Immediately from his introduction, Hogan manages to lay everything on the table, concerning the genre’s origins, its refections of society and the extremes that the genre employs to enforce its themes. Slowly then, does Hogan begin to dive into the various films and their contributions to the genre. There are sections that highlight a variety of directors, cinematographers and other crew people involved to give wonderful insight as to how all these various elements came together to create what we know as film noir.

While the book says its an FAQ, the book does give away plot elements to many of the films discussed in it. If this doesn’t bother you and you’ve seen a great portion of these film noirs, then you’ll find that this book does a great service to the material at hand. Hogan’s writing is extremely concise and provides a wealth of knowledge regarding the genre. I love the fact that he makes the actual distinction of film noirs, as being very different than that of heist films, police procedurals, revenge films and plenty of films from other genres that many times get thrown into the mix.

The amount of history provided on the productions and methods of how film noir came to be, makes the Film Noir FAQ, worth reading. From filmmakers various backgrounds, to various actors that became stars by being in these films, Hogan manages to unearth an insane amount of history, some of which I’ve never heard, until I read this book. For this portion alone, I would urge any film noir purist or any film historian to pick up this wonderful text on one of America’s oldest and richest genres.

David J. Hogan’s Film Noir FAQ is simply one of the best books I’ve ever read on a genre, period. Through its all of its concise details and exploration of a grand amount of films, Hogan presents a read that is educational and fun, at the same time. Highly Recommended! 

The book has a fluid, coherent and chronological structure, beginning with an examination of Hugo himself and the various socio-economic and historical circumstances which led to the inception of his original, mammoth novel. The text then moves into a detailed description of Cameron Macintosh diligent efforts to produce an English language musical adaptation.

Like many pieces of “behind the scenes” material, Les Miserables: From Stage to Screen has a tendency for some superficiality in its coverage. This is evident occasionally throughout these initial chapters, particularly when the book explores the shift in Hugo’s political and social consciousness. Of course this is a minor quibble as the book is not obviously written to be some sort of definitive Hugo biography. Once the book changes its focus from the expository backstory of the source material to a detailed look at the adaptation process the content becomes much more enriching and absorbing.

What is especially notable are chapters six, seven and eight; each of which are devoted to exploring the various qualities of a different main character from Hugo’s story, and the various actors who embodied each character on-stage. The text in each character-centric chapter is supported by a plethora of pictures which include stills from various productions, a couple behind the scene snaps and even some concept art. These chapters are a treat, although some of the pictures are a bit unfocused, which seems natural if they were being taken at an actual stage performance.

The time frame covered by the book is considerable, as there are chapters which focus on the show’s transition to American stages following its success in Europe and even a full chapter discussing the rejuvenation of the show for its 25th anniversary. The book does an excellent job of evoking the innovations made to celebrate the anniversary and to amp up the intensity of the show. This included technical hocus pocus, such as film projections which gave greater scope to the gothic gloom of Valjean’s flight through the sewers and Javet’s eventual suicide.

The film adaptation chapters are also well done, if mildly sparse with real information. This is again a minor complaint as the book’s intention is not to provide a massive chronicle of the day-in and day-out process of filmmaking. Still, the chapter spends a considerable amount of time discussing the much publicized decision to record the film’s songs live. This is a feature of the movie which has already received an unbelievable amount of coverage by even non-related media entities. There is no need to really spend a lot of time rehashing the subject like the book does here.

The filmmaking chapter is another example of the book’s sublimely generous inclusion of photographic material. The pictures and concept art included here are absolutely beautiful and really give you a sense of the artistry behind the production, which is something that Hooper’s penchant for the extreme close-up unintentionally obscured.

Les Miserables: From Stage to Screen won’t probably win over any new devotees to the institution, but it is a great supplementary addition to any established fan’s library. The text is not always the most involving, as it occasionally displays a penchant for superficiality and self-congratulatory feeling. Yet, there is too much here to enjoy to get really down on a few minor portions of text.

The book is broken up at certain sections with envelope-like containers which carry a proverbial treasure-trove of memorabilia related each time-period of the musical’s development (these envelopes appear after the chapter covering the Europe premiere, the Broadway premiere, the 25th anniversary show and the film adaptation). The memorabilia includes really nerdy stuff like copies of ticket stubs, call sheets from the film shoot, more concept art, blurbs of actual news reports of the 1832 uprising, and even posters from global productions of the show. These materials are integrated nicely into the book’s presentation and further show how even after more than 100 years Hugo’s original story remains just as powerful and that the people are singing louder than ever.

