The Stanley Kubrick Archives

Book Description

Stanley Kubrick The first book to explore Stanley Kubrick's archives is also the most comprehensive study of the filmmaker to date

Part 1: The films
In 1968, when Stanley Kubrick was asked to comment on the metaphysical significance of 2001: A Space Odyssey, he replied: "It's not a message I ever intended to convey in words. 2001 is a nonverbal experience…. I tried to create a visual experience, one that bypasses verbalized pigeonholing and directly penetrates the subconscious with an emotional and philosophic content." The philosophy behind Part I borrows from this line of thinking: from the opening sequence of Killer's Kiss to the final frames of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick's complete films will be presented chronologically and wordlessly via frame enlargements. A completely nonverbal experience.

Part 2: The Creative Process
Divided into chapters chronologically by film, Part 2 brings to life the creative process of Kubrick's filmmaking by presenting a remarkable collection of material from his archives, including photographs, props, posters, artwork, set designs, sketches, correspondence, documents, screenplays, drafts, notes, and shooting schedules. Accompanying the visual material are essays by noted Kubrick scholars, articles written by and about Kubrick, and a selection of Kubrick's best interviews.

Customer Reviews:

Whoa!.......2007-09-16

Lucky me! I scored a copy of this and I have to say it is the best book on an artist I've ever seen. The previous reviewers weren't kidding--this thing is huge! Too large and heavy to be read anywhere but on a large flat surface, but that's not a complaint, unless you're lugging it across an airport like I did.

A spectacular book that you'll refer to repeatedly. I pored over it for hours. The first half is devoted to an incredible array of pristine stills from each film. The second half is focused on every film with a plethora of on-set photos and interviews with cast & crew. The book is helpfully tabbed by film.

A stunning look into one of the greatest of all filmmakers. So well designed that my friends were awed by its beauty. And that 70MM film strip--holy cow! IMHO, it's worth the price for just for that.

Do you like perfection???.......2007-08-12

One of the most beautifully produced books I have ever seen!!! Worth every cent. This is the kind of book you set aside in a special place, so you can revisit it and continually discover something new. Five stars is not enough. An essential addtion for anyone who is interested in the work of Stanley Kubrick!!!
PERFECT!!!

Genius.......2007-06-01

The book is definetely a work of art. Congrats, Taschen, for such a well done job. You will find photos, storyboards, interviews, texts, articles and sorts of wonders from the Stanley Kubrick universe. The strip from a 90mm copy of 2001: A Space Odyssey is a delightful gift for appreciators of his masterpiece.

Absolutely worth-having.

Beautiful luxury item.........2007-05-17

As others have mentioned, this is a tremendously well put together book, with the tab system making it easy to get to the sections on the particular film you've just seen or are interested in. The essays, for the most part, are well written and engaging, and do a good job of enhancing the movies and giving you a context for the circumstances under which the movies are made. I've been using the book while watching each of one of Kubrick's movies, and it's a great way to get more out of each.

The size of the book is impressive from a collector's perspective but frustrating from an reader's - you do really have to read the book in a particular position, otherwise you may damage it. That said, the size of the book does enhance the tome's first half, featuring shots from the movies themselves. This might seem a bit dull, but for Kubrick, who actually grew up a photographer, it's well worth the time to flip through and marvel at the compositions.

Finally, I had wondered before buying the book if it was still in its first run with the filmstrip - as of May 2007, it is. I recommend sending a question to Amazon to ask - they quickly got back to me to let me know that the book I was buying did have the film strip.

Of course, the book is a bit pricey, so you certainly do need to be a devoted Kubrick follower to make it worth it. There are a number of other quality books with similar essays to the ones you'll find here, but the whole package - filmstrip, largeness of the book, screen shots, and the essays - combine to make the overall item something very special, and well worth it for those who can't get enough of Stanley.

The Kubrick Experience.......2007-03-28

The other reviews of this remarkable book have more or less summed up what I would say so I've approached it from another angle: I've uploaded eight photos to give you an idea of what this highly visual (and costly) book looks like. Amazon doesn't display images numerically so you'll have to see them at random. Click 'customer images' under the cover.

If you are buying a used first-run copy do check with the seller that Mr Kubrick's film strip is in its sleeve and the CD is also included, photo one shows them in position. Some reviewers have rightly said that owning a bit of '2001' from Kubrick's personal collection gives the book extra kudos.

Photo two will give you an idea of how the book is organised. There are two sections, each with a series of colored tabs. His twelve movies have a tab each and in the first section there are eight hundred stills, black and white and color depending on the film. Photos three, four and five are some of the spreads from Dr Strangelove. The second part of the book covers each movie in detail with an amazing collection of visual material to back up the text. Photos six, seven and eight show some pages about the background and production of Dr Strangelove.

The back of the book has a fifty page Appendix A, B and C. A covers three unmade movies: Napoleon, AI and Aryan Papers. B has three essays. C is a chronology of Kubrick's life.

This is a BIG book, opening to thirty-three inches wide and at over fourteen pounds in weight it really can only be read on a table. Needless to say being a Taschen book it is beautifully designed and printed and if you do buy a copy the Kubrick experience will be quite overwhelming and long lasting.

Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl

Average customer rating:

Good Intro to Leni
Brilliant But Petty and Cruel -- Oh, Wait, That's The Author!
Double standard
Good book but, a little too long
Leni survives all

Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl
Steven Bach
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375404007
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Book Description

The definitive biography of Leni Riefenstahl, the woman best known as “Hitler’s filmmaker,” one of the most fascinating and controversial personalities of the twentieth century. It is the story of huge talent and huger ambition, one that probes the sometimes blurred borders dividing art and beauty from truth and humanity.

Two of Riefenstahl’s films, Olympia and Triumph of the Will, are universally regarded as the greatest and most innovative documentaries ever made, but they are also insidious glorifications of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. Now, in this masterful new biography, Steven Bach reveals the truths and lies behind this gifted woman’s lifelong self-vindication as an apolitical artist who claimed she knew nothing of the Holocaust and denied her complicity with the criminal regime she both used and sanctified.

