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The Blair Witch Project
by Peter TurnerTells the story of the film from conception and production to audience response.
The Lumière Galaxy
by Francesco CasettiFrancesco Casetti believes new media technologies are producing an exciting new era in cinema aesthetics. Whether we experience film in the theater, on our hand-held devices, in galleries and museums, onboard and in flight, or up in the clouds in the bits we download, cinema continues to alter our habits and excite our imaginations.Casetti travels from the remote corners of film history and theory to the most surprising sites on the internet and in our cities to prove the ongoing relevance of cinema. He does away with traditional notions of canon, repetition, apparatus, and spectatorship in favor of new keywords, including expansion, relocation, assemblage, and performance. The result is an innovative understanding of cinema's place in our lives and culture, along with a critical sea-change in the study of the art. The more the nature of cinema transforms, the more it discovers its own identity, and Casetti helps readers realize the galaxy of possibilities embedded in the medium.
Bollywood's India
by Priya JoshiIn a work of dazzling interpretive virtuosity, Priya Joshi returns popular Hindi cinema to the 1970s when the term "Bollywood" was deployed to dismiss an unruly cultural product marked by its social responsiveness. Joshi analyzes the social work of popular Hindi blockbusters that, she argues, capture and challenge the diffuse aspirations of the nation. The "India" fabricated in Bollywood's blockbusters revises and contests nation and the state, commenting on an India both imagined and real. Familiar depictions of crime and punishment, family and individuality, vigilante and community, have persisted in the cinema across half a century despite dramatic changes in the industry's production and distribution practices. Summoning the 1970s as an interpretive lens, Joshi deftly examines blockbusters from notably tumultuous moments when the idea of India was made, unmade, and remade. From the decline of the studios in the 1950s to the rise of the multi-starrer genre in the 1970s and the arrival of corporate capital and new media platforms in the 2000s, Bollywood's blockbusters nimbly engage the public fantasies of their heterogeneous audiences. Joshi's elegantly crafted argument incorporates fresh explorations of iconic films such as Awara (1951) and Deewaar (1975), as well as those less analyzed, such as Ab Dilli Dur Nahin (1957) and A Wednesday (2008).
There Was a Little Girl
by Brooke ShieldsActress and author of the New York Times bestseller Down Came the Rain, Brooke Shields, explores her relationship with her unforgettable mother, Teri, in her new memoir. Brooke Shields never had what anyone would consider an ordinary life. She was raised by her Newark-tough single mom, Teri, a woman who loved the world of show business and was often a media sensation all by herself. Brooke's iconic modeling career began by chance when she was only eleven months old, and Teri's skills as both Brooke's mother and manager were formidable. But in private she was troubled and drinking heavily.As Brooke became an adult the pair made choices and sacrifices that would affect their relationship forever. And when Brooke's own daughters were born she found that her experience as a mother was shaped in every way by the woman who raised her. But despite the many ups and downs, Brooke was by Teri's side when she died in 2012, a loving daughter until the end.Only Brooke knows the truth of the remarkable, difficult, complicated woman who was her mother. And now, in an honest, open memoir about her life growing up, Brooke will reveal stories and feelings that are relatable to anyone who has been a mother or daughter.
Making Masterpiece
by Rebecca Eaton Kenneth BranaghThe Emmy Award-winning producer of PBS's Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! reveals the secrets to Downton Abbey, Sherlock, and its other hit programsFor more than twenty-five years and counting, Rebecca Eaton has presided over PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, the longest running weekly prime time drama series in American history. From the runaway hitsUpstairs, Downstairs and The Buccaneers, to the hugely popular Inspector Morse, Prime Suspect, and Poirot, Masterpiece Theatre and its sibling series Mystery! have been required viewing for fans of quality drama.Eaton interviews many of the writers, directors, producers, and other contributors and shares personal anecdotes--including photos taken with her own camera--about her decades-spanning career. She reveals what went on behind the scenes during such triumphs as Cranford and the multiple, highly-rated programs made from Jane Austen's novels, as well as her aggressive campaign to attract younger viewers via social media and online streaming. Along the way she shares stories about actors and other luminaries such as Alistair Cooke, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, Benedict Cumberbatch and Daniel Radcliffe, whose first TV role was as the title character in David Copperfield.Readers will also get to know Eaton on a personal level. With a childhood steeped in theater, an affinity for nineteenth century novels and culture, and an "accidental apprenticeship" with the BBC, Eaton was practically born to lead the Masterpiece and Mystery! franchises. Making Masterpiece marks the first time the driving force behind the enduring flagship show reveals all.
