In the Bleak Midwinter

Customer Reviews:

Much Underrated -A Backstage Classic.......2003-12-08

The book is basically the shooting script for Kenneth Branagh's film (called A Midwinter's Tale in the US), with photos and an informative introduction by Branagh. The film is sadly underrated -It got very little attention here in the US. The writing is clever and funny, and the exploration (exposé?) of the world of the out-of-work actor is frighteningly accurate. Both the book and the film are increasingly hard to find. Snap them up -You'll be glad you did.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: The Classic Tale of Terror Reborn on Film (A Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook)

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the book
GOOD GORE!

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: The Classic Tale of Terror Reborn on Film (A Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook)
Kenneth Branagh , Steph Lady , and Frank Darabont
Manufacturer: Newmarket Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Film and the Legend (A Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook)

ASIN: 1557042071

Book Description

Includes the complete script; stunning production stills; an exclusvie introduction and special chapter on the making of the film written by Branagh; behind-the-scene details on special effects, makeup, production design, casting, a bio of Mary Shelley and essay about the horror genre in literature and film by scholar Leonard Wolf. 185 illustrations, 80 in color.

The Newmarket Pictorial Moviebooks, official companions to films, large format (8 3/8 x 10 7/8), heavily illustrated throughout, with color photographs, details on the making of the film, background on the filmmakers and cast.

Customer Reviews:

the book.......2004-07-13

like the companion book to bram stoker's dracula, this book has pictures from the film and its set and costumes designs and the photos of the make-up in process. it also has the screenplay from the film with pictures to go along with the film. this is a perfect book for those who want a book on the film, the making of it, the screenplay and the story behind it and the story of its creator and other stories involving frankenstein.

GOOD GORE!.......1998-08-24

The story by Mary Shelling has made another big screen debut almost 60 years later then the original one. They movies about the same old frankenstein getting loose in the village and terrorizing everyone only this is 20 times more gory! Changed a little bit for the better but all the same a great horror movie. Frankenstein doesn't have the bolts coming out of his neck. Rated R: for graphic violence

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Kenneth Branagh
Mark White
Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0571220681

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Branagh is brilliant; wonderful, witty, honest autobiography
Attempt Greatness
BEAUTIFUL BOOK
Very good, but I want more Emma...
Educational, interesting read

Beginning
Kenneth Branagh
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312058225

Customer Reviews:

Branagh is brilliant; wonderful, witty, honest autobiography.......2003-09-25

Anyone that wants to know more about Ken Branagh and his theatre work will love this book. I am totally in love with Ken Branagh after seeing his numerous Shakespeare films (Much Ado about Nothing, Henry V, etc). He has an absolutely wonderful sense of humor and great wit.

The writing is incredibly; he is entertaining throughout and he is completely honest and genuine. (I found that very endearing) I especially loved how he reacted to certain aspects of theatre, how he interpreted Shakespeare text, and his reactions to blessings and upsets.

It is a real joy to read.

Attempt Greatness.......2002-09-28

I'm in love with Kenneth Branagh--no! Not that way! I'm in love with the talent and the drive. And the love is mixed with equal parts envy and recrimination. Oh, how I would like to be Branagh, 28 and directing himself in Henry V, or, even before that, just as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, filming a movie of the early life of D.H. Lawrence in Australia. Yes, I would like to be an actor, but for ever much a dream it may be in Britain, even more so in America. Here, there are only two places where one can gain recognition--New York and Los Angeles. Even more so, those are probably the only places one could make a living at it. But it's envy of the man's energy just as much. Sure, it may be the case that becoming an actor is easier in Britain, but then how does one explain Branagh's writing his own one-man shows, or his first play. No, this is truly a man with talent and drive, probably equally strong. And so the recrimination. I am 27, only a year away from the magic age at which this book was written, and what do I have to show for it? I finally have my Bachelor's degree, I've published two stories and written a few more, I've been involved in one magazine of note, and I've lived in several places besides where I grew up. And that's it. Not really a lot. Wasted time? Some of it, and yet, on the other hand, I wouldn't exchange it, either. I just with that I had something more tangible to show for it. Branagh's young to write an autobiography, even a first volume as this undoubtably will turn out to be, and he comments as much. Even for all his accomplishments, he isn't content to rest. There's a moral there, I believe. What Branagh has to show you is that greatness, which I do believe he has already obtained, is not an ephemeral quality, but elusive and rare. It can be had, through hard work. I heard someone recently on NPR--a poet, I think--talk about writing. He said, attempt greatness, because if you fail, well, then, it may simply be good, which isn't bad. But if you only attempt to be good.... I will attempt greatness.

