Arts and Entertainment Books

What an excellent book!! I could not put this book down!! It is a definate page-turner!! Very well written. The author did her research as it gives an insight to a great historical figure. I highly recommend this book!!!

Shirl Kasper has written the most historically accurate book on Oakley. Her marriage to Butler was in 1882, remember she loped 6 years off her age when another younger woman sharpshooter joined Buffalo Bill's show? She was 21 when she married Butler, not 16 as many books show.

As an actor, Anthony Perkins has always fascinated me. In every role that I ever saw him play, he had this quality about him that made you feel that if you didn't listen to every word he said and watch every movement that he made, you were going to miss something of major importance. It's called stage presence and he had it by the bucketfuls. He was of course most noted for his portrayal of Norman Bates in PSYCHO and he captured that character so well that it was both the blessing and the curse of his career. Already, before Hitchcock's masterpiece, the powers that be behind Perkins' acting career saw him as a replacement for James Dean or as the new Gary Cooper or someone like him. They wrongly saw him as a macho romantic lead but after PSYCHO, they and the movie public only wanted him to play variations of the Norman Bates character. Charles Winecoff, in his revised tenth anniversary edition of his Perkins biography, ANTHONY PERKINS: SPLIT IMAGE captures valiantly both the personal and professional life of a Hollywood icon.

Perkins' acting career didn't begin on the movie screen; it began on the stage. His father was the famed actor, Osgood Perkins, who died during a perfomance at the age of thirty-seven when Anthony was only five. His mother was connected to theater people and saw that he learned his craft as a teenager in summer stock productions. Before his appearance in the movie PSYCHO, he had played the lead in at least two Broadway shows, one of which was as Eugene Gant in Ketti Frings' play LOOK HOMEWARD ANGEL based on the Thomas Wolfe novel of the same name. Eugene Gant's sensitive character was one that would have suited Perkins' personality well and if the movie mobuls could have seen that these kinds of roles rather than the romantic lead roles were who Anthony should play, his film career might have taken a happier, more successful turn.

Anthony hadn't been in Hollywood long when he met Tab Hunter and the tongues began to wag concerning both men's sexual preference. Homosexuality in the 1950's and 1960's was not something to be tolerated in an actor's personal life and Anthony was quickly persuaded to not be seen with Tab in public too frequently. (Tab's autobiography indicated as well that he too was told to avoid too much contact with Anthony.) At the time, to make your homosexuality too public would have been a sure-fire way to kill a career before it even got started. Before, and after Tab Hunter, Perkins was linked with other (secretly) gay men, but psycho-analysis was revered at the time, and Anthony yearned to be as straight as so many people wished him to be. Why wouldn't he in the poisonous atmosphere of the time. At around forty, he met and married Berry Berenson and fathered two sons and I think for the rest of his life was convinced that his newly found heterosexuality and his role as husband and father was his salvation; at least that is what he told people.

The many miscastings and the perception of those who handed out the movie roles to Anthony Perkins that America couldn't handle an alternate lifestyle, hurt Perkins' acting career and he tried his hand at directing both plays and films with limited success. One of the reasons pointed out in the book for that limited success was Anthony's lack of confidence in himself. I tend to agree because when you are told constantly that the core of who and what you are is insufficient, that would make you lack confidence in yourself. But, in spite of that, there are enough gems in the theater and film work of Anthony Perkins that has to apoligize to no one and I for one salute him as one of my Hollywood heros.

This is one of the best Hollywood bios around. While numerous authors rehash the tired stories of Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and others (for the 10th or 11th time - and who cares) this book opens new, original territory by looking at the life and times of Tony Perkins. The author first published the book ten years ago and this is a great update - no one else has come along to do a better job either. Tony Perkins lived on the cusp of the social revolution, balancing between the uptight propriety of the 50s with the psycho/sexual upheaval of the 60s and 70s. Winecoff meticulously lays out this world, and Perkins difficult and often troubled, sometimes comical, walk through it. Tons of interviews and vivid descriptions of people and places makes Tony pop off the page in this "true Hollywood story" that is hard to out down. Winecoff's timing is impeccable - the book is a fast, fun read as well as an informative one. The reissue is more tightly woven (I read the first version when it came out ten years ago). The author has grown more sophisticated and observant with passing years, as all good writers should. The final scene, September 11th and all, is a fitting tribute to changing times and the end of an era.