The Oxford History of World Cinema
by Geoffrey Nowell-SmithIn The Oxford History of World Cinema, an international team of film historians traces the history of this enduringly popular entertainment medium. Covering all aspects of its development, stars, studios, and cultural impact, the book celebrates and chronicles over one hundred years of diverse achievement from westerns to the New Wave, from animation to the avant-garde, and from Hollywood to Hong Kong.
Stolen into Slavery
by Judith Bloom Fradin Dennis Brindell FradinThe true story behind the acclaimed movie 12 Years a Slave, this book is based on the life of Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York who was captured in the United States and sold into slavery in Louisiana. Solomon Northup awoke in the middle of the night with his body trembling. Slowly, he realized that he was handcuffed in a dark room and his feet were chained to the floor. He managed to slip his hand into his pocket to look for his free papers that proved he was one of 400,000 free blacks in a nation where 2.5 million other African Americans were slaves. They were gone. This remarkable story follows Northup through his 12 years of bondage as a man kidnapped into slavery, enduring the hardships of slave life in Louisiana. But the tale also has a remarkable ending. Northup is rescued from his master's cotton plantation in the deep South by friends in New York. This is a compelling tale that looks into a little known slice of history, sure to rivet young readers and adults alike.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.
Critical Mass
by James WolcottA career-spanning collection of critical essays and cultural journalism from one of the most acute, entertaining, and sometimes acerbic (but in a good way) critics of our timeFrom his early-seventies dispatches as a fledgling critic for The Village Voice on rock 'n' roll, comedy, movies, and television to the literary criticism of the eighties and nineties that made him both feared and famous to his must-read reports on the cultural weather for Vanity Fair, James Wolcott has had a career as a freelance critic and a literary intellectual nearly unique in our time. This collection features the best of Wolcott in whatever guise--connoisseur, intrepid reporter, memoirist, and necessary naysayer--he has chosen to take on. Included in this collection is "O.K. Corral Revisited," a fresh take on the famed Norman Mailer-Gore Vidal dustup on The Dick Cavett Show that launched Wolcott from his Maryland college to New York City (via bus) to begin his brilliant career. His prescient review of Patti Smith's legendary first gig at CBGB leads off a suite of eyewitness and insider accounts of the rise of punk rock, while another set of pieces considers the vast cultural influence of the enigmatic Johnny Carson and the scramble of his late-night successors to inherit the "swivel throne." There are warm tributes to such diverse figures as Michael Mann, Sam Peckinpah, Lester Bangs, and Philip Larkin and masterly summings-up of the departed giants of American literature--John Updike, William Styron, John Cheever, and Mailer and Vidal. Included as well are some legendary takedowns that have entered into the literary lore of our time. Critical Mass is a treasure trove of sparkling, spiky prose and a fascinating portrait of our lives and cultural times over the past decades. In an age where a great deal of back scratching and softball pitching pass for criticism, James Wolcott's fearless essays and reviews offer a bracing taste of the real critical thing.
Has Anyone Seen My Pants?
by Sarah ColonnaNew York Times bestselling author of Life as I Blow It Sarah Colonna is back with a hilarious, honest look at life in her late thirties--in all its messy, pants-missing glory.How does a gal with a successful career, great friends, and a razor-sharp wit find herself wandering pants-less through the hallways of a casino hotel in Iowa on New Year's Eve?Ask Sarah Colonna.Has Anyone Seen My Pants? is a laugh-out-loud trip around America (and Mexico!) with Sarah as she braves crying in nail salons, mother-daughter road trips, Iowan casinos, and single-shaming resorts. From a fling-gone-wrong to friend breakups and a new romance, Sarah's signature wit and sharp observations take you on a journey at once so deviously funny and surprisingly compassionate that it might just steal your heart--not to mention your pants.a favorite ex-turned-emotional-crutch, Sarah's signature wit and sharp observations take you on a journey at once so deviously funny and surprisingly compassionate that it might just steal your heart--not to mention your pants.
