No comments about American Set Design 2 (American Set Design).

2 comments about Tim Burton: Interviews (Conversations With Filmmakers Series).

1. While the interviews are really interesting and personal, I was surpriced that this director's most personal work, Edward Scissorhands, got a single, (admittedly great) space on this book.



2. The Tim Burton Interviews is a must have for anyone who loves Tim Burton or filmmaking in general. Kristian Fraga's introduction sets the tone for this fun and informative book on Tim Burtons life, love for movies, and insight into the unique mind of Tim Burton.

5 comments about Backstage with the Original Hollywood Square.

1. "The Hollywood Squares" debuted before I was born, but I was able to enjoy the last 3-4 years of the original run. This book is a very detailed and fascinating look back at the origins of the show, including Peter Marshall's pre-"Squares" career, the stars I grew up with and the jokes I was too young to understand, the behind-the-scenes work done by the show's writers and crew members, and who really came up with the "because chiffon wrinkles" line. In addition, a CD of the long-out-of-print "Zingers from The Hollywood Squares" album is included. People who don't have tapes of the original show or don't want to watch low-quality copies on YouTube will have fun hearing some of the show's funniest quips from Paul, Wally, Rose Marie and the gang. This is highly recommended for any "Squares" fan, even if you missed out on the original version.



2. In the late sixties and seventies, Hollywood Squares was my favorite game show. It combined some of the best jokes ever heard on television with questions that really made you think. Unlike many of the current shows that use only `B' class celebrities, the biggest and best stars appeared on Squares. Even older stars such as Gloria Swanson, Bob Hope, Glenn Ford and Henny Youngman all made at least one appearance on the show.
   Peter Marshall hosted the show for all sixteen years of its original run and this book is his recollection of the most memorable moments. It is not a true tell-all book; there are times when he uses the "who shall remain nameless" phrase. One of the more interesting problems that Marshall had as host was trying to get the stars, especially the comedians, to shorten their monologues. In fact, he points out that one of the most difficult stars was Jackie Mason. Not because he had an attitude problem or that he wasn't funny, but because his jokes were too long.
   It is obvious that Peter Marshall truly enjoyed his job hosting Hollywood Squares. He clearly had a lot of fun and that the overwhelming majority of the stars were easy to deal with and also had fun doing the show. That was one of the characteristics that made it so appealing. In the era of celebrity nastiness and bickering, this book is a pleasant reminder that it wasn't always that way.



3. Peter Marshall(Joanne Dru's Brother) did a superb Job writing his book along with a small biography of his life and career as a game show host.Hopefully,he might someday write or encourage a biography of his sister, the beautiful and reknowned actress Joanne Dru.It would be a labor of love and a beautiful tribute!!So spread the word!!I'm sure that a publisher somewhere, especially in her home state of West Virginia would love to publish it!!



4. An interesting document, and ok in the absence of other records of the time. It's too bad that Bill Armstrong (Squares writer, producer, legendary wit, broadly reputed source of Paul Lynde's best lines, and co-author Adrienne Armstrong's ex-husband) didn't live to have his name on a better book about a period he knew and could have described better than anyone. Unfortunately, Bill Armstrong perished, and others published.



5. Game show host Peter Marshall sheds some light on the famous game show and you can't lose with this much information to draw on. However, there are some missing goodies.

   We are treated to a somewhat humble biography about Peter Marchall, but it's mostly forgettable fluff. Every celebrity from the show is listed in the voluminous Index with a select handful being recognized with a page or two of biographical information. Most notable are Rose Marie, Dolly Parton, Vincent Price, Alice Cooper, Wally Cox, Milton Berle, Ruth Buzzie, Jonathan Winters and, of course, Paul Lynde. Marshall mentions tons of jokes that each celebrity has aired with some funny personal facts as well. The jokes are truly funny, but we learn that most of them were not written by the stars and no credibility is given to those that did. You might think that some interesting personal trivia would be exposed, but Marshall is very protective of his gang. Even Paul Lynde's widely known personal sexual life is ignored, covered by Marshall's proclaimed naivety and replaced with a story about Paul's devotion to his dog.

   It's still a great quick read full of jokes and some vintage pictures form the sixties and seventies. One of the highlights is a CD included that has 45 minutes of jokes from the television show. It's not Dolby Surround Sound by any means, but the point is the jokes and delivery and they are real side-splitters.