BEAUTIFUL BOOK.......2001-07-15

GREAT BOOK: 1. THE SKETCHES ARE DRAWN BU EMMA THOMPSON'S MOTHER. 2. DELIGHTFUL SCENE WHEREIN JUDI DENCH TELLS OF HER PAST HENRY V CATHERINE WITH EMMA THOMPSON, THE PRESENT V CATHRINE ON THE DAY OF THE FRENCH TO ENGLISH.

Very good, but I want more Emma..........2001-05-31

First of all I regard Ken as my favorite actor and Emma Thompson his ex is my favorite actress.

Very well written and interesting as he goes through his childhood and growth as an actor. During that time he overcame the strong bias against his Belfast and lower class upbringing.

There were two things that I missed in the story: 1) The story ended just after Henry V filming, which is just the start of his wonderful film career.

2) There was very little about Ken and Emma. Even though they met when filming Fortunes of War, which was during the book there was little discussion of the budding romance. I expected to see flames of passion between those two. Ken as the womanizer he is reported to be and Emma with the passion she has shown in her movies.

Educational, interesting read.......2000-05-20

Having a degree in English Literature and having viewed many films and adaptations by Mr. Branagh, I was compelled to read about what made this man such a force to be reckoned with in the classically trained theatre field, and at such a young age, as well. He was 28 when he wrote this book!

It's always interesting to find out where people come from and how they got to where they are now--whether they be a businessman, entertainer, teacher, whoever. Here you have a kid from extremely lower working class Belfast who realized he wasn't exactly meant for the business world, and after appearing in a school play (as for most entertainers), realized that was what they wanted to do.

Mr. Branagh takes you on a tour of his childhood, from its very humble beginnings, to his applying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the struggle to reach the level of perfection he wanted both as an artist and as a person, the conviction and belief he had in himself of wanting to play "Hamlet" (which has since become one of his signature roles), and from the development of his own theatre company, Renaissance.

Mr. Branagh's writing style is very wry, witty, and I find his experience of learning to ride a horse extremely humorous. This book will be a great addition to anyone who appreciates literature, theatre, the classics, and the makings of a person following their dreams and ambitions.

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Shakespeare at the Cineplex: The Kenneth Branagh Era
Samuel Crowl
Manufacturer: Ohio University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Films of Kenneth Branagh

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

A History of Shakespeare on Screen: A Century of Film and Television

Kenneth Branagh

The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

ASIN: 0821416677

Book Description

Samuel Crowl’s Shakespeare at the Cineplex: The Kenneth Branagh Era is the first thorough exploration of the fifteen major Shakespeare films released since the surprising success of Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V (1989). Crowl presents the rich variety of these films in the “long decade” between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The productions range from Hollywood-saturated films to more modest, experimental offerings. Only now available in paperback after strong hardcover sales, Shakespeare at the Cineplex will be welcome reading for fans, students, and scholars of Shakespeare in performance. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Samuel Crowl, Trustee Professor of English at Ohio University, is the author of Shakespeare Observed: Studies in Performance on Stage and Screen (Ohio, 1992).

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Hamlet and Ken
Great; but what pictures??
Pictures worth it alone
Worthy exploration of forces behind the making of an epic
Hamlet the best Shakespeare

Hamlet: By William Shakespeare
Kenneth Branagh , and William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393315053

Customer Reviews:

Hamlet and Ken.......2007-07-11

This is a great supplment to go with the best and most complet hamlet ever made. Video is excellent

Great; but what pictures??.......2005-09-30

I got a used copy off Amazon. It's great to have, and is very nice...but I keep reading about breathtaking pictures. Where? I think they were ripped out of my copy. At the very back there is evidence of at least one color page being ripped out...I don't know. But it is a wonderful film, play, and now a wonderful book to have. The film diary is very interesting.

Pictures worth it alone.......2004-12-11

This screen play, introduction and film diary of Hamlet, Kenneth Branagh is like having several books in one. The screen play its self is based on the text of `Hamlet' as it appears in the `First Folio'.

You probably have several copies of Hamlet and maybe a few film versions. The advantage in this book is that it tells you what you are looking at. It goes beyond the inferences of Shakespeare's words and explains what they were trying to portray in the movie.

The introduction, only a few pages long is packed with information on how the movie came about.

The Film Diary (Rehearsal to Wrap) is written by Russell Jackson. This section also contains monochrome pictures of the film being made.

The section designated as "The Film" has several breath taking pictures that you probably did not notice while watching the film. It starts with The Ghost and ends with Fortinbras.

