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

5 comments about The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway.

1. I read this book first in the 1980s, while I was actually working in the theater (and I had met a few of the people talked about in the book). What I like about it so much is that Goldman expresses his opinions, especially about the fare on Broadway at the time (not so good), the deficiencies of some of the actors and actresses and his sweeping view of the whole milieu. I don't always agree with him, but he's so incisive that you gain enormous respect for him, particularly when he's writing about Judy Garland, Sandy Dennis and Tom Stoppard. Students of theater history should turn to this book to find out what a bygone era (before huge corporations and nonprofits took over Broadway) was all about.



2. William Goldman is not only a great screenwriter, but a wonderful writer of prose/criticism, as evidenced by "The Season," probaby the smartest, if not funniest, book ever written about the (sorry) state of Broadway. Here he tells you all you would want to know about the making of a Broadway show--all the compromises, betrayals, fits of ego, and under-the-table deals that keep the "fabulous invalid" (a phrase, by the way, that makes Mr. Goldman want to vomit) alive for another season. As a lover of theater, you may become depressed at the cynical machinations that go on to get what is, after all, usually pretty mediocre material to the stage; however, Mr. Goldman's prose is so crisp and entertaining that your spirit is ultimately lifted by his keen analysis. Although the patient is very sick, here's a doctor who has a prescription to offer. And all through the book, he does offer suggestions on how Broadway can better serves us, the theatergoers. Alas, the advice wasn't followed then (the late 60s), and it's not being followed today.



3. This book is it. It's just it. If you have any inclination at all to work in the theatre in any capacity, this book is required reading. Do not move to New York without it. I did, and I barely barely survived the few days it took me to find a copy. Order it now while you still have time! I'm serious!



4. This is an extraordinary book. It is written by an author with a first class mind and genuine curiosity about his subject. Whilst one may not agree with all of it, the writing is a delight and he does not shirk dealing with controversial issues such as the influence of homosexuality on the stage and the corrupt financial practices in relation to theatre tickets, etc. Even though it was written for the 1967-1968 season, it still resonates and viewed in retrospect, it provides crucial evidence relative to the aetiology of the culture wars.



5. William Goldman's groundbreaking book The Season is all it's cracked up to be and more. Though a number of the people he deals with are no longer with us, many of the shows have been forgotten, and the ticket prices are quite a bit higher, it's astonishing how much the Broadway of the late 1960s resembles the Broadway of today. The same problems, the same headaches, the same disappointments, and the same triumphs are all still a part of the Great White Way. No Broadway enthusiast should be without this book; The Season is a stunning history--and current events--lesson on Broadway theatre.

4 comments about The Threepenny Opera.

1. It is also the best, gutteral and earthy, this transaltion had audiences and critics cheering in 1977. So why is the recording re-release on CD being blocked by the Weill Estate?



2. I have reviewed some of the Communist master playwright Bertolt Brecht's later more consciously political and didactic plays elsewhere in this space. The play under review is an earlier work, before he fully committed himself to communism, and is an adaptation of John Gay's 18th century Beggar's Opera to the modern theater. The subject at hand is a look at the way those in the lower depths of society survive under emergent capitalist conditions, especially the main character, one MacHealth a.k.a. Mac the Knife. As such Brecht's adaptation has given no end of problems for those critics who want to claim it for the communist cause. It is far too universal in it sentiment about human nature in the capitalist era and therefore properly is a transitional to his later more consciously partisan works like The Measures Taken and The Mother. Thus one should take it for is own worth as a look at survival in a seemingly Hobbesian world.
   
   The plot line is rather simply-MacHealth, a former British imperial soldier, has struck out on his own in dog-eat dog London and has created a name for himself as a master criminal and seducer of the ladies. Other forces including the constabulary, a small disreputable but conniving businessman and, let us be politically correct here, some sexual workers combine in an attempt to deprive Mac of life and limb. However luck and a royal coronation combine to thwart those best laid plans. All of this is performed in a light operatic format that allows Brecht to wax poetic at humanity's plight through a series of sharply-etched songs in which he collaborated with the legendary Kurt Weill.
   
