1 comments about Getting Closer: A Dancer's Perspective.

1. Dance is a notoriously difficult art to capture and hold onto. Even film rarely serves it well. Odd then that Rosalie O'Connor's incandescent photographs of her friends and colleagues at ABT as they rehearse, prepare, and perform should erupt so spontaneously with movement and emotion. I don't know why this should be: maybe it's her artist's eye; maybe it's her steady hand; maybe it's her obvious rapport with dancers, her knowledge and love of dance; maybe it's just incredible good luck. Whatever the reason, the results are astonishingly beautiful and present in this book. The accompanying text, by Ms. O'Connor and some of her subjects, is a wonderful bonus that both illuminates and grounds the images, even as they take flight. My only quibble is with the paper stock the University Press of Florida chose for this remarkable offering: it allows us to enjoy Ms. O'Connor's art, that's true enough; but it certainly doesn't do that art justice.

1 comments about Three Plays by Mae West: Sex, The Drag and Pleasure Man.

1. When Lillian Schissel edited "Three Plays by Mae West,' published in 1997, it marked the first time Sex, The Drag and The Pleasure Man had ever been printed. Long thought to be lost, the original manuscripts gathered dust at the Library of Congress. After prolonged legal wrangling with the Roger Richman Agency of Los Angeles, who at the time represented the Mae West receivership estate, a deal was finally struck to have the plays finally published.
   Schissel argues that West provided one of the first role models for women suggesting they could be independent and achieve success following through on their own ambitions.
   When a revival of Sex was mounted in Seattle in 1998, a review noted, "What dates this show more than all the quaint wink-and nod lewdness are a couple of incredibly racist lines that I'm glad they didn't cut. At one point, Margy LaMont tells a guy there's no way he could get himself a woman, at least not a white women. Later a character tells Margy that she could make good money whoring in Trinidad "'cause all the girls down there are half black."
   Times have changed when this shocks us more than humping. Even a couple of archaic racial slurs are left in, the only real shock here is that a 1927 audience wouldn't have even blinked.
   The strength of Schissel's work is the research she uncovered in the case for the prosecution against Mae West in legal documents relating to the staging of Sex and The Pleasure Man. The testimoney presented during the court proceedings is fascinating to read and sheds light on the rampant homophobia at the time.
   Perhaps the most important aspect of Schlissel's sleuthing is that excerpts from West's obscenity trial and disturbingly the censor's accusations sound as troubling today as they did 80 years ago. The arguments used 80 years ago to ban Mae West's bon mots are not unlike those used today to bar gay and lesbian artists from public funding and public self-expression.
   Highly recommended!

3 comments about All My Children: The Complete Family Scrapbook.

1. This is an excellent book for anyone who loves All My Children. I bought mine used and it was in excellent condition. As a long time All My Children viewer (from the beginning) this was a trip down memory lane for me. It covered all the years from 1970 to 1995. The color pictures were beautiful and the trivia section in the back was wonderful. This is a must have book for all serious and long time viewers of All My Children.



2. Have you ever had a question about AMC? What actor played what role or who married who? You will find answers to your questions in this big AMC book. What I loved about this book is that it has a thorough plot summary of every year since it's debut in 1970. The book includes family photos, wedding photos, behind the scenes info, AMC trivia, actor quotes, interesting facts, a complete cast list and much more. This is a wonderful coffee table book!



3. This is the GREATEST AMC Book ever written.Very informative and entertaining, and filled with memories that I have cherished and will now be able to cherish forever!!!As a 20+year fan of the show, I can only say I can't wait for the 50th anniversary scrapbook!

5 comments about The Souls of Your Feet: A Tap Dance Guidebook for Rhythm Explorers.

1. Great Book on Tap! Highly Recommend it!



2. This book helped me a LOT, I have to admit to that. But experienced tap dancers beware: looking at words that describe steps can be extremely frustrating when you can't visually see them done. Acia has written some wonderful pearls of wisdom within this book, and I highly reccommend it to any serious tap dancer



3. Thanks to Acia M. Gray for writing a book that's not just somebody elses steps! I was so excited to see that this book gives tools to make up your own stuff. I will say that some of the terminology is different than I'm used to but it clarifies tap dance in a way that makes sense and lays down a foundation on which to play! An intelligent guide to the "language" of rhythm with your feet.