Billie Holiday
by John SzwedPublished in celebration of Holiday's centenary, the first biography to focus on the singer's extraordinary musical talentWhen Billie Holiday stepped into Columbia's studios in November 1933, it marked the beginning of what is arguably the most remarkable and influential career in ?twentieth-century popular music. Her voice weathered countless shifts in public taste, and new reincarnations of her continue to arrive, most recently in the form of singers like Amy Winehouse and Adele.Most of the writing on Holiday has focused on the tragic details of her life--her prostitution at the age of fourteen, her heroin addiction and alcoholism, her series of abusive relationships--or tried to correct the many fabrications of her autobiography. But now, Billie Holiday stays close to the music, to her performance style, and to the self she created and put into print, on record and on stage.Drawing on a vast amount of new material that has surfaced in the last decade, critically acclaimed jazz writer John Szwed considers how her life inflected her art, her influences, her uncanny voice and rhythmic genius, a number of her signature songs, and her legacy.
Compound Cinematics
by Shinobu HashimotoAny list of Japan's greatest screenplay writers would feature Shinobu Hashimoto at or near the top. This memoir, focusing on his collaborations with Akira Kurosawa, a gifted scenarist in his own right, offers indispenable insider account for fans and students of the director's oeuvre and invaluable insights into the unique process that is writing for the screen. The vast majority of Kurosawa works were filmed from screenplays that the director co-wrote with a stable of steller writers, many of whom he discovered himself with his sharp eye for all things cinematic. Among these was Hashimoto, who caught the filmmaker's attention with a script that eventually turned into Roshamon. Thus joining Team Kurosawa the debutant immediately went on to paly an integral part in developing and writing two of the grandmaster's most impressive achievements, Ikiru and Seven Samurai.
The Twilight Zone Companion 2nd Edition
by Marc Scott ZicreeThe Twilight Zone has captivated, teased and haunted the imaginations of countless millions of viewers from 1959 debut through its 156 subsequent episodes and many rebroadcast. This companion is the complete show-by-show guide to one of television's all-time greatest series. Zicree's account of the series from inception to cancellation, through syndication and subsequent offshoots and remakes, is fascinating reading for even the most casual fan. Coverage of each episode includes a plot synopsis, critical commentary, behind-the scenes stories and anecdotes from the original artists who created the series, a complete list of cast and credits and over 200 production photographs.
Ray Charles: Soul Man
by Ruth TurkA biography of the popular singer, who became blind as a young boy.
Men, Women & Pianos
by Arthur LoesserSome of the greatest composers of history have confined some of their most precious thoughts to the piano. For a century and a half, series of pianists of outstanding nimbleness and expressive power have attracted millions of admirers to their performances. Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, Liszt, Rubinstein and Rachmaninov, to achieve the fulfillment of their art, needed to have pianos. From where did they get them? From factories, of course. But piano factories cannot stay in business simply by making a few instruments for a few great musicians. They must sell their products annually by the hundreds, by the thousands, to all manner of persons: doctors, lawyers, merchants, government officials. What did those persons want with pianos? This book may supply some answers to this question." That is the modest raison d'être for his book given by the author in a letter to the publisher. But any reader will see at once that the proliferations in the answer to his question result in something much more important and delightful. What Mr. Loesser has written is really a piano's-eye view of the social--and sometimes the philosophical--history of Western Europe and the United States from the seventeenth century to the present, with glances both forward and back. With a keen eye for both the ridiculous and the significant detail (which turn out often to be the same thing), he traces the history of the design and manufacture of the piano, and the music written for it, from its predecessors, the clavichord and the virginal, to the latest concert grand and the modern "spinet." Long established as an internationally known concert pianist, Mr. Loesser here shows himself to be an elegant stylist and an impressively learned scholar, who has the wit to see that in a social history the role of the interior decorator may be quite as important as that of the virtuoso--and that of the ambitious parent, more important than either.
