Arts and Culture Books

I loved Get on TV! It's entertaining, yet practical, detailed and has so much heart. Even though I've been on Oprah and Good Morning America and have years of experience, I still learned a lot. Jacquie Jordan gives us a tremendous gift: not only insider knowledge we can get nowhere else, but also the experience of having a personal relationship with a top-notch TV producer. Go for it!

`Oprah', `The Today Show', your local talk shows and even reality TV all offer unprecedented opportunities for personal and professional promotion. Position yourself to reap the rewards by targeting the right shows and applying a few insider rules for getting on the air. Author Jacquie Jordan, an Emmy-nominated TV pro, knows just what producers seek in the perfect "TV guestpert." She delivers the goods in this thorough guide to promoting yourself, your company or your product on the air. When you read this, you'll want to get right to work. Getting TV air time will no longer seem like an impossible goal, although you will notice in Jordan's case studies that truth is often stranger than fiction in TV Land. We recommend this book to professionals who want to polish their presentations, understand talk show production behind the scenes and become TV guests. Go get your 15 minutes of fame.

I have worked in media for over 25 years and Jacquie even taught me things! She takes you from wanting to promote your idea to becoming a "guestpert" that television producers want to call back...over and over again. She gives you the lay of the land and who all the players are in the field...easily and simply. It's a great resource for those who want to be in the "biz" or need the "biz" to promote their product or services.

This is a great book especially for those folks that know nothing about the TV/entertainment industry. Ms. Jordan does an excellent job of detailing the different job descriptions and provides invaluable insider information that one outside the industry would never have access to.

OK. I admit it. When I agreed to review "Get on TV" by Jacquie Jordan it was for my own selfish reasons. My new novel had just been released, and I was looking for a way to get on TV for added exposure. So naturally, I chose the book with the perfect title, and man am I glad I did.

In "Get on TV" veteran TV producer and insider Jacquie Jordan (who has worked with folks like Donny Osmond and Maury Povich) reveals valuable information on what it takes to get on television. The books gives detailed information on topics such as how to assemble a press kit, how to speak the language of TV producers and how to set realistic expectations on appearing on your favorite (and not so favorite) news and talk shows.

"Get on TV" works on multiple levels, mainly because the reader can feel the author's genuine authenticity when reading between the lines. It's not one of those books that was written solely to promote the author's business. In fact, Jordan even shares ways to circumvent the need to hire an agency like hers. You gotta love and respect that.

Though the book is packed with outstanding information, including a sample release form, contact information for all of the major networks and Jordan's insider info, some of the material (like definitions and learning the lingo) seemed to be overkill. But don't let this minor distraction fool you. Jacquie Jordan knows her stuff, and if you follow the advice in this book it wouldn't surprise me at all if I saw you on TV soon after. Buy this book and follow the advice given and I know I'll see you on the small screen.

Emanuel Carpenter
Author of "Where is the Love?"
emanuelcarpenter dot com

This How-to manual by FX favorite Tom Savini is a cool read (I like it all the more since I found it at a Half Price Bookstore for $1.75!). No one can seriously consider this instructional, because how many people are going to send away for makeup kits from companies that existed 25 years ago and sit around making gore effects as a hobby? This is really a fun behind the scenes look at movies like Dawn of the Dead and especially creepshow. Every FX sequence is explained in complete detail, accompanied by realistic ink drawings showing how the crew manipulated the creatures. What I got mostly out of this book was an introduction to three slasher movies; the prowler, which I own and love, The maniac, which I haven't seen but just may buy it real soon, and the burning, a slasher movie that I REALLY want to see, but I can't find any resonabley priced versions of it (Savini said he considers it one of his best projects). Also cool is the fact that Savini openly expresses disdain for all of his "hired killer" redundancy within the slasher cannon.