   Above I referred to some controversy about Brecht's intention in this work. That the roguish, incipient capitalist MacHealth is saved in the end through royal intervention has caused some commentators to argue for the organic connection between the rising capitalist class and the monarchy in England. Others have noted the similarities in appetite between the lumpenproletariat element as represented by MacHealth and his criminal crew and the developing capitalism of the time. I think that both views overdraw what one can take out of Gay's story or Brecht's adaptation. This story line is much more conducive to a generalized treatment on the nature of survival in a world that has broken from its agrarian past and has not yet stabilized it bourgeois norms of propriety. Some of these same characteristics were played out in the development of American capitalism, especially in the Wild West. But as presented here this is only a rudimentary outline of where things could go. I stand by my comment in the first paragraph about the unmediated nature of Brecht's take on Gay's little work. He most definitely got more focused on the nature of the human plight under capitalism latter as he developed as a Marxist.



3. One has to know and understand the original German text of the Dreigroschenoper to be really able to judge the quality of the English translations. This one, used among others by Helen Schneider on her album with Weill songs, has nothing of the sarcasms of the German lyrics. Better read the 1954 translation of Marc Blitzstein or the translation made by Frank McGuinness in the early 1990s.



4. Of all the translations on the market, this one is the best -- most are watered-down, tepid versions. Manheim & Willet's was used in the late 1970's revival of the piece by the New York Shakespeare Festival, which starred the late Raul Julia and Ellen Greene (of "Little Shop of Horrors" fame, in the role originally intended for Lotte Lenya).

1 comments about Ten 10-Minute Plays.

1. As Schenkkan's "The Kentucky Cycle" and the Actor's Theatre of Louisville's annual contest demonstrate, 10-Minute plays are a very powerful form of Drama. This collection of work, edited by Walter Wykes, proves this fact in short order (no pun intended). Wykes' own "The Salmon Tribunal" explores the lingering effect of betrayal on two women; Nick Zagone's "The DMV One" stages the circle of life for a relationship during one trip to the DMV; and, Eric Kaiser shows us an Orwellian world that seems far too close to reality these days in "The Weed Dreams." And these are just three of the ten great plays you'll find here. Playwrights Geg Vovos, LB Hamilton, Douglas Hill, Biran E. Rochlin, Jeanette D. Farr, Julianne Homokay, and Jeff Goode all include work that shows why the 10-minute form is as good as anything in the Theatre today.

5 comments about Period Costume for Stage & Screen: Patterns for Women's Dress 1500-1800.

1. Hunnisett's book was recommended to me by other historical costumers, and I in turn would highly recommend it to others looking for the same. Now I'm going to buy her other book too.



2. This and all the other Jean Hunnisett Period Costume titles can be ordered directly from the publisher, Players Press, Inc., Studio City, CA for ONLY $59.00 each.



3. I received this book as part of a group of textbooks received for my costume design course at FIDM. I used a nice, red, ballpoint pen (this would've been 1990, y'know, before acid/lignin-free - and especially non-bleeding - pens were freely available) to mark out my ten-grid grid. Anyway, I used the Phoenix (Elizabethan or Jacobean) corset pattern to make one of my projects, and it turned out beautifully (if only it still fit me!). I also drafted a Tudor corset from one of the patterns, and we did a panier petticoat from this text as well.

   You might say the book is well-loved. Really, really, well-loved.

   Which, I would think, goes far in stating how useful this book is, and how much information, especially in the form of period patterns, is available within. I couldn't have done without it, and I don't think anyone else should have to.




4. When I look at the few period costumes I made (I'm only a beginner), I really think this book helped me to improve my cutting abilities, sewing tips and above all, the authentic period feeling when the garment is worn and moves on stage. Jean Hunnisett tells you what you're expecting to find at the end of your work and helps you to understand the historical background of period costume. This is the only book which explains in detail the draping method over a corset and guides you step-by-step in the construction of the costume but it is sometimes a bit confusing in her sewing instructions and she gives the impression there's only one way to realize something (ex: 18th century corset). Anyway, I learned a lot and she's a very good teacher. (Don't be tempted to enlarge her scaled patterns,it doesn't work very well( too many corrections) and it's easier to make your own patterns by the flat or by draping.)



