5 comments about Final Cut : Art, Money, and Ego in the Making of Heaven's Gate, the Film That Sank United Artists.

1. In "Final Cut", Stephen Bach presents his perspective on the making of "Heaven's Gate", the film that arguably unmade United Artists. The distribution company founded in 1919 by three actors and a director to allow artists to make the films they want would, ironically, be undone in 1981 by an out-of-control director and those who indulged him. Bach was one of those people. His first act as head of East Coast and European production for United Artists in 1978 was to make the deal that would ultimately convince parent company Transamerican to sell UA. He committed to make a movie called "The Johnson County War", written and directed by Michael Cimino, for $7.8 million. By the time it was released in November 1980, the film, retitled "Heaven's Gate", would cost UA $44 million.
   
   After a whirlwind history of the company brings us up to speed on the condition of United Artists in 1978, Stephen Bach proceeds into a history of "The Johnson County War" project, acquired amid a product shortage, when UA had over 50 projects in some stage of development but few far down the pipeline. UA's first mistake in not realizing that it needed to pay more accrued charges to acquire the script was, perhaps, inauspicious. This was to be a medium-budget Western. But in perhaps the most blatantly stupid and self-destructive decision in movie history, UA approved unlimited cost overruns if Michael Cimino would try to get the film finished for a 1979 Christmas release, a schedule that was unlikely and against his interests anyway. That opened the floodgates on the budget.
   
   Behind schedule and spending $200,000 a day to film in Montana, Michael Cimino ended up shooting 1.3 million feet of film, which he edited to a 5-hour-25 minute film, then to a 3-hour-39-minute film that critics hated, to its final 2-hour-25-minute box office bomb. "Final Cut" is obviously Stephen Bach's view of the "Heaven's Gate" debacle. He places the blame squarely on Michael Cimino. But, writing in 1985, Bach understood more of what went on at UA in retrospect than he saw at the time. He doesn't deny UA's responsibility for the absurd financing of "Heaven's Gate" or its unwillingness to seek a partnership deal or to fire the director until it was too late. Beyond the details of one of the film industry's most mind-boggling train wrecks, "Final Cut" is a fascinating look inside the movie business just as the studios were regaining power and directors' power was diminishing in the late 1970s to early 1980s.



2. This book is pretty helpful when trying to understand the film history and how it all changed through a single film.



3. Myths and legends pervade and shade our light of the truth. Art is lost to commerce and business; the business of Hollywood, which rarely produces art. Michael Cimino became a leper of ill-repute based solely on negative reviews and publicity that shielded and prevented the public with seeing 'Heaven's Gate.' Do we know this, or do we still nurse the myth and legend? This film is a masterpiece along the lines of D.W. Griffith, David Lean, Akira Kurosawa, Francis Ford Coppola, and possibly, John Ford. Cimino's genius lies in 'The Deer Hunter' as well. 'Deer Hunter' is a powerful, masterful film. 'Heaven's Gate' parallels this mastery with its excessive beauty (excessive is used lightly in the bloated productions of 2006). This book should be destroyed as it only perpetuates the thought of a time when negative hype can wipe clean of any exposure to art on celluloid. Watch the film; ignore the ignorant past; embrace this director; watch his films. 'Year of the Dragon' is a fine film as well. Begin with 'Deer Hunter,' and then the film in question.



4. So much has been written about Michael Cimino's "Heaven's Gate" that few people recall the film itself: a bloated, aimless, wandering and unfocused epic about the Johnson County "war" of the late eighteen hundreds. The book's story of wretched excess, greed, artistic ambition run amok and misguided faith in that ambition mirrors the story of the making of Fox's "Cleopatra" in 1961. Though "Heaven's Gate" has a devoted cult following today, such admiration is common to reviled works: people have a tendency to champion projects that "nobody else got" because it makes them feel elevated from the common wisdom, or a part of an exclusive culture of appreciation. Sadly, Cimino's film doesn't warrant such revisionist thinking. The book explains in excruciating detail the process by which a small, personal project became one of the grandest flops in the history of Hollywood. Equally culpable in this fiasco are the men and women who allowed this director to squander the millions spent, even after it became apparent that the film was a disappointment by the kindest standards. Far from being a lost opportunity (the story of the Johnson County war has been done several times, in films like "Shane") "Heaven's Gate" is probably the best known example of the kind of apalling waste that drove the film industry into the sad state it has fallen to. The author accepts his share of the blame, and is astonishingly fair to Cimino, defending the director's vision, his decisions, and his intentions. But the end result (known to every film buff) hangs over the proceedings like grim death.