This book is amazing and absolutely PERFECT if you want to learn about how to make amazing effects from your favorite horror films. Tom Savini explains all of his effects in wonderful detail, and his writing style is extremely inspiring. There is no shortage of detailed pictures, either! A must buy! You will NOT be dissapointed!

This book was originally published as "Bizarro" in 1983, and is now being reprinted as "Grande Illusions".

I like this book because it's a learning tool that gave me exactly what I was looking for. I was tired of looking through Make-up effect books that had two pages devoted to doing horror effects. Stephen King and George Romero (or just horror in general) will really enjoy this book. As will make-up effect artist.

I like this book because it's a learning tool that gave me exactly what I was looking for. I was tired of looking through Make-up effect books that had two pages devoted to doing horror effects. Stephen King and George Romero (or just horror in general) will really enjoy this book. As will make-up effect artist.

I am fortunate to still own my original copy, especially since it has long been out of print and extremely costly to replace. But if you are a fan of Tom Savini and the horror genre it is worth owning. Stephen King provides the introduction and George Romero writes the preface. Tom Savini takes over describing his love for the art and how he developed his interest in make-up special effects. Filled with incredible and rare photos, the book takes us on a step-by-step process on how to recreate the gruesome F/X that made him famous. The book also reflects a humorous and playful side of Tom Savini as he demonstrates what he does best.
The special effects from "Deathdream," "Dreanged," "Martin," "Dawn of the Dead," "The Burning," "The Prowler," "Creepshow," "Maniac," "Eyes of a Stranger," and "Friday the 13th" are all featured here. Also included is a scrapbook of Tom Savini's work and off-the-wall creations.

iI would like to know how you become an actor become I would like to beome one.

My hat is off to Steve Carlson for sharing with fellow actors and aspiring actors the 1 thing that is most effective: experience. Every lesson, every helpful hint is backed by a story or an example. This is by far the most pracical and inspired instructive tool to come out in a while. It suprasses every "acting for camera" book on the market, because not only does the reader share in Mr. Carlson's lifetime of experiences, but also the author's passion for acting, and dedication to his craft. Unlike so many discouraging and pragmatic "handbooks" out there, this has an undercurrent of excitement along with the realism. The actor finishes the book feeling energized, not dejected. Practicality, experience, and encouragement. Steve Carlson's book is invaluable!

I'm not a professional actress, mostly because I was too unsure of the particulars of film acting. It is easy enough to get overwhelmed making a major career choice. On top of that, Hollywood has long held a mysterious and intimidating reputation that shifts from good to terrible. Mr. Carlson's book supplies invaluable advice on how to make it in the industry. Perhaps the most useful thing about the book is his own personal experiences that help the reader feel comfortable on a film set without even having been on one yet! This book clears up all the confusion, the lights, the cables, and the lenses by helping you understand what each noisy, flashing, moving object (and person) does. No advice is given on HOW to act, it is a technical manual. For auditioning tips I recommend Margie Haber's How To Get The Part...Without Falling Apart! It is also a must read!

I know that from this book i will learn alot in how to become a better actor, also to know everything that surrounds you, and what does it do.. This book will give you the confidence to feel better, because you will know what is around you and how does it work, and also it will make it better for Directors and Casting crew... Thank You.. Sincerly, Sergio Miguel Cruz...

I was completely spellbound when I first read this book-I did not think such a thing existed! I recommend it for anyone breaking into the film acting field or people who have already been introduced to film acting. The book is valuable to all. There are so few places to learn the fundamentals of acting on a film set, yet it is so important to learn these things before actually...acting on a film set. Hitting Your Mark delivered solid information and Steve Carlson should be greatly commended for his contribution to the world of acting.

I checked this book out of the library, and enjoyed it so much that I'm buying my own copy. Great pictures and really great stories. The mostly one-sided feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford is a great example. I love Bette Davis as an actor, her sharp mind and acid tongue, but, oh, what she was like to work with!