Worthy exploration of forces behind the making of an epic.......2003-11-12

This book is useful to anyone interested in the film or theatre work of Kenneth Branagh, in Shakespeare on Screen, or film and theatre in general. As previous reviewers have mentioned, it comprises an introduction to the film/play by Kenneth Branagh, the full text of 'Hamlet' used during filming, production photographs and a 'film diary'.

The main purpose of my review is to correct the misapprehension of one previous reviewer about the writer of the 'film diary', in order to encourage interest in the film diary section of the book. A previous reviewer suggested that 'Russell Jackson' might be a filmographer. In fact, Russell Jackson is a Professor specialising in Shakespeare Studies and is the Director of The Shakespeare Institute, a prestigious school for Shakespeare studies in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK. This school has strong ties with the nearby Royal Shakespeare Company, and Professor Jackson himself is one of the leading scholars in the field of criticism of Shakespeare in Performance. He has published many articles in scholarly journals, and is the editor or co-editor of major books about Shakespeare in Performance such as 'The Oxford Illustrated History of Shakespeare on Stage'.

Most importantly, Prof. Jackson has acted as 'textual advisor' to Kenneth Branagh on the sets of many (if not all) of his Shakespearean films; this means he was often responsible for advising Branagh how to interpret a particular line or scene. No one is more well-qualified to write the film diary.

Prof. Jackson's film diary is not only anecdotal; it also describes many of the discussions actors had about how to play certain scenes and characters, and sometimes compares them to approaches that were made in other productions of 'Hamlet': it does become analytical at times. One cannot complain about the funny anecdotes Prof. Jackson relates about making this film, anyway. Amongst other things, he discusses the different viewpoints and acting styles brought to the film by the actors from varying countries, he discusses the difficulty of filming swordfights and snowstorms, and embellishing Blenheim Palace to make it look more fortress-like. Prof. Jackson also makes it clear that many of the people working on the film had been working with Branagh for years, and he captures a sense of this camaraderie.

Branagh's own introduction to the book could perhaps have been longer, but is of value, letting readers know how he first became interested in acting, who his earliest acting idols were, and why he finds 'Hamlet' particularly interesting to act.

I'm not sure why one previous reviewer expected the book text of the film's dialogue to be different from the film; the intention of the film was to make a filmed version using the 'full' (longest available, conflated) text of the play. The film uses every word from texts of 'Hamlet' that are seen as legitimate, and the text in the book transcribes exactly what is said in the film.

There are however some comments interposed within the text spoken in the film - I guess comments by Branagh. These could be a little disconcerting as they break up the text, but one can easily jump over them if necessary. They would probably be very useful to a high school student studying the play who does not understand the play's language; they will also interest anyone wondering about Branagh's motivation behind particular readings of lines or portrayals of scenes.

Lastly the photographs are great, and not really small - the book is somewhat larger than many hardback/softcover books.

I recommend this book. For anyone interested in Shakespeare on Screen, I also recommend the book relating to Richard Loncraine's film of 'Richard III', which has an interesting introduction by Ian McKellen. Those who like Branagh's 'Hamlet' film might wish to also watch Zefferelli's film version of 'Hamlet' to compare two recent and very different approaches to filming the play.

Hamlet the best Shakespeare.......2002-04-30

Hamlet is arguably the best play that Shakespeare ever wrote. This play has intrigue and misery and death everything that makes it Shakespeare but not only that it is more interesting not only in plot but in language than all the other plays. If you are not use to reading Shakespeare then you may have trouble understanding everything that is going on in this play.

The character of Hamlet is so interesting because his misery can be interpreted in so many different forms. Hamlet's misery can be construed as his frustration over his father's death or his love for Ophelia, or just adolescent misery in general. The fact that it can be all of these things just makes it more interesting because in each way the play can be read in different ways.

Hamlet seems so noble in his efforts to expose his uncle as a murderer but he is also a murderer because he murders Polonias. This event in turn makes Ophelia mad and she then commits suicide and therefore her brother blames Hamlet so there is double guilt for Hamlet.

In the end of the play I believe that Hamlet is so tortured not only with his own guilt but also his misery of all of the other factors such as his mother that he actually wants to die. But he had to kill Claudius in order to feel ready to die because then he would have done his duty and avenged his father's death.
My favorite part in the play is where Hamlet devises the play to his own benefit to confirm that Claudius is really the killer and that the ghost was really his father and not the devil.

Customer Reviews:

We shall not cease from exploring.......2006-06-12

We shall not cease from exploring, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. -T.S. Eliot-

We can now have voice over narration with movies that make DVD's well worth buying and we can enjoy the mover more after seeing what the artist or writer or director was trying to accomplish. I my self need someone to tell me when my show is untied.