5. This is one of the finest books ever written about the movie business. Bach explains, step by step, why he and the other UA execs did the things they did, and the disaster that unfolded. He's honest about his own failings, but at every step, as he outlines the choices available, you realise that - in his place and without the benefit of hindsight - you'd probably make the same mistakes. It's fascinating.
   
   Of course, with the benefit of hindsight, it's easy to see the experience as a kind of horror movie. Each time UA concedes a point to Cimino, you feel like yelling "Don't go in the cellar!" (or, in this case, "Don't cast Isabelle Huppert!"). Of course, down they go into the cellar, where there are even more zombies lurking. The high point is the part where Cimino demands the installation of an irrigation system to ensure the grass looks properly green - but of course it's his land!
   
   I have read this book several times since it was first published, and lent my copy to at least a dozen people who are also in the business. Everyone I know who knows anything about moviemaking has loved it.

No comments about Pygmalion.

4 comments about Dancing with the Stars: Jive, Samba, and Tango Your Way into the Best Shape of Your Life.

1. This is a great book if you love pictures of the stars and a list of great Ballroom Dance Music. Not a lot of content, though.
   Helen



2. I ordered the wrong product, however this book was in excellent condition and it was shipped to me very fast.



3. A great TV show deserves a great book, and this is it! The book is printed on heavy, shiny paper with tons of color photos that include almost every couple from Season 1 through last year when Apolo and Julianne won. The last part of the book is photo after photo of Alec and Edyta demonstrating the different dances. Not so interesting! Why were they chosen when there is a bevy of beautiful people to chose from, for example, Maksim, Julianne, etc. But anyway, if you love the show, you will love this book. There is some instruction, and text on the differences between the various dances. Watch the show! Buy the book! Both are a lot of fun.



4. the fastest mail delivery ever---pictures were very colorful----but did not show the dance steps for exercise

3 comments about 13 by Shanley: Thirteen Plays (Applause American Masters Series).

1. I once took a Shanley scene study class in NYC at Circle Rep. Patrick Shanley came into the very last class and talked to us and critiqued our scenes. A very down to earth and inspiring man. He talked to us of how he sees no seperation of dreams and real-life when he writes. His early plays contained in this collection inspire some of his better known quirky characters(Savage, Murk, Danny, Roberta, Aldo) and stories(Savage in Limbo, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Big Funk, Italian/American Reconciliation) but all his work no matter how dreamy are always real as are his characters. There's a journey for all his characters in each play and a world of magic, if you believe in it, the characters and play will come alive. For actors, Shanley has to be filled with the right stuff, not pumped up.



2. If you've ever been involved in a relationship that gets deep, personal and reveals a you you never knew existed...Shanley's already been there and brilliantly written about it. His ability to peer into the dark, dank depths of the human psyche and then actually write something funny about it is unparalleled. I've seen many of his plays and always left with a sore stomach from laughing so hard. I wanted to read them, too, so I could take the time to savor the deeper understandings. I'm constantly lending my copy to friends to read after they come to me in the throws of personal or relationship crisis. I'm grateful for this collection and can't wait for the next one.



3. I found the plays in "13 by Shanley" to be as outrageous, quirky, beautiful, and redeeming as his screenwork. Shanley has the uncanny ability to make you read him twice, because one reading doesn't quite settle with you. I found myself reading a play in this collection, all the while thinking, "that's odd. I'm not too sure I care for that one. Oh, well." Then, I'd wake up the next morning, with lines from the play nagging at me. I'd go back to it and, sure enough... "it's brilliant. How did I miss that before?"

   Shanley isn't everyone's cup of tea. However, if you have any kind of appreciative bone in your body for passionately quirky romances like "Moonstruck" or moodily misunderstood fairlytales like "Joe Versus The Volcano" (my personal all-time favorite)... then I STRONGLY urge you to pick up "13 by Shanley" for 13 cultured tales of love, beauty, and self-discovery.

   Shanley's a genius. He's in a class by himself.

5 comments about The Tempest (Cambridge School Shakespeare).