The biography Bowman offers here is an incredibly quick read. The entire book is only 96 pages, of which no single page is presented sans photograph with the biographical text itself accounting for but a small fraction of each page that features it. As such, Bowman’s style is quite direct and bereft of any sort of flowery, atmospheric prose that might prevent him from including as much information as humanly possible in the space allotted to him. The biography tends to read a bit on the dull side as a result, but again, it’s an extremely quick read (you’ll easily read through it in an hour or two at the most if you avoid lingering on the images and bonus materials too long). Moreover, his purely informational approach lends itself quite well to those passages about Lee’s diet, workout regiments, and philosophy, for example. That said, any blandness in the text itself is more than compensated for by the wealth of previously unpublished pictures, diagrams, and materials hand-written by Lee featured on each page, not to mention the aforementioned “treasures.”

Pockets are included at six points throughout the book, which contain 22 facsimiles of posters and personal documents provided by the Bruce Lee Archives. Whilst there are certainly more comprehensive, and arguably more worthwhile, biographies of Bruce Lee available, the sheer number of previously unpublished photographs and collectibles here make The Treasures of Bruce Lee an exciting addition to any fan’s collection. The facsimile items included in the book, beginning with the five, full-size posters, are as follows:

-a Chinese-language poster for The Big Boss;
-Hong Kong posters for Way of the Dragon and Fist of Fury;
-an Enter the Dragon poster;
-a poster for one of Ed Parker’s karate tournaments boasting an appearance by The Green Hornet’s Bruce Lee;
-an 8×10 Big Boss lobby card;
-a bookmark featuring a sketch by Bruce Lee;
-a letter and postcard from boxer Jack Dempsey;
-a letter to James Lee featuring diagrams of martial arts moves;
-a photo of a young Bruce Lee giving a kung fu demonstration;
-a letter Lee wrote to Black Belt magazine;
-a badge worn by audience members at the premiere of Enter the Dragon;
-Lee’s tuition rate card for individual and group sessions;
-a get-well-soon card from Steve McQueen;
-a card distributed to audience members at the Enter the Dragon premiere;
-a hand-written poem by Lee;
-Lee’s notes on the final fight scene in Enter the Dragon;
-a membership card for Jun Fan Gung Fu;
-Lee’s handwritten notes on martial arts;
-a receipt for martial arts equipment;
-a blank record that Lee would have filled out for his students;
-and a sticker sheet.

Sure, Thompson details the production history of the series in early chapters and even provides readers with a look at those pre-Doctor Who works that are regarded as the inspiration for the series. But, to me, a standout chapter in terms of the series’ broader contextualization comes in Chapter 11, “Was This the Greatest Episode Ever?” In this chapter, Thompson explores the myriad of ways in which the Third Doctor adventure, “The Daemons,” echoed the people’s abounding fascination with (or fear of) the occult during the era of its production, linking the serial to the music of T.Rex and Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby among other things. Some viewers might be apt to view Classic Who with disdain, dismissing it as a cheesy old kids’ show, but reading through the FAQ, I surmise, will give such viewers cause to reassess serials these kind of knee-jerk appraisals.

But what about the lists, Jef?! Okay, yes, there are tons of lists in the FAQ, and one might even say an inordinate amount of them, considering that five of the 22 chapters serve as list-based guides of one sort or another and the four appendices are entirely comprised of lists. Thus, lists make up about a third of the entire book. The five chapters offer guides to the eleven Doctors, 41 of the Doctor’s companions (the number of companions with whom he has travelled over the years varies depending on who you ask of course), the various incarnations of The Master and The Rani, the Doctor’s foes, and even songs about the series. Additionally, the chapter on the missing episodes contains a reference list to those episodes no longer known to exist. The first appendix is of course an episode guide with handy markers noting shifts in serials, seasons, Doctors, and even companions. The second, third, and fourth appendices provide lists of the Big Finish audio plays, original Doctor Who fiction, and selected comic book appearances, respectively.

While the chapter-based guides provide write-ups on each item included, it should be noted that those lists comprising the appendices are presented sans detailed description. So if you’re looking for a more thorough and critical exploration of the series’ individual serials, you might consider picking up John Kenneth Muir’s A Critical History of Doctor Who on Television– not as a substitute for the FAQ, but a supplement. After all, that book too has its limitations when compared to the FAQ, namely that its discussion of spin-offs and paratexts including the audio plays, fiction, magazines, comic books, etc. pales in comparison to that featured in the FAQ. Non-canonical though they may be, the FAQ acknowledges the importance of these supplemental texts to fans and the overall history of Doctor Who, respectfully covering them in chapters and appendices all their own. The shear breadth of focus here and the contextual insight Thompson provides for the series, especially in his chapter on “The Daemons,” makes the Doctor Who FAQ a really handy, and occasionally thought-provoking, guide for fans to have on-hand.

