Customer Reviews:
An annotated forgotten classic, and a suitable gift for your favorite kitchen antiquarian.......2007-05-05
It's easy to forget that Jeff Smith, who ended his culinary career in the midst of a sex scandal filled with more questions than answers and who ultimately died in obscurity, at one time held the same place in the pop culinary world as Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray do now. It's a simple fact: sometimes otherwise great people do stupid things that utterly obliterate an otherwise stellar legacy. But no matter what the truth of the whole matter is, I have to agree with Alton Brown's two-liner review of Smith's original volume in his stellar "I'm Just Here for the Food": "I don't care what he does or did in his personal life. Everything in here worked back then and still does."
Now over a hundred years old, Charles Fellows' Culinary Handbook, written for the turn-of-the-century American hospitality trade, was an answer to such tomes as Escoffier's Guide Culinaire, whose first edition had come out two years previous and was no doubt very close at hand in Fellows' trade, even as he sought to create a purely American answer to Escoffier's masterwork. And Fellows did produce a very solid volume -- practically anything that needs to be known about upscale American cookery circa 1900 is here, and it's very instructive to flip through the book and find out about lost culinary fashions and changes in meaning and technique over the years.
In 1991, Jeff Smith and his sous-chef Craig Wollam released their updating of the book. This is important, since Fellows never made the splash he'd hoped to on the culinary scene, and much of the history behind it had been left in the past along with the Culinary Handbook. (Incidentally, despite Smith's failing health and increasing reliance on Wollam behind the scenes and on screen, this is the only one of Smith's books where Wollam recieves a coauthor credit.) Smith and Wollam give the book a much-needed dose of context, first and foremost, using the famously gluttonous railroad magnate Diamond Jim Brady and the ultrafancy New York restaurant Delmonico's (its last successor, the New Orleans location, now owned by Emeril Lagasse) as examples of what was popular on the tables of the 1900s. Much of the book recieves substantial annotation from Smith and Wollam, including a good number of recipes with modern appeal fully articulated from Fellows' concise descriptions and a section exploring the differences between 1904 and 1991 kitchen techniques.
As essential as this book is for the historian of American food (and it's sad that it will probably never see print again because of Smith's fall from grace), it suffers from some grating flaws. The first is the fact that much of Smith's history must be taken with a grain of salt -- while Smith was an excellent cook and writer, he was known to play fast and loose with historical research, especially when religion was involved. While religion factors into only one or two of his books (particularly "The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast" and "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine"), it does leave one with the need to do some extra fact checking when using this or any Frugal Gourmet book for historical research. The other glaring flaw is the layout -- while Smith and Wollam's commentary is clearly distinguished from Fellows' original work with different-colored text and a lighter typeface, it's unnecessarily difficult to figure out where one entry ends and another begins, as recipe descriptions really aren't meaningfully separated from the entry text at all. (If this were ever reprinted, William Morrow & Co would be well advised to redo all the typesetting in this book to remedy this fault, as it seriously impairs the readability in this book.)
For whatever flaws the man had, though, Jeff Smith was an excellent writer and a culinary inspiration to millions. His work on salvaging this forgotten volume makes it a must-read for any student of antiquarian cooking, so if you or a friend is into that sort of thing, you must seek out a copy.
Average customer rating:
- A Shakespeare dummy no more
- Many trees but not much forest.
- Shakespeare for you and I
- Fun, funny, and informative!
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Shakespeare for Dummies
John Doyle , and
Ray Lischner
Manufacturer: For Dummies
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Shakespeare A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Plays, His Poems, His Life and Times, and More
ASIN: 0764551353 |
Amazon.com
Had Shakespeare for Dummies been around in the days of the Bard, perhaps Puck would have had no reason to opine, "Oh what fools these mortals be." Despite its title, this introduction to the playwright's life and plays comes with quite a pedigree: written by John Doyle, a Shakespeare scholar and former Artistic Director of the Theatre Royal York, and Ray Lischner, a Shakespearean actor and director, this guide book even boasts a short foreword by Dame Judi Dench. Since it's a scant two paragraphs long, perhaps she intended it as a jacket testimonial. And though the approach is lighthearted, there's nothing lightweight about the treatment given such wide-ranging subjects as Shakespeare's sources, the themes of his plays, the political and social issues that influenced him, and even the Aristotelian rules that applied to comedy and tragedy. Then there are the plot synopses, a glossary of Elizabethan English, and guidelines for how to read a play or the sonnets, as well as how to prepare for viewing a theatrical performance. There's also a list of versions available on video at the end of each play's synopsis. And finally, Doyle and Lischner offer their Top 10 lists, including the 10 best places to see a play, the top 10 Shakespearean performers, the 10 most common phrases, and 10 modern shows based on Shakespeare's plays. Perfect for students or anyone hoping to brush up on the Bard, this Shakespeare for Dummies ain't anybody's fool. --Alix Wilber
Book Description
“Shakespeare For Dummies is exquisite.”