1. The Tempest is rightly regarded as being one of the Bard's greatest works, containing some of his deepest thoughts on the nature of power and the relationship between rational man as controller of nature, and the animal man always to be at the mercy of the passions both of himself, others, and the world around him. In fact, this play could be thought of as representing Shakespeare's final and definitive statement on topics that he had explored throughout his cannon. But profound as the philosophy is, and despite the beauty of the poetry and the many magical elements contained within the play, the fact is that as far as the average attention lacking teenager is concerned, not a lot happens. This is why this Cambridge schools edition scores over most others. It is almost entirely activity focused, the expressed aim being to 'bring the play to life'. With at least one suggested activity beside each page of Shakespeare's text (as well as a decent amount of background notes and interpretation), every teacher armed with this book should be able to enthuse his charges with the very real relevance of this play to the world which we have bequeathed them.



2. Of course Shakespeare's TEMPEST is an enchanting--and enchanted--play, but my comments here concern the DOVER THRIFT EDITION of the play. Dover is to be commended for making texts such as these affordable for readers on a budget. However, students and teachers alike should note that the Dover edition does not supply line numbers. Students who are considering this text for a class and may have to write about it will not be able to cite specific line numbers as is convention (Act.scene.lines; e.g., 3.1.34-47). Professors and teachers should also be aware of this limitation and weigh it against the affordability of this text.



3. I have my degree in English... I like reading and teaching with this version as "help" not as a substitution. It gives a clearer understanding to Shakespeare for people who have difficulty with it.



4. I bought this copy admittedly because the magical artwork on the cover drew me towards this edition. I admit that it is shallow but I am very glad I ended up picking this one because it contains a wealth of information that is so perfect for helping students understand the context, background, themes and ideas contained within this beautifully written play.
   
   Shakespeare is always difficult for us young people, but I can easily promise anyone that this edition does a fine job of explaining the play and it definately helps the reader to gain a better understanding of the play so you are prepared to go into an exam and write about it for two hours with the conviction that you will yield good results.



5. I recently re-read THE TEMPEST prior to attending The Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of this play under the summer stars here in Boulder. Shakespeare (1564-1616) produced this emotionally-moving, poetic romance at the end of his career, in 1611, and published it in the First Folio in 1623. In fact, it was his last play.
   
   It tells the story of Prospero, the exiled duke of Milan, and his beautiful daughter, Miranda, who have been stranded for twelve years on a desert island with two servants, the airy sprite Ariel (who Prospero rescued from being imprisonment in a tree) and the savage Caliban. Upon learning that his usurping brother Antonio is sailing near the island with the Neopolitan King Alonso's party, he uses his magic powers to conjure a sea storm that not only leaves the ship and its passengers wrecked on the island, but which also sparks a courtship between his daughter and the king's son, Ferdinand. The survivors of the wreck are separated into several groups, believing one another dead. Three subplots then alternate through the play. In one, Caliban befriends two drunken crew members, whom he believes to have come from the moon, and drunkenly attempts to raise is own rebellion against Prospero. In another, Prospero works to establish the romantic relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda. In the third subplot, Ariel thwarts a murder plot at Prospero's command.
   
   The shipwrecked passengers are eventually reunited by island spirits to discover the marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand. In the end, as its title suggests, THE TEMPEST is as much about the opening scene's violent storm, as the journey that brought Prospero to the island and the psychological storm--"the sea change"--leading him to quit his magic and his remote island to return to Milan.
   
   G. Merritt

4 comments about Hamlet (Arkangel Shakespeare).

1. I love this story! The CD audio is very good. It's very easy to get lost in the story.



2. This wasn't as good as I was hoping. I needed more background sound effects--not just people with British accents.



3. This really is "The Tragical History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark" and not only the Prince but his family. Not only his family but his friends. Not only his friends but all though that came before him and is told to those that came after him.
   
   You can slow down and pick apart many underlying themes and may of the phrases that now challenge Bible sayings in today's sound bites. But the real fun is in just reading the story and you will find that it is not as foreign as you may have thought.
   A quick synopsis is that Old Hamlet conquered Old Fortinbras seizing his land. Now that Old Hamlet is dead, Young Fortinbras wants his land back and is willing to take it by force. Meanwhile back in Dänemark Young Hamlet who is excessively grieving for the loss of his father, gets a now insight from his fathers ghost. Looks like he was a victim of a "murder most foul"; it looks like his mother and uncle were in cahoots on the murder.
   
   The story is about what each person felt and acted or did not act upon the situation.
   You will find many movies and perverted imitations of the story but nothing will replace the original that was intended to be watched but reads well.
   You may like different audio and audio dramatizations.
   
   Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead



4. What a terrific find! I got the Romeo and Juliet cd from the same company and was very pleased. So, I tried Macbeth. This is the finest interpretation of the parts I have ever heard. The readers even speak with Scottish accents. This a dramatized version, complete with sound effects. My students love it.

5 comments about General Hospital: The Complete Scrapbook.

1. EXCELLENT!!! I love this book. I've been waching GH for years now but this book gave me the backstory to alot of plots. The pictures are great and seeing all the old charachters from years back is the best. I love it, love it,love it!



2. A wonderful compilation of memories from a once-great soap opera. It's a necessary memory tool for Classic GH fans to remember the show before it turned into the poorly produced, poorly written mockery it is today, courtesy of current misproducer Jill Farren Phelps (better known as Dull Darren Delps) and hack writer Bob Guza Jr. (a.k.a. Mob Luza Junior Writer).
   It's a fine written tribute to the late, great producer Gloria Monty, who guided GH out of the doldrums in the late 1970s. Monty's best are on parade in the scrapbook --
   The love triangle of Luke, Laura and Scott.
   The love triangle of Alan, Monica and Rick.
   The spy adventures of Luke teamed with Robert Scorpio opposite the wicked and domineering Cassadines.
   The expansion of the WSB/spy stories through the characters of Sean Donely, Anna Devane and Frisco and Felicia Jones.
   The enduring loving couples that put your faith back in human nature -- Drs. Rick and Lesley Webber, Lee and Gail Baldwin, Steve and Audrey Hardy, Edward and Lila Quartermaine -- are well presented.
   The great villains -- Helena Cassadine, Cesar Faison, Grant Putnam, and Heather Webber -- are in the house.
   There's also a neat section of GH vets who went on to bigger and better - singer Rick Springfield (GH's Dr. Noah Drake) and Demi Moore (the soap's erstwhile newspaper reporter Jackie Templeton).
   Only thing that's needed is an update of the book. The current book only goes as far as 1995. Warner should bring it up to 2002, the year GH began its rapid decline.
   
   Sincerely,
   J. Mosher.
   (a.k.a. doneleywannabe of ABC's GH Internet message board).



3. This is especially great for old time fans like myself, because it reminds us of some great old scenes. It's too bad a lot of the newer actors are not in this, but it's a few years old. I love seeing this on my book shelf, proclaiming my love for GH. A great gift for the fan.
   
   Okay, this book goes back, way back, to the beginning. LOTS of great photos and it explains the storyline as well! So if you wonder what Jason used to be like or who's related to whom...this will explain it all!



4. This book I will cherish for all my life. I love looking back at the old GH to the present. It just shows you how awesome General hospital is. It has such great stories. Love stories like Brenda and Sonny, Robin and Stone, to break through stories like Allen drug addiction to Stone's AIDS Story. God this book will make you scream in glee or shead a few tears. To All- ENJOY!



5. I bought this book as a gift for a friend so I can't comment on the contents but she LOVED it and is a big GH fan so I'm assuming I did well! My experience was exceptional. Got my book within a few days in mint condition as promised!

5 comments about Costume in Detail: 1730-1930.

1. Not only have I learned an amazing amount from this book, it has truly saved me from making very costly mistakes in selling vintage clothing. I adore period costume but good research books, especially when you are just beginning...are VERY hard to find. This book offers measurements, construction details and puts smaller accessories into context. Many times I would purchase a large box of antique clothing at auction that contained smaller items which would have me baffled. Countless times I find them in her illustrations. Pretty pictures are great, but her details will truly educate you. Thank you for this great reference. I wish you would do one entirely on personal accessories.



2. Excellent reference for illustrators and animators. However, "Costume in Detail" only covers women's costuming, which is unfortunate considering the attention the author paid to the material.



3. I bought this as a gift but I want a copy for myself. Can I say better?



4. the best of its kind. library copies constantly used by local stage costumers. a brilliant piece of work!



5. I would have loved to had seen the pieces of the garment drawn in their pattern shapes, but otherwise an excellent book with much detail written about each garment. Only other problem was that sometimes the writer's handwriting about the details on the drawings were a bit hard to decifer.

5 comments about What They Don't Teach You at Film School: 161 Strategies For Making Your Own Movies No Matter What.

