4 comments about The Dark Side Of The Screen: Film Noir (A Da Capo Paperback).

1. First published in 1981, "The Dark Side of the Screen" was among the first books in English on the subject of film noir. Author Foster Hirsch revisits that time before film noir was a fashionable subject in his introduction to this 2001 edition. More than 2 decades after its publication, "The Dark Side of the Screen" is still a solid introduction to film noir history, although it lacks discussion of the neo-noir films that have been made since its publication and has not been influenced by more recent theories. If you are new to classic film noir, this book is not a bad place to start. It is very readable, discusses or mentions over 100 films, and the large format (8.5"x11") allows for over 180 black-and-white photographs. "The Dark Side of the Screen" contains basic information on the film noir movement that you are likely to find in any good introductory text, so it's not intended for those already well-versed in the subject.
   
   In eight chapters, Hirsch follows the film noir movement through its classic period, 1941 to the late 1950s, until its self-conscious revival in the 1970s. "The Dark Side of the Screen" starts out with an overview of typical noir themes and summary of the style's evolution, then takes a step back in time to film noir's sources, obvious and alleged, in American hard-boiled crime literature, German Expressionist art, and Italian Neo-Realist cinema. Hirsch summarizes noir's narrative and visual style before discussing key directors, mainly German émigrés and Americans, and many of the important names among film noir actors, with analysis of the typical film noir acting style. The book concludes with a useful, though occasionally forced, attempt to categorize film noir's basic narrative patterns and central figures and a brief discussion of neo-noir.
   
   Like all historians and theorists, Foster Hirsch has opinions. His assertion that film noir is a "genre" and his presumption that its low-key lighting is "borrowed directly" or "clearly indebted" to German Expressionism become increasingly controversial as time passes. I mention this so that film noir aficionados know where he's coming from and to caution tyros that many ideas about film noir are controversial, so take everything with a grain of salt until you've formed your own opinions. But there is no reason not to start forming them with "The Dark Side of the Screen", which provides a nice overview of the classic film noir movement and lots of good film recommendations.



2. Hirsch's brilliant analysis of the antecedents, key period and legacy of noir remains perhaps the finest single work on the subject. Not as funny or entertaining as Eddie Muller's 'Dark City', but a major work that pre-dates many inferior later studies. Especially notable is Hirsch's use of stills, his choice of key scenes (e.g. Panic in the Streets, the Phenix City Story, Scarlet Street) skilfully differentiates between studio shot film noirs and pseudo-documentary/location filmed noirs.

   Highly recommended for serious lovers of the genre (not room enough here to debate whether film noir is a genre or not!) and ranks, for me, alongside Paul Schrader's legendary 'Notes on Film Noir' essay (1972) as the single most important piece of work on the subject.




3. This book is the best of several I have read recently on film noir. It strikes the right balance between being thorough and accessible; not nearly as dry and academic as some others. One of the main elements of noir is its distinctive visual style, and this book has dozens of excellent photographic stills, which enable the reader to understand the style in a way that text descriptions could never duplicate. The author does an excellent job of placing noir in its historical context, without assuming the reader has prior knowledge of German Expressionism, hard-boiled fiction or any other influence. The book ends with a list of 120 or so classic noirs; this alone is worth the price of the book. I have seen approximately one-half of the movies on his list and every single one has been excellent. For anyone interested in gazing into "The Crazy Mirror," this is the place to start.



4. I found this book to be a concise and relevant exploration of the history, style and themes of film noir. It was immensely helpful as a research source for an essay I did on noir styles and themes. With clear explanations and pictorial examples it bestowed upon me a clear and precise understanding of the genre.

3 comments about The John Adams Reader: Essential Writings on an American Composer.