This book is not only beautiful to look at, it is so beautifully written! The text gives great insights into the genres of classic horror films and fills them with little-known details of how the films were made. Vieira understands that films are made by people and he explores the personalities behind some of the most indelible cinematic creations ever. For any fan of horror films, this is a must own, must read!

I read everything published on the horror movie genre, and a lot of it is repetitive (there is almost nothing new to be unearthed after so many decades), but Mark Vieira has written anecdotes and observations that are fresh and lively. With a slightly wicked delight in gossipy tales of professional jealousy and schadenfreud, he has also gotten access to the clearest most beautiful pictures I've seen on the subject. His interest and knowledge of photography is outstanding. Where did he get the juicy tidbits of personal knowledge he relates about the great figures of genre filmmaking?

It is one of the most familiar faces from Hollywood: huge, boxy forehead, heavy lidded eyes, railroad-track surgical scars, and bolt through the neck. Frankenstein (or more properly, Frankenstein's monster), in a gorgeous, detailed black and white photo (which for all the fussing over its production would have been called a glamour shot if the subject were someone else) stares from the cover of _Hollywood Horror: From Gothic to Cosmic_ (Harry N. Abrams) by Mark A. Vieira. In his Acknowledgements section, Vieira thanks his dad for letting him watch horror movies "on the Early Show, the Late, Late Show, and everything between." He also thanks him for making trips so he could buy _Famous Monsters_ magazines. One cannot doubt that he has a lifelong enthusiasm for his subject, and the format of his book makes this clear. It has large, glossy pages filled with black and white images of celluloid nightmares, and most of them are by the studio photographers (some of them famous, like Ernest Bachrach) who were responsible for the stills that would sell the film to the public. Although for many the pictures will be the show, Vieira's intelligent text and cataloguing of the films is worth reading on its own.

Vieira has chronologically divided the genre into the Gothic, Psychic, Atomic, and Cosmic. Boris Karloff's career stretches over them all, starting from his Frankenstein role, for which his costume weighed all of 48 pounds. Dracula and Frankenstein made lots of money, with violence and the sexuality (both of which seem wonderfully understated in our times) before the Production Code came out drew the "grandstanding censure of women's clubs, clergymen, and politicians." The Psychic section of the book is largely given to the films of Val Lewton, who refused to go along with any previous horror formula. Cutting in mere suggestions of horror into a love story about normal people was just what budget-conscious RKO went for. The Atomic years were a reaction to the atmosphere of the Cold War, and routine horror films "began to portray science as a tool more evil than Dr. Frankenstein had ever anticipated." The first of many films to show how nuclear devices could bring forth monsters was 1953's _The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms_, with a custom-designed dinosaur awakened by an atomic test. Vieira ends with the Cosmic films, paying most attention to a movie monster that is among the most realistic ever, and which has caused more serious analysis than even Frankenstein's monster: HAL the computer from _2001_. The years tick by and we have yet to make a machine nearly as smart (or fortunately, as diabolical) as HAL.

The final portion of the book also includes films that are quite dissimilar from the monster movies covered in other pages. In a book like this, one will always think of films that ought to have been included or excluded, but Vieira is calling the shots. He has included _Psycho_, which is not really a monster film but has plenty of terror. For real scares, read about how Alfred Hitchcock treated Tippi Hedren during the shooting of the filming of the climactic sequence of _The Birds_, or how Frank Sinatra treated Mia Farrow while she was making _Rosemary's Baby_. Also here are _Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?_ and _Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte_, in which the real monsters are the actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, aging grandes dames of cinema, who were at each other's throats onstage and off. There are some eccentric choices here, but Vieira's book is a fine-looking survey of a genre of films that, like so many of their monsters depicted, just does not die, and if it does, it comes back with surprising transformations.