   Example: Q: What fictional character ran around screaming, "I'm late, "I'm late"? Paul Lynde: That was Alice, and her mother's sick about it.

3 comments about In the Company of Strangers.

1. This book by Mary Meigs is a wonderful companion to the wonderful film "The Company of Strangers" (American title: "Strangers in Good Company").
   
   In 1988, seven women aged 65 - 88 and one younger woman were brought together in an old farmhouse in Quebec to film a movie. One of these women, Mary Meigs, wrote this account of the filming, which includes portraits of the other cast members, as well as members of the production crew. But this is more than a companion volume to a film. It is also a deeply moving reflection on being old, being joyful against great odds, facing death, not without fear, but courageously. It reminds me of my grandmother's admission: "Every morning, I get up feeling eighteen and then look into the mirror and am surprised to see an old woman staring back." This book reminds us that our skin wrinkles, our hair turns gray (or falls out!), our joints stiffen, but we are our young selves in our minds.
   
   Mary Meigs, who passed away in 2002, was known as a writer and artist long before she was persuaded by Scott and Demers to be the lesbian in their film. [...]. Out of the closet long before this was acceptable, Mary taught English literature and creative writing at Bryn Mawr College, emigrated to Canada for love, and published three books prior to "In the Company of Strangers."
   
   "In the Company of Strangers" is a gift to all of us who are or will grow old.



2. I concur with A. Reid's review on every point. This book is linked with the DVD by Amazon for good reason, it compliments the movie wonderfully. If you fell in love with the women of the film -- and in my case, Mary Meigs happened to win my heart the most -- then you owe it to yourself to sit down with this book to further your enjoyment. Life is good. This book and the film affirm this.



3. _The Company of Strangers_ (American title: _Strangers in Good Company_) is a Canadian docudrama featuring 7 elderly women and 1 younger in contrived desperate straits. When their tour bus breaks down, they're forced to fend for themselves in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. A sort of "reality series" precursor, coming several years before MTV's Real World, the film is not in the least suspenseful. We're not worried about whether or not these women will survive. We're just interested in watching them get to know each other and getting to know them better. It's a purely magical look into the histories and minds of these women.
   
   This book is a look by one of those women into the process and the experience of making that film.
   
   Selected by the associate director to represent Lesbian, septuagenarian Mary Meigs insisted on remaining an individual--and a fascinating individual at that. Writer, painter, activist and former professor of creative writing at Bryn Mawr, Meigs trains her artist's eye on her surroundings. The book she created is an interesting artifact in its own right. Meigs muses about age and gender and sexual identity, but in an unobtrusive way, wrapped up in a descriptive prose style that reminded me somewhat of a more grounded Annie Dillard, as when of the filming process she says:
   
   "We are spectators and recipients in the great magic show. Disembodied hands holding Styrofoam cups appear just as the words -water- or -coffee- form in a head; invisible spirits place chairs under our bums (Cissy's word) just before we fall backward into space, or coats on our backs, or scarves around our necks on a nippy morning. The same hands are also held out to be draped with the same coats, scarves, extraneous handbags and hats, to be hidden in secret places, away from the camera's prying eye. Umbrellas, parasols, bee helmets materialize, according to the weather. On hot, still days we stand knee-deep in meadow grass, looking like extraterrestrials, helmeted in green gauze while the black flies peer in greedily from outside. Through a green mist I see us lined up, eight mediaeval women warriors, waiting for our marching orders."
   
   The magic for Mary is in the mundane--the smile of this woman, the smell of that place. Meigs does an outstanding job of conveying that and, with her self-effacing manner, hinting at its relevance.
   
   But while _In the Company of Strangers_ can stand on its own, it really shouldn't. It is a magnificent companion piece to the film. To those who have fallen in love with the women in the movie, it offers an opportunity to see a little more, to find out what happens next. In the process, it reveals a few secrets, demystifies a scene or two. But it doesn't diminish the magic. It completes it.
   
   If academia has not already embraced the pair, I believe it will. Women's Studies. Gay and Lesbian Studies. Canadian Studies. Whatever they are calling or will someday call the culture of aging. These have a lot of homes. And I personally believe that a lot of homes will be better off for having them.