4. This book is a must for beginners. Ms. Gray's definitions make sense. The concepts if taught from the beginning, carry the dancer easily into the advanced levels. Those who do not like the book are struggling with their own closed minds not any shortcomings on Ms. Gray's part. If we all had learned tap with these unique concepts so many bad habits would not have to be "re-learned." I have taught tap for 19 years and all my students have adapted the curriculum provided in "The Souls of Your Feet." The historical descriptions and resource information have proven invaluable as well.



5. It was more confusing than any other book I have ever read about tap or any other type of dance.

1 comments about Hollywood Warts 'n' All.

1. I enjoyed this book very much. It is entertaining and prompted me to look up stars and movies mentioned in the book.

No comments about The Human Video Handbook: Christian Outreach in Dramatic Movement and Music.

5 comments about The Actor's Menu: A Character Preparation Handbook.

1. A series of questions guides you through a step-by-step discovery of the hows and whys of your approach to acting, exposing the "Hidden Acting Agendas"--those inner, emotional issues that sometimes keep even the most experienced actors from doing their best work. As an acting teacher, I find that this is an area often neglected in books about acting, usually only referred to when discussing "stage fright". Bill Howey's book offers a much deeper exploration of the causes without requiring you to be a psychotherapist. It's a resource I refer to again and again.



2. What I love about THE ACTOR'S MENU is that even after you've read it from cover to cover, you can go back to individual sections and target specific acting problems as they occur. As a director, I'm always looking of practical ways to communicate to actors how to make adjustments without forcing them "into their head." Bill Howey addresses acting problems in straightforward, no-nonsense, practical ways, without all the usual acting jargon found in so many acting books. And the most refreshing thing about it, is that it works!!!



3. As an acting coach, I'm always looking for the clearest, most jargon-free way to help actors find their way to their most personal work. The Actor's Menu is imminently practical and so always useable. From the questionnaire at the front of the book through the end, Bill Howey helps the actor talk to him- or herself genuinely and effectively, without any BS. The litmus test always comes back to whether the actor was able to bring themselves fully into their work. The result from a watcher's point of view is acting that touches us and is compelling to watch. I've recommended The Actor's Menu to all of my actors and it's provided us with a framework for communicating that's helped me teach and helped them learn. That's what you need a book to do.



4. This is one of the most unique and helpful books I've ever read on the art and craft of acting. It has great insight and very useful advice on the process of becoming a character. This guy writes with a clarity and directness you don't often find in acting books. I've recommended this book to new actors and experienced pros looking for fresh approaches. Some of the material on personal traits that get in the way of good acting is especially helpful to get out of ruts and take the next step up in exercising your talent.
   I've been re-reading sections of the book lately to help me with auditions, and with my work on a character in an Albee play I just got cast in.



5. The Actor's Menu by Bill Howey truly breaks down the essential ingredients required for a tasty performance! Using a menu motif, Howey shows the actor how to bring out the unique qualities that reside deep within each actor, and blend them into performances worth watching. He gives guidelines to help one make choices that resound with authenticity and power. Easy to read and thought-provoking, The Actor's Menu is much more than fast food; it's a complete meal!

2 comments about Son of the Golden Turkey Award.

1. This book and its prequel (GOLDEN TURKEY AWARDS) is really a primer in bad movies...as well as a great book of humor. Often, it is hard to believe that human beings actually made some of the movies described here...but it's all real.

   The Medveds write in such an entertaining manner that you feel as though you've seen the movie (or at least picked up on its tone and key plot points)without having to put yourself through the agony of sitting through some of these!! It's a book I turn to over and over because it's so entertaining. And I have watched many a movie based on its recommendation. And not once have the Brothers Medved been wrong. These turkeys ARE turkeys!!!

   Hilarious, fast-moving and well-written...with fun photos. Don't miss it!!