The facts and her actions, many unknown until now, bear chilling witness: her passionate enthusiasm for Hitler from her first reading of Mein Kampf; her involvements with Nazi leaders Joseph Goebbels, Martin Bormann, Albert Speer, and Julius Streicher, who advanced her career, and with Hitler, who personally helped finance it; her role as silent eyewitness to wartime atrocities against Jews; and her use of slave labor in the form of concentration camp Gypsies destined for Auschwitz. We see her after the war trying to sell footage to Hollywood under an alias, manipulating a sham “discovery” of the Nuba tribes of Sudan into a career comeback, fighting to disinherit her closest living relatives, and—to the end—unable to express remorse for the millions murdered by the Nazi regime made mythic by her work.

Relying on new sources—including interviews with her colleagues and intimate friends, as well as on previously unknown recordings of Riefenstahl herself—Bach gives us an exceptional work of historical investigation that untangles the past and is also an objective but unsparing appraisal of a woman of spectacular gifts corrupted by ruthless personal ambition.

Customer Reviews:

Good Intro to Leni .......2007-08-29

After reading Jurgen Trimborn's admirable but somewhat inaccessible biography of Riefenstahl, I sought out this book in hopes that it would be friendlier to a Riefenstahl novice such as me. It certainly is an easier read and a much better starting place.

Steven Bach, of Final Cut fame, writes from the standpoint of a motion picture enthusiast. He also has a POV where Riefenstahl's Nazi associations are concerned and he doesn't hide it. For Bach Riefenstahl is the living version of Klaus Mann's Mephisto, a careerist willing to do anything and associate with anyone to advance her "art." He also makes the case (clearly building on Trimborn's work, among others) that Riefenstahl not only had no problem with anything Hitler did or said, she likely agreed with most if not all of it.

Bach's style is that of a gossipy Hollywood bio, which is fine by me, but he's no fan magazine hack. He knows the power of the snide observation and, best of all, how damning Leni's own words were. At times Riefenstahl comes across as downright delusional about her artistic abilities and men's lust for her. To hear her tell it no man so much as entered the same zipcode as Leni Riefenstahl without falling madly in love with her.

Some may have disagreements about Bach's assessment of Riefenstahl's artistic contributions. I've only seen clips of her work so my own opinion is somewhat limited. Bach does make a good case the Riefenstahl either stole the ideas of others or took credit for their work. Bach doesn't buy the argument that the art is more important than the character or actions of the artist. He also doesn't buy that Riefenstahl was much of an artist.

This is no love letter to Leni. It is an entertaining read. Gossipy, slightly bitchy (as one reviewer here has aptly noted), and full of telling details and quotes, this is a easy entry into the myths and controversy that make up Leni Riefenstahl.

Brilliant But Petty and Cruel -- Oh, Wait, That's The Author! .......2007-08-26

Not since Albert Goldman's ELVIS has a dense, full length biography of a sexy, glamorous larger than life legend been written with such sadistic relish, such delicious malicious bitchery and pure venomous guile.

There's no question that Leni Riefenstahl, the stunningly beautiful German woman who made hypnotic propaganda films for the Nazis, was guilty of moral cowardice and hypocrisy, if not during the war, then certainly afterwards. She persisted to the end of her life in wanting to have it both ways -- saying in effect "I didn't know," and at the same time "I was too scared to stop Hitler -- too scared that I would be next." She claimed to have legions of Jewish friends before the war, but she never tried to help them when things got bad, even though she had lots of Nazi influence and power. And she always seemed weirdly out of touch with the human results of Hitler's evil deeds.

The problem is, Steve Bach doesn't know when to quit. He sneers at Leni Riefenstahl not just for the big things -- not strangling Hitler with her bare hands, the way he seems to imagine he would have done -- but for the little things too. The book is full of catty little remarks like, "Leni was always conscious of her hypnotic effect on men" or "Leni didn't mind having handsome, powerful men buy her presents" or "Leni's fearless mountain climbing only made her feminine allure more overpowering to the distinguished male cinema artists who indulged her every creative whim."

It's hard to tell whether Bach hates Leni for being heartless and callous or for being beautiful, talented -- and very knowingly seductive.

There is a much more serious issue here than the hissy ALL ABOUT EVE style bitchery of a jaded Hollywood insider. Bach insists on judging a German film maker by a far more rigorous standard than he would ever apply to the film industry in Hollywood today -- or seventy years ago, for that matter. When Leni goes to Hollywood he brags that the left-leaning Hollywood of 1938 treated the lovely German visitor with scorn -- but how did they treat Margaret Mitchell when she came to town the very next year? Bach has nothing to say about why those same "leftists" failed to prevent the making of a racist epic like GONE WITH THE WIND.

If Leni Riefenstahl shares any part of the guilt for Auschwitz -- and I agree that she does -- then David O. Selznick is equally responsible for the murder of Emmitt Till, the bombings in Birmingham, and all the other hate crimes perpetrated in the Jim Crow south. Bach is in a big hurry to compare Leni to the Stalinist film maker Eisenstein -- arguing in a feeble and half-hearted way that Eisenstein "probably" rebelled at what he was doing. But why not compare Leni Riefenstahl to D.W. Griffiths, or Margaret Mitchell, or David Selznick? All of them dealt in racial hate. They looked the other way while helpless people were tortured and murdered, too. But mentioning America's poisonous history of racial hate would reflect badly on Bach's own milieu. Bach's beloved Hollywood elite never questioned the racial status quo in the Jim Crow south -- at least, not until long after blacks had begun risking their lives to bring the horror of their situation to national attention.

What's really going on here is not genuine, humanistic outrage, but elitist hypocrisy. Bach hates Leni Riefenstahl because he knows that, for all their tiresome liberal cant, just about everyone in Hollywood (and the book world, and the world of leftist Manhattan politics) has the same rat-like survival instincts that Leni had. None of the liberals who demonstrate their courage by hating her guts now ever had to look Hitler in the eye. But they know who would have blinked first. And they know themselves too well to ever show mercy to someone just like them.

Double standard.......2007-08-22

Most of the facts and "facts" in this book cannot be disputed. Only one comment - there were many other people who "cooperated" with the Nazis, but who escape any oprobrium, Richard Strauss name comes to mind. In 1938 he composed "Festliches Praeludium" for the occassion of NSDAP Parteitag, he was the president of Reichsmusikkammer, directly working for Goebbels, he never lifted a finger to help his Jewish friends, etc. etc. Maybe Richard Strauss could be another topic for Steven Bach to delve into.

