Book Description
At last. A how-to book by someone who actually knows how to. -- Larry Gelbart
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Learning Tool.......2007-06-02
This book is a bit of a contradiction, insofar as it is very entertaining reading, yet you learn a great deal almost by accident. I also intuitively feel I'd like the author; whether as an instructor or just a nice guy to share a cold beer with. If you are interested in how to make humor "click," this is the place to look. Highly recommended.
Who, me?!.......2005-08-23
So someone once asked me, "Pamela, do you write comedy?". "Not on purpose", I replied.
But now, with the help of a really funny guy who wrote a really helpful book, I can make a good go at it.
Like Brad Schreiber himself, this book is intelligent, witty, accessible, inspiring, and fun.
It offers overviews of various forms of humor, theories of humor, examples of humor, excerpts from humorists, practical advice on writing funny, and even provocative exercises that guarantee at least a giggle, most often a guffaw.
As a story consultant myself, I recommend Brad's book to my writing clients.
As a reader, I recommend Brad's book to anyone -- writer, speaker, performer -- who wants to lighten their life and the presentation of their message with humor.
Over 70 excerpts from top screenwriters .......2005-02-10
Produce winning comedic screenplays using fiction and nonfiction alike with Brad Schreiber's What Are You Laughing At?: How To Write Funny Screenplays, Stories, & More. Included are over 70 excerpts from top screenwriters and pairing them with writing exercises and details on the differences between writing comedy for TV versus stage. There are eleven modes of comedic dialogue, 13 common problems screenwriters encounter and valuable insights into the rhythm and sound of words in What Are You Laughing At? Brad is himself a L.A. screenwriter, so his tips come from an insider's hand.
an example of what it teaches.......2004-06-11
This book is funny -- even if you don't feel like learning anything from it, you'll laugh. Writers will recognize themselves in the examples for sure. I like that the book is about *writing funny* as opposed to writing screenplays or columns or novels or [insert genre here]. Schreiber breaks down the principles of humor writing and gives you guidance on applying them to any type of project.
Brad Schreiber: WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?.......2004-04-09
This is a wry, dry, witty and comprehensive piece of work which is excellent reading in itself as well as being essential for the aspiring writer. Schreiber draws on his experience as TV development executive, teacher, script consultant and actor to hand on a wealth of useful information on everything from Aphorisms to Yiddish Sound Theory and from the Author's Voice to Vulgarity - and for the really keen student there are 'Do This Now' exercises at the end of every section. This is a high quality publication by Michael Wise Productions. It has a useful index and an excellent introduction by Christopher Vogler. I enoyed it hugely.
Average customer rating:
- Lenny Bruce is Not Afraid
- "I am influenced by every second of my waking hour."
- you don't even have to know who he is
- A poet posing as a comedian
- Very good read
|
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People
Lenny Bruce
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Theater
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Entertainers
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Parodies
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Trials of Lenny Bruce
-
The Lenny Bruce Performance Film
-
Lenny
-
Carnegie Hall Concert
-
Nigger : An Autobiography
ASIN: 0671751085 |
Amazon.com
In 1963, before the law and his drug habit brought the curtain down on the comedian, Hugh Hefner asked then-superstar Lenny Bruce to write his autobiography. Lenny hired writer Paul Krassner to help him edit the book, which appeared in Playboy over the next two years. Though it's uneven, and somewhat dated, How to Talk Dirty and Influence People deserves a look, if only to balance the movie Lenny, which many of the comedian's friends say missed the man entirely. The book is, simply, Lenny Bruce riffing on his life--from a drab childhood in Brooklyn, to stints in the navy and merchant marine, and finally to the nightclub circuit and eventual stardom. Of course, the veracity of any single anecdote is highly questionable, but How to Talk Dirty and Influence People rises above that, revealed as a fascinating expression of how this comedy icon wanted to be seen. Namely, as a rough-and-tumble kid from the streets, as a hustler and ladies' man, and, finally, as a fearless detonator of society's hypocrisy. (Notice that addict and dissolute don't make the list.)