2. Having achieved vast success with the original Golden Turkeys - itself a sequel to the Fifty Worst Films of All Time - this was the third instalment in the bad film saga. Though not quite as good as the first Turkeys, the Medveds had discovered a rich vein and this book delivers much mirth. Two-headed monster movies, bad lyrics, inane dialogue and bad special effects still have a special place in my heart.

1 comments about Pre-Production Planning for Video, Film, and Multimedia.

1. Mr. Cartwright's book is a excellent teaching text for high school or college students studying video and multimedia production. It does a great job of taking the beginner through all of the steps needed to ensure a successful production.

   However, one can't help overlook that a text written four years ago on this subject is LONG overdue for a new edition.

   Many software applications that are referred to as "soon to be released" are now in their 3rd or 4th version. Likewise, the hardware section of the book is terribly behind the times, as their is virtually no mention of digital video cameras, digital capture cards, current generation non-linear editing systems, or DVD.

   Also disappointing was the 3.5" disc that's included, which contains all of the forms in the book. The disc is specially formatted so that it cannot be read on a Macintosh-which CAN read any commonly formatted PC diskette! Instead the publisher encourages Mac users to send in the PC disk and receive a Mac disk at no charge. Why not just use the standard 1.4mb formatting for a PC disk and let users of either platform access the material? Or better yet, just put the forms on a hybrid CD-ROM. This is especially irksome to Mac devotees, when practically all of the computers pictured in the book doing video editing are Macs!

   Yet, despite its need for a new edition to address the latest and greatest in hardware and software, and its platform specific floppy, Pre-Production and Planning for Video, Film and Multimedia will serve as a valuable resource for those new to the pre and post production arena, as much of the planning and organizational approaches in the text never go out of style!

5 comments about The Complete Phantom of the Opera (Owl Books).

1. I bought a copy of this book at a performance of The Phantom Of The Opera in 2000 and really love it. I tried to purchase a copy for a friend at the most recent performance we went to but it is no longer available and feel very lucky to have been able to find it here at Amazon. It tells of the Paris Opera House, Gaston Leroux, the original story and the movies. The reason I bought it is the last 100+ pages cover the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and includes some incredible photographs. I was delighted when I got home and found it also includes the Libretto! I would encourage any fan of the musical to purchase a copy.



2. Loads of beautiful photos and lots of info. I love it. We do need and expanded edition to cover the movie. This is for Phantom Fans.



3. This a must have for any phans of the A.L.W. musical!!



4. This book... I have no words on how amazing it is.
   
   When I rekindled my love for musicals, and of course, Phantom of the Opera made that happened... I had to get everything and learn everything about Phantom. So I found this book at the library and I went insane over it.
   
   Firstly, it gives a clear background history on Gaston Leroux--the writer and the creator of Phantom of the Opera. Then, it goes into another section when talking about the films it inspired. You'll be surprised and amazed when you see it and read about it. Not only that, it tells you some small tidbit facts on the actors and actresses of these movies.
   
   And then, my favorite part, it goes into the Lloyd Webber musical. And when I say "goes into" I mean it!! There are so many pictures of the Original London Cast it's phenominal! There ares ome behind the scenes pictures as well. I never seen so many pictures about Phantom sure in a book, ever.
   
   And when you think that's enough, there is a libretto of the stage production--including scrafito'ed pictures of the OLC copied in there as it was when the CD/Cassette first made it's debut.
   
   All in all, it's not clearly updated as it is now, there is mention of the movie and who they want in it. But otherwise, if you are a London Cast or simply a Phantom obsessionist, you MUST have this book. If you find it at a house sale, a junk pile, book sale... whatever... BUY IT. You will not be dissapointed!!



5. I recently purchased both 'The Complete Phantom of the Opera'and the novel, and I am soo impressed! After I saw the movie and bought the soundtrack, I knew that I had to have these books. My interst in the Phantom of the Opera was first sparked when I saw the silent version with Lon Cheney. Then I heard about the movie coming out, so I saw it and I was more than impressed. I still have yet to see the Broadway version however. So, I highly recommend the movie, the soundtrack and the books. In my opinion each is well worth the cost!!