5. This is a superb tool for any theatrical designer/period pattern maker! Jean Hunnisett's experience with the BBC is unmatched and this book is the standard of perfection. It's a clearly defined guide for the correct shape and cut of any era of costume, whether it be Tudor or Georgian. The information and tips that she 'unlocks' will give you a total sense of what each garment should look like in complete detail, with outstanding illustrations and descriptions, from the draping process, fitting, constructing, and trimming. Jean Hunnisett is a master in her craft, and her attention to period accuracy is clearly shown in all three books.

3 comments about The Seinfeld Aptitude Test: Hundreds of Spectacular Questions on Minute Details from Tv's Greatest Show About Absolutely Nothing.

1. This trivia book on "Seinfeld's" first four seasons is a lot of fun, but don't count on an updated edition anytime soon: Castle Rock Entertainment, which produced "Seinfeld," put the kibosh on the book five years ago when they won a copyright infringement lawsuit against the publsher.

   All unsold copies were ordered destroyed, which is why "The Seinfeld Aptitude Test" now commands almost 10 times its original selling price.




2. After my husband and I used the "SAT" to quiz each other about the show, we put it in our guest bathroom. Needless to say, many of our friends have enjoyed the book, as well. I wish Beth Golub would write a follow-up, since this book was published before the show ended.



3. This book has great trivia for your party games. I have used it at home and at work. I only wish there was an updated version with trivia past the 1994 episodes. For example, one of the questions asks "what is Kramer's first name"? The book's answer is "unknown", but we all know it is "Cosmo".

4 comments about Memo from David O. Selznick : The Creation of "Gone with the Wind" and Other Motion Picture Classics, as Revealed in the Producer's Private Letters, Telegrams, Memorandums, and Autobiographical Remarks.

1. Fascinating and illuminating book about the way movie classics were made in the 30's and 40's. This man knew his job and we are lucky that in the making he wrote those long memos. The people they were sent to found them annoying. We movie fans find them fascinating.



2. I was a bit leery of a book of just memoes but ... This is truly an extraordinary book, full of insights into every aspect of film making. The most interesting parts are about scripts and script construction. That was what Selznick had a genius for, and that comes through clearly. Some of his faults come through too. There are a number of memoes about his life and emotions so you get a picture a man not just an executive.

   For anyone who likes old movies a must.




3. It's a genuine pleasure to see this 1972 volume back in print again. Practically the entire history of classic Hollywood can be seen within the pages of this fascinating series of memos, a veritable stream of behind the scenes trivia and the most impressive book of name-dropping ever seen in print. The cinematic genius of Selznick and Company is told as only it should be told...in the Master's own words.



4. David O. Selznick was behind some the films considered classics from that era. He was known for his memos that he sent to others in the industry and those working for him. The book is a fascinating look at the studio system at the time - and is also a reminder that people at one time actually communicated in writing - no cell phones, no email. This book is a must-read for those interested at all in film lore - and it's a great read!

1 comments about The Art of Stillness: The Theater Practice of Tadashi Suzuki.

1. Although the book was not quite what i would have liked it to be the transaction was quick and efficient.

5 comments about Ballroom Dancing.

1. When buying this, I didn't realize that it was the 4th edition. The 10th edition is actually available at Amazon under this ISBN: 0-87830-153-4 . Anyone interested in ballroom dancing should really be buying the most recent edition.



2. I've found this to be a critical part of my ballroom education, both reinforcing the instruction I receive from my classes and prepping me to better receive instruction. I use this like I would a college textbook, reading the chapters on the dance I'm about to learn in class, taking the class, and then going back to re-read the chapters in the book. I've found that the nebulous terms used in instruction like Contra Body Movement, Body Flight, and dance lines/curves, are all explained in detail in this book, providing instruction in two different voices (the book and my dance teacher) to help me comprehend and apply these theories in my dancing better. I've actually noticed a drastic improvement in my dancing since studying this book.
   