In the movies ... Everett Sloane was a tycoon. He would get his gun off disillusioning Joel McCrea, who wanted to publish a newspaper that would make a statement, and telling him: "M'boy, you'll see when you get old that it's all a game." And I used to think, "No, it's not that way, this cynical old bastard is bullshitting, there are the Good Guys and the Bad Guys, the liars and the truth-tellers."
But Everett Sloane was right. There is only what is. The what-should-be never did exist, but people keep trying to live up to it. There is only what is.
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People doesn't catch Bruce's charisma and vaguely sinister electricity--no book could--but it is an interesting, lively read. Bruce was one of the first performers to usher in the new, more honest, more permissive, and more indulgent brand of American art. For anyone who wants to understand our comedy and culture, How to Talk Dirty and Influence People is well worth reading. --Michael Gerber
Customer Reviews:
Lenny Bruce is Not Afraid.......2007-01-05
I found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable. Lenny Bruce is an interesting guy and I think it's very insightful just of life and society in general and of all their inconsistencies. Though today, I'm sure, is much different than Lenny's era, most of what he has to say still applies. He can be really funny at times, but I'd say its a darker humor. I remember thinking it dragged just a bit when he gets deep into his legal battle near the end of the book but overall it kept me entertained.
"I am influenced by every second of my waking hour.".......2006-06-03
You could be forgiven for thinking that this book is by Eric Bogosian. Although generally okay, the Fireside edition spends more time talking about Bogosian on the front cover than it does talking about Bruce himself.
Too bad. But luckily for the reader, this book is pure Lenny.
More readable than the transcripts of his performance (since he intended this to be read)-- How To Talk Dirty and Influence People is part autiobiography and part diatribe. Bruce explains, jokes, cajoles and convinces as he writes. This is the story of his life from his birth until 1963 when it was written.
Lenny Bruce is a very important figure in the histories of performance and free expression. This book is a little bit sketchy to be a final remembrance, but is still worth the time and effort that it takes to read. In particular, the beginning sections of the book are magical-- funny, wry and moral. It loses the thread a little bit towards the end, as Bruce is more and more obsessed with the legal wars that he was then fighting on every front. Certainly understandable, but the latter chapters are much less open for the reader and seem to have been written in a much bigger hurry than the rest of the book.
If you are interested in Bruce, this book is a must-read. The Fireside edition is bound with an introduction by the aforementioned Bogosian and with a preface by Kenneth Tynan.
you don't even have to know who he is.......2004-08-16
You don't have to be a fan of Lenny Bruce to love this book, you don't have to really know who he is (I really only know him from a few recordings and by reputation). This book is funny. This book is still a valuable piece of social satire and criticism. This book is an interesting story. This book is a piece of history. This book is great. This book should be read.
A poet posing as a comedian.......2004-07-27
Lenny Bruce may have been the greatest poet of mid-Twentieth Century America, 'though he never wrote a poem, because he did what poets ought to do--make you see, make you feel, make you realize that "the great" did things that they didn't want you to know about. He alienated President Kennedy so much that J. Edgar Hoover was unleashed to pressure local police to bird dog Bruce's nightclub act. The cops would lurk in the back, wait till Bruce said something vulgar, then bust him for obscenity. In court, the fuzz would do Bruce's act so badly that Bruce was convicted for their lack. He beat the rap, at the U. S. Supreme Court, but it took a lot out of his native optimism. He shot up on heroin till he overdosed--assuming it WAS suicide. Remember Marilyn Monroe? What's easier than knocking off a junkie with an overdose? With Oscar Levant and Alexander King, Bruce is one of the three great wits of America at mid-century. Worth your time, because he repays you with insight wrapped in laughter.
