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Popular Music and National Culture in Israel
by Motti Regev Edwin SeroussiA scholarly book on popular music's role in the national identity and political culture in Israel.
This Business of Film
by Paula Landry Stephen R. GreenwaldThis is a book about the business of film. In the popular imagination, the film business consists of a handful of big-name Los Angeles studios, the films these studios release, and the movie stars that appear in them. While it is true that the major studios are responsible for producing and distributing the movies that receive the most public attention and attract the most dollars, the film industry is more than just these few companies and their output.Technological developments have shaped and will continue to shape the filmmaking process, as well as the very nature and kinds of films that are made. Enabled by the digital revolution, alterations to the basic industry architecture prevalent almost since film's beginnings are currently occurring in dramatic and unforeseen ways. Driven by extraordinary advances in new forms of production and distribution, moviemaking is now at the threshold of a radical and transformative evolution.New challenges and rewards abound, however, for those that understand the business elements of the film industry. This Business of Film clearly provides the bedrock knowledge one needs about the movie industry's past, present, and future, and shows how the business has responded and adapted to advances in technology, economics, politics, and culture. Readers will ultimately comprehend how the film business might well react to upcoming, unpredictable events-and be in a better position to embrace and exploit those developments.This Business of Film is of particular use to filmmakers working both inside and outside the studio system; producers and distributors of movies made for theaters, television, video, and DVD; animators; motion-picture investors and financiers; sales agents, both domestic and foreign; talent agents and managers; theatrical exhibitors; and the thousands of vendors providing the services required to create and market these movies.Jam-packed with the most current, pertinent information available, and readily appreciated by cinema tyros and experts alike, This Business of Film masterfully provides the tools necessary to generate film-industry success.From the Hardcover edition.
"Have You Seen ... ?" A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films
by David ThomsonIn 1975, David Thomson published his Biographical Dictionary of Film, and few film books have enjoyed better press or such steady sales.Now, thirty-three years later, we have the companion volume, a second book of more than 1,000 pages in one voice--that of our most provocative contemporary film critic and historian.Juxtaposing the fanciful and the fabulous, the old favorites and the forgotten, this sweeping collection presents the films that Thomson offers in response to the question he gets asked most often--"What should I see?" This new book is a generous history of film and an enticing critical appraisal written with as much humor and passion as historical knowledge. Not content to choose his own top films (though they are here), Thomson has created a list that will surprise and delight you--and send you to your best movie rental service.But he also probes the question: after one hundred years of film, which ones are the best, and why?"Have You Seen . . . ?" suggests a true canon of cinema and one that's almost completely accessible now, thanks to DVDs. This book is a must for anyone who loves the silver screen: the perfect confection to dip into at any point for a taste of controversy, little-known facts, and ideas about what to see. This is a volume you'll want to return to again and again, like a dear but argumentative friend in the dark at the movies.From the Hardcover edition.
Cinema Nirvana
by Dean SluyterMovie fans and spiritual seekers, unite! In Cinema Nirvana, meditation teacher and award-winning film critic Dean Sluyter illuminates the hidden enlightenment teachings of Casablanca, Jaws, The Graduate, The Godfather, Memento, and ten other classic films, revealing spiritual wisdom in everything from 007's secret weapons to the colors of the Seven Dwarfs' eyes. So grab your popcorn, sit back, and prepare to have your mind opened.
Chris Gore's Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide: The Essential Companion for Filmmakers and Festival-Goers (Fourth Edition)
by Chris GoreThe guerrilla guide to marketing and selling an indie film. Some people are just there for the loot bags. But most of the people at a film festival are trying to market and sell an independent film. Don't be just one of the horde. Use Chris Gore's Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide to help your indie film stand out! Entertainment Weekly loves Gore's book, calling it a "treatise on schmoozing, bullying, and otherwise weaseling one's way into the cinematic madness known as film festivals." The newly revised and updated fourth edition includes full listings for more than 1,000 film festivals, with complete tips and contact information, plus in-depth analysis of the Big Ten festivals. With detailed, fresh how-tos for marketing, distributing, and selling a film and using websites to build buzz, plus interviews with top festival filmmakers, step-by-steps on what to do after your film gets accepted, and explanations of how to distribute a film, Chris Gore's guide tells filmmakers exactly how to become a player in the indie world. Chris Gore's Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide includes complete listings for more than 1,000 festivals--find the best for indie, documentary, short, student, digital, and animation, and a CD-ROM!
