No comments about Theatre World Volume 62, 2005-2006: The Most Complete Record of the American Theatre (Theatre World).

5 comments about The Gospel according to The Simpsons (Leaders).

1. I ordered this item but when the other books came this one was not with them. Although the paper said that it was in the shipment



2. This is a great discussion starter in a small group or youth group setting. A great way to present to talk about God, the Bible, Heaven and Hell, etc...



3. This was a VERY good book for any small group. Yay for Pastor Skip! :D



4. We started using the Gospel According to the Simpsons with our High School youth group and the response has been awesome. The episodes and questions provide an excellent way to engage the kids in discussions. I highly recommend using this series - although I also recommend sending home a letter to parents explaining what you're doing with the series.



5. We have been teaching this course at our Episcopal church to an intergenerational group of about 25-30 ranging in ages from 10-77. This is a wonderful course and even if you aren't a Simpsons fan, the series really is an eye-opener.

   The only small bone to pick is that they use some (two)episodes for viewing that are unavailable via tape or DVD and this requires you to tape it off of TV when it airs, if you know when that is. Also some of the videos are out of print, so E-bay was a big help.

   But the response to the course has been tremendous. People are really amazed that a "wicked, evil" cartoon can be so enlightening! I would recommend this for any church considering it.

5 comments about All the Words on Stage: A Complete Pronunciation Dictionary for the Plays of William Shakespeare.

1. Today even well trained actors balk at having to do Shakespeare. This book provides the tools necessary to bridge the daunting task of getting your mouth around the words and understanding what you are saying. Thanks to the authors for creating a book that captures their extensive knowledge and expertise in a user friendly volume.



2. Beyond the pronunciation dictionary, essential to every North American actor and director of Shakespeare, the book's notes on scanning Shakespeare's verse set forth briefly in ten clear pages, not extended pedantic garble, what an actor must know, since scansion may dictate pronunciation. The additional notes on dialects, accents, Latin and other foreign languages used by Shakespeare, and the observations on differences in poetic diction in each of his plays, also have great value.



3. This is as essential a tool for any actor performing Shakespeare as the voice, body and mind! I highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about their craft.



4. GREAT FIND!! Any and every word Shakespeare ever wrote is in this book with the proper pronounciation. This is a "must have" for any Shakespeare actor, or for someone who wants to read Shakespeare and know exactly how to say every word. Also, the verse speaking techniques are excellent. If you are serious about Shakespeare, get this book!



5. This incredibly thorough and efficient book is essential to any person who wishes to study or truly appreciate Shakespeare. I've been an actor and a student of English literature for many years, but I did not have the access to or admiration for classical works that I have gained since using Younts' and Scheeders' text.
   The poetry is better this way! You need to know how to say it if you want to perform it! Actors, Directors, and Lovers of Shakespeare, GET THIS BOOK!!!

5 comments about American Cinema/American Culture.

1. Halfway through my third year of college, this is the worst textbook I have ever had for any class. It's the first time that the choice of text actually makes me wish I hadn't taken the class. The material is very fascinating, but the book is written very, very poorly. I encourage anyone who has this is as a required text to consider registering for a different class.
   
   At least half of the text is simply summarizing movies, and that's the biggest flaw. If you haven't seen these movies it can, at times, be very difficult to follow. I honestly cannot fathom any possible reason for these summaries, other than to spoil the plot and outcome of many great films. The few decent pages in this book are due to the author lacking consistency -- on occasion he slips and goes a page or two without summarizing the plot of a film, and on those rare occasions the reader may actually learn something, but don't count on it happening too often.
   
   This is the first and only occasion in which I wish I wouldn't have taken a class based solely on the weakness of the text.



2. So, I expected this book to be a bit more fun. Unfortunately, the fun element is missing. However, in fairness, the book serves as a thorough textbook for the history of American Cinema and its techniques and various genres. I did enjoy reading about the early studio system and the vast amount of control this oligopoly held. There were some very good critiques and studies of specific films, and a bit about specific actors and actresses. Even a bit about directors. Though packed with information, the book just lacks an entertainment value that it could and should have pulled off based on the subject matter.
   
   The different genres studied include:
   
   Westerns
   War Movies
   Silent Films
   Film Noire
   Screwball Comedies
   
   As well as an overall dissertation on Classical Hollywood Style and its various techniques.