The horror movie has evolved from its origins in German Expressionism to our current day of graphic gore.Mr.Vieira is both entertaining and informative as he guides us along this shadowy path.We are offered behind-the-scenes anecdotes of the actors,directors,writers,producers and even the composers of some of the film scores.Quite fittingly we are given a glimpse of Universal's make-up wizard Jack Pierce.His painstaking creations persist more than sixty years later(even though we are told they did not look good in color).
All of the major as well as the lesser known works are covered.They are arbitrarily grouped under the titles of"The Gothic","The Psychic","The Atomic",and "The Cosmic".These unifying headings help the author to correlate relevant social and historical events with metaphorical images(eg 1950's Aliens as Cold War invaders).The section devoted to Val Lewton was especially enjoyable.I was able to better appreciate these artfully done low budget horror movies when viewing the recently released DVD collection.
I would highly recommend this book to the enthusiast and to the casual fan.Mr.Vieira obviously has a passion for this genre and it is infectious.An added bonus is the sumptuous black and white photographs many of which are rare studio stills.This is a book I was sorry to finish but I know I will be referring to it often in the future.

What a terrifically fun book to read! It brought back so many fond memories of going to these scary movies back in the 70's. The author knows his stuff and his enthusiasm shines through loud and clear--no stuffy criticism here. I am completely hooked on this book.

Reading this book is fun. Being a horror film buff, this book is a practical and thoughtful encyclopaedia and always brings me so much fun when exploring the anxieties and common fears in historical and social context of 1970s horror. In this period of 70s horror remakes (such as The Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Omen, Dawn of the Dead), this book can be a very essential guide to help us re-exmine the originalities and significance of these 70s classics. Highly Recommanded.

I've read a fair bit of horror film criticism and analysis, and Muir is one of the very best writers I've come across in the field. What it comes down to is that he covers the films with precisely the correct amount of depth, as he goes well beyond the simple capsule reviews, but avoids ridiculous, pretentious analysis where the films quality as either art or entertainment is ignored entirely in favor of exploration of theme and social commentary. (Which, of course, generally results in a lotta ludicrous garbage, beyond the extreme tedium.) This isn't to say he isn't interested in social commentary, he's just good at actually analyzing the film for what it is, rather than what he'd like it to be. (Course, he misses and overreaches at a few points, but that's just the inevitable disagreement on my part, rather than a general trend.) He writes cleanly and clearly, and without a hint of pretention. He also includes a ton of information for the bulk of the films, including extensive credit listings and a detailed synopsis to go along with a lengthy commentary. There are also quite a few shorter, near capsule-type reviews, but those are still more detailed than you'd see in most basic guides. Muir perhaps is slightly to forgiving for my tastes, but it's better to be a bit too favorable when it comes to film analysis than to critical, as it's tougher to come up with something interesting to say about a film that you hated. Obviously, this book isn't even close to comprehensive, but that would be pretty much impossible, and he does cover a remarkable range of films. Overall he emphasizes American films most, but still works in quite a few more prominent european films from the decade. (i.e. Suspiria, Deep Red, Zombi, Tombs of the Blind Dead etc.) Finally, the book ends with a number of helpful and/or amusing appendices at the end.

This book is damn expensive, so hopefully you can get it for free at a library, but if you can't it would probably still be worth picking up if you're really interested in horror films. Muir's books on Craven and Carpenter are also excellent, and follow the same basic format. (Though his book on Raimi was kinda disappointing, as it's more about filmmaking than the films themselves) Definitely worth checking out if you're interested in either of those guys, though those books are a bit out of date at this point. Anyway, I like it a lot. Hopefully we'll hear something more on Romero or euro-horror from Muir in the future.

Being a horror film buff, I've read many books dealing with the subject matter Mr. Muir covers, but I've never come across a book that so deftly manages to be both thoughtful/scholarly, while also extremely entertaining. Not many reference books manage to be page turners, but if you like horror films you'll find yourself unable to put it down. Muir's enthusiasm and extensive knowledge are evident, and in many ways reading the book is like having a discussion with a fellow horror fan.

