No comments about Delicious Dissembling: A Complete Guide to Performing Restoration Comedy.

4 comments about The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia.

1. i am thrilled with the "used" condition of this book. while it does not have some of the info i was looking for it will be a handy addition to my library



2. Fifty years of rock n roll film history is considered in a reader perfect not just for film libraries but for general-interest collections where either film or modern music is of interest. General-interest audiences receive a reference packing in over two hundred reader-friendly A-Z entries which include synopses, cast listings, ratings, DVD availability and more. Also included are biographical entries of the stars and 'best and worst' lists. An excellent reference.



3. Rock and Roll, barely 50 years old as a developed genre, has had its effects on many aspects of American culture. And why not film? John Kenneth Muir brings the gentle voice of the aficionado to this compilation of movies that somehow or other involve the world of rock. Muir's book is a collection of short movie reviews and other very short essays on rock-movie-related topics. One of his best qualities is his evident love for the genre -- even for those films that are quite weak. He is not at all caustic, and has little of the edge one might expect from a work such as this. His ever-so-gentle critiques of the films of Elvis Presley, for instance, while lamenting their poor music and negligible plots, note the best of the lot (King Creole and Kid Galahad), actually made me want to watch them. Never once does Muir lay a hand on the King himself, whose talent and authentic charisma Muir feels were rarely put to use.
   
   Not that Muir avoids naming names and pointing fingers when he has to. His review of Rick Springfield's "Hard to Hold' makes it clear that he has no use for the film's plot or the mugging of its star. Muir is not above steering fans away from unfortunate sequels, from Saturday Night Fever II to Grease II. But he is most often generous in his critiques, finding something positive to say about nearly every film. It would have been easy to slam the Beach Blanket movies of the early 1960s, or the rancorous punk films of the 1980s, but Muir treats them with reverence and respect not often encountered in critiques of the genre.
   
   Along the way, you will refresh your memory about some of rock film's classics (A Hard Day's Night; Woodstock) and learn of little known, but well-considered, rock films ("Eddie and the Cruisers") that are worth digging up. You will also be reminded of the conventions of rock and roll films -- the press conference; the battle of the bands; the breakup; anti-authority stance; Billboard magazine as a way to track a band's rise and fall. Muir's asides bring a level of fun to the book that break up the otherwise-endless list of movie reviews.
   
   Muir does make the rare flub. His list of Beatles films inexplicably omits "Magical Mystery Tour." But misses aside, RRFE provides a fascinating and attractive glimpse of a culture that in a few years managed to permeate and transform the musical landscape of the nation and the world. Read along, and learn a bit about rock's legends, goats, little-known treasures and unexpected students (Hairspray's John Waters, anyone?). And most helpful, at the back of the book, Muir provides his lists of his top movies in various genres: overall, documentary, musical, etc.
   
   The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia is a thoroughly charming and easy-to-read romp through films and characters that are weird, wacky, pretentious, dismissible, important, challenging, self-destructive and joyful. Hard to put down.



4. With over 200 entries, this book includes rock 'n roll movies that we can't forget and some that we'd probably like to forget. It was really fun to read about some of the movies, their stars, and even their soundtracks! It's in an easy-to-read format. One of my favorite parts of the book is the "Tops and Bottoms of the Rock Film Genre". It was interesting to see where movies ended up!

2 comments about NAME - DROPPING: The Life and Lies of Alan King.

1. I was stuck in the airport waiting for a flight. I picked up King's book and was hysterical laughing outloud!! It kept me entertained throughout!!! I highly recommend it. It's entertaining, cleverly written, and fast moving!



2. Alan King has had such an interesting life which he shares with his readers! The book is a Winner!

5 comments about The Lighting Art: The Aesthetics of Stage Lighting Design (2nd Edition).

1. This is a great book for thought and discussion however, the version available here is a facimile. This is a BLACK AND WHITE COPY of the original published book. none of the many photos or color graphs and charts are usable, for that matter visible. Amazon does not have the color version at all. I did get a speedy refund and free return shipping, but I missed the time before my upcoming show to read it. The show DID go on.



2. A wonderful book!!! Finally a text that talks about the aesthetics of lighting. I was so tired of reading thru design books that spent more time on technical specifications of luminaires than actual design. I strongly urge any and all lighting design professors to utilize this book in the classroom. It is so much more stimulating to an aspiring design student than disussions on double plano convex lenses. I would also recommend Francis Reid's book "Lighting the Stage".