Very good read.......2004-07-25
Lenny Bruce was pretty rare in that he always called it how he saw it. No, I don't agree with absolutely everything he says. (After all, no two people can concur on every possible subject) But, he always told the truth as he believed it to be without fear of repurcussion. Bruce did more for the first ammendment than anyone else in the 20th century and strongly influenced later comics such as Richard Pryror, George Carlin, and Bill Hicks.
How To Talk Dirty and Influence People is his autobiography. It reveals how ahead of his time, moral, courageous, humanly flawed, smart, and most of all how funny Lenny Bruce was. The majority of his assaults on how farcial organized religion and American justice can be still hit the mark even after more than forty years of elapsed time. This is counterbalenced by moving stories of his youth, time in the Navy during World War II, his ultimately failed marriage, and other aspects of his personal life. I won't go into too much detail as to ruin the book for others.
Bruce writes in a very concise manner, but not in a way that leaves the material short on content. You can probably finish this book in a day or two, but there's enough food for thought in How To Talk Dirty And Influence People to last for ages.
Book Description
Despite the best efforts of intellectuals from Marshall McLuhan to Noam Chomsky, all their thinking and opining has done little to shake the masses out of hopeless complacency. Pranks offer a much more direct and stimulating approach. This inspiring all new volume collects some of the finest, most outlandish actions recently undertaken in the war against mass media. A worthy successor to their first investigation into the art of prankery, Re/Search Publication’s Pranks 2 focuses on provocations from the Suicide Club, Cacophony Society, the Billboard Liberation Front, and other secret collectives dedicated to upending the status quo. The book’s many illustrations include photographs of the artists in action, flyers and letters used in the pranking process, and the often unintentionally hilarious news articles and editorial responses to the happenings. Interviews profile Ron English, Joey Skaggs, Jeffrey Vallance, monochrom, Bruce Conner, John Waters, Jello Biafra, and other noted pranksters.
Customer Reviews:
A must for anyone interested in the interesting.......2007-02-06
Fantastic book! In inspirational peek into doing things for the right reason... fun!
Revive your prankster spirit!.......2006-10-30
Pranks 2 is a timely set of interviews with tricksters who help us see the arbitrary boundaries and nonsensical rules that we so often simply accept without question. Stories from the likes of Margaret Cho, The Yes Men and the Billboard Liberation Front (and many more) explore the rebellious spirit and authority-questioning that has long been a vital part of the American experience, but seem to be running at an extremely low ebb in the new millenium. This book will revive your prankster spirit, and inspire you to make the world a more creative and lively place.
Customer Reviews:
Develop Your Funny Bones.......2006-12-17
Watch Mama's Family? Like to learn from one of the masters of writing comedy? Gene Perret is one of the best and this book helps you learn what he knows: comedy writing takes practice.
Persevere and complete these exercises and pretty soon, what first seemed "impossible" becomes doable and then, fun.
This book gives a lot of writing exercises, tips and tricks of the trade that you can use to write funny. A very good buy!
Comedy changes but it's all the same........2005-07-22
I just finished Gene's book and I have to say I came back impressed. You certainly learn a lot about how comedy is truly thought out and there isn't as much 'ad-lib' as you think out there. The only thing I found wrong with this book was how dated it was. The book is abound with references to late 70 and early 80's comedians like Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller, and Gene writes the book from a joke writer's stand-point - somebody who writes jokes to sell to the big-time performers, a practice that is hardly utilized today; therefore, some of the advice on how to sell you jokes can be skipped over. However, as dated as the book is, the method of comedy writing really doesn't change, whether writing for someone else or writing for your own stand-up act (like me). Sure, styles may change - Bob Hope and Dane Cook are FAR from similar - but the method behind the madness really doesn't change that much. Gene very seriously goes into what makes a joke funny and gets you to actually THINK about a joke instead of waiting for it to come to you, which is impossible. Definitely a good read from a master.