As a person who is quite familiar with a good deal of the films Muir discusses, I was also pleased to discover many I had never heard of. It's led me to viewing a few gems that I might have missed otherwise. If you're a fan of the genre (or even just curious), don't hesitate to pick this up - you won't regret it.

As a died-in-the-wool horror fan, I really appreciate the thought and care put into this reference book. Muir makes a compelling case for this decade's importance in the genre (I think the 70's would win hands-down in a contest of the greatest number of significant or classic horror films in a decade. Look at the evidence: Halloween, Alien, Carrie, The Exorcist, Suspiria, Jaws, The Stepford Wives, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc., etc.). Further, Muir gives good analysis, and that is very appreciated, even when he occasionally gets carried away (he has a tendency to state a thesis--check out his analysis of some of Tobe Hooper's formalist techniques in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre--and then repeat himself over and over just to make sure that we, the readers, get it); there are also a number of small errors in details from certain films that annoyed me just because they are so careless: it is the TANZ Academy that Jessica Harper travels to in Suspiria, not the TAMM Academy, and it is the ALLARDYCE family that rents the evil house to Karen Black and Oliver Reed in Burnt Offerings, not The ALLODICES (I happen to be a big fan of both films so these mistakes particularly stuck out like bleeding limbs to me). But those are minor quibbles really; mostly I'm just grateful that Muir is not only a fan, but an intelligent writer and critic as well. I agree with another reviewer: let's next have a book on Horror Films of the 1980's, Mr. Muir!

I love this book! As a DJ with 15 years in the business, the author has said what everyone else was afraid to say. This is the all-out truth about DJ myths and marketing. Highly recommend this book.

I received How To Avoid DJ Horror Stories as a shower gift. As a bride-to-be, this book quickly became my best friend! It is as funny as it is informative. (The cartoon illustrations are really funny!) I learned so much from reading it that when it came time to interview DJs, I was able to spot, ahead of time, some of the myths and sleazy tactics referenced in the book. It actually saved me time (a precious commodity when planning a wedding). I especially liked Chapter 13, AFAQs (Answers to Frequently Asked Questions). The author literally answered every question that crossed my mind. Furthermore, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy the book was to read; it felt like the author was actually talking to me. How To Avoid DJ Horror Stories is a "must have" for any bride going the DJ route. Highly recommended!!!

In such a vast field as DJ services, it nice to be able to find the true gems among the pack. This book was instrumental in helping me select a DJ for my wedding, and I was EXTREMELY pleased with the results. If you want to know how to identify a "line" when you hear one from a DJ, GET THIS BOOK!

I've been a Disc Jockey for 25 years and have seen it all - this is hilarious - be careful who you book though. Read this and you should get a good Disc Jockey and have a great wedding/party!

Mr. Harrison is probably a good mobile dj but he makes the mistake of assuming regional preferences (such as clients not wanting lighting) and that most weddings go 4 hours is true all over. More importantly, there are numerous occasions where he states his opinion as fact. If these were truly facts, there would be documentation to back them up. There is a lot of good advice in this book but it's mixed in with a lot of opinions and outdated information which the target audience would like have difficulty sifting through.

This book is really awesome!!!!! Its a great guide for It Girls. I am a teenager and I love old movies and this book was a great guide for me! The book has 100 classic must see movies. The book is divide into sections for example, some are called Pure Romance, Marriage, the look, get the kleenex, getting the guy, royalty, weddings, and musicals to name a few! This is a great book to take w/ you to the video store. All the movies have a little description. I really love this book!! I really hope Meredith Alexander comes out with another book because this is a really good book! It would be awesome if she made a volume 2!

LOVED IT! GOT IT AS A GIFT. BEST BOOK OF IT'S KIND OUT THERE. BOUGHT THREE FOR MY FRIENDS. MEREDITH ALEXANDER IS A GENIUS. I HOPE SHE COMES OUT WITH A GUIDE TO GETTING THE IT MEN OUT THERE.