1 comments about From the Other Side of the Century II: A New American Drama 1960-1995 (Sun & Moon Classics).

1. If you're curious about the path of American drama in the past thirty years -- that is, American drama other than what Broadway had to offer -- then this is the anthology to get. It's huge, diverse, and full of surprises. If you haven't been paying close attention to off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and nowhere-near-Broadway theatre, then there are likely to be unfamiliar names here. That's okay; the editors are knowledgeable and have made their choices carefully (Mac Wellman is himself an excellent playwright). Yes, you'll discover some familiar names, since many of the major American playwrights of the past few decades are included here -- Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, Tony Kushner, etc. However, the excitement in this anthology is how much you will discover: there's Maria Irene Fornes, perhaps the greatest of the avant-garde playwrights to emerge in the '60s; and Len Jenkin, whose plays tend to be a cross between all the good parts of Philosophy 101 and the X-Files; and Suzan-Lori Parks, who is, simply, a genius.

   It's certainly not all easy reading, for these are plays by playwrights who love to explore the boundaries of language, of imagery, of theatrical imagination, but if you're adventurous and willing to have your conceptions of the theatre's possibilities be expanded, then this book will be a treasure-trove for you.

   The only anthology to rival this one is Michael Feingold's Grove New American Theatre, which includes six wonderful scripts. From the Other Side of the Century includes over thirty. Get both if you can, but if you can only have one, then this is the anthology to buy.

5 comments about Guru: My Days with Del Close.

1. This was a great book. The author uses a lot of real life experiences to bring Del to life, which needed to be documented for future generations.



2. Even if you aren't in the Chicago Improv scene, this is a very funny and cleverly written book about the one and only Del Close. Del was a drug addict, an actor, and a believer in the art of long-form improv. I would imagine knowing him would have been bitter-sweet, but got a better glimps of him from "Guru." You should definitely read this if you want a good chuckle.



3. This is the story of real life pop culture Zelig Del Close (Mike Myers, L. Ron Hubbard, the Grateful Dead and Lenny Bruce all make appearances) and his relationship with his the assistant, the author of this book (and a very funny writer). Over verbal scrapping and absurd adventures Del and Jeff reach a sort of understanding and Jeff gain insight into the importance of taking risk in art, even as his "guru" rants about the usefulness of ropes as belts and the lack of bats in Chicago. Were they "friends"? Of a sort.
   
   It's a very funny book with barbed and profane dialogue between the protagonists, but it still manages to be inspiring. Couldn't put it down.
   
   If you have any interest in comedy or improv, especially the history of both in the United States, this book is required.



4. This book was a real blessing for me. I was a student of Del's for four months during the last year of his life. He was a complex man, by his own admission, not a very likable one. This book allowed great insight into what was going on during that last year or so. Del did some very generous things for me during that time, but i always felt our relationship ended poorly. After reading this book, i felt a great weight lifted, and a greater understanding of that period of my life. I am able to forgive Del and realize there really was a method to his madness. He was an extraordinary soul and this book nails that with a few tears, and a great deal of laugh out loud escapades that prove Truth... is far stranger then fiction. My girlfriend read this book after me in one 5 and a half hour sitting. She literally could not put it down, and she never even met Del. This one is a gem that i look forward to reading again down the road. Well Done Jeff! No small feat. Thanks for setting the record straight on just who Del Close really was.



5. True genius - that of visionary and driving force caliber - is rarely seen and even less seldom acknowledged during one's own lifetime. Del Close, the father of long-form improvisational theatre and the idea of improv as an art form, casts a long shadow as the central figure of Guru: My Days with Del Close, by Jeff Griggs.
   
   In a mentor/protégée dynamic reminiscent of Ronald Harwood's "The Dresser", Griggs - a young, talented performer - finds himself entrusted with, at first, weekly errands for the slowly ailing Close. A somewhat odd pairing from the start - the ever-rebellious, outspoken and temperamental Close and the somewhat reserved, patient Griggs - find they are alike at the very core as both are insightful, driven and passionate about the work on stage. In his teachings at IO (formerly ImprovOlympic) in Chicago - along with Charna Halpern - Close taught, mentored and sometimes fought fiercely for honesty and intelligence onstage.
   