Step by Step Writing Comedy.......2002-07-04
This book generates good ideas...but you have to do the exercise to be creative. Published in 1982 but it still provides basic principles of comedy writing in year 2002 and beyond.
Don't be fooled.......2001-09-10
Don't be fooled by the release date of December 1990. The actual date of the book is 1982. He talks about Happy Days and MASH and comedians we don't here of any more such as Phillis Diller. If you can handle comedic examples from past TV shows etc. then the book is good. The actual exercises are first class and he does have good advice for the beginner. May you be funny! (or June)
Don't be fooled.......2001-09-10
Don't be fooled by the release date of December 1990. The actual date of the book is 1982. He talks about Happy Days and MASH and comedians we don't here of any more such as Phillis Diller. If you can handle comedic examples from past TV shows etc. then the book is good. The actual exercises are first class and he does have good advice for the beginner. May you be funny! (or June)
Average customer rating:
- Research?
- From Zombos Closet:
- Good idea- lackluster execution.
- Kong, Frankenstein's Monster, Norman Bates and Shrek
- Another mistake the book makes
|
A Field Guide to Monsters: This Book Could Save Your Life
Dave Elliott ,
CJ Henderson , and
Rick Leider
Manufacturer: Hylas Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Parodies
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Guides & Reviews
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Winston Effect: The Art & History of Stan Winston Studio
ASIN: 1592580882 |
Book Description
A Field Guide to Monsters, a hysterical spoof on field guides, compiles the world’s scariest and most popular monsters, including Godzilla, Wolf Man, Mr. Hyde, and many others. Filled with fun monster facts, including size comparisons, habitats, and what they eat, this field guide also describes their call, their migration habits, and most importantly, how to protect yourself against them (or, in extreme cases, kill them). This book makes a perfect gift for the casual monster watcher or the more serious monster hunter.
Customer Reviews:
Research?.......2006-11-27
Although a monster field guide is a cute idea for a fun stocking stuffer or coffee-table book, this book makes it painfully obvious that the writer fell short in their research. I'm sure there are more inaccuracies but, just by flipping through the book I noticed a few major ones just involving the Buffy universe.
1. The entry labeled The Master, actually, uses a picture of The Gentlemen from the Buffy episode "Hush".
2. The entry for Spike from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" states that Spike has been turned into a human so he is no longer a vampire, which is not true. The author must have mistaked Spike getting his soul back with becoming human.(Very very different!)
3. The entry for Angel from "Buffy and "Angel" states that Angel can "morph" and fly. Angel can do neither and neither do any vampires in the Buffy universe except Dracula.
It is pretty clear that the author has never watched more than one episode of Angel or Buffy or even attempted to research the characters. I know this is just a novelty book but that does not mean research is not necessary and it is amazing to me that this book would get published with so many major factual mistakes.
From Zombos Closet:.......2005-12-07
It is certainly a clever take on the survival-styled guide, using movie monsters, and writing with tongue firmly in cheek. The only drawback I can see is that the authors have erroneously left out Cthulhu and his brethren. How odd. Perhaps they are merely waiting for a proper film adaptation to come along, instead of the tired and inane dreck that occasionally pops up like a three-month old bloated corpse in the water. I must note that the Lethality and Weaknesses sections for each monster are informative and lively, but I would question the inclusion of such innocuous creatures as the Little Vampire and Grandpa Munster, as they are hardly the stuff of nightmares.
Oh, and there appears to be at least one error: a photo of those dastardly and evil Gentlemen from the Hush episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer graces the monster entry for the Master. Oops. The Monster Size Comparison Chart included in the book is clever, but I sincerely doubt the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man could take Godzilla, no matter how much bigger he is. Smores anyone?
Good idea- lackluster execution........2005-08-06
I was thrilled to see this book at the local Hastings, being a monster geek and all. However, I think it could have been better:
1. Several entries were inaccurate- they claim the first Frankenstein movie was the James Whale version, which is not true. If I recall correctly, their was a silent version that was made at the very dawn of motion photography.
