No comments about Modern Drama in Theory and Practice: Volume 3, Expressionism and Epic Theatre (Modern Drama in Theory & Practice).

5 comments about Acting for Film.

1. If you want some concrete tips on how to act for the camera, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. It is 100% schlock, pure form -- and bad form, at that -- over content. The pompous Ms. Haase is so (obviously) mesmerized by her own turns of phrase that she forgets to give ANY meaningful instruction re: acting before the camera. Frankly, I doubt that she has any, if the Cathy Haase filmography is any indicator. If you want/need some actual/meaningful tips on what it's like to act with a camera pointed at you, and how to communicate through that camera to an audience, GET MICHAEL CAINE'S BOOK. It's a great read and full of information. Sorry, Ms. Haase.



2. This is one of the most comprehensive and thorough guides to Acting out there. It covers all the bases from inner voice, to auditions, to the making of a film and the performers role. By following the essentials in this guidebook, any aspiring craftsman in the performing arts will excel in their field. They will thoroughly understand how their body is the instrument of the performance and develop the skills to step into each characters skin. Highly recommended.



3. "Acting for Film" is a very good book for actors who want to know how to act in front of the camera. It covers alot of practical knowledge such as the audition process, reading a script and creating your character. Also covered is what is expected during the film shoot both for big-budget and low-budget films. This book will teach you what acting in front of a camera is all about. A "must have" book for all aspiring film actors.



4. Cathy Haase's ACTING FOR FILM provides a survey of technique, craft, and artistic requirements for actors. Chapters cover the specifics of converting drama lessons to film; from maintaining proper eye focus on front of the camera to preparing for auditions and sets. There's a big difference between acting on stage and acting for the camera: Haase covers all the finer points of the latter.



5. Acting is hard work, one of the most emotionally and mentally demanding professions in the world. This book clearly and honestly delves into all the nitty-gritty details of the actors process when acting in front of a camera (and the crew behind it).

   From the private moments of preparation, through collaborative efforts of production, and even the difficulties and pleasures of viewing the results, Cathy Hasse misses nothing in this informative and helpful guide. She clearly explains all of the hard "work" that goes into making acting look so easy and natural.

   As a filmmaker, I was really amazed at her presentation of the entire filmmaking process from the Actor's perspective. It was unique, accurate and illuminating.

1 comments about The National Black Drama Anthology: Eleven Plays from America's Leading African-American Theaters.

1. This book is a beautiful represention of today's Black theater. We so often "forget" that there are talented Black playwrights, who are rarely given notice. The book shows the broad spectrum of life and views in one culture. Today I notice and give accolades to those with the God given talent of dramatic creativity.

5 comments about Duchess of Malfi (New Mermaids).

1. John Webster will probably never be as popular as William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, or even Cliff Marlowe. Nevertheless, his writing is quite impressive. His plays came out about the time Shakespeare was putting out his final plays. As the play begins, we meet Bosola. While he is a murderer, he offers several intersting passages, and he is not quite a 2d villain. Bosola expresses his dislike for Duke Ferdinand and his brother the Cardinal. This opinion is shared by the Duchess's eventual husband Antonio. This allows Webster to prepare the villains of this story. The wicked Ferdinand expresses his wish for his sister (the Duchess) not to marry. Eventually, we will learn that he wants control over her estates. (How unheard of! Especially today!) He asks Bosola to spy on the Duchess. Bosola is a bit hesitant, but he proceeds. Well, the Duchess against her wicked brother's request marries Antonio secretly. Some time passes, and Bosola suspects that the Duchess is pregnant. While Antonio suspects the foul play of Bosola, he is basically a loving, but not so able man. Ferdinand of course finds out that his request has been disregarded. Interestingly, the cardinal comes off a little better when his cautious side contrasts with Ferdinand's rages. Onto Act 3. The Duchess and Antonio now have children. While Ferdinand knows the Duchess has married, he does NOT know Antonio is the husband. The poor Duchess makes the mistake of appealing to Bosola for help, and of course all is found out. Antonio is banished to Ancona. The parting between Antonio and the Duchess is quite sad. But all is not lost. Antonio flees to Milan and they may still be together. Sadly, hope disappears as the Duchess is arrested. Ferdinand orders Bosola to murder her, and while Bosola does hesitate, he performs the cruel murder of the Duchess. It is interesting that Bosola's evil deeds are often accompanied by hesitation and regret, as well as some interesting passages on the harsh truths of the human condition. But Webster does not stop here. Ferdinand's cruelty gives way to insanity and he taunts Bosola for carrying out his orders. Onto the final act. Poor Antonio (not knowing his wife is dead) has heard of Ferdinand's insanity. He thinks perhaps he can reconcile with the Cardinal. Soon we see that the cardinal is not quite an accomplished psychopath. With Ferdinand gone, he sinks further and further into panic trying to cover the bloody mess. In a well done scene, fragments of Antonio's echo foreshadow his downfall. Bosola accidentally kills Antonio and is filled with regret. The final scene begins with the cardinal giving a passage on fear of damnation. In a brutal massacre, Bosola, Ferdinand, and the Cardinal all die. The play ends with a restoration to order by the son of Antonio and the Duchess, but like Shakespeare's "King Lear," it doesn't take away the sadness of the play. Overall, it's a good play that combines an interesting variety of villains, romance, tragedy, suspense, horror, and dark comedy.



