http://www.filmmonthly.com/ en Copyright 2012 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:23:09 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho's House on a lonely day nearly six years ago. It had been gifted to me by a family member aware of my admiration for the bespectacled comic legend, and that familiar craving for a non-fiction book found its fix within these pages. Reading about an icon is one thing, but it's made all the better when reported by a respectable fan with personal experience to turn it from subjectivity to objectivity. This first person account of Stoliar's time spent with Groucho is readymade for the superfan to sink their vicarious fangs into. The instantly recognizable icon that is Groucho Marx, one of the most oft-quoted and imitated comic actors of the 20th Century--with his greasepaint moustache, glasses, cigar and expertly timed cadence--is a legend in almost every show business field imaginable. Groucho stretched his talents to master comedy, television, movies, writing, and even singing and dancing. He also undeniably mastered the art of cigar smoking, with the vice becoming as associated with Groucho as a carrot is to Bugs Bunny. He has a masterful rhythm, in both speaking and in movement, and, congruent with his professionalism, he was always "on". Any "fly on the wall" documentation of a person like this is bound to be entertaining, and Stoliar''s book is certainly that. It's also a touching portrait of an artist in his autumn years. This expanded edition features an introduction by the great Dick Cavett, who was a personal friend of Groucho's and had many a televised conversation with the legend. His reflections are a good companion to that of Stoliar's, and together their insight makes an already seminal book on Groucho that much more seminal. The book is more concerned with his behavior and personality than the usual biographical life story approach. It's about how his presence made the writer feel, and by being filtered through his singular perspective, it's inherently compelling and poignant--which can't be said for the usual stream of chronological information that a typical biography would contain. It seems that everybody who encountered Groucho had a story to tell about him, and this is Stoliar's book-length addition to that lexicon. Many people would have loved to be in Stoliar's shoes, hanging out with a hero for an extended period of time. And with the reissue of this book, more people will have access to re-visit that one-of-a-kind experience as often as they wish. Rereading it was like retracing my own foggy memory of a time in my life I'd forgotten I had, and I wasn't even there in the first place. ]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/raised_eyebrows_my_years_inside_grouchos_house_expanded_edition_by_steve_stoliar.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/raised_eyebrows_my_years_inside_grouchos_house_expanded_edition_by_steve_stoliar.html Books on Film Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:18:22 -0600 If You Like... series is that they're exactly what they should be: they're written with the enthusiasm of a friend recommendation, with the research instincts of a journalist. A.V. Club writer Zack Handlen is your friendly guide through the influences on and of Monty Python in the latest installment called If You Like Monty Python... Monty Python is one of those comedy troupes that's so original and distinct that their influences are imprinted into the subconscious of the many pairs of eyes that experience them. The same impression was laid onto the creative and cultured members that make up that legendary troupe, and, though you could do some guesswork, it's easy to wonder where exactly did Monty Python come from? Handlen attempts to answer this in an amusing and informative way. He then proceeds to follow through on that and illustrate what an oddball group of minds can do to the future of their genre, having caused a ripple effect of Beatles' proportions. The timeline of the book is chronological, starting with a pre-Python world, and moving through them and into the post-Python present. Some expected titles and names are covered--the Marx Brothers, Dr. Strangelove, Peter Sellers, and so on as influences, and The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, Mel Brooks, and so on as part of the ripple effect--but treading through the usuals is necessary for accuracy. Some more obscure titles and names make an appearance to perk the interest of the overly familiar student of comedy, and a proper mosaic of popular and fringe selections is formed as the core of the book. There's also a useful guide to the works that the individual Python members did outside the troupe, including some titles that may have slipped under the most ardent fan's radar. At 156 pages, it's a breeze to read and an easy resource to return to. It's mostly introductory in its information, but there's enough to give the reader precendence to seek out the recommendations, and this crash course in absurdity will undoubtedly result in a richer apprecation of the oft-quoted and oft-seen works of the Monty Python crew. The Limelight Edition is now available from Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group ]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/if_you_like_monty_python_by_zack_handlen.