Good book but, a little too long.......2007-08-11

This was a very good book but, I think Bach gives us too much detail on Leni's life after WWII. I thought the book could have ended much sooner than it did. After all, did we really have to hear about Leni's search for a particular tribe in Africa? It would have suited me fine to hear about her various means of defending herself from various charges as a result of her association with Hitler and the Nazis. I don't see what benefit the inclusion of the African tribe info was to the reader. Still an interesting read.

Leni survives all.......2007-06-14

The author tries and fails to give an evenhanded account of this much reviled woman's life. All this proves once again that the winners write the history. In the meantime he does portray a fascinating and beautiful woman as the opportunist she was without detracting from her worth as a great artist. All in all the best effort so far reflecting an eventful life.

The Way We Lived Then : Recollections of a Well-Known Name Dropper

Average customer rating:

--Interesting glimpse of old Hollywood--
Mr. Dunne, I adore you!
Dominick Dunne is fascinating
Beautiful collection of photos
THE WAY WE LIVED THEN

The Way We Lived Then : Recollections of a Well-Known Name Dropper
Dominick Dunne
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0609603884
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Amazon.com

In a previous incarnation, writer Dominick Dunne was the toast of Hollywood--entertaining movie stars and socialites and invited by moguls to clambakes and black-tie dances. Long before he started churning out his romans à clef set in the private recesses of Hollywood and penthouses of New York City and his dispatches from notorious murder trials, he spent his days on movie sets, producing films like Ash Wednesday and working as an executive at various studios. In the off-hours, he and his wife Lenny ate dinner with Vincente Minnelli, Jack Benny, Rock Hudson, and Elizabeth Montgomery. They went to beach parties hosted by Jane Fonda and Roddy McDowall--and threw not a few bashes of their own, attended by, well, everyone and often photographed for Vogue magazine. Dunne seemed to carry his camera with him everywhere and "was always sticking [it] into someone's face." Kirk Douglas biting into an oversized hotdog, a scantily clad Paul Newman perusing a picnic table, Princess Margaret smoking, Mia Farrow dancing, and Natalie Wood hamming. Each weekend he carefully arranged his snapshots along with the week's invitations, telegrams, and news-clippings into a set of scrapbooks.

The Way We Lived Then closely resembles those scrapbooks, filled as it is with images culled from them. Dunne sews the scraps together with a loose memoir that moves from the mundane (how the house was decorated for a certain party, how the subjects of a given photo were feeling about one another at the time) to the grand (meditations on his marriage and his children). All of these famous friends, glittery parties, and cozy evenings did add up to a picture-perfect life for a time. But by the mid '60s, Dunne was drinking hard, insulting acquaintances in public, and being a perfectly terrible husband to the lovely Lenny. He was soon arrested carrying drugs into the country from Mexico, divorced, nearly poverty-stricken, and living in a cabin in Oregon. But he lived to tell about it, and though his story is something of a cautionary tale about the dangers of success and excess, punctuated as it is by his dreamy photos, one can't help but wonder if he'd happily go back to the way he lived then. --Jordana Moskowitz

Book Description

Mesmerizing, revelatory text combines with more than two hundred photographs -- most of them taken by the author -- in a startling illustrated memoir that will both astonish and move you.

When Dominick Dunne lived and worked in Hollywood, he had it all: a beautiful family, a glamorous career, and the friendship of the talented and powerful. He also had a camera and loved to take pictures. These photographs, which Dunne carefully preserved in more than a dozen leatherbound scrapbooks -- along with invitations, telegrams, personal notes, and other memorabilia -- record the parties, the glittering receptions, the society weddings, and scenes from the everyday lives of the Dunnes and those they knew, including Jane Fonda, Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, Roddy McDowall, Elizabeth Taylor, Natalie Wood, Brooke Hayward, Jennifer Jones, and David Selznick. You'll meet them all in this fascinating book -- captured in snapshots as these celebrities relax at poolside barbecues, gossip at cozy get-togethers and dance at the Dunnes' dazzling black-and-white ball. And you will meet Dominick Dunne's beautiful wife, Lenny, and his children, Griffin, Alex, and Dominique, as they celebrate Christmases, birthdays, and graduations. But, most of all, you will meet Dominick Dunne and learn about the peaks and valleys of his years in Hollywood, the disastrous turn his life took, and the long road back that led to his triumphant career as a writer. With its engaging photographs and candid text, The Way We Lived Then is a riveting and unvarnished account of a life among the stars and a life almost lost.

Customer Reviews:

--Interesting glimpse of old Hollywood--.......2005-08-18

THE WAY WE LIVED THEN is a look at the lives and personalities of some of the most famous entertainers in the world.

I've been aware of the author, Dominick Dunne for a long time, but until reading this book, I had no idea what kind of background he had or what made him so knowledgeable about so many celebrities. Dunne was a director and producer of various TV shows and apparently was good at his job. People enjoyed working with him and he and his wife gave wonderful parties and were invited everywhere.

The book is as much about Dunne and his family as it is about the people that he socialized with. His story is rather sad because he ended up losing his wife because he became addicted to drugs and the fast Hollywood lifestyle. There are more than a few moving stories in the book. One pitiful entry has Dunne and Peter Lawford sharing drugs at a party. Years before, they had been friends and neighbors, but at this low point in their lives, they were both broke and seemingly without friends.

You can also read about Elizabeth Montgomery, Gig Young, Natalie Wood, George Hamilton, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda and dozens of other Hollywood "big" names. Dunne took a lot of photographs and I think that I enjoyed the snapshots as much as I did the text of the book.

Mr. Dunne, I adore you!.......2004-02-03

I think I was probably one of the very first people who purchased this book...and I loved every page and every minute of it! Some of the earlier reviewers I read below simply don't seem to "get" this book. It is not meant to be great literature. It is meant to be a great read with one-of-a-kind photos, and it delivers both in spades! Also, I believe it is meant to be somewhat of a love letter, both to the parts of Mr. Dunne's ealier life that were happy and held great promise, AND perhaps to the fans of his books...giving all of us glimpses into what was an incredibly fascinating "Hollywood existence" and giving us a peek at the REAL people that he has thinly veiled, completely disguised, or combined to create the fascinating characters that populate his terrific books. Mr. Dunne, if you read these reviews (I know that I probably would!!), please know that I eagerly await everything you publish, including your monthly "Diarist" articles in Vanity Fair. Your writings are so incredibly enjoyable, fascinating, and provide a much-needed escape for me. You must feel very blessed to have finally found your calling - so many never do.