3. Without a doubt, the best book on the market in its treatment of stage lighting as a vital dramatic art form. There isn't the usual multitude of chapters on the basics of wiring, bulbs, equipment which is obsolete before the book reaches the shelves, blue + green =?, etc., etc. Dr. Palmer simply explains how to create a beautiful picture on the stage. This is the step up for which the professional lighting artist has been waiting. Congratulations Richard.



4. This is the first modern book I have read dealing with Lighting Design as an Art Form. It seriously investigates Lighting Design for the stage at an advanced level.



5. the first text for stage lighting that does not spend half the book explaining electrics... concentrates on aesthetic choices, on developing your own sense of aesthetics, and how to apply your choices to the play.

1 comments about Networking in the Music Business.

1. I found this book in a little discount book store in GA, never knowning how valuable it would become. Inside, there is a wealth of information. It is though(in my opinion), geared moreso toward songwriters, but if you are a performer you will still find it helpful. I sure did.

5 comments about Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Making of Casablanca-Bogart, Bergman, and World War II.

1. "Casablanca" is, unarguably, one of the greatest films ever to emerge from the Hollywood dream factory. So, it's entirely fitting that the prolific and hugely talented Aljean Harmetz should give us the ultimate bible, road-map and encyclopedia of this Bogart-Bergman classic.
   It's a fascinating read from cover to cover, including scores of back stories relating to every stage of the film's development. What's more, it will help settle hundreds of bar-room bets, thus paying for itself many times over! To author Harmetz, I can only say, "Here's looking at you kid!"



2. As a Casablanca lover (words don't do it justice), I ate this book up. Harmetz writes with warmth about nearly everyone involved in the film except Jack Warner, about whom she writes with a deserved respect. The stories of the bit players, most refugees, expanded the Casablanca context tremendously for me. The suspense, and the tale of how this gem could have been different in so many ways (or not produced at all), made me appreciate this cultural icon even more. I haven't seen the film since reading this book, but you bet when I do I'm going to turn off the phone.



3. Aljean Harmetz's "Round Up the Usual Suspects" is one of the best books on the making of what is probably the best film of the 1940s (and possibly of all time). Harmetz explains almost every aspect of the story--often sounding more like fiction than fact--of the making of this all-time winner. These aspects include who was behind the camera, the actors, and the writers. She provides many details about life behind the WB shield--which collaborates the view of Jack Warner as a jerk seen in a fine book,"Hollywood Be Thy Name"--the fights on who wrote the screenplay, and how they all meshed together to create an enduring classic. She also explains how the film escaped the propanganda machine of later 1940 films. If you love this film, you should read this book! Let us hope that it returns to print witht he release of the special DVD edition of "Casablanca".



4. This book is a great read. Although heavily documented, the "characters" come alive throughout--the characters being actual actors, the Warner brothers of Warner Bros., the director, writers, even the lighting director and sound men on the set.

   It wonderfully describes the studio system, the differences between the studios and how "properties" were loaned out, and how WW II affected everybody in the movie business.

   Two quotes had me laughing until I was in tears. It is a great book. Additionally, the hardcover with translucent dustjacket is most gorgeous. This is a winner and a keeper for movie history buffs.




5. "Round Up the Usual Suspects" provided many behind-the-scenes tidbits about CASABLANCA that I've never heard before - Murray Burnett's lawsuits against Howard Koch, the feud between Jack Warner and Hal Wallis and a precise picture of the Warner Brother house style. Ms. Harmetz provided an excellent and detailed account of Hollywood moviemaking in the early 40s. After reading this and her books on GONE WITH THE WIND and THE WIZARD OF OZ, she just may well be one of the foremost historians of Hollywood's Golden Age.

2 comments about Nureyev.

1. From a small town in the then Soviet Union came one of the greatest male dancers the world has ever known, Rudolf Nureyev. "Nureyev" is a massive coffee-table sized biography of this great ballet artist, filled with nearly two hundred black and white but beautifully captured images of his countless performances over the decades, to play out as a unique telling of this brilliant artist's life. Highly recommended as a great gift to any ballet enthusiast and can find a place in any community library collection on dance.



2. 
   Great old pictures but needed more in color and more of his houses around the world.

No comments about Acting Jewish: Negotiating Ethnicity on the American Stage and Screen.

No comments about Running: Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology in Practice.

No comments about LA 411 2008 (La 411).