   Through Griggs we are privy to the secrets, insights and, oftentimes, despair that accompanied a mind of such magnitude. The critiques of class work, for instance, are priceless for anyone who has taken an improvisational stage class: Take it seriously. Commit. Think of your stage partner and your relationship together, over yourself. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I have been fortunate to have studied with teachers mentioned in this book, including Jeff Griggs, who is remarkably insightful as a teacher and tremendously talented as a performer. Being taught by a mentored student of Close's gives me a kind of "Closean Pedagogical Contact Buzz" - a metaphor Mr. Close might have enjoyed. Or not.)
   
   Deftly interweaving Close's biographical facts with the continuous and growing narrative bond, Griggs establishes a private - and oftentimes poignant - look at a psychologically complex man and we are all the wiser and more mature for it. For baby improvisers to seasoned vets to actors who may still think improvisational games are just for warming-up before acting, to those who simply love the theatre, this book is necessary because it is a part, a record, of our theatrical history.

No comments about The Theory of the Modern Stage.

5 comments about The Encyclopedia of Fantasy.

1. This is a fantastic reference for anyone who is a lover of fantasy and trivia! The entries are very detailed and although some entries seem a little extraneous (there's one for Latin America), this is an invaluable resource for fantasy readers. St. Martin's Press has certainly fulfilled its promise of producing a volume worth of following The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.



2. I'm sure that this would be a wonderful book for anyone interested in the history of the fantasy genre - including movies and television shows, characters and certain authors. However, if you are looking for a book that contains information of the fantasy world itself (ie. mythical beasts, worlds, spells, etc...), like I was, this is definately the wrong book for you. I am a fantasy writer and was looking for information that would help in my writing. This book, now that I have had a good look at it, will sit on my shelf and collect dust until I can find someone to give or sell it to. If you are looking for information on movies, this is a book for you... If not, then don't waste your time and money on this book. It is not worth it.



3. There are so many disappointments here I don't know where to start but I'll give it a try just in case you are considering purchasing this paperweight. All I can say is Thank God I bought it used! First, no pictures AT ALL. Second, there is a very annoying problem with the text. When you read the sentence above with the words 'AT ALL' in capital letters you probably emphasised those two words in your head. This is a normal thing to do especially now with e-mail etiquette using words written in capital letters as a form of 'written yelling'. Well, the authors, editors, whomever, chose to capitalize [as opposed to italicize], all the words in each listing that appear elsewhere in the book as a heading. This makes for very dis-jointed and annoying reading. Of course this is a personal opinion of mine, it may not bother you. So here is another one, jargon, or I should say more correctly, made-up terms by the authors supposedly referring to fantasy books. This book is filled with these imaginary terms that no one else has heard of but them. It reads like someone's lame thesis. As if they wrote this overblown dissertion all about fantasy books and tried to make themselves sound so very literary and intellectual. Kind of pathetic folks!
   Here is an example, [the capitalization here is theirs], they try to place fantasy books into categories that they have names for such as 'a PLANETARY ROMANCE'. For all you lovers of Anne McCaffrey out there this should offend to no end; and I quote under the entry for dragons [pg 295] the following "In the PERN PLANETARY ROMANCES by Anne MCCAFFREY they are again, [dragons], semi-sapient, capable of an emotional bonding to their selected riders that is quasi-sexual." unquote.
   Webster's dictionary defines sapient as possessing or expressing great sagacity. Yeah..... okay, you could have just said semi-intelligent but you would still be wrong as they were not semi or quasi anything. They were fully sentient and fully intelligent but I guess semi-sapient sounds smarter to some people! [even if it is incorrect]. And 'a PLANETARY ROMANCE'?, what the hell is that supposed to be?
   Not to mention I would not call these books romances. It makes them sound cheesy which they are certainly not. And while on the subject there was nothing sexual, quasi or otherwise, between the dragons and their riders!!! and if you think there was you are just sick. The dragons share a telapathic bond with their riders and therefore share their lives and their feelings with each other. That is all. If you read sexual into that well then you just have way too much 'sexual' on the brain.
   So perspective purchasers of this unworthy tome that is just ONE entry concerning one of the most well known, loved, and highly recommended fantasy series ever written. And oh my do they butcher it. You can take it from there.
   The only possible use this book has besides propping open the back door is that it lists authors works in order. So if you are starting to read a series and are unsure of the sequence of the books, they do list that information for you. For that much they can have the one star. If possible I would have not even given this book even that much. Sorry folks but that's just my opinion as someone who has been reading fantasy for over 25 years.