1. It is a measure of John Adam's success as a composer of art music, for want of a better term, that such a work as this has been published at all. Adams is barely 60 years old, still active, and arguably at his most influential, but hardly the stuff of the popular press. But Thomas May has done us a service. This is a serious book about a serious artist, consisting of dozens of articles and interviews by a range of contributors published over many years. Inevitably, some ground is covered more than once: for example, the composer's journey from an East Coast student of a student of Schoenberg, to a West Coast minimalist icon. Although Adam's music itself is often described as positive in its outlook in comparison to his post-serialist European peers, Adams has never stood back from tackling big philosophical matters such as China-Western relations or the labyrinth that is Middle Eastern politics. This is reflected in the extensive debate documented in this book in regard to the Adam's opera, The Death of Klinghoffer, which is a fictionalised account of the Palestian hijack of a cruise ship. There are controversial productions of the opera canon that create a furore, but few modern operas post World War II that generated such debate that the productions themselves were withdrawn. Much of the writing is very good, including Thomas May's own contributions, which speaks well of the capacity of a society to reflect on the contribution of an artist whose chosen art form is arcane to the great majority of the population. My only quibble is with the choice made to publish a comprehensive rather than a more selected set of articles which means the book will no doubt serve a purpose as a reference resource rather than a shorter publication readers might dig into on a more casual basis.



2. The John Adams Reader presents an anthology of writings by a wide variety of authors about one of the most frequently performed American composers in the realm of classical music. Friends and collaborators of John Adams, including director Peter Sellers, conductor Robert Spano, performers Emanuel Ax and Dawn Upshaw, and friend Ingram Marshall, as well as extensive interviews with John Adams himself, allow for a thorough tour of his personality, his musical works, collaborators and interpreters, his critical reception, controversies about his work and his political views, and much more. As accessible to lay readers as it is to advanced music students and practitioners, The John Adams Reader is a "must-read" portrait for anyone striving to better understand both the artist and his musical art, presenting the compiled wit and charm of expert musicians.



3. John Adams is probably the most performed living American composer of classical music. And in this book, really a tribute to Mr. Adams, some sixty writers have written on some aspect of John Adams life. The essays are broken down into four major categories: Portraits of the Artist, The Musical Works, Collaborators and Interpreters, and Critical Reception. The book is biographical in part, talking of Mr. Adams early years and his decision to spend his life writing music. Other aspects of the book discuss most of his major works from looking at the content and then critically.
   
   The writers of these essays are a who's who of the classical music world. They include performers (Emanuel Ax, Sarah Cahill), critics (Justin Davidson, Rupert Christiansen), composers (Ingram Marshall, David Schiff), critics (Renaud Machart, Alan Rich), directors (Robert Spano, Peter Spano), professors (Richard Taruskin, Arthur C. Danto), and of course Thomas May who basically put this whole book together.

No comments about Labanotation.

4 comments about Grey Gardens.

1. Lush, emotional, rich music - this has become one of my favorite new shows. It's especially poignant if you were lucky enough to actually see Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson perform live before the show's premature closing this summer. This collection is wonderful - I do echo the other reviewer's wish that more ensemble numbers were included, but those are rarely a large part of Vocal Selections books. What I DO hope is eventually coming is an edition where the piano does NOT double the vocal line. The selections book from "Wicked" is published in two formats - one that doubles the melodic line and one that is the true piano accompaniment. As a professional pianist/music director, I want to play the actual orchestral reduction, not a simplified version. I realize the standard melodic-doubling publications are valued by those who play the songs for their own pleasure or who teach voice and need to assist their singers, but I do hope to see more publishers follow the path of "Wicked" and issue two formats.



2. "**** I fell in love with this show after buying the CD which led to seeing it New York City the other day. I bought this book at a Theatre Circle on Schubert Alley (great store when i'm there I'm on my element). The book includes a great selection from "Daddy's Girl" to "The Cake I Had". I only wished they would have included "Mother Darling" or "Hominy Grits", and "The 5:15", the opening number. The playability of the music i wanted to rate somewhere between Intermediate and Early Intermediate because of mainly the accompaniment at the beggining of the song "Around The World" it has the arpeggio going on with the left hand (the C-G-C-D-Eb-G-C-G-Eb-D-C-G-C repeating thing) with the right hand at the same time which will take some practice to get it down perfectly. Yet overall 4 stars ****"