2. John Webster's play "The Duchess of Malfi" is a violent play that presents a dark, disturbing portrait of the human condition. According to the introductory note in the Dover edition, the play was first presented in 1613 or 1614.

   The title character is a widow with two brothers: Ferdinand and the Cardinal. In the play's opening act, the brothers try to persuade their sister not to seek a new husband. Her resistance to their wishes sets in motion a chain of secrecy, plotting, and violence.

   The relationship between Ferdinand and the Duchess is probably one of the most unsettling brother-sister relationships in literature. The play is full of both onstage killings and great lines. The title character is one of stage history's intriguing female characters; she is a woman whose desires lead her to defy familial pressure. Another fascinating and complex character is Bosola, who early in the play is enlisted to act as a spy. Overall, a compelling and well-written tragedy.




3. This is a review of the New Mermaids edition of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster. Elisabeth M. Brennan edits this edition (ISBN: 0393900665.) I mention this incase it is cross-posted under some other editor's edition.

   I bought this after reading snippets of it in other books. I do not recall having to learn this in school. Only now do I intend to read "The White Devil" in anticipation of it being encountered in other works.

   Well what do you know? This animal is based on a true story of the Duchess of Amalfi. Evidentially there were several books written on this and he picked one for the outline of the play.

   This edition is almost as good as taking a class in its self. The introduction gives you a back ground and the basic story that the play was based on. You get some information on John Webster and some of his other plays. There is even a further Reading List. There are even notes on the text and how to read the notes for the different versions of the play its self. By the time you get to the play you are well prepared to read it.

   The play its self has stanzas, line numbers and notes to help you through the difficulty of understanding what the words mean in context. It is almost like reading a bible. You soon pickup speed and then actually get intrigued in the writing and story.

   Now I desperately want some local theater to present "The duchess of Malfi"




4. Of the "popular" editions of this play that by John Russell Brown (Revels Student Editions) and Elizabeth Brennan (New Mermaids) are both useful, though it must be said that no edition as yet does adequate justice to Webster's compexity - notably his presentation of Ferdinand. The play is both a tour de force and profoundly searching. It is perhaps the first major feminist play in England, with the Duchess presented as an outstandingly noble even if fallible character, the victim of her two evil "partriarchal" brothers. Of these, her twin brother Ferdinand is among the most intelligently conceived characters to appear on the Jacobean stage. Unknowingly (i.e. in his "unconscious") he is incestuously in love with his sister. Unable to cope with this "taboo" feeling, he tries to "repress" it unsuccessfully, and finally his ... "libido" comes to express itself in a violent wish to destroy her if he cannot ... own her, and he ends up believing himself to be a wolf, attempting to dig up her grave after he has had her killed. Obviously, then, this is a very Freudian work - anticipating Freud's insights brilliantly by some four centuries, and without lapsing into Freud's extravagantly improbable claims about such matters as the Oedipus complex. It is the working of the unconcious, as a reservoir of what we do not understand and cannot control, which is quite central in this play, and Ferdinand's ... confusion is potently contrasted with his sister's openminded, acknowledged and generous ... health. An outstanding play, recommended as among the best of its time (comparable in quality and interest to e.g. *Othello* or *The Changeling*). - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University, South Australia



5. I do not feel Webster's "Duchess of Malfi" quite matches his "The White Devil." Nevertheless, it is still an excellent play. Only Webster could combine this much violence and beauty so well! Webster starts the play well when Antonio and Delio make comments on questionable characters. (Bosola and the Cardinal) Bosola is drawn well as the hired hand reluctant to join the demonic Ferdinand. 2.5 is captivating when Ferdinand explodes with fury upon discovering that the Duchess has married. The cardinal shows an interesting foil to Ferdinand when he tries to encourage caution. The fury exchanged between Ferdinand and the Duchess in 3.2 is memorable. Bosola offers a striking passage on politicians in 3.2. The tragic ceremony in 3.4 is sorrowful and yet beautiful. The parting of Antonio and the Duchess in 3.5 is very lamentable. 4.1 allows us to see that Ferdinand is not only evil, but demented as well. This paves the way for his final insanity. Bosola's hesitation to carry out the murder is well constructed. Ferdinand's final torture of the Duchess reminds us that he is not simply cruel, but psychotic as well. The Duchess is memorable when she faces her death with dignity. Webster DOES NOT stop here! Ferdinand actually taunts the hired killer and this paves the way for the final act. 5.3 is a scene that not even Marlowe or Shakespeare ever used. Fragments of Antonio's own echo foreshadow his death. Bosola's accidental murder of Antonio and his remorse pave the way for the final massacre! Even here, Webster keeps his efforts up. The cardinal's passage on fear of damnation keeps us in chills. Bosola's death and passage of remorse is a fitting end for this excellent work. My only complaint about this play is that the Cardinal could have been more complex.