   I've also enjoyed learning the how to lead (I'm female and usually following) from this book, as learning the mens part helps me become a better follower when dancing with a variety of leads.
   
   I would highly recommend this book as a supplement to a structured dance program. I don't think it would be easy to learn to dance with only the use of this book, but by combining it with the practical instruction of a qualified teacher, this book is an amazing resource.



3. Please be aware that this particular offering is not the 10th Edition (the newest) of this title. This is a pre-historical edition (before my time, anyway) published in 1939. Even though the changes occurred between this edition and the later ones may not seem to be that significant, I am wondering why Amazon is offering this edition to the public who are interested in "modern" ballroom dancing (just can not resist the pun) instead of the more "modern" version of it.
   
   I am giving it a three star for the obvious old feel of it.



4. As a professional teacher (Di Marsh) with my own studio in Tasmania (Heals & Souls Danceworld) , I can attest to its value as an excellent and informative publication for beginners, competition dancers and student professionals. All tuition is from the maestro himself, Alex Moore, and the book easily lives up to it's reputation as "the ballroom dancer's bible", with not only interesting information for everyone but diagrams to enhance the teaching. I highly recommend this product for all who have the slightest interest in ballroom.



5. This book presents maneuvers that are very leadable. The lady
   can follow the man without knowing in advance what he will do.
   The very detailed technique is based on the bio-mechanical
   necessities of good dancing. It has been the most respected
   book on ballroom dancing worldwide for decades. It is useful
   for teaching yourself without a teacher, if you are a serious
   student. It covers international style, which has some figures
   in common with American style. Where they diverge international
   sticks to leadable figures, American to showy figures.

5 comments about On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio.

1. "On The Air"
   I've been after this one for some years but couldn't make the price tag.
   Finally I found one of Amazon's amazing cut price sources & grabbed it.
   It arrived at my UK address in as secure a package as you could hope for and for a third of its original price! It is as near mint condition as one could expect and is one great hunk of reading. I'll be older and feebler before I reach Z with this one! I can't say I'm familiar with all shows as a UK guy but it'll be interesting to plough through the many shows that either I never heard of or that never quite made it. It was mainly thanks to AFRS & its dedication to keeping the troops in touch with Hollywood & the stars during their wartime golden days that drew me (and thousands of other UK listeners)into the web of American radio and now thanks to those dedicated groups like YUSA and OTR much has been preserved to be recaptured & appreciated as if it were yesterday,again! A solid souvenir for all fans of this incomparable media of the mind.



2. Whether you wish to know about the great or the small radio programs of the past, this book is for you. It is more than a resume of the various radio programs but rather is a complete history. With the more famous shows, entries can be several pages. Each entry is well researched and seems to be very complete, from cast members to those "behind the scenes." This is the definitive work, in my estimation.



3. Being an old time radio fan for more than 15 years and having collected more than 45,000 programs I was looking for a reference book that allowed me to better track what I have and what I wanted to look for. John Dunning's book is that and so much more. The detail he has included for the series listed is simply amazing. From showtimes to networks to cast to sponsors to a behind the scenes type view of each series you're left feeling like you were there the whole time.
   
   This book is a must have for both novice and serious collectors of these fine old programs. You won't be disappointed in the detail. If you're looking for pictures then this isn't the book. It is a beautifully written reference book that gives you insight to not only the shows themselves but the actors and actresses who starred in them.
   
   Simply put, a wonderful read!



4. Highly informative, well written, entertaining, sometimes exhaustive. I read this through from cover to cover (several evenings) - a process that has not tempted me with any other encyclopedia! Brings back many memories while adding much information new to me. Great stuff!



5. This book has everything you could ever need to know about OTR. Meticulously researched. I asked my father in law about shows he used to watch and he named some I never heard of and he said were just local shows and wouldn't be in this book. Wrong! This book had them and even said that they were local shows. If you want an encyclopedia on old time radio, this is the one to get!