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/if_you_like_monty_python_by_zack_handlen.html Books on Film Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:08:55 -0600 Cinematography, a volume from the Filmcraft series. Cinematography includes capacious interviews from some of the industry's most paramount professionals, compiling an engaging look into upbringing, first sparks of interest in cinema, first jobs, blunders and masterpieces, inspirations and mentors. This volume (similar to the rest of the series, which includes Editing, Screenwriting, etc) offers a plethora of opinions, definitions and perspectives about what it means to be a cinematographer and what good cinematography is or is supposed to be. It's a million different answers to a few very basic questions, regarding both the artistic and technical dynamics of the job, from whether they prefer film or digital cameras ("...but for me, the tests I've done show that film still has a great exposure latitude and the way it renders color is different, whether in color temperature or using gels," says Ed Lachman of Taxi Driver) to choosing whether or not to operate their own cameras ("I always operate my own camera. I think it is fundamentally important;it means that I am there to capture welcomed surprises," says Barry Ackroyd, the man behind The Hurt Locker), to more abstract ideas about how to approach their work and teaching ("I'm an anti-intellectual about the process because I think once you start intellectualizing, you scare the kids away from making their own mistakes," says Christopher Doyle, In the Mood for Love). This book conveniently chapters off each cinematographer, with intros that list their bodies of work, followed my their personal essays... and that is what these interviews are-- personal essays on their professional lives. We meet those who studied cinematography, and some who wanted to be painters, others who took pre-med courses in college and others who stumbled into the craft randomly and coincidentally, reminding us how unfixed art and passion are, how there are many paths for each of us, concepts that have died a little, even in the film world. Similarly, anecdotes, such as one from Vilmos Zsigmond about shooting Close Encounters of the Third Kind, before the days of special effects are equally fascinating, as are the vivid insights into what its like to work with and for the Scorseses, the Pollacks, the De Palmas, the Van Sants and the Kar-wais. Cinematography also includes an abundance of beautiful pictures, from the subjects of the book at work to still images of memorable moments in the films they shot, to pictures of their personal shotlists, notes, etc., as well as profiles on other legendary cinematographers who have passed. What is great about a book like this is that every time you get to the next cinematographer you learn that they shot some of your favorite movies-- not just one or two, but several of them. Owen Roizman alone was behind The French Connection, The Exorcist, Network, Absence of Malice and Tootsie, just to name a few. Each film represents a different genre, a different mood and tone, but they are all memorable, and while we may know the names of the directors of the film, we're not always aware of some of the other key players. The Filmcraft series has come along with a string of enjoyable, insightful and visually pleasant books that both professionals and non-professionals can appreciate. It actually looks like a great coffee table book, but if you love movies, you're going to want to do more than just flip through the pages. ]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/cinematography.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/cinematography.html Books on Film Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:49:09 -0600 Editing. Never have I been so convinced of the detrimental role an editor plays in shaping a story. Emotion, intuition, perception, reaction - these are the key words used most often by the film editors in this book who delight us with their experiences working in motion pictures. They inform the reader, and help us understand how imperative their role is in the production of narrative film. Chang has provided us with a beautiful book that includes not only some of the most exquisite images from film history, but also very in-depth essays from the most successful editors in the industry. To be able to read their first-hand experiences working with great film crews makes this book incredibly enjoyable. Each section features one great editor and includes, in their own words, how they started, who they learned from, their most challenging struggles, and their best experiences. Since the early days of film, editing was supposed to be invisible and, thus, the editor was much the same. This book explores how essential the role is, and not just for story comprehension (although, without an editor, there would be none). Every editor in this book is the ombudsman between the director and the audience. The editor sees the film as the audience does - the first to see it on-screen rather than on-set like most involved with the production. This book reveals that one of the fundamental responsibilities of an editor is to convey the "feel" of a scene. There's nothing very systematic about how an editor works. It's just a feeling they get when it's right. The director/editor collaboration is so strong that usually when the editor feels it, the director feels it as well. Often the essays went to discussing the rhythm of a scene, comparing it to music like jazz, where there's no right or wrong way to portray the art form, it's just a matter of sensing that something works. As Christopher Rouse explains, "My cutting is more intuitive than cognitive." The only obvious omission for me in this book was Thelma Schoonmaker. I would have loved to read an essay from her describing her work with Scorsese and her experience breaking into the business. Chang's finely detailed work leads me to think her exclusion was not due to him, and I can only hope she'll participate in the second edition. "People often forget that a movie is not a movie until it's edited," says Michael Kahn. I used to think I was conscious of this but the next time I watch a really great movie, I'll be thinking about emotion, rhythm, and wondering what the editor was feeling when they made that cut. ]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/editing.