3. I got this book for a class on the history of cinema. Unfortunately, as the title implies, it only deals with American Cinema. If this is a book for school, check out the class to see if foreign films and film history will be discussed. This book is, again, as the title implies--one-sided. Most of the movies it discusses, gives away crucial plot-points and endings. Some movies that I've been dying to see were ruined in just one or two sentences. This book is also very puffed-up and biased (I don't know any other way of explaining it). Many times throughout the book, Belton seems like James Lipton of "Inside the Actor's Studio", and goes on and on about the greatness of Hollywood, actors, director's, and films with nothing negative to say. It's not at all critical of anything and the author frequently inserts his own interpretation of films into the general text, which I found a little pompous. The book does offer up some interesting facts about the early history and the birth of cinema, but there's something about the way this book was written that makes it hard to stay interested. I think the chapters about film genres exaggerate the importance of some of them, and neglects other genres completely, ie. Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-fi, Animation, Epics, etc. Again, question the instructor and/or look at the class syllabus before siging up if this is the only book for this class. I don't believe this is a comprehensive and unbiased view of cinema and it's history.



4. Years ago I took an intro-level film class at a community college. This was the text for the class. It was accompanied (at least in my class) by a PBS video series that combined film clips with interviews and historical information. Going into the class I had little more than a passing interest in film and film history. But after taking that class, my passion for film has grown exponentially with each year. But back to the book, I really liked this book and highlighted my way from the front cover to the back cover. There are of course limitations to this book. Firstly, it deals only with American films. Secondly, this book barely breaks the 300-page mark - hardly a comprehensive volume. You aren't going to get any information on John Cassavetes here or anything. Now if you have a chance to use this book in conjunction with the PBS films, I think you'll do much better (in fact I think the vids even give a nod to Cassavetes), but even then please note that this material is for an INTRO-level film class, and won't be much good for someone who already knows a fair amount about American film. But with that in mind, the book still has a lot to offer someone looking to introduce themselves to film history.

   The first third of the book starts with the birth of film, moves quickly on to the Hollywood studio system, and walks us through the basics of film style (camerawork, lighting, editing, etc.). The second third covers the basics of film genre; there is a chapter about film noir, one on comedies, one on war films, and one on westerns. This second section was particularly useful to me. I could read each chapter, jot down a list of promising titles, hit my local video store, and I was good to go. The third section covers American film after World War II. In this section things seem a little compressed. 110 pages for 50 years of film? A lot is lost on the cutting room floor. But there's lots to dig into all the same. There's a chapter on Hollywood during the McCarthy years (yikes!), one on film's evolution during the emergence of television, a chapter on 1960s counterculture films, one on the film school directors of the 1970s and 1980s, and finally a pretty weak chapter on film in the 1990s. Oh yeah, and at the end of the book there's a handy glossary (in case you're ever stuck on what point-of-view editing is) and a pretty thorough index.

   Again, not a book for someone who already has a good feel for film history. But definitely a great resource for someone new to film studies, or for someone who has trouble finding a movie at Blockbuster on Fridays. It did a great job getting me excited about movies, and I imagine its done the same for others.... A good companion to this text (or possibly an all-out replacement of it) is Scorsese's VHS/DVD, "A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies."




5. This would be a great book to read if you have no intention of watching the films discussed within, or if you've already seen them. On quite a few films, it tells the whole plot, in detail, from opening to end credits.

   I also don't like the prose of the author, as he excessively uses sentences "in quotations". The writing structure is very formulaic and boring. The "5 paragraph essay" format is good for high school students learning to write, but imagine an entire book written that way. I can only read it for 15 minutes before losing interest.

   The book does, however, provide plenty of examples from a variety of films.

   This book is a companion piece to the PBS series by the same name. The series is much more interesting. Don't bother with the book. A much better film text is "Film: An Introduction", by William Phillips, ISBN: 0312258968.

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 The Big Lebowski.

1. The genius of thew Coens captured in this outstanding comedy. The characters, as ever, outdo the narrative, but the quotable lines come close to matching their masterpiece, Raising Arizona. Remember - nobody f#*k with the Jesus!



2. Although the words don't match exactly from the book to the movie, due to ad-libbing of the actors, this book is a must-have for any fan of The Big Lebowski. This book will make you laugh as much as the movie did.



3. One of the Coen Bros' best works. Their twisted world is never more hilarious as it is here.



4. This scriptbook is essential to the uncompromising Lebowski fanatic. Great for neighborhood plays too! An easy way to study the simply brilliant use of dialogue found and recycled throughout the film. What's more, the cover image is far out and would make a great poster.

3 comments about The Best American Short Plays 2003-2004 (Best American Short Plays).

1. The proess of getting the book was excellent. I got the book as expected. Excellent customer service.



2. Continuing a tradition of publishing a series that has become the measurement of play-writing excellence over the decades, Applause produces The Best American Short Plays 2003-04, which identifies new cutting edge playwrights who've produced winners. 12 plays - half written by women - reflect the latest industry achievers and are some of the best in print, making this a top pick for any drama collection.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. These 12 plays take issues of the recent past (50-60 years) and puts them into short, entertaining one-acts. These one-acts would be good for those needing or wanting to perform something from recent history, possibly even events that they can relate to. This book takes issues such as terrorism, life as a soldier, post 9/11 life, a "Perfect" life, anti-semitism, teachers' dreams, hysterical fans, love, deceit, choice, friendship, and betrayal. These are issues that because we can relate, the stories bring us in. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in theatre and plays.