—from the Foreword by Dame Judi Dench, star of “Mrs. Brown” and "Shakespeare in Love"
“What the film Shakespeare in Love has done to make Shakespeare the man accessible to a general audience, this book will do to make Shakespeare the writer enjoyable.”
—Charlotte J.Headrick, PhD, Professor and Director, Theater Arts, Oregon State University
Does the thought of sitting through A Midsummer Night’s Dream give you nightmares? Did Romeo and Juliet seem like a foreign film—without the subtitles? As John Doyle and Ray Lischner prove in this uniquely accessible guide, Shakespeare is not only the greatest writer who ever lived, he’s also a great entertainer—once you get a handle on his wild plots and witty wordplay. Under their guidance, you’ll:
- Go inside an Elizabethan theater—and find out how they managed with almost no seats, no roof and no women onstage
- Get a handle on Shakespeare’s language—including all those racy puns and jokes
- Maximize your enjoyment of his plays and poetry
- Identify contemporary idioms and phrases that come from Shakespeare’s plays
- Find Shakespeare festivals and performances in your area
- Catch ten of the best show ever made of the Bard’s plays and meet ten of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time
In simple, straightforward language, this friendly guide eases you into the wild, wonderful world of Shakespeare. With the help of snappy summaries and scorecards that help you keep track of who’s who, who’s in love with whom, and who’s killed whom in every play, it helps you:
- Understand Shakespeare the person, his life and times and what makes him so special
- Make sense of Shakespearean language and why it sounds the way it does
- Get the inside track on the kinds of stories, characters and settings found in Shakespeare’s plays
- Appreciate Shakespeare’s sonnets and other non-dramatic poetry
A royal feast for the head and heart, Shakespeare’s works have been thrilling audiences for four centuries, as they will four hundred years from now. Now let Shakespeare For Dummies help you to enjoy one the world’s great literary treasures.
Customer Reviews:
A Shakespeare dummy no more.......2004-05-09
"Exquisite," as Judi Dench writes in her forward, a treat for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare and an accessible guide for those who want to learn more about him and his work. Authors John Doyle and Ray Lischner are acutely attune to the difficulties one faces when encountering Shakespeare, whether for pleasure or required reading, and pare down the excesses of language into a digestible, humorous guide.
Act-by-act summaries of the plays form the bulk of this book, but a biography and introduction to the Elizabethan era (Chapter 2, "Will's World") as well as the essentials to understanding Shakespeare's work receive a fair amount of attention. Part II is devoted entirely to language, with a small glossary of commonly used words and keys to the many puns and jokes in the plays. Particularly helpful is Chapter 6, "How to Read Shakespeare's English." In Part III, the authors introduce structure, themes, and common character types and explore the actual staging of a play. In addition to his dramatic works, the book also discusses Shakespeare's sonnets and various other poems.
You'll find these elements in many introductory works, but few contain as much information and are as easy to read. The authors do all they can to facilitate modern readers - scorecards to track characters and their actions, video suggestions, photos from stage and film productions, and international festivals. After reading this book, you'll be ready to discuss any topic on Shakespeare, from the ten greatest Shakespearean performers to the Dark Lady of the sonnets to whether "Cymbeline" is a comedy, tragedy, or history.