2. Some were redundant- there's different entries for "Living Dead" and "Zombies", along with the Gorgon and Medusa. In the, er, "real world" (as far as you can say brain-eating, walking corpses apply to it) there might be a difference, but not so much in the "reel world". (Before anyone throws a fit, let me say taht I am aware of the real-life voodoo "zombies". I just think that in movies "zombies" is practically reserved for the brain-eating type, and the Serpent and the Rainbow types should be designated some other way. Voodoo Zombies?)
3. While many obscure movie monsters were covered (Frogs? Vampire Circus? Ape from George of the Jungle?) many notables were excluded. Where's the Xenomorphs from Aliens? The Predator? E.T.? Graboids?
4. The last one might be anal of me, but there were tons of typos.
I would recommend this books for monster movie geeks (duh) but I wouldn't do so heartily.
Kong, Frankenstein's Monster, Norman Bates and Shrek.......2005-07-21
For 100 years of movies and TV, monsters have been apart of the imagination of many geniuses; from monster animals, to monster men, to manufactured monsters and many more kinds of monsters. King Kong, Frankenstein's Monster, Shrek, the Munsters, Tarantula, Norman Bates, Dracula and Many more. For any one who loves monsters this is the book for you.
Another mistake the book makes.......2005-03-07
It claims that Eddie was Grandpa Munster's nephew. Huh? Eddie was Grandpa's grandson.
Book Description
Scripts from the first series of "The Office," the BBC TV sitcom that shows how anyone can be a great boss and a funny person—according to the Brentmeister General, David Brent.
Customer Reviews:
The humor leaps off the page........2004-06-12
One would imagine that the mere written words that make up The Office scripts would lack the dark humor and timing of the show. Fortunately that ain't the case as the scripts are just as funny and draw attention to elements that may go missed on the show. And from a writing point of view, it's interesting to see how well characters and situations are developed with the sole use of dialogue and minimal action description.
The scripts are printed on glossy paper with 2 or 3 high-res photos per page and are book-ended by funny e-mails and notices from David Brent himself. A definite must have for fans of The Office.
Ideal present.......2003-10-01
This book, as you guessed i hope, is the scripts from the office series 1. All 6 episodes are here with a couple of color picture grabs on each page to keep you remebering the faces and the tone of the situation. If you like this sort of thing then i'm sure it will satisfy you. The great benefit of the presentation of this book is that you can give it as a present without looking like an idiot, i'm sure a present of a pulp paperback book of scripts would slightly horrify most people, this one edges into a 'thoughtful' gift.
The BEST thing about this book however is that you get the guitar tab for 'Freelove Highway' in it. Guitarists who do club performances etc... may find this a great little cover to do. Also, the guy who plays David Brent(the boss), Ricky Gervais, was in a band when he was younger. He really has been there, done that and got the t-shirt!
Average customer rating:
- Lots of totally worthless trivia
- YEAH ME TOO
- The "Hollow Man" Has Had a Solid Career.
- BRAVO MR. GINELLI
- Absolutely Brilliant
|
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
Craig Fass ,
Brian Turtle , and
Mike Ginelli
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Actors & Actresses
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Parodies
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
What's That From?: The Ultimate Quiz Book of Contemporary Movie Lines
ASIN: 0452278449 |
Customer Reviews:
Lots of totally worthless trivia.......2005-12-01
Only good to go along with the game--and the game is impossible to play.
YEAH ME TOO.......2004-01-07
OK, I was in the first dinner theatre production of "A Chorus Line" with Joe Inscoe who was in "From the Earth to the Moon" with Elizabeth Perkins who was in "He said She said" with Kevin Bacon.