Dominick Dunne is fascinating.......2002-11-05

It is easy to see why celebrities, criminals and perfect strangers have told Mr. Dunne their secrets. He is so interesting in a gossipy, name-dropping but sweet way. His Hollywood life makes an engrossing tale, much more entertaining than fiction.

Beautiful collection of photos.......2001-10-06

This book is filled with beautiful photographs of almost every star imaginable with personal anecdotes from Mr. Dunne to go with them. There are beautiful photos of Natalie Wood and a young (brunette) Elizabeth Montgomery. Mr. Dunne's life has certainly had its ups and downs, but this is NOT another celebrity pity party...he writes of the bad times he has faced, as well as the good, in a very matter of fact style, which is (thankfully) not at all whiny. But, again, the real treasure here are all the beautiful photographs of beautiful people in beautiful places. Thanks, Mr. Dunne, for sharing them with us.

THE WAY WE LIVED THEN.......2001-06-27

Mr. Dunne can work the room no matter where he is, no matter what social strata. I would have had an anxiety attack had I been face-to-face with Betsy Bloomingdale. Yet, this why I love Mr. Dunne. Reading about Betsy, she retained the warm, kind, classy image that I imagined her to have from various books and magazines. I loved being a fly-on-the-wall when Mr. Dunne was in Washington since I knew so little about politics. It was fun the way he scribed it in the pages. I feel safe reading Dominick's stories - although I feel like I am there, I don't have the real fear!

The Cinema of David Lynch : American Dreams, Nightmare Visions (Directors' Cuts)

Average customer rating:

Very good read on David Lynch
lynch debunk
adulation or criticism?
One of the Best Books on Lynch

The Cinema of David Lynch : American Dreams, Nightmare Visions (Directors' Cuts)

Manufacturer: Wallflower Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 190336485X

Book Description

David Lynch is an anomaly. A pioneer of the American 'indie' aesthetic, he also works in Hollywood and for network TV. He has created some of the most disturbing images in contemporary cinema, and produced startlingly innovative work in sound. If the consistency of his 'vision' suggests he might be approached as an auteur, defining that vision raises many questions. The essays in this collection push toward a fuller account of the cultural and technological contexts within which his works developed during the 1980s and 1990s, and of his intense engagement with the creative and working practices of the industry. They offer an up-to-date range of theoretically divergent readings that demonstrates not only the difficulty of locating stable interpretative positions for Lynch's work, but also the pleasure of finding new ways of thinking about it. Films discussed include Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, The Straight Story, and Mulholland Drive.

Customer Reviews:

Very good read on David Lynch.......2007-07-06

I'm reading this book a 2nd time now. I would say this book is im my top three Lynch books as well and it provides a very good outline, and possibly, a key, for the way Lynch thinks. If anything, it will help you come up with more of your own conclusions. From a devoted Lynch fan, this is a great read!

lynch debunk.......2005-10-14

I gotta agree with Critic-AL... too much ink is being spilled about Lynch that reads like retread po-mo theories. I'll go with Pervert in the Pulpit too, and I'm not alone. You don't have to be a film student or academic to appreciate Johnson's heady read ... still, I think the review of Pervert by David Lancaster in the latest issue of Film and History totally sums up my thinking: "There is a slightly malicious pleasure in seeing a modish reputation being debunked, especially when the reader was mystified by the fuss in the first place. Pervert in the Pulpit is not a crude hatchet job, however. Rather, it is clear-sighted and informed, and, in true Manichean fashion, on the side of the critical angels."

adulation or criticism?.......2005-03-26

By calling Nochimson's book "amazing," [...]the problem with a lot of Lynch criticism: the audience for his films is divided between fans and serious students of cinema. As Lynch's reputation as an innovator continues to wear thin - face, it, his uneven oeuvre is not aging well - die-hard loyalists continue to gush about his, in my opnion, limited success as a cutting-edge film director. This book may be timely, but it isn't as interesting as Jeff Johnson's iconoclastic "Pervert in the Pulpit: Morality in the Work of David Lynch," which I'd recommend before any of the other, more pandering texts Joe cites.

One of the Best Books on Lynch.......2004-09-23

Is it possible for a good book of film criticism to be dominated by lavish photos and the like? Not in my experience. The closest to that is the BFI series, and those are hardly the sort of thing "a reader" is talking about. Of all the books on Lynch out there, this is probably my #3, behind Martha Nomchinson's amazing "Wild at Heart in Hollywood" and the essential "Lynch on Lynch."

The simataneous release of the paperback and hardcover editions should have clued "a reader" into the HC edition being a library edition... Don't let this person's stupidty put you off, this is one of the best books analyzing Lynch one can find.

Average customer rating:

Not a starting point
Interesting Part of German History
TRIUMPH OF THE WILL
An Illuminating If Rather Dry Look at Riefenstahl's Accountability in the Nazi Cause
Not so much a "life" as an agenda

Leni Riefenstahl: A Life
Jurgen Trimborn
Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0374184933
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Book Description

Dancer, actress, mountaineer, and director Leni Riefenstahl’s uncompromising will and audacious talent for self-promotion appeared unmatched—until 1932, when she introduced herself to her future protector and patron: Adolf Hitler. Known internationally for two of the films she made for him, Triumph of the Will and Olympia, Riefenstahl’s demanding and obsessive style introduced unusual angles, new approaches to tracking shots, and highly symbolic montages. Despite her lifelong claim to be an apolitical artist, Riefenstahl’s monumental and nationalistic vision of Germany’s traditions and landscape served to idealize the cause of one of the world’s most violent and racist regimes.

Riefenstahl ardently cast herself as a passionate young director who caved to the pressure to serve an all-powerful Führer, so focused on reinventing the cinema that she didn’t recognize the goals of the Third Reich until too late. Jürgen Trimborn’s revelatory biography celebrates this charismatic and adventurous woman who lived to 101, while also taking on the myths surrounding her. With refreshing distance and detailed research, Trimborn presents the story of a stubborn and intimidating filmmaker who refused to be held accountable for her role in the Holocaust but continued to inspire countless photographers and filmmakers with her artistry.