Many trees but not much forest........2000-12-16
There are 2 main reasons for purchasing one of the books in this series: you're a "dummy" with respect to the subject, or you're knowledgeable and either wish to test your smarts against the author's or to acquire some ideas about how to communicate your knowledge to others. If I may be so presumptuous as to place myself in the latter category, I'd be hard-pressed to recommend this book. It provides comparatively brief summaries of each of the plays, but little perspective on what makes one play more profound, more respected, more "required" reading than another. A reader might just as easily conclude that *Titus Andronicus* is as important as *Hamlet*; that *Romeo and Juliet* is no less a tragedy than *Lear*; that *Henry 6 or 8* is as well written as *Henry's 4 and 5*. Moreover, the book-cover blurb promises to teach the reader how to read the Sonnets (totalling 154), yet the authors provide no more than 2 glib paragraphs about the sonnet cycle.
The authors' recommendations about films and editions are too succinct or limited to be of much help. (Only the Arden Complete Edition is recommended, an edition with numerous problems.) And there's the question of just how much justice you can do the Bard with language that, unlike his, is unremittingly "flip." But if you enjoy this style, I'd recommend reading first the section on Shakespeare in *An Incomplete Education* to get a better sense of which readings are truly indispensable and most worthy of a reader's time. And if you want more detailed summaries of plays, try SparkNotes, the website created by Harvard students.
Shakespeare for you and I.......2000-04-17
This book is brought to you by the same folks who publish all the ". . . For Dummies" books for learning computer programs. I have been known to snicker at these books, as I'm rather computer-dweebic, and don't need computer-dummy books.
It turns out that my next screenplay involves Shakespeare, and before I started writing, I needed to do some research on the bloke and his works. At the local library, I found "Shakespeare for Dummies." I scanned the book, then nearly choked on swallowing a dollop of pride as I toted the book through the checkout.
It's not easy to be expert at something and at the same time to be able to explain it clearly to beginners (or dummies). These authors definitely do have that talent.
Open the cover, and first thing, there's a listing of all of the dude's plays with a one or two sentence summary -- the lay of the land!
The book goes on to cover the life and times of William; explanations of his brand of English, the theatrical world he worked in, etc. Deeper into the book, there are two- to three-page summaries of each play, with recommendations for videos of each play.
The authors' wholistic approach is very informative, and they take a good-natured approach to a topic that could be oh-so-scholarly.
My screenplay, by the way, is titled Learning Shakespeare. The irony of it all.
Fun, funny, and informative!.......1999-10-02
Shakespeare isn't dull when you read Shakespeare for Dummies. It starts with an overview of Shakespeare's life and world. It tells you what you need to know about Shakespeare's language, plays, and poetry, without burdening you with stuffy academic claptrap. Summaries of every play tell you about the play prior to watching it on stage or on screen. This book is for everyone--Lit. majors, actors, or if you just want to know more about Shakespeare.
Average customer rating:
- Gems of Information at a Glance
- It really looks amazing! Great layout.
- Should be in your Barker library!
- A worthwhile coffee table book of the macabre
- As a matter of fact...
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Clive Barker's A-Z Horror
Stephen Jones
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
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ASIN: 0061053678 |
Amazon.com
This splashy, high-concept book with glossy pages (designed to accompany a BBC-TV series) is not so much an encyclopedia, as a color scrapbook of Clive Barker's horror obsessions. After an introduction in which Barker examines such questions as "What is horror?" and "Why does it fascinate us?," the book takes the form of 26 heavily illustrated historical essays about assorted topics in the genre--one for each letter of the alphabet (e.g., "B is for Beelzebub"). The pictures include numerous paintings and drawings by Barker, stills from movies, movie posters, author/director bio inserts, and photographs of all types. A partial list of the topics covered: serial killers, H. P. Lovecraft, Dennis Wheatley, John Carpenter, H. R. Giger, Grand Guignol, makeup, killer clowns, killer kids, body horror, Japanese monsters, Barbara Steele, Shirley Jackson, fairy tales, and sculptor Franz Messerschmidt. A fun toy for horror buffs!
Book Description
In this richly illustrated volume--masterfully complied from the BBC television miniseries by Stephen Jones--Clive Barker, the modern master of horror, takes you on a terrifyingly intimate tour of his personal sources and secrets. Here is the unspeakable stuff of which Barker's vision was formed: a wonderfully eclectic and wide-ranging collection of nightmares from the literature and film. Meet serial killers and serious authors, outlaw directors and rebel artists, legendary monsters and movie stars from Psycho to Silence of the Lambs. From exorcisms to zombie dances, chaos to cannibalism, Lovecraft to Elm Street, Dracula to Deuteronomy, discover the dark and grisly world of Clive Barker.