The "Hollow Man" Has Had a Solid Career........2002-04-04
This book is a companion piece to the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game. I've played the game a few times, but I never actually knew there was a real 'board game' game of the game until recently. I figured that the book might help me learn a bit more about that wonderful actor, Kevin Bacon, and give me an edge over my croonies in crime the next time we play the game. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot here. The book is quite short and basically consists of a bunch of "six degrees or less" lists. The introduction by Kevin Bacon himself is interesting to read and so is the history of the game. The book also has a Kevin Bacon filmography that is rather informative. However, the book needs an update because Bacon's been in several films since 1997. This book is great for any fan of Bacon, any serious film buff, and anyone who likes to play the game. If you don't fall into one of those categories, don't waste your money.
BRAVO MR. GINELLI.......2002-03-02
This is a charming commentary on the prolific career one of America's premier thespians. In this modern classic, Mr. Ginelli truly captures the essence of Mr. Bacon's career on the big screen. Like a barefoot jaunt through a flowery meadow, this novel captivates all of the readers senses. Thank you Mr. Ginelli for this masterpiece of modern literature.
Absolutely Brilliant.......2001-02-16
Wow! I was very surprised that a group of enebriated college punks could come up with such I clever idea. There parents and friends must be so proud. My final thoughts are "Good book, Great game". Thanks guys.
Average customer rating:
|
Bob & Ray: The Soap Operas, Volume One, featuring: Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife (38 Selections--4 Cassettes, 4 Hours)
Audio
Manufacturer: Radio Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
General
| Theater
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Parodies
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General Broadcasting
| Radio
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Soap Operas
| Shows
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Direction & Production
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Humor
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Radio Shows
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: 1892091186 |
Book Description
the end is near
Surviving the apocalypse is one thing. Enjoying life after most of civilization is wiped out -- that's entirely different. Maybe you can outrun an avalanche, or escape a burning building, but can you really cut it after the unthinkable happens? Can you, for example, deal with damn dirty apes, convert your car to run on bathtub gin, or synthesize a species-saving vaccine from your own mucus? No?
Obviously, it's not going to be as easy as you thought to come out of Armageddon as the new ruling king of the world. Any chump off the street could be lucky enough to have the immunity to survive the
all-of-humanity-killing disease, or be the one dude who happens
to make it through a meteor strike. But not everyone will know
what clothes to wear to intimidate, or what kind of vehicle you want to be driving in the postapocalyptic wasteland. Not everyone will have the sense to discern whether their food is, in fact, people.
You can survive the apocalypse without this book. But the apocalypse isn't the problem: It's what happens afterward. You against the other people left in the world. You'd better be prepared.
Customer Reviews:
She "gets it".......2007-09-03
This is one of those books.
Unfortunately shorter than War and Peace or Brothers Kam... , something Cyrillic. We need more from this author. She is someone who has the wit to spit in the eye of the inevitable. You wouldn't mind striking up a conversation with her in the line at the DMV or waiting for that express elevator. If you guys have any pull, use it for our advantage. Please. This is a funny, insightful, useful book.
WWMMD (What Would Mad Max Do)?.......2007-05-10
Ahhh, Meghann Marco, it must be crazy being around you. So the end of the world is coming (and it will come) so what are you going to do? Well, Meghann has given us some options based on knowledge-stealing from friends like 'Smart Neighbor', her own research, and piles of Apocalyptic movie scenarios. While this book isn't dead serious, it still provides some actual information yet in a highly humorous way. What do we have to look forward to - here ya go:
1. The False Utopia where culture, emotions, and reproduction are controlled by the 'higher ups'. How to break free of those mind controlling drugs they have you on and how to hide your freewill so as not to be captured and 'recycled'. You learn how to tell if you're in a dreamworld and how to avoid the simulacrum robot replacement initiatives.
Some at the movie references: The Island, Matrix, Clockwork Orange, Total Recall, Equilibrium, Stepdford Wives.