Customer Reviews:

Not a starting point.......2007-06-06

I'm in complete agreement with reviewer M. Richie on this one. Trimborn's book is well-researched and his conclusions are supported but this is not the place for the novice to start. The writer appears to assume the reader already knows Riefenstahl's basic life story, her claims and the allegations against her. He sets about addressing the claims and allegations one at a time, consequently this biography is not in chronological order. If, like me, you know only the bare bones of Riefenstahl's story, this can get confusing. It doesn't lend itself to narrative drive, either.

If I'd read another biography of Riefenstahl first, I'd probably find this book a good next step but as a first step it left alot of gaps. Still, Trimborn demolishes Riefenstahl's claims that she was "apolitical" and provides details about the making of her landmark films. This is a worthy addition to the field, just not a place to start.

Interesting Part of German History.......2007-05-09

The author has made a credible job of getting to the real history about who Leni Riefenstahl really was as an artist and a person, rather than the idealistic view that Leni Riefenstahl herself tried to sell to the general public after WWII. The book describes both the good side of Leni Riefenstahl as an exceptional and inventive artist, but also her ugly side in how she sacrificed other people and probably her own conscience in order to reach the top.

TRIUMPH OF THE WILL.......2007-03-21

Amazon should be congratulated for having these books. With the rise of Anti Semitism, its important to be able to argue with historical facts and data.

congratulations amazon

Also as a fan of classical photography, this book contains some wonderful photo's and help with Techniques.

An Illuminating If Rather Dry Look at Riefenstahl's Accountability in the Nazi Cause.......2007-02-19

The infamous filmmaker of the Third Reich, Leni Riefenstahl, continues to fascinate even after her death at age 101 in 2003, as this biography by German film historian Jürgen Trimborn is one of two coming out this spring documenting her controversial life and career. Trimborn has the advantage of having conducted several interviews with Riefenstahl over the latter part of her career and consequently provides an intriguing perspective on a woman who was preoccupied with sustaining her image as a purely artistic and objective observer of the world around her, including Hitler's encroaching regime. Trimborn dismantles many of her the myths that Riefenstahl took pains to develop over her lifetime, most surprisingly how she allegedly pursued Hitler aggressively after meeting him in May 1932.

A supreme opportunist, Riefenstahl carved her role as the Third Reich's propagandist with the specific intent of encouraging the unabated spread of Fascism to bolster her career. Her legendary vitality was clear from the outset, beginning as an interpretive dancer and then an actress in a series of mountaineering films popular in the Weimar at the time. She turned her attentions behind the camera, which culminated into her two masterful documentaries - `"Triumph of the Will" about the 1934 Nuremberg rallies and "Olympia" about the 1936 Berlin Olympics. While the ethical nature of Riefenstahl's participation in the Nazi cause does not diminish her great talent, Trimborn conversely shows the reverse to be true as well, as he concludes without hesitation what a world-class liar she was.

Her latent anti-Semitism and awareness of the ongoing genocide are well documented here as an intrinsic part of her self-delusion regarding the atrocities committed for the sake of maintaining Aryan supremacy. After Germany's defeat in WWII, the author effectively shows a woman with a heightened need for self-exoneration, filing over fifty lawsuits to clear her name of any wrongdoing. There is no doubt that Riefenstahl was had a survival instinct as she reinvented herself later as a nature photographer studying the Nuba tribes in Sudan in the 1970's and at age 100, publishing a photo book of undersea life made possible by her adept scuba diving skills. Although he can write a bit more clinically than his dimensional subject warrants, Trimborn provides an illuminating portrait of a vastly prodigious creator whose dedication to her own legacy blinded her to the human toll over which she had indirect accountability.

Not so much a "life" as an agenda.......2007-02-16

This is the first book I've read about the notorious director, but I will need to read another one to truly get a full sense of her life and work. This author seems to assume that we have already read a fuller account of her life and instead spends the bulk of his pages refuting her own statements about herself, mostly from what seems to have been the blanket of lies and evasions that her published memoirs were. Despite a chapter list that implies chronological order, he often jumps back and forth a bit confusingly. He does very little fruitful discussion of her work, and if I hadn't already seen Triumph of the Will and some of Olympiad, I would have no sense of why these films remain important and controversial works. I wasn't looking for a book whose primary goal was either to damn her or rehabilitate her, though of course with a subject as controversial as Riefenstahl any author will eventually have a point of view on her. But to get to that point, the book should present a clear view of her life, career, and works, and though Trimborn's book does have its interesting sections, it's not a satisfying biography for readers who don't already know quite a bit about her.

Cinematography: Image Making for Cinematographers, Directors, and Videographers

Average customer rating:

Great print quality!!
The jury is out... this filmmaker likes it
Great Student Book
Best of the bunch
A comprehensive, professional view of cinematography

Cinematography: Image Making for Cinematographers, Directors, and Videographers
Blain Brown
Manufacturer: Focal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0240805003

Book Description

Lavishly produced and illustrated, Cinematography covers the entire range of the profession. The book is not just a comprehensive guide to current professional practice; it goes beyond to explain the theory behind the practice, so you understand how the rules came about and when it's appropriate to break them. In addition, directors will benefit from the book's focus on the body of knowledge they should share with their Director of Photography.

Cinematography presents the basics and beyond, employing clear explanations of standard practice together with substantial illustrations and diagrams to reveal the real world of film production.
Recognizing that professionals know when to break the rules and when to abide by them, this book discusses many examples of fresh ideas and experiments in cinematography. Covering the most up-to-date information on the film/digital interface, new formats, the latest cranes and camera support and other equipment, it also illustrates the older tried and true methods.

*The definitive guide to cinematography

*Up-to-date coverage of technical topics, including High Definition and digital imaging

*Full color throughout brings issues of color and light to life

Customer Reviews:

Great print quality!!.......2007-01-10

A very informative read for the beginner as it does not delve too deep into the theory of cinematography but just enough to make you want to research more if needed. It has lots of great information and some good movie suggestions. The book's print is on seemingly expensive glossy stock which is a nice touch. I'd have to say that this is one of my favourite cinematography books.