Hollywood Quarterly: Film Culture in Post-war America, 1945-1957
by Eric Smoodin Ann MartinA collection of essays from the Hollywood Quarterly, the first long running film and media journal in the United States which was founded in 1947 by lefty Hollywood filmmakers and Southern California intellectuals.
Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s
by Gerald NachmanThe comedians of the 1950s and 1960s were a totally different breed of relevant, revolutionary performer from any that came before or after, comics whose humor did much more than pry guffaws out of audiences. Gerald Nachman presents the stories of the groundbreaking comedy stars of those years, each one a cultural harbinger: * Mort Sahl, of a new political cynicism * Lenny Bruce, of the sexual, drug, and language revolution * Dick Gregory, of racial unrest * Bill Cosby and Godfrey Cambridge, of racial harmony * Phyllis Diller, of housewifely complaint * Mike Nichols & Elaine May and Woody Allen, of self-analytical angst and a rearrangement of male-female relations * Stan Freberg and Bob Newhart, of encroaching, pervasive pop media manipulation and, in the case of Bob Elliott & Ray Goulding, of the banalities of broadcasting * Mel Brooks, of the Yiddishization of American comedy * Sid Caesar, of a new awareness of the satirical possibilities of television * Joan Rivers, of the obsessive craving for celebrity gossip and of a latent bitchy sensibility * Tom Lehrer, of the inane, hypocritical, mawkishly sentimental nature of hallowed American folkways and, in the case of the Smothers Brothers, of overly revered folk songs and folklore * Steve Allen, of the late-night talk show as a force in American comedy * David Frye and Vaughn Meader, of the merger of showbiz and politics and, along with Will Jordan, of stretching the boundaries of mimicry * Shelley Berman, of a generation of obsessively self-confessional humor * Jonathan Winters and Jean Shepherd, of the daring new free-form improvisational comedy and of a sardonically updated view of Midwestern archetypes * Ernie Kovacs, of surreal visual effects and the unbounded vistas of video Taken together, they made up the faculty of a new school of vigorous, socially aware satire, a vibrant group of voices that reigned from approximately 1953 to 1965. Nachman shines a flashlight into the corners of these comedians' chaotic and often troubled lives, illuminating their genius as well as their demons, damaged souls, and desperate drive. His exhaustive research and intimate interviews reveal characters that are intriguing and all too human, full of rich stories, confessions, regrets, and traumas. Seriously Funny is at once a dazzling cultural history and a joyous celebration of an extraordinary era in American comedy.
Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer's Guide to the TV Business
by Chad GervichFrom mediabistro.com, the media industry's most well-respected source for jobs, professional development, and community, this inside-the-business guide gives you the knowledge and tools you need to infiltrate Hollywood and land a job as a TV writer. That's right--Small Screen, Big Picture gives you a competitive edge over millions of other aspiring writers who share your talent, creativity, and determination . . . because after reading these pages, you'll have the one thing they lack: an understanding of the business of television.This journey into Hollywood's inner workings not only details how networks, studios, and production companies work together, it teaches you how the process affects the creation and writing of TV series, how shows make money, and--ultimately--how you can use this information to break into the industry. You'll learn:* What really goes on in the inner sanctum of the writers' room--and how to be a part of it* How today's TV business model works--and how rapidly it's changing * Who has the power to buy a show idea--and how to pitch your own* How new media formats are changing television--and how to use them to your advantage* Which jobs will kick-start your TV writing career--and how to get hired * And much more . . .Armed with this solid foundation of knowledge, you'll be ready to plan your entry into the industry and begin your successful TV writing career.