Make this your winter of content by curling up on the couch with the It Girl's Guide to Video, and then pressing the power button on your VCR. Meredith Alexander has done us all a huge favour by "screening" the movies that define glam. No more need to hesitate over what to rent at the video store. The must-see films are all there in this must-have book. The It Girl's Guide to Video is not only a great resource, it's a great read.

BUT SERIOUSLY, HOW DID WE MANAGE AT THE VIDEO STORE WITHOUT THIS REFERENCE GUIDE? THIS BOOK IS VERY WELL DONE AND THE AUTHOR HAS AN ASTOUNDING KNOWLEDGE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF OUR TIME. IT MAKES THE PURRRRFECT COFFEE TABLE BOOK, THE COVER IS HOT PINK SO WE KNOW THAT IT WILL "WORK" IN ANY IT GIRL'S LIVING ROOM!

A wonderful guide to the classics that every It Girl needs to see. Take the book with you to the video rental store and start at page 1. The book includes great stills from the films, and fun descriptions of each. I love it. Just grab your box of kleenex and popcorn and you're set. Would love to see a second volume!

Doc savage fans along with fans of bama-art in general will be pleased with this book! being there isnt a whole hell of a lot out there for him, or the mighty doc savage as far as new-releases of things go... great book to add along with the classic pulp and novel collections! neat aurora-model artwork too, a true masterpiece!

I recently recieved my copy of James Bama: American Realist and let me say I'm just floored by this incredible collection by a true master painter. Bama's speciality was book covers, mostly of the mass market paperback variety where his incredible visions of adventure were needed to catch the eye of readers. His technique is flawless, with a realism that elevates his subjects into powerful visions. His mastery of texture and form is particularly impressive.
I knew him only for his iconic portrayal of pulp legend Doc Savage, but there is a whole lot more in this book, covers for westerns, war stories, science fiction and even romance and teen novels.
The highlight for me, of course, was the Doc Savage section, with cover reproductions of every single Bantam Books Doc Savage novel with a James Bama painting. These covers almost cry out READ ME as they are filled with incredibly visions of adventure.
The book ends with a section of Bama's western themed paintings which is what he does nowdays, and these too are fantastic, evoking serene visions of cowboys, indians and wildlife, always with his characteristic realistic style.

When I was very young and saw Bama's book cover to Doc Savage #1, The Man of Bronze, I was mesmerized. The starkness of it, the intensity, the schizoid isolation, the realism . . . in my opinion the story in the book did not live up to the cover, not by a long shot!

Ditto for the rest of Bama's covers, with few exceptions.

Bama's illustrations collected in one volume bowled me over.... He was responsible for so many book covers and illustrations that I remember as a kid in the sixties and seventies. It was a nostalgic look back, but also an incredible appreciation of this artist and his type of art. He was so present in my day-to-day life...posters I hung on my wall, books I read, owned and still own. A beautiful collection.

James Bama is a wonderful artist who dazzled me with his covers for Doc Savage when I was a child. Seeing his massive output in paperback covers and beyond is astonishing. Bama not only painted exciting and dramatic scenes, but his vibrant use of colors is stunning.

This book gives us a plethora of examples of this versatile artists work, while also giving us an insight into his background and history. His real life situations were sometimes as dramatic as the scenes he illustrated on paperbacks and magazines.

The book was a delightful read and well worth purchasing.

Yeah, it's not perfect but it isn't totally dry reading and it is great as one of several first books. I just liked reading it and I didn't fall asleep while doing it like some of the other bee books I have. Also picked up info not in some of the other books. Heck, used ones are so cheap it is very worth buying.

This was the book that turned me into a beekeeper, before I ever bought my first colony. The information on basic beekeeping is solid, and the descriptions are engaging.