3. The score of Grey Gardens, with music by Scott Frankel and lyrics by Michael Korie, is the very best Broadway has heard since Adam Guettel's lush, romantic Light in the Piazza two seasons ago. However, Guettel's challenging work for that show, while wonderful, is probably not likely to be performed at cabarets and concerts (with the exception of two or three songs, maybe). Grey Gardens' score has many numbers cabaret entertainers can sing, Another Winter in a Summer Town comes to mind, as does Will You?. But the score, like Guettel's work, also serves the story brilliantly.
   Frankel's music is difficult, yet tuneful and melodically inventive. Korie's lyrics are never short of spectacular.
   My one gripe about this book is the lack of a few other crucial numbers. It would have been nice for the delightful minstrel pastiche Hominy Grits to be included, as well as the opening number, The Five-Fifteen. However, the numbers included in this book are great just like the show they are in.



4. I've fallen in love with the music from this show; so much so that I was highly anticipating the publishing of this vocal selections book. The contents include The Girl Who Has Everything, Peas in a Pod, Drift Away, Daddy's Girl, Will You?, The Revolutionary Costume for Today, The Cake I Had, Entering Grey Gardens, Jerry Likes My Corn, Around the World, Choose to Be Happy, and Another Winter in a Summer Town.
   
   Unfortunately this book does NOT include some of my favorites, such as Hominy Grits, Goin' Places, or even for crying out loud, the opening production number, The Five-Fifteen. I would've gladly preferred Five-Fifteen over several of the songs that were included. (And I suppose it would just be wishful thinking to hope to find Better Fall Out of Love, which was replaced with Goin' Places during the transition from off-Broadway to Broadway, in this book.)
   
   Or better yet, since the book is only 80 pages anyway, throw in some extra! This would not be the first short-run Broadway show to have a 100+ page vocal selections book with pictures from the show published by Hal Leonard (Parade comes to mind), so I'm not sure why Grey Gardens got the short shrift.
   
   Be grateful for what songs *are* included, and the opportunity to see how the amazing Scott Frankel crafted such beautiful chords. I just wish this book were a bit more extensive.

No comments about African Dance: An Artistic, Historical and Philosophical Inquiry.

No comments about Movies and Meaning: An Introduction to Film, Third Edition.

2 comments about Theater Games for the Lone Actor.

1. "Theater Games for the Lone Actor" is not a beginner's book. It is structured to take advantage of the lingering effects actors enjoy after participating in the games played in Spolin's "Improvisation for the Theater." For instance, the mindset needed for side-coaching the self, essential to succeeding at the activities in this book, does not come without exposure from an outside source.

   However, for those who have learned the thought processes that come of Spolin-style improvisation, "Theater Games for the Lone Actor" has multiple applications. When working in a solo position, such as a one-man show, a screen test, or an audition, using these activities in preparation can make the difference between doing well and doing exquisitely. These activities also are useful for memorization and other scene work within a directed play, and for compensating for a lackluster director or weak co-star.

   Many of these activities are adapted from "Improvisation for the Theater." Some activities that were originally presented for group work, such as Space Walk and Feeling Self With Self, recur between the covers of this slim pamphlet. The difference lies in doing them individually, refreshing the benefit of prior group work, and also in coaching yourself, becoming aware in a more objective manner of what you're doing as an actor and how you're doing it.

   Repetition of the concept of "present time" reinforces the almost Buddhist nature of theatrical improvisation, requiring participants to be entirely in the moment. This is good advice for all forms of actors, since, if you're in another time and place, you're not giving the character you play the commitment it deserves. Through long-term exposure to the activities in this book, and effort consummate to commitment, an actor can develop the ability to be in the moment on command, or even on a permanent basis.

   This book is tiny, small enough to slip unobtrusively in a shirt pocket and have on hand to do solo warm-ups or skills exercises. This helps allow the actor to develop while waiting for an audition, while riding on a bus, while lying in bed at night, or in any situation where time and solitude permit even a moment's concentration.

   Highly recommended for all working and aspiring actors, "Theater Games for the Lone Actor" is the kind of book that can make all the difference between doing a good job and doing a merely good enough job.