2. Neo-Medieval World and how it's brought about through natural disasters (super volcanos, greenhouse effect, ice age, meteor strike), pandemic disease, robot revolution, and the massive co-ordinated animal uprising. You learn how to survive in the apocalyptic wasteland (remember Wardrobe, Firepower, and proper choosing of your Vehicle & Pet). How to become the Warlord. Converting your car to use alternate fuels. Some notes on zombies and how to make antiserums (along with who to save - hotness is a factor). And dealing with massive severe climate change.
Look to movies like Mad Max, Army of Darkness, 12 Monkeys, Planet of the Apes, Terminator, Back to the Future, 28 Days Later.
3. Advanced Technological Dystopia where computers and robots infest our world. What to do to become the heroic detective and how to talk in 'cityspeak'. Being the Hacker and how to dress for it. How to tell if someone is a replicant and clone (and using it to your advantage). Dealing with extra-terrestrials and robot uprisings.
Movies: Terminator, A.I., Blade Runner, Fifth Element, Mars Attacks, They Live, and Alien.
4. Lastly, Tips for saving the world such as how to stop the alien invasion, assembling the proper ecclectic group of people to save the world, beating the massive co-ordinated animal uprising, and dealing with giant insects and other mutants of radiation.
Meghann gives us a great book to show how we can outwit and survive those less knowledgeable people that live down the street. Big influences on Mad Max movies, Matrix, & Blade Runner. Also, Meghann wants to make sure that anyone should be saving Jude Law for her (or George Clooney as a back up). She appreciates the undefined wisdom of Biff Tannen and most importantly... do whatever you need to to get a 1974 Ford Falcon 'V8 Interceptor' and you will be sure to survive.
The book lacks what the title says.......2006-11-11
This book has more of a comical approach to the apocalpse.It was an alright read but don't be looking for good info on survival.This is a fun read not a serious one.
Who ever thought Mad Max could be so funny.......2006-02-17
Funny as hell, no funnier than that; funny as underwater basket weaving.
Buy It. Read It. Tell other people about it........2005-11-10
- Do houseguests constantly complain that you've got nothing interesting to read in the bathroom?
- Do friends complain that waiting impatiently for you (as you try on your 33rd successive outfit while getting ready to go to the club) is boring because your coffee table contains only archaic episodes of the Onion and a few unpaid cable bills* to read?
- Are you constantly searching for 'light' or 'light-hearted' reading material that won't suck you in to a plot-line and refuse to let you get to sleep until 5 minutes before your alarm goes off?
Then go get yourself a copy of Field Guide to the Apocalypse : Movie Survival Skills for the End of the World by Meghann Marco
Most of the people I choose to spend my Saturday nights gaming, watching movies or even just socializing with, probably could have written this book. I probably could have written this book. You probably could've written this book** -- if we weren't so busy whiling our time away reading and writing things like Amazon.com Reviews instead, that is.
But thank heavens that Meghann Marco did - because it needed to be written!! And she definitely did it justice. Don't believe me without thumbing through it yourself?
Go read a few excerpts.
It's a delightful little book - and if you keep it on the coffeetable, or in the W.C., it will amuse the crap out of you*** - presuming you have at least a passing knowledge of post-apocalyptic movies. It's good to be familiar with just about any Charlton Heston after-the-end-of-civilization movie (Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, Omega Man...) It's good to know any Kubrick 'futurism' movies (2001, Dr. Strangelove...) It's good to know some of the more popular Philip K. Dick stories-adapted-to-movies (Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report...) It doesn't hurt to have a healthy knowledge of the Classic-Sci-Fi-novel-turned-movies (1984, Farenheit 451, Brave New World...) in order to get a lot of the 'Cognoscenti' references. But even if your only familiarity is a brush with Logan's Run or the Matrix movies, you'll still enjoy the humor.
Honestly, this isn't deep, meaningful literature. It's not groundbreaking - there are a slew of similar books on the same subjects, including those limited to just one genre of PA society (zombies, comets, asteroids, wastelands...)
But it IS damn funny... and it's definitely worth the cover price.