A major distraction however is that there are numerous spelling & gramatical errors throughout the book which make comprehension difficult in some places.

I would also recommend the classic '5 C's of Cinematography' by Joseph V. Mascelli

The jury is out... this filmmaker likes it.......2006-03-16

Obviously people have mixed opinions of this book. I liked the in-depth info, the readability and the color plates. I'm a director who is interested in learning more about cinematography from that angle. The Filmmaker's Handbook on Plume, or Bordwell and Thompson's Film Art will cover a lot of the same info for a cheaper price, but I like this book's illustrations and more advanced technical info, especially on video. Ultimately you gotta go out and do it, a book will only go so far. But as books go I find this one pretty great.

Great Student Book.......2006-02-24

As a film student myself, I've found this book incredible helpful. Not only is it a great window into understanding how lighting and shot composition work, but it explains clearly and in detail many technical aspects of cinematography. Of course it's not perfect, but it's a great beginners guide.

Best of the bunch.......2005-12-22

I have read most of the books Amazon sells about cinematography and there is not question in my mind that this is the best of all of them. It's really comprehensive and covers all sides of camerawork, both technical things like lens and color and exposure etc, but also composition (which he calls visual language) and maintaining continuity, coverage and what he calls "the language of the lens."

Bottom line: there is a wide range of things you have to learn about if you want to become a professional cinematographer and this book covers all of them. I also read his book on lightingm, which is also very thorough.

The chapter on storytelling with lighting is a really interesting look at how you tell stories with visual images, which is really the job we are doing as filmmakers.

Finally he has really in-depth chapters on techinical things like various formats and HD and doing special effects and operations on the set.

No doubt in my mind I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about cinematography.

A comprehensive, professional view of cinematography.......2005-12-11

I was working on a camera crew with a recent AFI grad and she told me this book is "the bible" at AFI, then a fellow I know at USC grad school had it as a required book in his cinematography class so I checked it out.

I see why these schools use it. It's comprehensive, thorough and most important, it takes a really professional view of how cinematography is done. I must have a dozen books on cinematography. Some of them are sort of student/amateur and some of them are just reminiscences of old studio DPs. Interesting reading, but doesn't tell me what I need to know to shoot a scene.

This book covers technical issues like exposure, optics, color, special EFX, etc but it also covers aesthetics. The chapter on "Lighting As Storytelling" is the best article on the aesthetics of image making and visual storytelling I've ever read anywhere (and I have a degree in cinematography). I have found this chapter on the web. You can download it at several websites that feature this book.

For best results, you need to buy this book in conjunction with the author's book on lighting, which really goes into standard techniques and equipment in much greater depth, as you would expect -- he can cover it better in a whole book than he can in a single chapter (which is how some cinematography books try to do it.) Although this book does have a couple of chapters on lighting that serve as a pretty good introduction.

Worth the price alone is the chapter on Set Operations, which goes into great detail on the job assignments on a set, how things are done and procedures like proper slating technique, etc. The chapter Visual Language is like a mini-course on composition, visual techniques and creating powerful images.

Throughout the book, the illustrations are from great films and the excellent printing makes it a beautiful book also, something that seems to always get mentioned in the magazine reviews I've read.

Since buying it (and reading it three times) I've run into lots of people (both students and working pros) who swear that this is THE book on cinematography. I agree totally. It covers camera stuff, but also set practices and also all the things the director needs to know about cinematography: coverage, screen direction, continuity, etc.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in cinematography, including not only camera people but also directors.

Average customer rating:

Dull, Dull and Dreadful
Much Ado about Nothing
By no means a serious study of GayHollywood, but a good read
Beef Jerky for the Brain
Deeper analysis of being gay in Hollywood

Open Secret: Gay Hollywood 1928-1998
David Ehrenstein
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0688153178

Amazon.com

If David Ehrenstein's Open Secret says that somebody is gay, you can safely assume that he or she is (which is why the chapter on Tom Cruise reveals nothing more than reasons why people believe--or want to believe--he might be gay). Interviews with contemporary "out" stars, writers, and studio execs are balanced against the reminiscences of those who spent Tinseltown's golden age in the closet. This reveals how open Hollywood's tolerance of its gay and lesbian members has become, but it also shows the lack of similar progress in how the press deals with potential celebrity queerness. There isn't much difference, for example, between the scandal sheet Confidential's 1955 exposé of Tab Hunter's bust at a "pajama party ... for the boys" and the 1997 "Kevin Spacey Has a Secret" cover story in the ostensibly more respectable Esquire.

Open Secret flits from a visit to the set of the Ian McKellen-Brendan Fraser film Father of Frankenstein (based on the novel by Christopher Bram) to an analysis of Ellen DeGeneres's protracted coming-out process, from an overview of the impact of AIDS on the entertainment industry to the story of how Gus Van Sant almost made a movie of Randy Shilts's The Mayor of Castro Street. But the intersection of queer sexuality and Hollywood admittedly covers a lot of territory, and Ehrenstein does an admirable job of providing an overview. One bit of advice: skip over the very brief prologue, which tries a bit too hard to convince readers of the book's seriousness, and allow the informative and entertaining stories here to speak for themselves. --Ron Hogan

Book Description

Hollywood isn't just a place or an industry -- it's a fantasy that unfolds in the minds of moviegoers the world over. And talking about "who's gay in Hollywood" has always been the most socially acceptable way of talking about homosexuality period.But times have changed for gays and lesbians inside Hollywood and in the culture at large. Ellen DeGeneres "came out" to a world quite different from the one that allowed Marlene Dietrich to "stay in." And while Rupert Everett may be called "the gay Cary Grant," the real Cary Grant would never have described himself as gay -- even though he was.So what has it meant to be gay in Hollywood, not just as a star but behind the scenes as well? How homosexual actors and actresses came to define straight America's sexual self-image is only one of the paradoxical and provocative questions explored in Open Secret, a revealing cultural chronicle of gay Hollywood. From the silent era to the age of the multiplex and beyond, homosexuality has been a fact of life in the film industry, and scores of important personalities -- stars, writers, directors, producers -- have enjoyed long and spectacular careers on both sides of the camera, despite mainstream America's professed bias against gays.