2. I am a former student of Viola Spolin. I was around when Viola was working on this book. She knew her work was needed in group situations, but she also knew the needs of actors who have to work "in one". Either in front of a camera or an audtion situation. She knew the problems of fear, urgency and over thinking were the actor's nemesis.
   These games and suggestions help an actor become 'present' to his/her own work and therefore fully involved in the reading, audtion or solo performance.

   Not only that, it is a great method to enrich your everyday life. The same games and suggestions are great ways to bring yourself more fully to your relations with others.
   The Sills, Paul and Carol have done a great job of editing this book. It's really easy to read.
   I especially like the poems included in the book. "Crystal Ball" is my favorite of Spolin's poems celebrating the mystery of present time.
   Her whole theory of play and present time is a great way to live life.

4 comments about In Balanchine's Company: A Dancer's Memoir.

1. With the grace of a ballerina transposed to the page, Barbara Milberg Fisher's memoir, In Balanchine's Company, captures the ephemeral art and rigorous discipline of dance in the New York City Ballet during its early and formative years. From her childhood on a tree-lined street in Brooklyn leaping over mud puddles, when her Russian emigre parents told her to practice the piano to keep her out of mischief, and gave her ballet lessons as an antidote to her hoydenish exploits, to the afternoon when George Balanchine discovered her playing Schubert's C Minor sonata in an empty studio, she describes the education of an artist en route from Flatbush to the world's most glittering stages. In recounting her own journey, Ms. Fisher sheds light on the creative process of George Balanchine and the many extraordinary dancers, musicians, costume and set designers who worked with his fledgling company.
   
   "Sometimes," she wrote, "it seemed as if the company was flowing out of his veins." But while Mr. Balanchine was the presiding genius, it was the passion and dedication of his dancers, their unquestioning sense of mission, long hours, and sweat that brought his dreams to fruition. Ms. Fisher takes us into the studios with the tinkling pianos where for hours each day the young dancers did barre exercises and floor work under the watchful eyes of their beloved ballet masters, and, later, practiced and critiqued each other over and over until their lungs were bursting and the dancing looked effortless. She describes the patient way Mr. Balanchine worked with individual dancers, keenly aware of the natural ways they moved, creating ballets that used their special talents and gifts, recreating the role of Firebird to fit Maria Tallchief's style of movement, "a brilliant whirling creature," restoring the candy cane hoop dance to the Nutcracker to fit Robert Barnet's tireless vitality. She gives us insight into the making of avant garde masterpieces such as Opus 34, in which she appeared as a bandaged corpse, and Agon, which opened with Melissa Hayden's high speed footwork, and in which Balanchine experimented with silent arm gestures invented by the dancers themselves (which were cut from the final version). She shows us the theatres they performed in throughout Europe and across America, dark, drafty stages and blinding spotlights, how they rehearsed to the point of exhaustion, and, how, undeterred by blisters and sprains, they danced their hearts out on ancient splintered floors, thin wood planks laid on concrete, "raked" stages that tilted downward, in splendid costumes, or in worn toe shoes stuffed with paper, dazzling audiences wherever they went.
   
   Ms. Fisher weaves her personal story with that of Balanchine's company as she rose from the corps de ballet to soloist in works such as Illuminations and Afternoon of a Faun, traveled, made lasting friends, read voraciously and indiscriminately, and from time to time questioned Mr. Balanchine, on one occasion asking why the father in Prodigal doesn't help the boy in the end. She recalls her whirlwind courtship, marriage, touring with Jerome Robbins' company as a principal dancer after leaving the New York City Ballet, and performing at the White House. She retired at age thirty-one following the birth of her second child, and went on to become a Professor of English at City College, where her deep appreciation for poetry was an inspiration to her students. Written with lively and precise detail that is a pleasure to read, her memoir is a story with legs.



2. I highly recommend this book, which is beautifully written. When you finish "In Balanchine's Company," you'll be searching Amazon to see what other books Ms. Fisher has written. I look forward to reading more!



3. My ballet experience is limited to one class I took as a 5 year old and a handful of ballets that I have gone to see over the years. And yet I was captivated by the glimpse of the world of a professional ballerina, particularly since it seems that Barbara Milberg Fisher was a participant in an important era in the development of American ballet.
   