2 comments about The Playboy of the Western World and Riders to the Sea (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. It is undeniable that J.M. Synge was a very important Irish playwright of the early 20th century. These plays, especially, "Playboy of the Western World," are pivotal to Irish literature, and now, Irish culture. Any serious student of British drama, or actor should read both of these plays.

   On the other hand, it may not be an ideal idea for someone that does not fall into one of those two catagories. The dialectic style is very thick, and at times difficult to understand. "Playboy," an important (and early) Irish peasant drama is beautifully writen, but for a casual reader it would probably come off as a slow read that is not all that entertaining.

   Important work from cultural and recent historical perspectives, but these plays are very dated and, as I mentioned, not the most entertaining read.




2. First off, I write in favor of the works of Synge; yet, I find it unfortunate that Amazon is not offering a better version than the Dover Thrift. Synge's symbolism will pull you in and embrace you and warm out to his style. John Millington Synge was a lover of words and dialect, he even says that he only used words that he heard being used in Ireland. Both of these plays are well written and full of symbolism. For the serious love of Irish Literature or drama, J.M. Synge is a must. Read on...

5 comments about A Night at the Opera: An Irreverent Guide to The Plots, The Singers, The Composers, The Recordings (Modern Library Paperbacks).

1. A decent, reasonably broad overall review of major operas intended for a lay audience. Forman's style, however, is a highly colloquial British English, which does not travel well across the Atlantic. I am American, but lived in the UK for a year in the 90s; I found the book's deliberately cute style difficult to follow, and I quickly became annoyed at what I perceived as the author's excessive efforts to convey his irreverance. Overall, a useful work that focusses on the author's impression of each opera's entertainment value; historical context and academic aspects of music and dance take a back seat.



2. The author seemed to want to be cute and quotable rather than offer a reasoned perspective on opera. At times I felt he even became condescending in his attitude. This could have been a misguided attempt to counter the widely held opinion that opera is only for snobs, but people with that opinion wouldn't read his book anyway.



3. An excellent source for budding opera buffs. Enjoyable, pithy, informative.



4. I see no reason to bore you with a longish disquisition on the merits of this entertaining book. (The reviewer 'Starmoth' has selected some nice bon mots from Forman's work, and he's reviewed it in a long review that outlines its strengths and weaknesses, such as they are, without inducing boredom.) Forman is both witty and insightful. He gives the reader useful information, as well as less useful information (e.g., when he tells us what to listen for, according to his tastes). But most of what he says is conveyed with humour and commonsense. Keep in mind that it is far too huge to serve as a guide; it requires a briefcase or backpack and not a pocket.
   
   Are there problems? Well, sometimes he's pretty flippant. And there are a considerable number of great operas -- not just ones I like but ones in the repetoire of all major opera houses -- that don't get treated. Perhaps these are not fair complaints. For one thing, Forman's flippant remarks are often entertaining and interesting. And for another, it IS his book, so who am I to complain about omissions, or about an author who states in his subtitle that it is an irreverent work?



5. This book is the perfect gift for a new opera fan. It does a great job of describing each opera, including history and reviews, but in a language anyone can understand. Seasoned opera buffs will enjoy the light-hearted overviews and insights. Fabulous.

5 comments about The Q Guide to Broadway (Pop Culture Out There Q Guide).

1. Seth is amazingly funny and witty. His writing style is not comparable to anyone.
   He really goes deep in the subject (no pun intented) and is acurate everytime!
   
   love, love, love it!



2. Great little guide to all the hot spots for any Broadway obsessed person - Q or otherwise. If you are a Broadway fiend be sure to read this before your next trip. Also gives great website recommendations for those like me -- too poor to travel. Every time I listen to Seth Rudetsky on Sirius Broadway, I think "I have a friend in the Broadway business."



3. Seth's humor and passion for Broadway are a gift to all who love The Great White Way. Thank you Seth!!!



4. I consider myself a begining Broadway buff, and this book was the perfect book to push me on the path of Broadway knowledge. First of all, it's hilarious; and I mean every page has something to make you laugh. Secondly, all of the inside info and web links made me feel like I was living in New York and was a louse for not having tickets to see the hotest show in town tonight. But this book you will not be sorry. I have a lot of current event/ history books about Broadway and this book was awesome.



5. This is a great little guide to broadway!
   Lots of great basic information for newcomers peppered with insider tidbits to keep it entertaining for those who already speak the language.
   Gay, straight, newbie, long time broadway fan, there's plenty in here for everyone!
   A quick fun read that begs to be read aloud to the people around you (a better idea if you are at your home as opposed to on the subway).