I have read most of the beekeeping books that Amazon carries and I will highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get into beekeeping. It goes into a lot of detail just where a new keeper needs it. If you are an experienced beekeeper and are looking for detailed information in things like queen rearing then you may want to to get a book written specifically on the subject because that area in particular is a volume or two into itself.

A nice read, but having kept bees for about 4 months now I found it a little weak. Prior to Vivian's I have read a book by Dadant Publishing which gave a good foundation. Also talking with other beekeepers has also helped conciderably. At times I found the book a little on the quaint-side which for me wasn't of interest. Also found his section on Africanized bees (so-called Killer bees) weak. Presently I am in Brazil working with these bees. Certainly they require a different approach a little more protection and a larger smoker, etc. I've been working with them since I started and am still at it. Certainly they can be aggressive, but one learns to adapt and they are a good producer of honey. An excellent and well informed article on the Africanized Bee can be found in "ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture" by A. I Root. The article gives a balanced and much more positive picture of our little Africans. They tend to be more disease and mite resistant, and build up quickly, etc.. So don't worry to much they might even bring some positive aspects to their weaker European cousins.

This was my first book on beekeeping, and I whole-heartedly recommend it to any beginning beekeeper. I now have some 20+ beekeeping books but this is still my personal favorite. The information on bee diseases is a little old, but the clear concise explanations of all other aspects of small scale beekeeping and his warm writing style more than make up for this. Mr. Vivian obviously enjoys his bees and his affection for them only serves to foster the same in the reader. If you are thinking of beekeeping, or introducing the subject to a friend then this is the book to buy.

Superb book.

No really, this may very well be the book I have enjoyed the most, ever (though principally these kind of judgements are bollocks and nothing more, of course).

If you have the slightest acquaintance with psychoanalysis (the Lacanian field, preferably), the book should be read with Zizek's "The Fright of Real Tears". Here Zizek has some really perceptive discussions on Kieslowski the filmmaker and on charachters in the Colour Trilogy - without too many forced obscene jokes, I might add.

He wanted his audience to be interested in his films....and so we are. He wanted to stir people to something...he does. He wanted to inspire us...and that he did. Fans of Krzysztof Kieslowski, film buffs and aspiring filmmakers alike will get as much out of his story told in "Kieslowski on Kieslowski" as through his cinematic works of art.

Although not a very long career, due to his untimely death, it certainly was an illustrious one. And how fortunate we are to have had the filmmaker who brought us the beautiful and moving films "The Double Life of Veronique", the "Three Colours Trilogy" and the unbelievably intuitive "Decalogue", tell us in his own words his views on life and what he was thinking during the filming of these works.

The book, wonderfully edited by Danusia Stok, takes in Kieslowski's early years as a child, his film school years, his early short films and finally the feature films. Kieslowski is open and frank about his life and his work. He didn't see himself as a genius at all(we fans may tend to disagree on that point),quite the contrary he tends to point out what he feels were mistakes and his shortcomings. He talks of working in Poland, having to skirt around the political upheaval around him, films he made that were never shown to the public, and his quest for trying to make the stories as authentic as possible.

He discusses each and every film. He gives much of the credit to the cast and crew and although he touches on what the films meant to him,he usually speaks more of the technical aspects of each than the analytical.He talks of what was going on in the world, his life and his mind during the making of each film. The feature films are given more time and one whole chapter is devoted soley to "Three Colours"(these films were still in the editing stages at the time this book was written).

Included are many still photos of working on the sets, and personel pictures with his family, the actors and his collaborators. There is a section devoted to notes on many of the names and events, and also a complete filmography with a brief summary and list of credits for each film.