1. An entire page was dedicated in given you the recipe on how to bake cookies...I'm not kidding, it's there!
   
   Apart from atrociously redundant information littered through this book that has little to do with actual film making. There are still a few gems dispersed in it. If you're masochistic enough to read the entire thing then it might be worth it.
   
   If you're really really into making movies then don't waste your time and money (I wasted the former cause I'm sick like that) buying this book. Buy a book you can actually learn something from.



2. I bought this book for the soul purpose to learn what it takes to make films and what not. I'm an aspiring actor and I just started in films last May 2007 and up to Dec. 2007 I've done 11 films as an extra or an actor with speaking lines. I'm also reading Screenwriting for Dummies which is also very helpful. Someday I'll take this knowledge from these two books and more to come and make a film.
   
   This book is easy reading and enjoyable. So far I have no negative comments about it.



3. If you want something that might motivate you to make a film..-_- then go ahead and buy it... but dont expect to learn anything useful.



4. I just finished this book and thought I would share a few things, good and the not so good.
   
   First the good:
   The authors do a really nice job explaining a lot things first time filmmakers might have trouble with, in other words, the 'gotchas'. Things as blaringly obvious as backup batteries and duct tape are included. They touch on a lot of things one should consider when making films.
   
   The book is well laid out and lead one from beginning to end, like a good story. It was a very easy read and sometimes out-loud funny. They talk a lot about dealing with personalities, which is both good and bad.
   
   Which leads me to the not so good:
   As encouraging as they are, at times they bring up so many difficulties that one wonders why anyone would bother to make a film at all. The book is alternately encouraging and discouraging.
   
   Given that they are both former film students, this book relies heavily on their film school background, which is an advantage for film school students, but not as useful for non-traditional film students (like Jeunet and myself). They reference the Hollywood film industry/culture almost exclusively, which again does not help those who are based elsewhere.
   
   Bottom line:
   I found this book useful, but not as much as I had hoped. This book is ideal for anyone who went to film school, but is only half helpful for the rest of us. The cover is a little deceiving (blame marketing) in that the publisher makes the book sound ideal for any filmmaker. Despite the flaws, I find it to be a useful reference for my filmmaking endeavors. I give this four stars, one extra star than I normally would have, just for sheer entertainment and readability value.



5. This book gave me the final nudge that I needed to go out and make my own films. It is light on the 'technique-side' but there are already enough books on that. What's missing is some inspirational words to muster up the courage as well as some wisdom to make your first filmmaking experience easier and this book fulfills those needs.
   
   If you're interested in seeing how a newbie uses this book in making his own first film visit my film blog at www.kasemkharsa.com/empire

4 comments about Company.

1. The score features three staves, piano and vocal with an added bonus of crucial instrument parts which are even labelled in separate font to help instrument recognition for the complete music of company down to the scene change and underscore music!
   The musical notation and lyrics are clear to read in PC print format, none of that hand printed stuff. The only down side is the score does not have TAB or chord labels above the staves, just pure notation which in some cases not ideal for the modern musician. With the Music being Sondheim orientated most songs could be classed as grade 6 or 7. Very tricky rythms but the best complete Company score book on the market. If you have trouble reading though an easy play version would be advisable.



2. I own a copy of both the vocal score and the complete libretto and I should say it is worth owning both. The vocal score when played on piano gives lively music to make anyone dance to the beat. It never loses its Broadway touch. The notes when played by a skilled pianist would make it sound more like the orchestra accompaniment. I would highly recommend those of you who love Sondhei'm style to own one of these. This would definitely be a smash hit for your school or community theater.



3. I love Sondheim, and this show is the best of his works in my opinion. Full of challenging songs, and complex arrangements, it will surely please the pianist or singer who is looking for something a little outside the realm of Roger's and Hammerstein to sing. Go into your nest audition with "another Hundred People", or "Getting Married Today" and blow your director away! This book contains a lot of material that is not readily available in other volumes and it is definately worth the investment. songs of note "Being Alive" "Company", "Barcelona", "the little things you do togrther" and the immortal "Ladies Who Lunch"



4. When Mr. Sondheim and and Mr. Furth wrote the show they wanted to have something that would make the audience laugh all night and then stay awake the rest of the night thinking about it. And that is EXACTLY what they did! Mr. Furth developes his characters so well as does Sondheim. To fully get the show one might consider getting the cd (original cast album is the best and can be found here on Amazon.com as well) This is seriously the best libretto I own.. and I own MANY.