Part social history and part Tinseltown expose, this entertaining book spans seventy years, painting knowing and vivid portraits of many of Hollywood's foremost gays and lesbians, often in the words of eyewitnesses or the principals themselves. Veteran entertainment journalist David Ehrenstein traces the gradual transformation from an era when gays and lesbians had no public profile in "polite" society to the modern era when many top entertainment figures are not merely comfortable with their sexuality but actually celebrate it -- and are in turn celebrated for it. In the process, he presents a unique reflection of American society as a whole and its ever-changing attitudes and values.

Customer Reviews:

Dull, Dull and Dreadful.......2005-11-12

This book has no life to it---I mean the writing--it is redundant, heavy, lackluster. Reads like a boring college research textbook. The author repeats and repeats and is consumed and obsessed with Ellen Degeneres over and over again. It is not like a book, but an overblown article. There is nothing new in the book--it is a historical account of gay and lesbians in Hollywood and boring as can be. Sorry I bought it but am thankful I got a used copy and did not pay much. I could hardly wait to finish it to throw it out as I did not even want to keep it. Forget this dull and dreadful book!

Much Ado about Nothing.......2003-03-05

It seems odd that this book, with its good intentions, would just be so unsatisfying as a read. You almost get the feeling that the author is on the outside of Hollywood looking in. He seems to be obsessed with Ellen. The book has a certain bitterness to it that doesn't play well.

I couldn't in all honesty recommend purchasing this book. Though if you find it at a public library, might be worth flipping through- but not checking out.

By no means a serious study of GayHollywood, but a good read.......2000-03-25

...nonetheless. This book is not a distasteful one unlike a vast majority of books about gays in Hollywood. It is also quite entertaining and should be regarded only as such: an entertaining book on a summer's day... In this case it does not really matter, whether the material is credible or not. If you do not take what you read TOO SERIOUSLY, then you will enjoy this book. If you want some serious study about gay actors, then look some place else for it.

Beef Jerky for the Brain.......1999-07-13

As one reader comments, this book is "a must for any serious Hollywood History library." Yes--in the same sense that the complete works of Ed Wood belong in every comprehensive home video collection.

Deeper analysis of being gay in Hollywood.......1999-06-18

If you want gossip, get a tabloid. If you'd rather read a thoughtful analysis of "gay Hollywood" in a social/historical context, get this book. This is not a list of who's gay and who isn't; Ehrenstein has chosen to write about what happened (and happens) to gays who are part of the Hollywood machine. He demonstrates, through first-person interviews and anecdotal accounts, in what ways Hollywood--the studios, the executives, the media, the audience--is and is not accepting of homosexuals. Not everyone in his book is famous, or a big time movie star, but they all have something to say or show about the difference between the gay Hollywood of the Cary Grant and Rock Hudson era and the gay Hollywood of the Ellen Degeneres and Tom Cruise era.

Ehrenstein's skill is in keeping the history together, so that James Whale's story is appropriately connected to the "Gods and Monsters" story, but each stands on its own as well. He has also taken care in choosing what to cover in this book. It would be impossible to write the entire history of Gay Hollywood in one book; and Ehrenstein has selected only certain aspects of that history and examined them in depth rather than touch only the surface of too many things.

Average customer rating:

Seven Suspensfull Scenes

Wonderful tribute to the master!

Hitchcock Book

Not exactly impressed

Perfect!

Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense: A Pop-up Book
Kees Moerbeek
Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Pop-up Book of Sex

Mommy? Mommy?

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ASIN: 0689875959

Book Description

Known worldwide as the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) had an incredible directing career that spanned five decades and more than fifty films. He earned numerous awards, inspired countless publications and festivals, and spawned a new era in suspense cinema.

This spectacular pop-up pays tribute to the great filmmaker and features seven of his most influential films: Saboteur, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, and Frenzy. With stunning three-dimensional paper engineering by Kees Moerbeek highlighting pivotal moments and Hitchcock's cameo in each film, Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense will be treasured by fans and film lovers alike for years to come.

Customer Reviews:

Seven Suspensfull Scenes.......2007-04-12

Seven of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous films are brought to life by Kees Moerbeek's complex paper engineering. Each of seven spreads is a large montage of scenes from the film and includes a brief synopsis of the plot. You may also lift a flap and view the scene in which Hitchcock has placed himself in the movie, something he did in almost every film he made. This is a must-have for any Hitchcock fan, and for pop-up collectors as well

Wonderful tribute to the master!.......2007-03-22

A visual delight & work of art! Though I would have liked more text, this would probably have detracted from the book's artistry & visual appeal; as it is, the text that is present is full of quirky facts & fits quite nicely with the images. Very unique & fun book!

Hitchcock Book.......2007-01-19

When I read a review about this book in the Washington Post, I thought it would make a good present for my son because Hitchcock is one of his favorite directors. My son does not, however, enjoy reading, so I wasn't sure if he would want the book. Much to my pleasure he told me it was one of his favorite Christmas presents he received.

Not exactly impressed.......2007-01-19

I gave my GF this pop-up book for Xmas. She is a big Hitchcock fan. I thought she would be really impressed but she just briefly flipped through and barely raised an eyebrow. The other day I saw it buried under a pile of junk in her room. It's a good idea but not all that interesting to look at.
I had read a glowing review of the book and the techincal genius of the "paper engineers" who constructed it in the Wall St. Journal. While some of the displays are amusing, ultimately, I was not all that impressed and found the report in the WSJ to be exaggerated.
Makes a good coffee table book.

Perfect!.......2007-01-10

This book is so unique and a must for any Hitchcock movie fan. It gave great info on the movies it covered. I just wish it had "all" of his movies!

A Killer Life: How an Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyond

Average customer rating:

So so.
You couldn't pay Christine Vachon enough money to give a course like this...
Film buff or not...
better than film school!

A Killer Life: How an Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyond
Christine Vachon , and Austin Bunn
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743256301

Book Description

Here is an account of a filmmaker who looks straight into the eye of the Hollywood blockbuster storm and dares not to blink.

In A Killer Life, Christine Vachon follows up her independent producing handbook, Shooting to Kill, with a behind-the-scenes memoir of the battle between creativity and commerce -- and a renegade's rise to being one of the most powerful female producers in independent film today.