I'm Not a Terrorist, But I've Played One On TV
by Maz JobraniA hilarious and moving memoir of growing up Iranian in America, and the quest to make it in Hollywood without having to wear a turban, tote a bomb, or get kicked in the face by Chuck Norris.When he first started out in show business, Maz Jobrani endured suggestions that he spice up his stand-up act by wearing "the outfit," fielded questions about rising gas prices, and got called an F'in Eye-ranian for being involved in the Iran hostage crisis even though he was only eight years old at the time--in fact, these things happened so often that he began to wonder: Could I be a terrorist without even knowing it? Having emigrated with his family to the US during the Iranian Revolution, Maz spent most of his youth desperately trying to fit in with his adopted culture--whether that meant learning to play baseball or religiously watching Dallas with his female relatives. But none of his attempts at assimilation made a difference to casting directors, who only auditioned him for the role of kebab-eating, bomb-toting, extremist psychopath. In this laugh-out-loud memoir, Maz shares his struggle to build an acting career in post-9/11 Hollywood--from playing a terrorist on 24 to playing a terrorist opposite Chuck Norris to his mother asking, "Vhy you alvays terrorist?!" (Followed by, "Vhy you couldn't be doctor?!") But finally, through patience, determination, and only the occasional unequivocal compromising of his principles, he found a path to stardom. And he also learned the proper way to die like a bad guy on TV.
The Elements of Harmony (My Little Pony)
by Brandon T. SniderEverypony is sure to love the abridged, digital-only edition of The Official Guidebook! Inside they will find everything they need to know about the hit TV show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Character bios and a map of Equestria are just the beginning of this gorgeous book. Don't miss the complete lyrics to all the songs, a collection of Letters to Princess Celestia, and much much more! (Full episode guide excluded from abridged edition.)
Four Word Film Reviews
by Benj Clews Michael OnesiIn four words or less, this book brings together movies from across the multiplex. So whether you like the Coen brothers (Fargo: Chipper cop; chipped criminal) or the Farrelly brothers (Dumb & Dumber: Two guys, zero brains), you'll get a laugh from these online critics' witty review reductions. This book is your must-read guide to over 400 movies--brought to you in 3D so real you can flip the pages for less than the price of admission to Michael Bay's latest pyrotechnics display. Action! Adventure! Comedy! It's all inside for your viewing pleasure. And be sure to stay after the credits for the Four Word Film Review Quiz to see how well you really know your movies. Four Word Film Reviews: Condensed content, big laughs.
150 Movies You Should Die Before You See
by Steve MillerSure, everyone's seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. But as you'll learn in this shockingly tasteless collection of great awful movies, there's so much more to the world of truly bad film. You'll dive into the steaming swamp of such disastrously delicious movies as:Young Hannah, Queen of the Vampires Puppet Master versus Demonic Toys Creature with the Atom BrainCannibal HolocaustJesus Christ, Vampire HunterFor each movie, film buff and reviewer Steve Miller includes a list of principal cast, director, producer, a plot overview, why the movie sucked, a rating, choice quotes, interesting trivia, and a quiz.For anyone who's ever enjoyed awful movies, this is the book to have on the couch, along with the popcorn, as the opening credits flash on the screen for Gingerdead Men 2: The Passion of the Crust.
Filmology
by Chris BarsantiSure, everybody loves the movies. But how much do these movie enthusiasts really know about them? In this groundbreaking book, noted film critic Chris Barsanti gives you the most entertaining crash course in good film in a book--one movie a day. This is not just another greatest-movies celebration. Pairing cinema's lesser-seen gems alongside blockbusters, great early works from the pioneers of film alongside often-overlooked films from great directors, Barsanti unveils the movies that all true cineastes must see--for everyone's viewing pleasure. Filmology: So you can watch your way to an education in film!