You may notice a few drawbacks to the DVD extra rout that this book addresses. First even if the media lasted for ever the DVD will become unreadable with newer technology. Unless you have a portable device about the size of a book a DVD can be clumsy to carry around. People that are book oriented can get more pleasure from this medium.

The book its self is conveniently divided into logical sections as:
Introduction
Synopsis
The screenplay
The cast
The film
The shoot

All the movements and dialog are clearly written. There are plenty of color pictures as visual aids. After enjoying the different view both Shakespeare and the movie, this book makes a great conversation item.

For the fan of Branagh or the movie.......2002-10-03

The book to accompany the movie. There's nothing new here, really, although one can take the screenplay and check it against the play to find out the changes that were made to the text.

Branagh says in the foreword that having the American actors was his idea. Perhaps. I had heard a rumor that he had included them for a wider U.S. distribution. In any case, it's worth noting that the Americans, with the possible exception of Denzel Washington, just can't hold a candle to even the meanest bit parts played by the British. I still think Keaton was way too "Beetlejuice" for Dogberry, although the explanation for his interpretation herein gave me new insight into it. If you're a Branagh admirer as I am, you shouldn't pass this book up.

MUST HAVE for Kenneth Branagh fans!.......2000-09-20

I just can't say enough good things about this book. The pictures are fabulous--I'd pay the price of the book for them alone! And for those curious about stage production and screenplays, this book is a MUST HAVE! Much Ado is definitely my favorite play by Shakespeare. Kenneth Branagh's movie version is the most fun version of Much Ado I've ever seen, and this book captures Branagh's magic. You will not be disappointed!

Another superb Branagh.......1998-10-30

This film is Branagh's best ever. Easy to follow with excellent acting. Great casting of both English and American actors.

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Shakespeare's "Henry V"
Kenneth Branagh
Manufacturer: Chatto and Windus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0701167556

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The Films of Kenneth Branagh
Samuel Crowl
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0275980898

Book Description

Kenneth Branagh is not only the finest Shakespearean actor of his generation, but a major filmmaker as well. Between the release of Henry V in 1989 and Love's Labour's Lost in 2000, Branagh directed eight major films in a wide variety of genres, ranging from film noir to horror to comedy, and continually startled audiences around the world with his audacious and energetic film style. Initially following in the footsteps of Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier, Branagh has placed himself among the small collection of actors who have transformed themselves into award-winning directors as well. In this, the first comprehensive treatment of Branagh's feature films to appear in the English language, Crowl delves deeply into the work of this bold artist, demonstrating the means by which Branagh manages to produce films that appeal to the general public even while treating texts and themes that are traditionally relegated to the realm of academic institutions and high art. And as with Branagh's own work, readers cannot help but be entertained. After an introduction discussing Branagh's transition from actor to filmmaker, Crowl proceeds to examine all eight of Branagh's major English language films, including: Henry V, Dead Again, Peter's Friends, Much Ado About Nothing, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, A Midwinter's Tale, Hamlet, and Love's Labour's Lost. A chronology and filmography are also provided here, as is a new and exclusive interview with the filmmaker himself. Featuring photos on the sets and behind the scenes of many of Branagh's most popular films, this work is ideal for film lovers, film students, and students and readers of Shakespeare.

A Midwinter's Tale: The Shooting Script (Newmarket Shooting Script Series Book)

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A complete comic delight

A Midwinter's Tale: The Shooting Script (Newmarket Shooting Script Series Book)
Kenneth Branagh
Manufacturer: Newmarket Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1557042748

Book Description

By the acclaimed writer/director/ star of Hamlet, this script is enhanced by Branagh's introduction discussing comedy and writing, 25 stills from the film, and complete cast and crew credits. Winner of the Orsella d'Oro at the 1995 Venice Film Festival. 25 b/w photos.

The Newmarket Shooting Script(tm) Series features an attractive 7 x 9 1/4 inch format that includes a facsimile of the film's shooting script, as chosen by the writer and/or director, exclusive notes on the film's production and history, stills, and credits.

Customer Reviews:

A complete comic delight.......2001-06-30

While working towards his amazing film of "Hamlet," Kenneth Branagh plus several of his close friends and colleagues took a little time off for a lighthearted "take" on actors playing Hamlet. This film knocked my socks off. If you've ever been an actor, it's true to the bone of the experience, but with such a gentle, hilarious, gay grotesquerie that it's probably one of my favorite works of Branagh's, and surely the most unexpected. No one I've ever met doesn't love this little gem about a bunch of out-of-work actors with dreams of really "doing" Hamlet and getting their lives together - putting the Great Dane together with shoestring, gum, and very little else but heart. Highly recommended. The entire cast is stellar.

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