   I have to admit that I do know Barbara personally as the mother of a college friend, but that had nothing to do with how much I enjoyed the book, except perhaps that it gave me new respect for her. Barbara's life as a young talented dancer seems so removed from the woman I knew as an English professor and the hard-working single mother of my friend. To be sure, her wit and quirky sense of humor are certainly recognizable in the book. And the "voice" is definitely hers. But it seemed incredible that the relatively modest woman I knew could have led such an exciting and impressive life as a young woman.
   
   I very much like that the book is about her experiences and yet is not at all a self-centered book. I suppose I'm guilty of believing in stereotypes (or in press accounts of the actions of famous dancers), as I tend to think of ballerinas as being vain, demanding, and self-absorbed. And yet even when the story is about something that happened to her, Barbara's focus is often on the other people rather than on herself. And she is quite honest in divulging some of her own mistakes and embarrassing moments.
   
   Her stories are humorous and even sometimes quite suspenseful (such as when she snuck into across the Berlin Wall). Her youthful exuberance, defiance, as well as dedication to ballet, are shown clearly in her vivid descriptions. I found that in reading the book, I learned about dance and dance history, world history, and even some lessons about dealing with people, all while being delightfully entertained.



4. Barbara Fisher is obviously a remarkable person who has a lot to tell us about the rigors of a life in dance as well as delightful stories about her interactions with Balanchine and many other key figures in the dance world, including Stravinsky. The book is a perfect gift for anyone who cares about the art of dance.

2 comments about Comedy FAQs and Answers: How the Stand-up Biz Really Works.

1. Another insider industry reference from Dave Schwensen, Comedy FAQs And Answers: How The Stand-up Biz Really Works covers all the basics of professional comedy, from selecting or writing the right material to running your own open comedy mike, booking gigs, handling heckling crowds, and getting a manager. The aspiring pro has everything in hand to handle club owners, publicists, and more in a guide where the major industry players - George Carlin, Jeff Foxworthy, and more - share their experiences and lessons. A 'must': one of the best industry insider guides on the market.



2. I've been doing comedy for a couple years and this book has the how-to answers for everything I want to achieve in my career. Wish I had a copy of this when I first started because of the writing and open mike advice. The list of comics who answer the questions is unbelievable - including writing advice from George Carlin. I want to be on "Letterman" someday and the talent booker for the show is in the book telling how! It's a great "map" into the world of comedy.

2 comments about Arsenio Rodriguez and the Transnational Flows of Latin Popular Music (Studies In Latin America & Car).

1. The book all of us Arsenio-ologists have been waiting for, the discography and sidemen info are worth the double its sale price alone....



2. What a treasure to have an English-language resource that shines light on this important figure, a man who was, and is, simultaneously revered and neglected. The source of many of salsa's most enduring innovations, Arsenio Rodriguez' contributions spanned the mambo era and found resonance when this music re-emerged later as "salsa." Garcia does a fine job of illuminating this for the reader. It should not surprise Americans, as Garcia points out, that these innovations were inspired by Arsenio's profound understanding of Cuba's African traditions. Most refreshing, however, is finding an author who also understands the importance of Arsenio's music as "music for dance." Garcia engages his reader on this point and drives home the critical relationship between Arsenio's music and the dancers, and the importance of this rapport in energizing and sustaining his innovations. Arsenio emerges in this biography as a critical voice in dispelling an entrenched notion that music for dancing cannot be serious music (I am reminded of Ned Sublette's "dancing is an intense listening state," from Cuba and its Music.) And Garcia makes this statement forcefully.
   
   I also applaud Garcia's dissection of this musician/dancer connection--one that is enlivened by interviews with musicians and dancers. He missteps, however, in his definition of the son montuno "basic step." What he describes is more likely a "variation"--one that reflects the inventive styling and footwork of dancers responding to the push and pull of Arsenio's "clave feel." Son montuno was indeed danced using timing that Cubans call "contratiempo." Garcia's analysis of that timing, however, is simply too idiosyncratic.
   
   Overall, this book is substantive. It presents English-language readers with another important resource in moving the discussion of Afro-Cuban music and dance (including salsa), and its West African roots, forward.