Customer Reviews:
Gems of Information at a Glance.......2007-03-12
I join the ranks of those who have given high praise to this superb, vibrant compilation of facts and other curious oddities about horror in books and film. The layout design is graphically pleasing with dozens of photos and illustrations in both black and white and color. These are attractively aired with white space on the pages and, though interesting in themselves, never compete or distract from the text. Essential bibliographic data or curious informational tidbits are smartly set in gray screen and/or block frames. All of these design elements make for a highly attractive book but, most importantly, aid in gleaning facts at quick glance. In fact, much of the book's design strategies help disguise the fact there is an abundance of information that might seem tedious or less interesting if presented less imaginatively. The book is actually quite dense with facts, dates, and quotes--all visually displayed in a palatable, readily accessible presentation. Though this reviewer has not seen the acclaimed BBC television series to which this book is the official companion, he suspects it to be equally energetic and ambitious in its presentation; and the inspirational basis for the book's high-concept, stunning design. A detailed index gives added value to this concisely written, well-organized guide to the best horrific frights in cinema and print.
It really looks amazing! Great layout........2003-10-12
This is an excellent book about all things horror, but is mostly concerned about books and movies. I got this book after flicking through the pages in the local bookstore and was taken aback by the wonderful layout and colorful images of what Clive Barker has to tell us about the world of horror. It is completely illustrated from start to finish and has lots of art work from Barker himself and there is plenty to read about in between images and pictures of all things diabolical.
Essentially the book donates a few pages to each letter of the alphabet like "M" is for "Murder" and then Barker starts ranting about that topic in as many of its different forms as he sees fit - however the book is primarily written by Stephen Jones, but there is plenty of Barker inside. There is lots and lots of references to artists, writers, actors, filmmakers, makeup artists and directors. Barker also talks about real life horror with such topics as Ed Gein the serial killer.
I would highly recommend this volume of work to anyone who wants to know more about horror. By flicking through the pages they will come across lots and lots of things that they would probably like to know more about. Whenever I am thinking about buying a horror movie or a horror novel I always turn to this guide to see what Barker or Jones recommend. As a horror writer Barker is into the whole scene and is never short of coming up with something interesting that you might like to know more about.
This is highly recommended companion guide to all things horror. The book is really well designed and you will find yourself turning to it time and time again.
Should be in your Barker library!.......2002-04-30
This book is not written by Clive Barker, but is based on the tv-series that took its que after the successful author. As far as i can see most of the text is written by Stephen Jones. But this should not scare away the Barker fans, because the book is packed with illustrations and qoutes from our favourite author. On top of that the book contains a lot of interesting essays about a lot of horrorrelated subjects(A-Z).
Great buy and beautiful book!
A worthwhile coffee table book of the macabre.......2001-07-02
Combining short but insightful text with a visually stunning layout design, _Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror_ provides a light read on some very dark subjects. It would make an excellent gift for both those making their first steps into this genre as well as for old hands looking for something to keep around for visitors to squeal about.
As a matter of fact..........2000-08-26
I would recommend this book for all passing horror fans and experts alike; Clive Barker, that well respected mentor of modern English horror, has created a fine compendium. If at times a little pretentious, particularly in the sprawling and philosophical introduction, the layout is first-class and it doesn't dwell on the statistics-for-anoraks that so many of these type of film book do. Enjoyable, perhaps even essential for your film shelf. It is at times a little lightweight; at others, snobbish and frothy.
Average customer rating:
- Judged a Top Ten sports book by editors of BOOKLIST magazine
- Bruce And The Truth
- The Tao of Self-Awakening
- Another great book by Davis Miller
- Fun reading
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The Tao of Bruce Lee
Davis Miller
Manufacturer: Vintage, U.K.
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ASIN: 009977951X
Release Date: 2001-11-27 |
Book Description
Author of the immensely successful The Tao of Muhammed Ali, Davis Miller now turns his attention to another cult figure: film star and martial arts superhero Bruce Lee. As before, he brilliantly combines biography—in this case, the fullest and most revelatory to date—with coming-of-age autobiography.