As something of a postscript, I feel compelled to note, however, that I as a scholar was hoping for a far more thoroughly-cited work than the FAQ turned out to be. As such, you’ll find it quite lacking in that respect if you’re looking for a scholarly resource on the history of Doctor Who. It is a fan reference through-and-through. Had I had my way, this thing would have been wall-to-wall endnotes, showing the source of every last bit of information. But of course, we academics with a vested interest in writing about Doctor Who are a far slimmer audience than the Doctor Who fanbase at large, so I’m not complaining really. I’m just saying.

Writers Geoffrey Macnab and Sharon Swart introduce the book as trying to breakdown the mystique that surrounds a producer’s role. What they establish is the job requires one to multitask, to get things done, help with the overall production and the list can go on and on from there. This intro helps establish what the book will give you, a variety of answers and means of what it takes to produce a film, from some of the best in the business. What was inspiring was seeing different kind of producer’s contained within this version of Filmcraft. Having someone like Tim Bevan talk about the approach to get Tomas Alfredson’s version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy made, to then go into a segment with Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who elaborates on his work on the Transformers trilogy helps show the different abilities and variety of possibilities that pertain the role of a producer.

While the focus on current producer’s is fabulous, there’s a good portion of the book that covers legendary producer’s of the past. People like David O. Selznick, Dino De Laurentiis and Erich Pommer are but a few of the history lessons that this book provides. This gives the reader a solid presentation on how the role of a producer has evolved over the years. Not only that, but it shows how producer’s have molded the film industry, in being visionaries and helping filmmakers create and craft films that have stayed with audiences forever. Another great addition was an excellent glossary, that can help producer give an understanding to all the various roles, terms and techniques that not only any Producer should know, but any filmmaker worth their salt.

This book provides insight, unlike any other film text book that I’ve ever read. It trades a ton of technical jargon or theory with recollections on personal experiences that have crafted an incredible amount of films. For anyone that is wanting to become a producer and wants to have an understanding on what it takes, do yourself a favor and read the Filmcraft’s Producing and you’ll find yourself a much wiser than your peers. Highly Recommended! 

From the very outset of the foreword, Landau’s tone is whimsical and straightforward to help the reader understand exactly what’s in store in this book. From this, Landau uses the fact that no writer is the same and that whatever style works for you, whether it be creating an outline or to simply just start writing, all of the things pointed out in each chapter are just tools, for anyone to utilize, no matter what your style. This was one of the aspects that I enjoyed the most out of this book, in that it doesn’t dictate an explicit way of making good writing by forcing its own rules upon an aspiring screenwriter. The core mechanics at hand in this book are all about the elements that make for great stories. From what makes great characters tic, to the central conflict at hand in one’s script, each of the chapters shows wonderful insight into the questions that one needs in utilizing their own creative juices to craft a screenplay.

Another wonderful addition to the book is at the end of every chapter, there are interviews with many incredible screenwriters. From Tony Gilroy to the duo of Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, each of the contributors either reflect on what Landau is focusing on in the chapter or the methodology that works for them. I loved this because it showed how unbiased Landau is as the writer of this book and how much he cares about the craft. Even if other screenwriter’s didn’t work in the same way as him, he still gives them an opportunity to shed light on the form of screenwriting. There’s also exercises that are included at the end of every chapter, that cover things like writing log lines to finding inventive ways to craft dialog. All of these are absolutely beneficial in many ways and are likely to form some good habits in any aspiring screenwriter.

It’s easy to see how Mr. Landau is the Screenwriting Professor at both UCLA and USC. His knowledge is vast and extremely discernible within the pages of The Screenwriter’s Roadmap. It is absolutely one of the best books written on the subject and should be on every screenwriter’s and filmmaker’s bookshelf! Highly Recommended!

In just over two-hundred and fifty pages, DeBellis takes the reader on a tour of the East coast comedy scene in the seventies and eighties.  With DeBellis as your tour guide, the writing is consistently entertaining, lively, and amusing.  It’s full of jokes, with many paragraphs ending in a gem of a punch-line, and a general air of rascality fueling this heartfelt nostalgia trip.  It beats with the pulse of a best friend who can’t wait to relay an experience they had, and the reader now becomes that friendly ear, with DeBellis becoming your most welcomed friend through a litany of fascinating inside stories.  He’s the guy you can’t wait to hear from again, knowing you’re in for a treat when you pick up where you last left off.

There’s a lived-in perspective to the material, with honest, freewheeling psychoanalysis punctuating the semi-structured, stream-of-consciousness narrative.  DeBellis shares his enviable experiences and imparts many words of wisdom that transcend mere show business advice (it’s full of that, too).  The pages are filled with advice and quotes, a breakdown of the stand-up “life”, and the roots of the comedy germ, all told at a rapid pace.  It covers bad gigs, great gigs, mentorships, striving for parental approval, the evolution and/or devolution of a comic, moving from coast to coast, club owners, problems talking to women, playing softball, practical jokes, encounters with the mob, encounters with legends and amateurs, the pain and joy of it all.  He addresses great questions like “how was I, a guy whose comic believability at that time was the equivalent of a blow-up doll faking an orgasm, going to handle hecklers?”