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/editing.html Books on Film Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:32:51 -0600 The Complete Guide to Writing, Producing and Directing a Low-Budget Short Film is one of the best books written for aspiring filmmakers and an absolute resource for anyone that wants to learn filmmaking, from the bottom up. Scott gives a ton of valuable information within three hundred pages that most people will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for in going to a prestigious film school. One of the great things about Scott's book are the real world applications for low budget filmmaking. Everything from corporate videos, tutorials and even low-budget commercials can be used with these same principles. Sure, everyone wants to be Ridley Scott or Wes Anderson, but it's gonna take time to get there and if you use these same foundations to do that, one day, your hard work is going to pay off. The book is broken down into the four major portions, Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production and Promoting Your Film. In the first portion, Pre-Production, Scott covers a ton of info that is most vital to a production and insuring that everything goes smoothly. From doing rewrites, script breakdowns, planning the budget and getting the cast and crew together, Scott manages to really get to the core of what makes things run on a set and how putting this much effort in the beginning will make things run smoothly. For the Production portion, Scott goes over basic problems that might occur and simply reinforces things like permits, rehearsing with the actors and coordinating rides for the cast and crew. The Post-Production segment goes into getting the right editor for the project, getting proper titles and accreditation for the cast and crew, as well as the possibility of having to go back and shoot some more footage, if you don't have everything you need. The final segment, Promoting your Film, Scott does a fantastic job at citing many resources and various things to do to get your film out into the world and offers some wonderful tips on how to get to the fruits of you and your crew's labors. In this day and age, its very easy for one to attempt to make a film in this digital age. Many people think that they can just pick up a camera and go make a film, but sometimes come to realize that it's not that easy. Scott's book reinforces how important all of the aspects of filmmaking are and how one can obtain the skill sets and knowledge, without having to go to film school for it. I think that everyone that is interested in wanting to make films, whether they be feature length or in the short form, can learn a thing or two from this guide, I know I sure did. Highly Recommended!]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/the_complete_guide_to_writing_producing_and_directing_a_lowbudget_short_film.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/the_complete_guide_to_writing_producing_and_directing_a_lowbudget_short_film.html Books on Film Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:32:36 -0600 You Bet Your Life and The Dick Cavett Show). I absorb anything Marx Brothers-related that I can get my hands on. As you’d expect, Marx Brothers writings, biographies, and memoirs account for a large part of this. And two recent Applause Books have significantly enriched my obsessive Marx Brothers library. These titles include Son of Harpo Speaks! by Bill Marx in addition to the Updated and Expanded Edition of Groucho Marx and Other Short Stories and Tall Tales: Selected Writings of Groucho Marx. As anyone thoroughly familiar with the Marx Brothers is well aware, much has been written about the family over the years, and not solely in the books specifically about them. The stories of their personal and professional interactions are the stuff of legend. These stories have been told and retold time and again, often by the brothers themselves in writing and interviews. And with so many texts reiterating and expanding on the same stories and information, it seems unlikely, after oh so many years, that we’d actually get entirely new tales of the Marx Brothers’ exploits. Then Bill Marx comes along with Son of Harpo Speaks! From his unique vantage point as Harpo’s adopted son, props supervisor, and musical composer/arranger, not to mention the last living person to have worked professionally with The Three Marx Brothers, he has some truly incredible stories to tell. So much so that one of the most priceless passages of Marx Brothers lore in his book, to my mind, is honestly one of the simplest, consisting merely of a transcript of Harpo’s hand-written list of the props of which Bill was in charge. With the stories of the Brothers predominantly focusing on Harpo (for obvious reasons), Bill Marx’s book is the perfect companion/sequel to his father’s autobiography, Harpo Speaks. Yet, this is not to say that Marx focuses exclusively on the Brothers. In fact, the tales of these beloved Vaudevillians surface somewhat incidentally