Quick, Before the Music Stops: How Ballroom Dancing Saved My Life
by Janet Carlson"I've been dancing steadily since that Valentine's Day. I have taken countless lessons and classes, passed a professional certification exam, done several shows and a competition--yes, dressed in those outrageous gowns and false eyelashes--and then gone back home to the kids, the soccer, the housework, and to work the next day. It hasn't been easy to make room in the schedule for my passion, but I have done it, because I'm certain now that it is necessary for life. This new period is rich--as rich in some ways as having my two children because it has been a kind of birth--but it has also been extraordinarily painful thanks to the self-examination that dancing has provoked in me. And so, because of dance, I can say, unequivocally and gratefully, that I am alive at last." - From Quick, Before the Music Stops"There is no time for regret in dance. You have only now, this moment, for your performance, your glorious movement. Whatever you're going to do, do it now, quick, before the music stops." - Janet CarlsonIn her twenties, Janet Carlson was a successful competitive ballroom dancer, but she abandoned dancing to raise a family and pursue a more conventional profession as an editor for a luxury lifestyle magazine. Twenty years later, she seemed to have it all: two beautiful daughters, a glamorous job, and a handsome, talented husband. Despite all of her successes, she felt a terrible void - her marriage was deeply troubled, and she was somehow withdrawn in the very midst of her own life and the lives of her children. Then, one Valentine's Day, her husband gave her ballroom dancing lessons as a gift, and everything changed. She discovered the joy, passion, and confidence she hadn't realized had gone missing for so long. Over time, Janet discovers that ballroom dancing also contains the secrets to life and love: the give-and-take of dance, two bodies in rhythm and harmony, mirrors the reciprocity of human relationships. Total trust between partners is as vital on the dance floor as it is within a marriage. And yet, both partners - in dance and in life - must stand on their own two feet. The unadulterated joy Janet feels as she intuitively moves to the music speaks to the kind of absolute, whole-body happiness we were born to have. On the dance floor, she finds resolve in the waltz, self-confidence in the tango, and passion in nearly everything. Embracing dance once more allows her to let go of a marriage that was completely out of sync; put more heart and emotion into her work; find more time to truly be with her children; and ultimately rejoice in her intrinsic balance and poise.Told with precision, grace, and painstaking honesty, Quick, Before the Music Stops is the tale of one woman's midlife renewal through dance, and how her newfound empowerment transcends the dance floor and becomes immediate and relevant in every aspect of her life. It shows us how to recognize and celebrate both our strengths and our flaws, reignite passion for the everyday, and how to step from the periphery into the light and surrender to the music.
Joseph P. Kennedy Presents: His Hollywood Years
by Cari BeauchampJoseph P. Kennedy's reputation as a savvy businessman, diplomat, and sly political patriarch is well-documented. But his years as a Hollywood mogul have never been fully explored until now. In Joseph P. Kennedy Presents, Cari Beauchamp brilliantly explores this unknown chapter in Kennedy's biography. Between 1926 and 1930, Kennedy positioned himself as a major Hollywood player. In two short years, he was running three studios simultaneously and then, in a bold move, he merged his studios with David Sarnoff to form the legendary RKO Studio. Beauchamp also tells the story of Kennedy's affair with Gloria Swanson; how he masterminded the mergers that created the blueprint for contemporary Hollywood; and made the fortune that became the foundation of his empire.
Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock
by Sammy HagarSammy Hagar--legendary lead singer of Van Halen, founder of the Cabo Wabo Tequila brand, and one of rock music's most notoriously successful performers--tells his unforgettable story in this one-of-a-kind autobiography of a life at the top of the charts. From his decade-long journey alongside Eddie Van Halen to his raucous solo career with Chicken foot and everything in between--the drugs, groupies, and excesses of fame, the outrageous stadium tours, and the thrill of musical innovation--Hagar reveals all in this treasure trove of rock-and-roll war stories. Red is a life-changing look at one of music's biggest talents--an essential read for music fans and anyone dreaming of becoming rock's next number one star.
Pocket Guide to Collecting Movies on DVD
by Steven H. Scheuer Alida Brill-ScheuerCitizen Kane Boogie Nights Sunset Boulevard My Fair Lady Almost Famous Jaws A Hard Day's Night Lord of the Rings Monsoon Wedding Apocalypse Now Redux Moulin Rouge Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid A Beautiful Mind Shakespeare in Love THEY'RE NOT JUST MOVIES ANYMORE. THEY'RE DVDs. Supplements...special collector's edition...extras...Words that set the heart pounding of every DVD lover. But how do you decide which DVDs to buy? Where do you begin collecting? Which special features are really special? What commentaries are informative or entertaining? Which disks are worth your time and money? Here at last is the portable, one-of-a-kind DVD buyer's guide -- from veteran film and television critics Steven H. Scheuer and Alida Brill-Scheuer. Director/star/crew audio commentaries Outtakes Filmographies and biographies Alternate takes, music, and endings Celebrity interviews Deleted scenes Trailers Lost footage Hidden features and Easter eggs Animated menus Production notes Storyboards Promotional art DVD-rom extras Behind-the-scenes footage Screenplays Souvenir booklets and a special afterword on the best DVDs for kids
Christopher Reeve
by Kathleen V. Kudlinski Meryl HendersonChildhood of Famous Americans One of the most popular series ever published for young Americans, these classics have been praised alike by parents, teachers, and librarians. With these lively, inspiring, fictionalized biographies -- easily read by children of eight and up -- today's youngster is swept right into history.
