Pirandello's "Six Characters in Search of an Author." There are some really funny scenes, but a very serious vein still runs throughout the piece.

Ultimately, this is a thought-provoking piece about truth. What is the true story, and how do you discover it? Fo's satiric wit explores police brutality as well as the relationships among the police, the media, and the political establishment. I recommend this piece by the Nobel Prize winning Fo to all with an interest in 20th century drama and/or political activism.

Marxism without Marx

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-16

There has been a long debate about the death of the theatre. And that debate still continues, but plays are nevertheless being produced, actors are playing Hamlet over and over again, and directors are staging everything, from timeless classics to newest avant-garde. Even so, death of the theatre seem iminent. New methods of expression appeared which drove public fromt the teatre seats. Nowadays, in those seats you can only find aged critics, younger men and women still posessed by the power of art" and some older couples which have no place to go. Can there be future to such setting?
Whilst future reamins obscured in unsettling clouds, past looks glorious and full of appeal. Not only in works like ones of O'neil, Brecht, Pirandello or Shakespeare but also in the ones that have more modern" sound, whatever that should mean. Dario Fo is one of those men who brings with himself entire glamour of theatre together with precise sharpness of satire and political subversion.
Upon reading this play, you cannot but think of Groucho Marx and his extravagant style, high intelligence and unparalleled big-mouthedness. All of those characteristics were incorporated into the Fo's character called Maniac. But such comparison might not be entirely fair, having in mind what was said before. Still, Death of an anarchist" functions as classic farce, with what it seems as a total anarchy in script and staging, anarchy that is apealing in such a way that you simple cannot put this book away.
Magic of the theatre shows itself in the best way on these pages. You are being drawn into the world wihtout rules, which scarringly resembles our own and which we can relate to. That kind of identification puts us on the edge. And Fo is aware of that and uses that fact in such a brilliant way, that you have to bow to him.
It is quite unnecessary and to some extent impossible to retell the story of Death of an anarchist". It would be exactly the same as if you were going to retell the Marx brothers film and expect that it would have the sam impact as seeing and hearing Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo act themselves crazy.
When you're feeling sad or you would just give up on everything and go with the flow, forgeting that posibility of rebellions ever existed, you should reach for this book, and it will charge up your dead batteries, making you feel the joy of existence and laughter all over again.

Way Too Much Zen

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-26

I saw a small production of this play a few years ago in downtown Minneapolis and was most interested in what it had to say about police interrogation techniques. This is not a topic which I would expect to be popular now, as most emphasis has been shifted to deadly confrontations, and the only major death in this play is of a suspect who was hanging out of a police department window before he dropped to his death. In the history of people being pick up for interrogation, this might be as famous someplace in Italy as the Biko case in South Africa, where police in Port Elizabeth picked Biko up and slammed him against the wall because he was not cooperating fully in their investigation of his attitude toward law and order.

I thought that the theme of the play was that the police get overly zealous in trying to pin a crime on a particular person once the police have made up their collective minds who they think should have committed the crime, as the defense allegations in the famous O.J. murder case seemed well founded when the methods of the L.A.P.D. were subject to the scrutiny of attorneys who are aware of how these things are usually done. In the case of the actual event upon which the Accidental Death of the Anarchist was based, the police techniques were subject to an official investigation, and the play was written as on ongoing farce which kept Italy informed as more facts came to light. The play may be way beyond the Zen of any audience, but if people think that something about the nature of the police is revealed in it, I don't think that those people should be considered as paranoid as they ought to be. Anyone who loses sleep over this kind of thing hasn't adjusted well to modern society, so they can probably find a shrink to give them pills that will put them to sleep, but that is a different topic, but not much different, really.

A Play Not Performed ENOUGH

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-27

I truly enjoyed this play and again am wondering why it is not put on more often. Granted, it has a specific political objective, due to its timely plot and circumstancial event. Yet, as a performer, I find the quality of writing to be extremely wonderful. Interestingly, I also discovered that Fo's viewpoint on comedic and political theatre to be very similar to my own:

(It) grabs at the heart and guts, but attempts to get there by a violent moment of laughter. Because laughter does not remain at the bottom of the mind, leaving sediment which cannot be wiped off. Because laughter helps avoid one of the worst dangers, which is catharsis. (5)

Fo wanted the reverse of catharsis, the emotional release, and it is very apparent in Accidental Death of an Anarchist. He seeks to provoke, debate, to arouse feelings and to challenge ideas while inviting his audience to consider new points of view. I respect this form of theatre, for it is the hardest to write, collaborate, and present clearly to an already cynical audience in this day and age. By using an absurdist/satirical/farcial approach towards the issues of power, its abuse, and political stations, he creates sense out of nonsensical characters and situations. The maniac, a harliquien like character, leads the members of a police station somewhere in a city, in this case we assume New York or London, through a dizzying investigation around the questionable death of an anarchist from years before. Mysteriously, the anarchist had "thrown" himself from a four story window during the course of police investigation. We, the audience suspect foul play for the cause, and in effect we see the maniac give nothing but insane play to the accused. He is quick witted and incredibly dynamic with language and vast information. The maniac flaunts with their pride and guilt, causing mass confusion. The audience cannot help but love his crazy ways. In true satiric fasion, just and darkly comedic rewards are served to all characters by the end. The audience is left wondering how these events effect them. The ever present window in the scene is the only realistic element that the audience must contend with. It reminds them of the reality of the crime, how it really took place, and yet they are forced to laugh at it and find disgust in that humor. It is this form of satire that provokes thoughts and action towards change, which is what Fo wanted. It is this subtle stealthiness of dark humor that creates the desired effect of political theatre: change, perhaps for the better, or in this case, for the playwrights cause.

One of the best!

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-29

In the age we're living in today, this is the perfect satire of police departments. We always here in the news about some cop in some city getting caught framing someone innocent (or sometimes worse). Fo does a wonderful job of humorizing that situation. Some might call the play over-the-top, but they're just missing the humor of it all. I've read a lot of plays, and this is definitely one of the best modern plays out there. Everything about it screams "wit." The characters are great, and memorable too. If you have the chance to buy it, don't miss it!

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