"You make films to give people something, to transport them somewhere else and it doesn't matter if you transport them to a world of intuition or a world of the intellect"....Krzysztof Kieslowski

Kieslowski lets us know in this book that we don't have to analyze each scene...just enjoy it for what it is. This book is a must read for fans and filmmakers alike!...So...enjoy...Laurie

Kieslowski is one of my favorite film directors, maybe because I can identify with so much of what he shows in his films... So I was very happy to read "Kieslowski on Kieslowski" and learn about his years in the Film School and the events and memories connected with the making of many of the movies. The autobiography, edited by the director's friend, Danusia Stok, is very good and a must-have for his fans, but it is an autocreation, not a katharsis! It cannot be forgotten that Kieslowski was an artist also in his life so this book is not just a collection of facts.

The book also contains sharp comments and a very good background on the situation in Poland and how difficult it was to push one's own vision. The collection of photos is a valuable addition as well.

In his own words, Krzysztof Kieslowski tells you about the agony and the ecstacy of the independent filmmaking process.

The late Polish filmmaker is up to the challenge, delivering his characteristic frankness nestled within the pages of this short retrospective work, narrated in his own words, and magnificently edited (translated, too?) by Danusia Stok.

The book is tailor-made for "idie" filmmaking buffs, and supplies a glimpse into the enticingly magical personality which was Kieslowski's. Eschewing a typical rote autobiographical style, Kieslowski divulges key details about himself via the device of his extensive filmography -- revealing things about his thinking process and the high value he places upon delicate human emotionality through a step-by-step examination of his long filmography.

Spanning his early years as a prominent documentary filmmaker during the stifling years of Polish Communism and state censorship -- especially during the imposition of Marshal Law in Poland during 1980-1 when Kieslowski couldn't work for half a year -- and ending with his magnificent trilogy "Barwy" (Three Colours: Blue, White, Red), we're subjected to a feast of Kieslowski-isms regarding his thoughts pertaining to such diverse notions as:

** casting for acting talent.
** Kieslowski's penchant for making his ENTIRE crew a part of the idea-generating process for his films.
** the nature of artistic filmmaking in Europe compared to commerical filmmaking in the US.
** the demands of time on a filmmaker's personal life.
** the differing range of skills between Western and Polish filmmaking crews.

A right pity Krzysztof Kieslowski is no longer with us to share to a burgeoning generation of up-and-coming filmmakers what might very well some none-too-optimistic viewpoints on the state of today's "international" filmmaking.

The book is written in Kieslowski's typical unassuming style -- par for the course from the Polish master. The late director doesn't bowl you over with how much he knows about film history, or about the complicated craft of filmmaking. Kieslowski doesn't tell you that he's better than you or me. Rather, through a detailed accounting of his past achievements, Kieslowski's emphasis is always upon that which is most human: the wellspring of all his works, and the central reason why filmmakers must indeed make films, in his esteemed opinion.

Still, I found the book ended suddenly.

Not shockingly so, just that the work might have gone on for much longer than its seemingly scant 227 pages. There's so much to know about this magnificent paragon of the film community, and if anything, it will be a primer for further reading on the man, the legend, and his favourite subject: films.

Five-stars.

-- ADM in Prague

Reading the book was like watching another wonderful Kieslowski film. His casual authentic narrative throughout the book gives it a touch of a documentary almost.

I appreciated every page of his life story, as he tells it so that his personal story as a director - from his childhood through filmschool, his first films right to the Three Colours trilogy - is combined with the situation in Poland, with the Communist times, the censorship, the hopes and the fights with the system, the fears, the communication with the public through hidden messages, and the victories when succeeding to outsmart the censors.

All wrapped up in one, sprinkled with wit and natural story-telling style, the book is all you ever wanted to know about Kieslowski and the background of his life and filmmaking.

In the interviews throughout the book, he not only talks about the films, he also explains why he had to do them the way he did - both, the story and the style - about his personal beliefs, about his life and work in the Communist Poland (in which I could see similarities with the former Czechoslovakia, where I was born, as well), and about how it shaped his views.

Real reading pleasure, educational and entertaining, this book is one of the best I have read lately! And, I believe it gives another dimension in understanding of his films as well.