The Unexpurgated Beaton
by Cecil Beaton Hugo VickersCecil Beaton was one of the great twentieth-century tastemakers. A photographer, artist, writer and designer for more than fifty years, he was at the center of the worlds of fashion, society, theater and film. The Unexpurgated Beaton brings together for the first time the never-before-published diaries from 1970 to 1980 and, unlike the six slim volumes of diaries published during his lifetime, these have been left uniquely unedited. Hugo Vickers, the executor of Beaton's estate and the author of his acclaimed biography, has added extensive and fascinating notes that are as lively as the diary entries themselves. As one London reviewer wrote, "Vickers' waspish footnotes are the salt on the side of the dish." Beaton treated his other published diaries like his photographs, endlessly retouching them, but, for this volume, Vickers went back to the original manuscripts to find the unedited diaries. Here is the photographer for British and American Vogue, designer of the sets and costumes for the play and film My Fair Lady and the film Gigi, with a cast of characters from many worlds: Bianca Jagger, Greta Garbo, David Hockney, Truman Capote, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, Mae West, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Rose Kennedy and assorted Rothschilds, Phippses and Wrightsmans; in New York, San Francisco, Palm Beach, Rio and Greece, on the Amalfi coast; at shooting parties in the English countryside, on yachts, at garden parties at Buckingham Palace, at costume balls in Venice, Paris or London. Beaton had started as an outsider and "developed the power to observe, first with his nose pressed up against the glass," and then later from within inner circles. Vickers has said, "his eagle eye missed nothing," and his diaries are intuitive, malicious (he took a "relish in hating certain figures"), praising and awestruck. Truman Capote once said "the camera will never be invented that could capture or encompass all that he actually sees." The Unexpurgated Beaton is a book that is not only a great read and wicked fun but a timeless chronicle of our age.From the Hardcover edition.
The Book of David
by David SteinbergFrom award-winning comedian, director, writer, and producer David Steinberg comes the totally original, utterly blasphemous, and hysterically funny memoir of a young man who emerged from a traditional Jewish childhood to become an international star -- all because, it seems, he kept God in stitches. David Steinberg was raised in Winnipeg, Canada, by parents who expected little from him. And no wonder. Instead of studying Talmud in order to become a rabbi, he chose to major in Martin and Lewis with a minor in basketball. As David imagines the story of his life (since his success otherwise makes no sense), God one day spotted him on the playground and decided that this young man with no ambition could go far with His help. Sure enough, God soon had David on network TV and Broadway, and selling out nightclubs across the country -- as well as being pursued by hot starlets. The Book of Davidis David Steinberg's hilarious trip down memory lane, assuming that the lane has a biblical address. This wild riff on the Old Testament is guaranteed laughter.
Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop and Some People
by Danny HochTheatre, performance art, or spoken word--whatever you call it, the work of actor/writer Danny Hoch is a solo tour de force. In Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop and Some People, New York City's rich oral traditions come alive on the page, as Manhattan Boricua English, Brooklyn Polish, Bronx Dominican Spanish, Queens Trinidadian English, Jamaican patois, and Hip-Hop all get flipped and flexed center stage. The range of contemporary experience on display in Hoch's monologues is astonishing: A white teenager dreams of being a black gangsta rapper. A wheelchair-bound kid explains how his mother smoked crack during pregnancy. A pale-skinned Bronx street vendor enrages a policeman who can't figure out what race he is. A young Puerto Rican man on crutches rhapsodizes about his dancing talent. Now the thousands of fans who have enjoyed Mr. Hoch live or on HBO, as well as the many more who've only heard about him, can enjoy both Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop and his earlier, equally brilliant work, Some People, in a single volume that confirms his status as a unique and important artist.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Cagney by Cagney
by James CagneyThis book is for the true fan of James Cagney. Mr. Cagney tells his story as no one can.
Buddha Laughing
by Tricycle MagazineThese eighty-five cartoons provide a hilarious perspective on everything from reincarnation to mindful--or perhaps mindless--ness. Over the centuries, Buddhism has offered the world a clear-eyed, down-to-earth approach to life and death. This irresistible little book of teachings is no exception. It demonstrates that wisdom can--and often should--be taught through humor. Buddha Laughingis a healthy recipe for lightening up, the path to true enlightenment.
Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood
by Donald BogleIn Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams, Donald Bogle tells- for the first time- the story of a place both mythic and real: Black Hollywood. Spanning sixty years, this deliciously entertaining history uncovers the audacious manner in which many blacks made a place for themselves in an industry that originally had no place for them. Through interviews and the personal recollections of Hollywood luminaries, Bogle pieces together a remarkable history that remains largely obscure to this day. We discover that Black Hollywood was a place distinct from the studio-system-dominated Tinseltown- a world unto itself, with unique rules and social hierarchy. It had its own talent scouts and media, its own watering holes, elegant hotels, and fashionable nightspots, and of course its own glamorous and brilliant personalities. Along with famous actors including Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Hattie McDaniel (whose home was among Hollywood's most exquisite), and, later, the stunningly beautiful Lena Horne and the fabulously gifted Sammy Davis, Jr., we meet the likes of heartthrob James Edwards, whose promising career was derailed by whispers of an affair with Lana Turner, and the mysterious Madame Sul-Te-Wan, who shared a close lifelong friendship with pioneering director D. W. Griffith. But Bogle also looks at other members of the black community- from the white stars' black servants, who had their own money and prestige, to gossip columnists, hairstylists, and architects- and at the world that grew up around them along Central Avenue, the Harlem of the West.
A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce
by Mark Tabb Alec BaldwinAlec Baldwin, one of the best-known actors and Kim Basinger, the Academy Award-winning actress, have a daughter named Ireland. Theirs seemed to be the model of a successful Hollywood marriage until their divorce in 2002. Their split---specifically the custody battle surrounding Ireland---would be the subject of media attention for years to come. This is an important, informative, and deeply felt book on a contentious subject that offers hope of finding a better way.
Representing Disability in an Ableist World: Essays on Mass Media
by Beth A. HallerTowson University journalism professor Beth A. Haller's 20 years of research into disability and mass media inform this one-of-a-kind collection on advertising, news, entertainment television, film and Internet new media. Ideal for disability studies students and researchers as well as disability activists.
The Boys of Summer
by Elizabeth ZackTWO HOT TO HANDLE Thanks to the explosive popularity of Fox's hit television show The O. C. , actors Benjamin McKenzie and Adam Brody are men on the move. Their jaw-dropping good looks and impressive talent have catapulted them to the top of the It-list, making them two of Hollywood's hottest hunks. If you want to know how these gorgeous guys arrived in Orange County, look no further. The Boys of Summer gives you the complete 411 on Benjamin McKenzie and Adam Brody-hometown histories, dating dilemmas, and favorite pastimes. Find out about Ben's adventures in New York City as he pursued his passion for acting. Discover the other projects Adam has tackled, including Gilmore Girls and the horror flick The Ring. And, of course, get all the behind-the-scenes gossip from the set of The O. C. Ben and Adam have just begun to unleash their talent-stay tuned and see what lies ahead!
Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip-hop
by Michael Eric DysonWhether along race, class or generational lines, hip-hop music has been a source of controversy since the beats got too big and the voices too loud for the block parties that spawned them. America has condemned and commended this music and the culture that inspires it. Dubbed "the Hip-Hop Intellectual" by critics and fans for his pioneering explorations of rap music in the academy and beyond, Michael Eric Dyson is uniquely situated to probe the most compelling and controversial dimensions of hip-hop culture. Know What I Mean?addresses salient issues within hip hop: the creative expression of degraded youth that has garnered them global exposure; the vexed gender relations that have made rap music a lightning rod for pundits; the commercial explosion that has made an art form a victim of its success; the political elements that have been submerged in the most popular form of hip hop; and the intellectual engagement with some of hip hop's most influential figures. In spite of changing trends, both in the music industry and among the intelligentsia, Dyson has always supported and interpreted this art that bloomed unwatered, and in many cases, unwanted from our inner cities. For those who wondered what all the fuss is about in hip hop, Dyson's bracing and brilliant book breaks it all down.
The Book of Shadows
by N. E. GengeThe ultimate guide to the hit program Charmed, this is both a book of spells and a key to the mysteries of the show. The Book of Shadows celebrates the best of Charmed, from its roots in the ancient tradition of Wicca to insider information on the show's stars. N.E. Genge not only provides fascinating background details for the show's Wiccan elements, but also guides readers in performing their own magic. Fans with a witchy bent will learn about the tools of magic and divination and the casting of spells. Recipes and rituals -- from those that beckon love or bless a new business venture to those that bequeath strength or bestow fortune -- are all included. The Book of Shadows is a sassy celebration of witches, sisterhood, and magic. This book has not been prepared, approved, licensed, endorsed, or in any way authorized by any entity that created or produced Charmed.
How to Teach Suzuki Piano
by Shinichi SuzukiA brief but valuable booklet about teaching Suzuki piano. Directed towards parents and teachers. Originally published in Japan by Dr. Suzuki's Talent Education Institute.