Even if nobody else ever stays in your post-apocalypticesque bathroom long enough to find out why
you kept laughing so hard while you were in there!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Which at least explains why they aren't watching pay-per-view adult movies on your TV instead
** An assumption, given that you're literate enough to have gotten this far and clearly have at least a passing interest in the subject matter - or you wouldn't have kept reading
*** The pun was unintentional when I wrote it, but then it amused me, so I left it in due to vanity (did you catch that one?) and because I can (can! hah... another bad restroom pun! I crack me up - not as much as the book does, but you get what you pay for)
Average customer rating:
- Thank you "Good Morning America!"
- Laugh out loud.
- Nice Job!
- "Brand-new"? -- Not really . . .
|
National Lampoon's Big Book of True Facts
Manufacturer: Rugged Land
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Love, Sex & Marriage
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Parodies
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Curiosities & Wonders
| Fun Facts
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1590710592
Release Date: 2005-05-31 |
Book Description
National Lampoon’s True Facts:
At long last, a completely new and unique collection of National
Lampoon’s wacky, true, and amazingly stupid True Facts.
Brief Description:
Before Jay Leno’s “Headlines,” before the New York Post’s “Weird but
True,” there was National Lampoon’s TRUE FACTS–hilarious real-life
advertisements, stupefying signs, weird wedding announcements, and
other completely absurd-but-true samples of real-life funny stuff.
Customer Reviews:
Thank you "Good Morning America!".......2004-07-23
I just saw this Bicycling Comedian guy on Good Morning America showing pictures of his funny road signs. I had to go out and buy the book! It doesn't disappoint.
Tons of great color photos interspersed with funny newspaper clippings. Must be the best collection of funny road signs out there, very cleverly put together with a theme on each page.
Everybody I've shown it to has laughed out loud, no matter what page they turn to. Reall funny stuff.
Laugh out loud........2004-07-07
Or maybe snicker and chortle. This big, colorful book is full of pictures that will make you giggle and true-but-strange news stories that will have you going to your friends and say "listen to this!"
Really funny!
Nice Job!.......2004-06-30
This book is a great collection of the 'best' of National Lampoon's famous True Facts section which started the whole "Weird News" category.
The new stuff is just as good, and the presentation of the material makes for a snicker-when-no-one's-looking book. A very guilty pleasure!
"Brand-new"? -- Not really . . ........2004-06-29
The editors of National Lampoon do not understand the term "brand-new." At least 75% of the material in this book comes directly from the 1995 collection "National Lampoon Presents True Facts: The Big Book." This 2004 edition should be marketed as a four-color reissue with some additions, not as a completely new work. The new material is not very funny, the editorial comments are rife with typos, and at least three images are repeated twice _in the same book_! What a sloppy, frustrating follow-up to the hilarious 1995 collection.
(...)
Books:
- What the Dead Know: A Novel
- WORDS THAT WORK: IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, IT'S WHAT PEOPLE HEAR
- Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map: The Leave-Nothing-to-Chance, Worry-Free, All-Systems-Go Guide
- A Hand to Guide Me
- A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition
- A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
- America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies
- America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies
- American Cinema/American Culture
- Angels on Sunset Boulevard
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution
- Who am I in the Lives of Children
- The Blue Wolf: The Epic Tale of the Life of Genghis Khan and the Empire of the Steppes
- The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
- The Jazz Image: Masters of Jazz Photography
- Unburnable: A Novel
- The Voice of Knowledge : A Practical Guide to Inner Peace
- AVR: An Introductory Course
- The Dollar Crisis: Causes, Consequences, Cures , Revised and Updated
- Consultants & Consulting Organizations Directory Supplement: A Reference Guide to More Than 25,0
Writing the Comedy Film: Make 'Em Laugh
The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even If You're Not
How to Write Funny: Add Humor to Every Kind of Writing
The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom--The Comedy Writer's Ultimate "How To" Guide
Writing the Romantic Comedy