throughout, for this is first and foremost Bill Marx’s story. And with a life story every bit as remarkable as you’d expect that of a Marx Brother’s child to be, Marx would become a composer of orchestral material, as well as soundtracks for film and television, after working with the Brothers. Among the most fascinating stories in this memoir relates how Marx (who was, again, adopted) learned of his biological mother after becoming the godfather of a child who turned out to be his biological second cousin. Son of Harpo Speaks! is a surprisingly quick and unsurprisingly engaging read that you'll easily pour through in a day if you’re a Marx Brothers fanatic like me. Despite his declarations early on in the book regarding his literary limitations, Marx proves himself quite the capable storyteller. In fact, I found that his occasional comic wordplay throughout highlights how reminiscent his writing can be of the prose stylings of Uncle Groucho.]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/son_of_harpo_speaks.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/son_of_harpo_speaks.html Books on Film Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:30:11 -0600 The Story of Buddha: A Graphic Biography outlines the life of Buddhism’s founder, the young prince Siddhartha. The story covers Siddhartha’s life from the age of nineteen to his death at the age of eighty. The Story of Buddha: A Graphic Biography is first non-fiction biography of this great religious and historic figure told in manga form. The manga is at once informative, philosophical, and yet entertaining. You can learn much from the informative segments, but the entertainment value of The Story of Buddha is drawn from the dramatic dialogue between Siddhartha and those around him as they attempt to understand his discontentment with life. Siddhartha was born into a royal family living in what is now India. He was the next in line for the throne, wealthy, handsome, intelligent, skilled in martial arts, and married to the most beautiful woman in the land. The one thing that Siddhartha did not possess was the one thing he wanted most: to understand the meaning of life. He realized no matter a person’s status, they would be subject to suffering and death. Eventually his quest for meaning led him to live the life of an ascetic-- one who leaves their home to live in the wilderness, seeking spiritual enlightenment. The teachings of Buddha, taken from the many sermons he gave during his lifetime, are an inspiration to people worldwide. The Story of Buddha explores how the prince Siddhartha became the religious icon, Buddha. Although the story takes place two thousand, six hundred years ago, the problems Siddhartha addressed are still relevant today. Many people look at their lives and wonder why they are alive at all-- the same question that propelled Siddhartha on his journey. In the graphic biography, the concerns and questions are brought to life through real situations and philosophical conflicts. These conflicts occur not only between other characters and Siddhartha, but also within himself. The Story of Buddha: A Graphic Biography, as a manga, is quite enjoyable. The story is told in an insightful, informative, and entertaining fashion. Along with the biographical information related through narration, the characters are established through their dialogue and interactions with one another. As a reader engaged with these characters, you find yourself torn. On one hand you know that Siddhartha must take the journey to become Buddha, but on the other, you grow fond of his family and friends. You feel compassion for them as they struggle to understand and cope with his decision. The Story of Buddha: A Graphic Biography is written by Hisashi Ota. Born in Japan, Ota graduated from Nagoya University’s School of Science as well as Yoyogi Animation School. He has also written Manga de Wakaru Bukkyo Nyumon (Understanding Through Comics: An Introduction to Buddhism), which is also due to come out in an English version. Ota demonstrates an exceptional understanding of not only Buddhist philosophy, but also of human nature-- in tune with the thoughts that define our relationships. He creates here a text that both offers great insight into the teachings of Buddha and challenges the reader to seek their own answers, whether on their own or through further interactions with the Buddha’s teachings. Ota’s art too is wonderful in its simplicity. The characters are the primary focus of the panels. The backgrounds are minimalist or completely blank, accentuating the characters and their stories. The characters themselves are drawn in a more realistic fashion than many mainstream manga today, harkening back to the artwork typical of manga in the seventies and eighties. Although he utilizes a number of manga conventions in the artwork, such as movement lines and shading on the cheeks to relate emotion, these are used sparingly. The emotion is predominantly shown through his ability to draw simple yet profoundly emotional faces. ]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/the_story_of_buddha_a_graphic_biography.