I bought this book when it was first published, and it remains the most thorough study of the composer available. I've seen no book, before or since this book, which is as extensive. The author is sympathetic, but retains his objectivity; there's no trace of fauning admiration here, nor of academic aloofness. Mixes biography with discussions of his musical works. This is that proverbial "must-have' book for anyone with an interest in the composer.

Shame this is diffucult to obtained,Moldenhauer is an archivist, a collector of the particles, anf filiments from one's lifeworld, and here this large book presents an exhaustive account of Webern's life down to much perosnal fragments, anxieties and wishes. We learn he remained afraid to conduct, and cancelled many times,also hated travel, he was very much like his music, thought thru down to finest rarefied details.,plucked strings, pencil-thin harmonics, Am Steg;a new musical language advanced like his "Six Pieces Op.6 for Orchestra",miniature gems of timbre here/there. There is not much on the creativity moments of his life, this is fairly a personal day to day ad nauseum at times narrative. It is fairly exhaustive, and really brings the commonplace aspects that fills really much of a composer's life, that in fact those moments of "illumination" or clarvoyance we as consumers continue wish to phanthom occur many times quite spontaneously and never within a durational frame of predictability; while walking or un-boarding a train, lighting up a cigarette, watching the troops from the train, returning home. His music, his diamond-cut pieces (Stravinsky decribed him) inspired a generation of composers. He affinity for purity number,density proportion shape and design were all welcome elements from the overdetermined political pages of Europe with Two Massive Wars, no one has seem to learn from.
There are nice vintage photos all included here.

Antonio Banderas is my favorite actor, and this autobiography has everything, I'd give this more stars if I could. I remember reading it at a very hard time in my life, and Antonio was (still is) a big comfort to me. It talks about a man from when he saw his first play of "Hair" that made him want to be an actor, and how his family didn't approve, and the pain and rejection he went through. A man of who's struggles from the theatre to being discovered by director Pedro Almodevor in the movies in Spain. How he had to learn English, for his first American role "Mambo Kings," to the rest of the movies he made, and his relationship with Melanie Griffith. You'll learn somethings you didn't before, like Madonna was a big help to him getting recognized, because she had a crush on him in "Truth or dare," his outspokeness-which by the way, this book does have language. But best of all, you get to know Antonio, a real nice, kind, passionate, compassionett, humble, hearted man.

Written with charm and humility (albeit ghosted in both cases) this biography gives a warts-and-all insight into the life of my wife's favourite swarthy heart-throb.

This book is an incredible story of an incredible lifes journey. Mr Lang transfers the adventures of a lifetime into text that all can enjoy.

Wonderful record of a life on the road. Whether you are an armchair traveler or get out there yourself, you'll enjoy the places this book takes you.

This is a "Gamers' Bible". Not only it details whatever you need to know about computer games and how they are created but it also gives you a thorough insight of what computer games are really about. A must have for everyone in entertainment, gaming industries and anyone in between who wants to blend being creative with fun.

This is an unusual and GORGEOUS book -- I think it would be a fantastic gift for anyone who is into video games or graphic design! I was really impressed by the design of the book, first of all -- just beautiful and it comes with a wonderful DVD as well. It offers a unique view of the process of marketing those games we all play and see on the shelf. How do you get ONE product to stand out and catch the eye of the consumer? Well, The Art of the Game gives you a pretty darn good idea of the hundreds or thousands of hours of work by very talented people that went into making sure that would happen. I would highly recommend this book to everyone interested in electronic entertainment and the design processes related to that industry. And then..it is just a PRETTY book -- nice to display on your table!

A book that motivates you to fill your sketchbook with subjects you can find all around you.

Included are recommendations for sketching materials and even instructions for making your own sketchbook.

The book is filled with sketches and the techniques used. Tips are also scattered throughout. Topics covered: people, animals and birds, the interior, landscape and architecture.

Albany is a wonderful artist, the book description is accurate, but doesn't tell you how good this guy really is. Not only does he demonstrate various techniques, his sketches and drawings are truly masterful and provide tremendous inspiration for where you can go as an artist or illustrator. This is another book I use for examples to provide my students and as a guide for myself in my own sketchbook journals.