Though he was once heckled for talking about himself so much, the book is as much about DeBellis as it is his peers and family (both surrogate and biological).  Being so close with Larry David, many anecdotes concern first-person stories about one of the most significant comedy minds of the last twenty-five years.  Some relatively unknown comics will be sought out at the conclusion of this read as well, with DeBellis painting vivid, colorful portraits of the less popular funnymen (and women—he devotes an entire chapter to that gender) of that day.  Throughout you’ll find many personal, often emotional mini-tributes to those who have passed.  He even gives a shout out to the extended family that is the comedy club staff, which, having belonged to that group for over five years, I have my own experiences with and it meant a lot to me.  I’ve never read a comic’s appreciation of the club employees on paper before, but the appreciation is likewise reciprocated.

Standup Guys: A Generation of Laughs offers the kind of writing that could very well make DeBellis the household name he should already be, if enough people get their hands on it.  I’m not too worried about that, since anybody who reads this will likely recommend it to several of their friends, particularly those interested in comedy, since it firmly places itself alongside the best of that bunch.  It’s a memoir, it’s a document of an era, and it’s an autobiography.  It’s also the best book on stand-up I’ve read since Steve Martin’s Born Standing Up.

You can find a copy of Standup Guys: A Generation of Laughs here at Amazon.com

From the very introduction of the book, Rife portrays her history and emotional impact with her first encounter with Pulp Fiction. From here, Rife does a wonderful mixture of chronologically going through his career, with each film getting its own chapter and digging up some spectacular films, that have either been entirely referenced by the auteur, in their actuality or in spirit. From Reservoir Dogs’ links to Hong Kong action cinema to the The Dirty Dozens impact on Inglorious Basterds, all of the films referenced are not only great films, in and of themselves, but Rife presents them with as much enthusiasm as the man would himself.

Not only are the films that are sprinkled throughout this book just great movies, but at times, it also shows their importance in cinema history as well. There’s a portion in the chapter on Jackie Brown that gives an impressive history lesson on Melvin Van Peebles’ Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. It speaks on the role that Melvin had making an African-American indie film and while its only about two pages long, it certainly shows how Rife manages to pack so much information, while being very economical in her writing. Another one of my favorite sections was a great appendix about the now defunct Rolling Pictures line, that Miramax had given Quentin to showcase some great films that had introductions and video notes from Quentin himself.

As a means of resource, If You Like Quentin Tarantino… is a wonderful guide to plenty of fantastic films and a wonderful insight into the man’s overall history. From the great Jack Hill, to Blaxsploitation, to the Shaw Brothers, there’s a plenty of films to discover from around the world that beg to be seen and I’m glad that someone like Quentin Tarantino and Katherine Rife have given me a road map to get there. Highly Recommended!

Whether it’s Ripley vs the Alien Queen or Spinal Tap vs an undersized model of Stonehenge, these memorable moments of melee deserve to be celebrated. Behold, The Great Showdowns.

Scott Campbell (Scott C) is a maker of paintings, illustrations, comics, kid’s books and video games. He studied illustration at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and has worked on such games as the critically acclaimed Psychonauts and Brutal Legend.  Alongside this career in games, he has published numerous comics and created paintings that have appeared in galleries and publications around the world. Some of his most notable projects include the Igloo Head and Tree Head series, Double Fine Action Comics, Hickee Comics and the Zombie In Love children’s book. Scott lives in New York City.

With a Foreword by Neil Patrick Harris. Available starting October 30, 2012, from Titan Books.

Check out Scott Campbell’s website by clicking here.

Olly Moss’s clients have included Nike, Apple, Lucasfilm, Sony Entertainment, Paramount, The New York Times and Time Magazine. His projects vary from posters for classic and contemporary films (including Star Wars and, most recently, The Avengers), to art for bestselling games such as Resistance 3, and designs for Levi’s and Urban Outfitters.

Silhouettes From Popular Culture collects Moss’s acclaimed ‘Paper Cuts’ series exhibited at the sold-out solo show at LA’s famous pop-culture Gallery 1988. The book will have a foreword written by Duncan Jones (director of Source Code and Moon) and will be published in a gorgeous gift volume in October.

Olly Moss (born January 20, 1987) is an English artist, graphic designer and illustrator. He is best known for his re-imagining of movie posters. His work is regularly featured in the Empire magazine.

Silhouettes From Popular Culture will be available from Titan Books on October 30, 2012.