A Killer Life traces the early years Vachon spent producing such controversial and critically acclaimed movies as Poison, Happiness, and Kids, films that paved the way for Academy Award-winning triumphs like Boys Don't Cry. She recounts the birth and rise of independent film and the evolution of her company, Killer Films, revealing the stories behind star castings and firings and films that never got made; how sexuality factors into the films she produces; and how the often lethal combination of finance and creativity affects what we see on the big screen.

Intelligent and tough as nails, but endearingly self-effacing, Vachon's account of her filmmaking experiences, and the successes and failures that have made Killer Films one of the few truly independent film companies in New York, is a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking read for filmmakers and fans alike.

Customer Reviews:

So so........2007-03-18

The book is readable in as much as trash pop and pulp fiction is watchable and readable.No matter what is said,at the end of the day,this producer is yet another example of someone grandfathered into the industry ,with a production loan to get her started.A lump sum equvalent of about USD 100 000 today.There were a handful of active indie female producers operating in those times(most without that financial leg up.)Vachon is but one story.For that reason this is an ill researched book.
A few other women may not have stood on others toes as much as Vachon is capable of, nor claimed as much public or industry credit for themselves, but this book is but one story from the nineties,and it is in that context only it is best read.There were a small handful of extremely strident indie and studio women in Hollywood at the time,who broke significant paths for other women,not just themselves- in the choosing of projects they developed and the actions they took.The book is readable but indulgent insider name dropping. In one aspect a shallow take on a very political hollywood film business at the time.

You couldn't pay Christine Vachon enough money to give a course like this..........2007-03-01

...which kind of gets me wondering--why the heck don't *even more* aspiring producers and D-boy and D-girl wannabes get their hands on this amazing compendium of production experiences, take them to heart, and learn themselves a whole lot about the global film game in the process. If you've got the answer to that question, let me know. I'm still scratching my noodle.

Okay, so you're going to totally dig this book. Christine Vachon and her Killer Films outfit in N-Y-C, using that well-known convention of theirs--break the bounds of traditional (read: boring) publishing with a rather unconventional approach to bookwriting. Prepare for a wild wooly ride of a read...Christine's deft collaborators (egs. directors, financiers, and studio consigliatores) have chimed in here in various sections, offering up sage advice on the pit- and prat-falls of the indie and studio sides of the filmmaking biz, and what it's generally like working with Christine and her able band of brothers and sisters. That, for this here reviewer, was a right privilege...live recordings of Christine's conversations with her colleagues wouldn't have been richer. And like I tell you in my title...you couldn't pay Vachon enough to give this course. For a couple of Lincolns, this was a gold mine.

By the way, I think I've tattooed my entire Netflix wish list with every single Killer title known to Movieland. As luck would have it, ONE HOUR PHOTO was one of the better films of 2002, and little did I know that Christine was even responsible for getting this one made. Small world, baby.

It's an unsung job, the producing game can sometimes be, but mark it--without Christine's valuable input at various stages of the process, many of these so-called little pictures mightn't have been made, languishing in that purgatory of "development hell" (or turnaround) like 98% of the projects out there are in (according to every single statistic known to the filmmaking poobahs). One of the most inspiring statements from the entire book which I triple underlined, dogeared, and highlighted in tri-colour was her frank admission that producers must maintain "eternal optimism." They are the ones who are enthusiastic at all times, oftentimes when there's no reason to be, and oftentimes when there's no production necessarily to speak of. The equivalent to selling short on the stock market. If your sources' predictions are bang on, chances are you're going to make a "buchta" of cash.

Such boundless enthusiasm the mark of a truly gifted deal-maker, and in the trenches which is the modern-day studio system (read: the business of making movies), and the relatively recent advent of the "mini-majors" (or classics divisions of the major Hollywood studios), this brand of relentlessness has become all the more critical. Remove one element from the positivity puzzle, strip away a single grain of that much-needed goodness which is a key ingredient of the all-encompassing feelgood--by definition, a must towards smooth functioning on the film set--and off your high film concept goes into the grey ether.

Just for the rekkid, listening to podcasts helps, kids! I'd heard about this title after listening to Claude Brodesser Ackner's THE BUSINESS on NPR (goo-search it). I was so intrigued by Christine's outspokenness, that I simply couldn't curb my enthusiasm to hop on over to my favourite online book purveyor and pick up the nearest copy of her A KILLER LIFE.

Where is that extra star when I need it? Five estrellas, kids. Count 'em. Cinco.

--ADM in Prague

Film buff or not..........2007-01-02

This book is riveting reading for the fan or the filmmaker. Vachon has a talent for balancing intensive amounts of details with storytelling skills. You really will want to know how a distribution is made before the first frame is filmed. Her personality -- tough, passionate, centered -- also makes the book a compelling read. Even when her foes are completes a-hats, Vachon does not descend into bitterness, but rather, makes another compelling lesson.

better than film school!.......2006-10-12

As an aspiring producer, I have long looked up to the indie queen Christine Vachon, and I was interested to read this book after having read her excellent SHOOTING TO KILL. I read that book when I was back in college, but this book is better. It's definitely more personal - in a way it reads like a memoir.

You feel like you are going through all the trials and tribulations with her. There's a lot of exciting stuff here - she battles the MPAA over Boys Don't Cry -- the bond company takes control of Far From Heaven-- she has interactions with big stars like Jude Law and Julia Roberts.
I have never been to Sundance, but Vachon's Sundance diary takes you through that festival with her.

All this makes for a book that's immensely readable; I couldn't put it down. I really liked the spotlights from other industry figures, agents, studio heads and directors like John Cameron Mitchell (who did my favorite film, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH!) If you are in the industry, want to learn about the industry or are just plain curious about how movies get made, go out and get this book now!

Directors on Directing: A Source Book of the Modern Theatre

Average customer rating:

Directors on Directing: A Source Book of the Modern Theatre
Toby Cole , and Helen Krich Chinoy
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0023233001

Book Description

Less than 200 years ago the director was only an "ideal" projected by disgruntled critics. Today, productions wouldn't be able to survive with our the adept talents of the director. This book has been known for years as the guide to the "unknown theater" of the director. This collection is comprised of the voices of the modern theater as they state their credos and explore their craft. Topics include: the emergence of the director; behind the fourth wall; the art of rehearsal; light and space; and much more. Directors and avid theater-buffs.

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