Customer Reviews:
Judged a Top Ten sports book by editors of BOOKLIST magazine.......2007-03-07
Miller, Davis. The Tao of Bruce Lee: A Martial Arts Memoir
Miller combines a biography of Bruce Lee with his own coming-of-age story as a "karate kid" in the early 1970s. Whether describing how a viewing of Lee's Enter the Dragon changed his life or dispelling many of the myths behind the Lee legend, Miller manages to turn the story of two lives into a fascinating study of the nature of the hero in popular culture. BILL OTT, Editor
Bruce And The Truth.......2007-01-25
The subtitle, A Martial Arts Memoir, describes what this book is really about. It's not a biography about Bruce Lee - though various "facts" and "myths" about him are detailed or debunked. Rather, it's a tale of how Bruce Lee's movies, athleticism, martial arts prowess, focus and determination, philosophy, and larger-than-life persona awoke the dormant soul of a ninety pound weakling. The Tao of Bruce Lee details Davis Miller's transformation from sad, loner, directionless, teenage failure into an accomplished martial artist, writer and, most importantly, vibrant, purposeful human being. The misery of Miller's life before seeing Bruce Lee explode on the screen in Enter the Dragon is, in places, gut-wrenching. But the sadness and despair are replaced by optimism and an the urge to yell, "`atta-boy!" as the young Miller slowly wriggles out of his cocoon. Miller's is a story of possibilities; if he can discover himself, find meaning and contentment in life, anyone can. Beside the quasi-spiritual autobiographical stuff, Miller touches on Bruce Lee's martial arts skills and reputation, his meteoric rise to superstardom, particularly in Asia, the facts surrounding his death and his enduring worldwide impact. There is a lot about Muhammad Ali and comparisons and contrasts between these two very talented men (and what they gave to the world.) Miller brings up Ali so much, one may wonder why he didn't simply write one book, The Tao of Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee. This book is better on reflection than when actually reading it. I like it more now - and would rate it higher - than I did when I turned the last page this morning. It has a good aftertaste.
The Tao of Self-Awakening.......2006-03-15
The subtitle, A Martial Arts Memoir, describes what this book is really about. It's not a biography about Bruce Lee - though various "facts" and "myths" about him are detailed or debunked. Rather, it's a tale of how Bruce Lee's movies, athleticism, martial arts prowess, focus and determination, philosophy, and larger-than-life persona awoke the dormant soul of a ninety pound weakling. The Tao of Bruce Lee details Davis Miller's transformation from sad, loner, directionless, teenage failure into an accomplished martial artist, writer and, most importantly, vibrant, purposeful human being.
The misery of Miller's life before seeing Bruce Lee explode on the screen in Enter the Dragon is, in places, gut-wrenching. But the sadness and despair are replaced by optimism and an the urge to yell, "`atta-boy!" as the young Miller slowly wriggles out of his cocoon. Miller's is a story of possibilities; if he can discover himself, find meaning and contentment in life, anyone can.
Beside the quasi-spiritual autobiographical stuff, Miller touches on Bruce Lee's martial arts skills and reputation, his meteoric rise to superstardom, particularly in Asia, the facts surrounding his death and his enduring worldwide impact. There is a lot about Muhammad Ali and comparisons and contrasts between these two very talented men (and what they gave to the world.) Miller brings up Ali so much, one may wonder why he didn't simply write one book, The Tao of Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee.
This book is better on reflection than when actually reading it. I like it more now - and would rate it higher - than I did when I turned the last page this morning. It has a good aftertaste.
Another great book by Davis Miller.......2005-07-04
When I first read the Tao of Bruce Lee, I was expecting another biography of Lee (and being a die-hard fan of Lee, that would have been perfectly fine), but this book turned out to be a lot more than that.
The first half of the book deals with the life of Davis Miller himself - growing up as a scrawny, ninety pound kid in North Carolina - and the profound impact Lee had on his life. Inspired by Lee, Miller finds the motivation to try and better his meaningless life by practicing hard to become the greatest Martial Artist alive (or as he puts it: "lightning on limbs"). I am sure the discipline and dedication he learnt while practicing Martial Arts helped him later in his life as a writer.
The second half of the book focuses more on Lee, and tries to remove the "thick mist of money making" that has obscured the true story of Bruce Lee by presenting a very honest and well researched account of Lee's life. Overall, an extremely well written and readable book.