4. Fantasy Geeks can't complain any longer--not with the addition of this volume to their already heavily burdened bookshelves: their readerly fetish is now fully indexed, glossed, and cross-referenced.

   On the face of it, this text represents nothing less than the advent of fantasy literature as a serious field of cultural production; it can not be slighted any more, within reason, for being fluffy, inane, or without serious intellectual interest, for we now have a proper academic book--and a weighty one at that--to substantiate fantasy literature's claim to "high art" instead of kitschy irrelevance.

   One of the most useful innovations here is that Clute and Grant develop an interpretive lexicon for use within the field of fantasy production. Ever felt the need to explain the "polder"? How about an application of the "seven samurai" model? the "pariah elite"? "Thinning"? An excellent set of critical tools here--but be sure to supplement them with more modern developments of literary & cultural theory.

   Don't buy this one unless you have lots of time to spend flipping through its comprehensive coverage of the field.




5. This is the most exhaustive Fantasy reference available.
   
   All of the contributors are concise, probing and informative. Even if you don't know the author or work being cited, it is as revealing as its arguments are persuasive, which can lead you to the library to learn more.
   
   For anyone who gets lost in the sea of jargon used throughout, the book is a glossary in itself, so don't fret! It includes the definitions of common Fantasy terms such as "Swords and Sorcery", "Fairy", and esoteric terms, like "thinning".
   
   Basically, if it's not in here, it's not worth reading -- or at least according to the authors. They said that they've only excluded authors who they consider relatively unimportant.
   
   A long entry indicates the importance of the author, so of course Tolkien's entry takes up a few pages. Get books by those authors if you want to read the groundbreaking genre-defining stuff.
   
   John Grant's movies reviews are very inciteful and comprehensive. Without giving ratings, he often hints at what made one either good or bad, which can help you decide whether to see it or not.
   
   If you want to get more interested in Fantasy, but can't pick the good books and movies from the bad, this should enlighten you. I find it a great means of escape.
   
   Lawrence

3 comments about Varekai: Cirque du Soleil.

1. This is a beautiful book, full of pictures and less words: just the way I wanted it! This book brings you back to the show...



2. This book is a great collection of large pictures and little text. The pictures are beautiful and put a beautiful light on all the different characters.
   
   I highly recommend this item if you've seen the show, especially when it's only 23 dollars!
   
   The only thing I din't like is that many pictures aren't sharp.



3. If you saw Varekai you will want this book. It is far, far better than I had expected.

   I worked as an usher for Varekai and saw the show 48 times. The typical Cirque production leaves you in awe of what you just experienced. "But what was it about"? The brief, yet distinct, text in this book revealed the complex story behind Varekai. After 48 shows I now feel comfortable with my new understanding of the intent of each act. The text made me smile.

   If you agree that every Cirque production projects athletic/artistic hyper-realism, then you will agree that this book is photo hyper-realism.

   The initial catch is that each page is printed on high quality paper. There are no tiny quarter-page photos. You are buying big, bold, full and double page prints. They are breathtaking.

   Veronique Vial knows how to use a camera in concert with her instinct. As an important part of the experience, Cirque takes pride in offering a concert of colors. Vail captures the colors and moods of the costumes, the make-up art, the sets and the production lighting. Her photos can not be refered to as "stills" in this book. Vail has snatched both the pace and the movement of each act. She placed it on a page for your enjoyment.

   She has frozen the details of each athlete/character just when you begin to wonder about computer alterations. When detailed focus is needed, she gives it to you. Her shots could be used for facial expression research.

   This really is a book of high art; photo hyper-realism. (I am probably academically wrong.) Did you see Varekai? Will you see Varekai? Are you a Cirque fan? Do you enjoy books of art?

   If so, purchase this book. It is a treasure.

No comments about The Motion Picture Mega-Industry: (Part of the Allyn & Bacon Series in Mass Communication) (Allyn & Bacon Series in Mass Communication).