Empire Publishing presents "Audie Murphy:Now Showing", celebrating the film career of Audie Leon Murphy ...born June 20, 1924 in Kingston,Texas...left us May 28, 1971 near Roanoke, Virginia.(plane crash) written by Sue Gossett who is an Audie Murphy historian...Gossett's first Empire publication "The Films and Career of Audie Murphy" received such wonderful reviews and praise.

Murphy was a top box office draw for various studios mainly Universal-International...most decorated US soldier of World War II...received the Medal of Honor, the highest award for military conduct above and beyond the call of duty, plus five other decorations from France and Belgium.

Audie made a total of 44 films, was also a successful rancher and businessman...bred and raised thoroughbred horses and owned several ranches in Texas, Arizona and California...released from active duty in 1945, struggled to make it as an actor and was cast in a starring role of "BAD BOY" (1949)..."THE KID FROM TEXAS" (1950)..."THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE" (1951)..."THE CIMARRON KID" (1952)..."GUNSMOKE" (1953)..."RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO" (1954)..."TO HELL AND BACK" (1955), the film version of his autobiography which was a box office hit setting a record that lasted for twenty years..."WALK THE PROUD LAND" (1956)..."NIGHT PASSAGE" (1957), great western in which he played the Utica Kid, brother to James Stewart..."THE QUIET AMERICAN" (1958)..."NO NAME ON THE BULLET" (1959), another western with a twist in the screenplay and plot..."HELL BENT FOR LEATHER" (1960)..."SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN" (1960)..."THE UNFORGIVEN" (1960), as Cash Zachary brother to Ben Zachary (Burt Lancaster) in this epic story of the settlers and Indians who battle for the lost sister Rachel Zachary (Audrey Hepburn) only to find bloodshed and bring a family closer together..."POSSE FROM HELL" (1961)..."SIX BLACK HORSES" (1962)..."SHOWDOWN" (1963)..."BULLET FOR A BADMAN" (1964)..."ARIZONA RAIDERS" (1965)..."GUNPOINT" (1966)..."THE TEXICAN" (1966)..."40 GUNS TO APACHE PASS" (1967)..."A TIME FOR DYING" (1969), last film was never released in the United states, only shown in Europe.

This is a must have for any true Audie Murphy fan...with photos from films, lobby cards, publicity items and background comments from the author...more than 500 photo illustrations...complete filmography...foreign items and testimonials...interviews with many of the actors who appeared in the films...locations where the film was shot...short synopsis of each film which all "film-buffs" cherish.

Don't miss this one..."Now Showing" is appearing on Amazon and Empire Publishing ...Audie Murphy is still very much in our hearts when the films he has made appears on Turner Classic Movies, DVD and books like this one comes along...get your copy today. Great reading in the days and weeks to come...I guarantee it!

Total Page: 208 ~ Empire Publishing 9-780944 019382 ~ (10/18/2002)

I thought that this was a must have book for any fans of the Audie Murphy movies. I do wish that there were more color prints of the audie murphy western movie posters.

This book is a must for any movie fan, especially Audrey Hepburn fans. A beautiful story about the doe- eyed actress. This book contains plenty of never seen before pictures and they are absolutely amazing. You will be mesmerized by the incredible aura of Audrey Hepburn.

This is a wonderful book about the life of Audrey Hepburn. Packed with wonderful pictures and a fabulous look at her life, I must say that it's a definite A+ for all Audrey Hepburn or Golden Cinema fans.

Aimee Bratt's book is one of the most entertaining I have read in many years. All of us go to the movies and would love to see ourselves on the big screen - even just walking across the set for 2 seconds.
Ms. Bratt brings us into the world of film extras in a book that's full of fun and information. This book is great for yourself and as a gift.

Ms. Bratt does it again. Background Player is fascinating and engaging. Watching movies is a richer experience after reading her account of life as a bit player. Ms. Bratt pays tribute to all those extras whose names we don't know but who are vital to the movie industry. The well-chosen photographs illustrate the author's delightful narrative. This is a truly enchanting tale. I look forward to Ms. Bratt's next book.