Fun reading.......2004-12-03
"I desperately need something to read", I suddenly recalled when I was heading for my favourite coffeshop. So, I popped in and started to look for something, and this book sort of beamed at me. I got it under the impression that it was a biography about Bruce Lee, but it turns out that it is more a book about Davis Miller's relation to Bruce Lee and how Lee has influenced him. It is very easy reading and a quite nice book, and at page 97 and onwards a small biography about Bruce Lee (or Li Jun Fan, which was his real name) appears. Apparently it is hard to find any books with true facts, Davis Miller claims that this one shall be rather close to truth, and you will learn that Bruce Lee wasn't the lonely martial arts master that one thinks. If you like martial arts in general, and more specifically Bruce Lee, get this book, you will finish it within a couple of days and it is fun reading.
Average customer rating:
|
Claude Debussy: An Essential Guide to His Life and Works (Classic FM Lifelines Series)
Jonathon Brown
Manufacturer: Pavilion Books
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ASIN: 1857939727 |
Product Description
A comprehensive reference volume of the most popular, enduring film genre: feature-length (over 40 minutes) Westerns, including 16mm, 8mm, Super 8mm, videocassettes and videodiscs. Each entry has film title, release company and year, running time, b&w/color notation, cast listing, plot synopsis, brief critical review. A master list of cowboys and their horses is provided and the book is comprehensively indexed.
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Good Reference.......2002-12-29
This is a must for the western movie fan. Information is very consise, but a good first step before getting out your other resources.
Customer Reviews:
Magicimage Filmbooks Presents: House of Frankenstein.......2001-08-04
Still another in a great series of Classic Horror Filmscripts. Fully detailed and full of lavish photos, this book goes into censorship problems of that time and gives, in the script, an alternative destruction for Count Dracula. If you loved the movie or collect items on the Universal Monsters then this is a must have. Get this, and others in the Universal Filmscript Series, while you can!
Book Description
These heroes came riding into America's living rooms in one form or another from the earliest days of television and rode off into the sunset in the late 1970s.
Here are detailed descriptions of every major and minor television Western series to appear, 1946-1978 (the Golden Age): theme, sustaining cast members and their characters, air dates & times, network(s). Separate listings show Emmy winners, Nielson ratings, recordings of theme music by artist and record label and other recordings of interest. Many great photos.
Customer Reviews:
Almost a perfect book........2005-03-22
While all books have their own flaws, this one is the least of my favorites about TV westerns. Why? Because I keep finding errors in the pages. Compare this book to other reference works. The Have Gun Will Travel episode listing in this book has wrong titles, a couple mis-spelled, and wrong dates for a few entries. I compared it to the Have Gun Will Travel Companion by Grams and Wikstrom (which lists the dates the episodes were filmed - it's that detailed!) and they are far more accurate. Granted, there is conflicting material between the two, but evidence such as dates of filming and production numbers and that sort suggest this McFarland book of TV episode guides to be as accurate as anything you find on the web (and strangely enough, an almost duplicate of what tvtome offers). But owning this book is worth a quick reference if not looking for pure accuracy. Price is steep, but recommended.
A "must have" for any fan of the TV Western era!.......1999-01-11
I picked up this book when it first came out in hardcover years ago, and I'm glad to see it is once again available --- my original copy is nearly worn out! It's not only well-written and well-researched, it will also reawaken warm memories of years gone by for any baby-boomer who grew up in the days when TV westerns were the bread and butter of family entertainment. An excellent, comprehensive thumbnail guide to TV westerns!
Book Description
The classic work on film directing, now fully revised for the millennium
with a foreword by James Garner
introduced by Robert Wise
The Boston Globe said The Film Director ìis more than a solid nuts-and-bolts textbook. It is a fascinating behind-the-kliegs look at the director's world. Backstage raved, At long last, a book about directing written by a successful full-time practitioner of the craft. The New York Times called The Film Director, "Interestingly written as a clear and well-illustrated handbook for the beginner", and Film Reviewer exclaimed "The aspiring director and the student could not find a more expert and practical guide to the mastering of the directorial craft".
Now, award-winning Hollywood director Richard L. Bare's invaluable work on craft and craftsmanship has been completely revised and updated for a new generation of filmmakers. In it, they will not only learn to direct, they will also perhaps more importantly ñ find out how to get a job directing.