5 comments about Exploring 3D Modeling with Cinema 4D R9 (Design Exploration).

1. I have been modeling for years but with different software and decided to download the demo of CD4 to see what it was like. To get a jump start I purchased Mr Alley's book and got to work. I learned a lot in short amount of time, especially how to navigate the software and learn to use the various tools. I found the book easy to follow, accurate and I enjoyed the tutorials and sample files on the CD very much. As a result I am going to buy the software. Recommended.



2. This book is geared to beginning students. It follows a format common in secondary school and military textbooks that each chapter begins with a bulleted set of objectives that are clearly stated. Unlike most computer books, the author accomplishes these objectives with clear, concise, and detailed instructions - including highlighted paragraphs on avoiding traps (such as inability to click on spline points under the move arrows). Compared with "The Cinema 4D 9/9.1 Handbook" and "C4D 9.5 3d Animation Production", this book is much better written and has far fewer errors.
   
   Particularly strong are the sections on materials and lighting. These are so good that they could be used as a textbook for Maya, 3Ds Max, or other high end 3D programs. The illustrations are excellent.
   
   The chapters on modeling are very good. Nurbs are particularly well explained. Curiously polygon modeling leaves out details on the knife settings, the close polygon hole, how to save selections (for use with animations and setting materials to defined regions), and most importantly - omits any mention of converting nurbs or booles to polygons. (A paragraph saying "push the C key to convert nurbs to polygons" would have helped).
   
   The section on rendering was also very good, but geared toward still images. The still image examples were excellent, but it would have helped to have some paragraph on using Quick time rather than AVI for rendering out movies for rgb + alpha.
   
   What is missing is any discussion of animation. There is nothing on bones, weighting, claude bonet, poses, etc. The author has left that for a future book to be published in Dec 2007.
   
   Overall this is the best book on C4D. Although it is geared towards beginners, it accomplishes its mission better than other books that I've seen.



3. I have been working through this book. I at first was going to get one of the flashy books, but now I am glad I started here (okay I did read some of the flashy books as well but this one has been much more helpful)



4. This is for the beginners. This book is good for using the large figures; and showing the clear chapter goals, common pitfalls, and easy explanations. Do not expect tips for modeling character designs, such as humman faces or bodies.



5. Aimed at the beginner through intermediate user, this book uses a series of tutorials to lead you through the design and implementation of several projects using Maxon's Cinema 4D. Through these projects, most of the features of the program are illustrated and the reader quickly understands what the program is all about.
   
   To be sure, Cinema 4D has so many features and capabilities that they cannot all be covered in a book even twice this size. Instead the book attempts to teach the core, fundamental capablilities of the program and leave the reader to experiment with the other features by himself.
   
   The CD of the book is more complete than usual. It has a Demo version of the program for both Mac and PC - Version 9.1. It has all the images used in the book, and the files you'll need to complete the tutorials in the book. It also includes the Cinema 4D Reference Manual, Quick Start Manual and the files used in the Quick Start tutorial. While you can get these off of the Maxon web site, it's a lot faster to get them off the CD. Finally, the CD also has three issues of 3D Attack, the Cinema 4D Magazine.
   
   I really like the writing style that the author uses, for me it comes across as clean, easy and yet conveys the information I wanted. I also like the fact that some of the color illustrations in the book were done by the author. Often I get the feeling that the writers just write and don't actually use the software they are describing.

No comments about Starting Drama Teaching.

1 comments about Russian Cinema (Inside Film).

1. As a big fan of Russian, Japanese and French cinema this valuable book helps fill the void, at least in Russian Cinema.
   
   Some great names here and lesser known artists. The study of the films are candid and uncompromising...yet Mr. Gillespie gives a very solid and balanced account.
   
   Many Russian classics are shot in Black and White and have a style all their own. Most are very surprising to Western audiences in that they break tabboo's often considered common. Read the book and then try to see the films...you shall be plesantly surprised...and deeply moved.