Hire Me, Hollywood!
by Mark Scherzer Keith FenimoreThe secret to Stan Lee's writing processThe story behind Elmo's giggleWhat's for lunch on the set of The Walking DeadSquirrel training with Johnny DeppThink you know what it takes to get your favorite TV show on the air every week? (You'd be surprised.) Or what all those people whose names in the credits of the latest blockbuster actually do? (Including the Supervising Digital Colorist?)What better way to find out than from the who's who of Hire Me, Hollywood!Entertainment insiders Mark Scherzer and Keith Fenimore are here to give you a crash course in all things Hollywood through thirty sometimes funny, occasionally racy, and always revealing interviews with such industry experts as:Ryan Randall, Hair Stylist/Makeup Artist (American Idol)Sam Trammell, Actor (Sam Merlotte on HBO's True Blood)Paula Davis, Senior Talent Executive (Conan O'Brien)Mark Steines, Cohost (Entertainment Tonight)Sara Holden, Stunt Woman (House, All My Children, How I Met Your Mother, Iron Man 2)Cecilia Cardwell, On-Set Tutor (Titanic, Little Miss Sunshine, No Ordinary Family)Michael Gelman, Executive Producer (Live! with Regis and Kelly)Whether you've always dreamed of yelling "Action" on a major movie set or you'd be thrilled just to get Matthew McConaughey his morning coffee, this book will give you inside scoop from craft service to the director's chair--and every take in between.
The 101 Habits Of Highly Successful Screenwriters
by Karl IglesiasInsider Secrets from Hollywood's Top WritersThis book not only shows how to be a screenwriter, but what it's actually like to be one. An inspiration to all would-be screenwriters, this book is about living the screenwriter's life -- the habits, writing environments, creative processes, daily passions, and obsessions. In The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters, author Karl Iglesias has interviewed 14 top contemporary Hollywood screenwriters who offer their experience, insight, and advice to aspiring screenwriters everywhere.
Beautiful Creatures The Official Illustrated Movie Companion
by Mark Cotta VazExplore the making of the film Beautiful Creatures in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. This beautiful paperback edition celebrates the on-screen creation of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's fascinating world, brought to life by screenwriter and director Richard LaGravenese. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.
Glee: The Official William McKinley High School Yearbook
by The Creators of Glee Debra Mostow ZakarinStraight from Lima, Ohio, The Official William McKinley High School Yearbook is a full-color, completely up-to-date book that captures all the memories of seniors like Rachel Berry, Kurt Hummel, Finn Hudson and their fellow Gleeks. Featuring tons of glossy photos and exclusive images, the one and only OFFICIAL Glee yearbook will transport you to the halls of William McKinley High School. Just be sure to watch out for slushies!
The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage
by Emma Walton Hamilton Julie AndrewsEveryone's favorite fairy princess is back and just in time for her ballet recital in this new picture book addition to the Julie Andrews Collection. At first, when Gerry is cast as the Court Jester and not the Crystal Princess, she is dismayed -- nothing is pink and no one can see her crown under her silly jester hat! But just as the recital looks like it's headed for disaster, our ever-energetic very fairy princess swoops in to save the day!Gerry's sparkle radiates from the page once more through Christine Davenier's whimsically elegant illustrations in this spirited, ballet-themed follow-up to The Very Fairy Princess from the renowned mother-daughter team of Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton.
Star Wars vs. Star Trek
by Matt ForbeckCould a Jedi knight use his light saber to deflect a beam from a phaser? Which aliens are cooler: the Cardassians or the Chazrach?Have any Federation ships ever made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs? And most important . . . in a fight between the Empire and the Federation, who would win? Ever since Princess Leia's starship hove into sight on the silver screen, fans of Star Wars and Star Trek have been debating these questions. Now, side by side, they can line up aliens, technology, story points, weaponry, and heroes from the two great science fiction/fantasy stories of our age. For fans everywhere, this volume offers detailed information about both universes, as well as trivia, quizzes, quotes, and information drawn from these two iconic settings. So phasers on stun and light sabers at the ready! It's time for the duel to begin.