A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at moviemaking, The Film Director uses firsthand examples from giants such as Hitchcock, Wilder, Kubrick, Stevens, and Vidor along with discussions of the working methods of Cameron, Scorsese, Spielberg, and Nichols. The mechanics and techniques of staging and handling the camera are examined, the art of keeping a story moving is explained, and working with actors so that they can give their personal best is analyzed as Bare did with the volume's foreword writer, James Garner, whom he discovered. Richard L. Bare brought George Lucas and Robert Altman to his Hollywood shoots so that they could see how industry professionals really work; now anyone who picks up this book can learn, too.
This is a must read for the beginning director on the way to a first big break, as well as for anyone interested in the challenges and triumphs of the director's art.
Customer Reviews:
good, but not great...........2006-09-19
I did enjoy reading this book but after a while Bare's stories about his more "famous" friends got a little tiresome. And I always found myself wondering, who is Richard Bare? Is he responsible for any of the greatest films of all time? The answer is no. In fact, Richard Bare's greatest achievement was directing all of the episodes of Green Acres. And that's it, most of credits are for television, not film. Personally, if I were to read a book about film directing, I'd like to read a book by a reknowned director, like David Mamet's "On Directing Film". Mamet was able to get through everything that goes into directing a film in a slim 107 page book. I'd recommend that book over this book any day.
LIKED it, but didn't LOVE it..........2002-01-29
The strength of this book is that Richard Bare tells a lot of very entertaining stories that he or other directors have had to face. In doing so, he engages the reader and invites us on his personal journey through his career in making motion pictures. In particular, his stories about Spielberg & Lucas are engaging. Also, I think that the chapter on the two different forms of acting was particularly good.
The weakness of this book is that it is more a collection of "war stories" applied to chapters that are supposed to be instructive. In other words, he has chapters including: "Camera as a directors tool", "working with a film editor", "creating a job for yourself", etc... however, these chapters are not particularly insightful in teaching one about the topic. Part of this is the result of being laid out in what feels like a random order, instead of each chapter building on the previous one. Additionally, the book gets bogged down in that it tries to cover so much that it is only successful superficially.
Again, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Thus, I would highly recommend it as a read to anyone that is seeking pleasure. However, if you are after the true "directors" insight... I would refer you to "Making Movies" by Sidney Lumet. "The Film Director" is to "Making Movies" as "Mobsters" is to "The Godfather".
This book ended my film career before it started!.......2001-09-07
In 1972, I was real excited about going to a film school and becoming a filmmaker. In the back of this book, there was a list of colleges offering film degrees. I chose one of those listed, the University of Oregon in Eugene. After a freshman year of fun, I went into my counselor and said I was ready to declare my major in film. "We don't have a film school here." he solemnly stated. "But it's in the book!" I exclaimed. I immediatly tried to get into UCLA, but the wait was 1 1/2 years. Thus endeth my pursuit of a film career (I'm now in TV advertising). I found this book recently in a bookstore and sure enough...it still lists U of Oregon as offering a film degree!!
Inspiring and Practical.......2000-10-03
Richard Bare does a tremendous job in inspiring the novice director giving him/her a down to earth look into what it takes to be a successful director. The insights and historical facts to the realities of movie making made me aware of the passion and courage many directors must have to bring their vision alive. Mr Bare is forthrite and yet encouraging in revealing the truths to what will make a great director. The book is practical and gives a step by step guide to the role the director must play in dealing with cast and crew from pre to post production. I highly recommend this book.
Very good, covers a lot of ground.......1999-05-16
This is a very good book. Bare's knowledge is from experience and is not garnished from other books. Well worth the price.
Average customer rating:
- Bio for Bach breaks barriers.
|
Johann Sebastian Bach: An Essential Guide to His Life and Works (Classic FM Lifelines)
Christopher Headington
Manufacturer: Pavilion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Bach, Johann Sebastian
| Composers
| Classical
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Composers & Musicians
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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| Books
Bach, Johann Sebastian
| ( B )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1862050260 |
Customer Reviews:
Bio for Bach breaks barriers........1999-05-29
Pardon me I was overcome with alliteration. This book is a brief but detailed synopsis of Bach's life and experiences. Good book for those who just want to learn about "The Man", but don't want to read a 300 page book. :) Has a complete BWV listing of his works!
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- The Media Handbook: A Complete Guide to Advertising Media Selection, Planning, Research, and Buying (Volume in Lea's Communication Series)
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