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/the_story_of_buddha_a_graphic_biography.html Books on Film Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:54:23 -0600 The Sopranos attracted a lot of attention when it premiered. At first it was treated as television, but, as academic eyes gravitated towards it, it very quickly became synonymous with art. The literary approach by series creator David Chase and his writers offered plenty of room for analysis, and before long, the essays came flooding in. The eighty hours of television the series provided gave fans and scholars a lot to chew on. The Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group recently published If You Like The Sopranos... by Leonard Pierce, a book that strips away the analytical writing and instead focuses on the roots and influence of the beloved HBO series. The implicit goal is to expose fans of the show to similar works, as well as broaden the scope of the viewers' understanding of the medium and genre in question. In this case, the genre is, of course, crime drama, and, due to the cinematic nature of The Sopranos, the medium is both television and movies. With The Sopranos as its hub, it's essentially a book of recommendations with a singular focal point. It starts before the days of movies and then chronologically unfolds to incorporate the various factors that led up to the success of The Sopranos. Pierce covers a wide range of material: from the history of Catholicism and American immigration, to the rise of organized crime, the tradition of storytelling, the influence of the media, and so on. He elaborates most on the establishment and evolution of the crime genre in cinema, marking Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas as the respective Old and New Testaments to The Sopranos. This topic spills over onto the small screen, as the development of crime drama television shows carried the torch from their cinematic forefathers, eventually handing it to David Chase and company. In keeping with the chronological structure, the book continues past The Sopranos and into the television shows and movies that are, in various ways, indebted to it. By the book's end, you get a clear sense of where The Sopranos falls in relation to its family tree. All the necessary branches of this particular tree are discussed; however, the book mostly plays as an introduction to these subjects. Covering so many topics and titles in such a short book (less than 200 pages) makes for brief overviews instead of thorough exploration, so it suffers from being a bit too fleeting in its content. However, Pierce makes up for it by justifying its connection to The Sopranos in a way that enriches the show--for those who hadn't already been privy to this information. Pierce is abundantly aware that fans of the show are the ones who are going to be interested in this book, the title notwithstanding; he also makes this clear in the introduction. This makes his prose feel like he's talking with you, as opposed to writing to you, since he has an audience of presumably like-minded individuals in mind. That's also part of what makes it so remedial: most fans of the show will likely already be aware of other things that are like it. However, even the most astute admirer of The Sopranos will find many new movies and connections to seek by the end of this book. The Limelight Edition is now available from Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group ]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/if_you_like_the_sopranosby_leonard_pierce.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/if_you_like_the_sopranosby_leonard_pierce.html Books on Film Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:43:59 -0600 Screen World series of reference guides has provided readers with the most comprehensive record of each year’s cinematic offerings since 1949. Volume 62 contains illustrated entries of every significant American and international film released in the United States in 2010 with complete film information including cast and crew credits, production company info, release dates, ratings, running times and brief plot summaries for each title in this indispensible reference guide from Applause. Screen World Volume 62 is a beautiful hardcover volume with over 1,000 color and black-and-white photos, an index with over 19,000 entries, full-page photographs of the four Academy Award-winning actors, and a priceless biographical reference to more than 2,500 living stars. The entries are divided into two sections, “Domestic Films” and “Foreign Films,” divided into sub-sections with the most prominent titles afforded more page space. Subsequent photo-dominated sections address 2010’s most promising new actors, Academy Award winners and nominees, and the year’s top box office draws, both films and stars. The final portion of the book honors the most prominent industry men and women who died in 2010 with obituaries and photos. The Screen World series is an essential resource for any serious film studies library. And if you’ve yet to experience this annual series, don’t be overwhelmed by the number of entries you’ve missed out on. Volume 62 is as good a volume of the series to kick off your addiction as any I’ve seen. Volume 62 editor Barry Monush, from Metuchen, NJ, is a researcher for the Paley Center for Media in New York City. Monush is also the author of the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the Silent Era to 1965; Everybody’s Talkin’: The Top Films of 1965-1969; Hollywood Musicals: Year by Year (now in its revised third edition); the Music on Film volume on West Side Story; and he is the co-author of the Lucille Ball FAQ along with James Sheridan.]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/screen_world_volume_62_the_films_of_2010.