5 comments about The Art of Rock: Posters from Presley to Punk.

1. Maybe I didn't read the fine print, but I most certainly am now. This is a mini book of what I think is a full sized one.



2. 
   The First time i saw this book i fell in love with it- but that was the big size version that i have been unable to find on anywhere! It is a wonderful collection of images but because of it's small size a great deal of the details are lost. This small size in this book is not worth purchasing unless it is just for a table topper.



3. being something of a '60's poster collector, this book is a classic of it's kind. I've seen none other as good. Excellent reproduction plates and very inclusive.



4. I bought this book when it was first published in the late eighties. At that time I had been collecting posters for about ten years. I was familiar with most of the Fillmoe and Avalon series, but this book opened my eyes to posters from many other venues I hadn't seen before. It's true what the other reviewers are saying about the concentration on 60's west coast posters, but that's where the best psychedelic artists were working. If you are a collector or are just thinking about buying a poster or two to dress up your walls, this is the first book to buy.(Make sure it's the full size version.) My only complaint is they don't show the whole Avalon series. But I think that's because of some copyright issues. All in all anyone interested in posters, the sixties or art in general will appreciate this book.



5. This little book is pretty cute, but did not know that I was getting the "mini" version. So, if you only paid $10 for this book - you are probably not getting the big $50 version of this book. Other than that, it is pretty cute. Not extremely useful, though.

5 comments about The Andy Griffith Show Book 40th Anniversary Edition.

1. When I opened the Andy Griffith Show Book 40th Anniversary Edition, I saw that it contains everything about TAGS that I had been looking for, plus more! It is such a great find, that I wrapped it up and sent it to my sister for her birthday (65 years old)! Now I plan to order another copy
   --not to give away, but to add to my collection. I recommend this book to anyone who is seeking the ideal hometown (Mayberry) and who longs for neighbors like the Taylors.



2. Ken Beck and Jim Clark no doubt eat, drink, and breath the Andy Griffith Show as they must have watched every episode several times with pen and paper in hand to create this book filled with almost every bit of trivia you'd want to know about the show, not to mention their many other books on TAGS. This book is not about the actors, writers, behind-the-scenes activities, or the philosophy of the show, it is a book on the characters, places, and happenings in Mayberry. The episodes of the television show is the only source for this book.
   
   Some reviewers do not think a book recapping the events of the television show is valuable, but it is for trivia buffs and for fan fiction writers. Fans who like to write Mayberry-related stories can find all sorts of helpful tidbits in this book. There is even an episode guide in the back with brief synopses. It is very useful for those who have not seen all the episodes or cannot remember certain details about the characters, places, etc. I have referred to this book several times in writing just one fan fiction story. It is very well-organized and usually offers that little detail I'm looking for. I was very surprised how much information is offered in this book.
   
   Every character is profiled (almost all with photos) from the main ones to those who were only on a short time or intermittently like Ellie Walker, the Darlings, Clara Edwards Johnson, Emmett Clark, Sam Jones, and that adorable Warren Ferguson (with a nice photo I have not seen before). For trivia buffs, there are chapters on "Cops and Robbers," "Codes and Cases," "Mayberry Media" (local newspapers, radio stations, tv stations, tv programs enjoyed by Mayberry residents), "Music of Mayberry," "Contradictions," and more. There is also a helpful map of Mayberry with all the important spots like Myer's Lake, the Duck Pond, the Darling's cabin, and Ernest T. Bass' cave, a town directory and yellow pages for both Mayberry and Mt. Pilot. It also has a quiz. There are scores of b&w photos throughout the book. My only complaint is that the episode guide is not divided up into seasons. Recommended for anyone interested in the characters of TAGS.



3. this is book is wonderful! it is by far the best andy griffith book that is out there.



4. Wonderful, just what I anticipated. Thank you for distributing this excellent review of the show, and list of all episodes.



5. This is the second book I have read about The Andy Griffith Show. (The first one was Barney Fife and Other Characters I Have Known, written by Don Knotts with Robert Metz)
   This book has very descriptive information about all the favorite characters from the show, based on what is known about them from the episodes of the show. There is NO information about the actors that played these roles, JUST the characters. These facts are put together in an easy-to-read style that will make for pleasant browsing or looking up trivia facts. There are also many nice photos in the book, some in color (fortieth anniversary edition) and there are quizzes, lists, and an episode guide with very brief summaries of the shows.
   It is a really nice book and can be enjoyed by fans of the show in any age group, from youth to grownup.
   And even though there is no actual show production stories or actor interviews in this book, it does do a good job of profiling the characters and showing their individual personalities in the context of the world they exist in, that of their beloved Mayberry.

No comments about Inclusive Creative Movement And Dance.