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/screen_world_volume_62_the_films_of_2010.html Books on Film Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:43:16 -0600 The Three Stooges Collection (finally allowing audiences to see all 190 short films on DVD), David J. Hogan published what could be the most comprehensive companion piece to the most comprehensive Stooges collection yet. His book Three Stooges FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Eye-Poking, Face-Slapping, Head-Thumping Geniuses is the perfect textbook for a Three Stooges course. The working years of the Stooges spanned over fifty years between stage and screen, and Hogan takes full advantage of the amount of information that amount of time provides. Nearly 400-pages in length, it's not as exhaustive a read as it could have been. This is to Hogan's credit, who spends substantial time focusing on more than simply five comedy actors and their work. He elaborates on the other aspects of the films: studios, culture, economy, show business, and even foreign affairs. He vividly recreates moments on the set, and gives the reader a subjective viewpoint of the era. It reads like liner notes with a personality. Hogan interjects his own two-cents from time to time, but with very astute and educated analysis. His adoration for the comedy troupe is present in each page, and occasionally dabbles in full-on fanboy vernacular, but that enthusiasm makes the reading that much more enjoyable. By presenting this mass of information in such a way, the book functions not only as a guide to the Stooges, but unilaterally a guide to early 20th Century American comedy, as well as the first era of sound cinematic comedy. The reader is privy to the in's and out's of every single one of the 190 shorts the Three Stooges made for Columbia. Instead of presenting these films in chronological order, Hogan sections the book off in a very academic way so that each chapter focuses on all the films that reflected a similar ideology, social more, or era. This makes for thorough exploration of the subjects and avoids the repetition of inevitably encountering similar themes and anecdotes throughout the book. Instead, these concepts are compressed into individual chapters where context is taking into consideration and each contribution is made apparent. The supporting cast and recurring crew members are profiled as well, fleshing out the atmosphere surrounding the productions. There's also a plethora of set and promotional photographs to make the book stand out as a collectible of visual historical significance. The subtitle marks the Stooges as "geniuses". The introduction to the book includes a defense by the author for that claim, admitting that it's not obvious, but insisting that it's evident in numerous ways. After the introduction, there's a chronological timeline of the Stooges from 1895 to 2000, which you can refer back to help follow the non-linear structure. Books on the Stooges used to require the reader to inevitably imagine some of the films that were referenced, but thanks to the aforementioned DVD releases, you can follow Hogan's book to the finest of details by simply popping on the short in question. How can any fan of the Three Stooges say no to this much information at their disposal? Now available from Applause Theatre & Cinema Books]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/three_stooges_faq_by_david_j_hogan.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/three_stooges_faq_by_david_j_hogan.html Books on Film Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:14:45 -0600 The Alien Vault touts itself as the definitive story of Ridley Scott's 1979 classic Alien. One small glance at this book and it's easy to say that it encapsulates Alien as a piece of film history as well rivaling any behind the scenes features on any DVD or Blu-Ray. The book is broken down into five simple chapters, Birth, Nostromo, Perfect Organism, Ripley and Legacy. In each of these sections, Nathan explores just about every single facet of the creation of the film, from exterior elements such the impact of Star Wars, all the way to H.R. Giger's approach to designing the creature we all know and love. Ian Nathan's The Alien Vault is an absolute must own for any Alien fan or for any person that is interested in the behind the scenes of filmmaking. Every single page in The Alien Vault is a treasure trove of information for Alien. Whether its a photo of the production, production design images or Ridleygrams of the film, there's more than enough visually in this book to keep one turning the pages. Nathan's writing comes off as a definite fan of the film and yet as enthusiastic as Nathan's writing is, he does a wonderful job at being objective and as well as informative. Another great element of the book are the small production materials that are cool extras themselves. There's everything from a blueprint of the Nostromo to original drawings of the Space Jockey by Giger himself. The books presentation shines with its extra goodies and slides right into its hard slip case. With all of the details contained within the book, it feels really nice as a culmination of all things Alien, within such a special printed package. The book does a wonderful job at detailing the history of the film, from the ground up. Nathan uses great interview material, tons of archival pictures and documents to cover the films roots. One of the wonderful things that the book covers about filmmaking, is the process of collaboration. Alien just didn't come from the mind of Ridley Scott, but from many great talents of Dan O. Bannon and Ron Shusett as the writing team, producers Walter Hill, David Giler and Gordon Carroll, as well as H.R. Giger as a production designer for many facets of Alien. The book speaks of the struggles they had making the film, the pay off that came with it, the problems that come with collaboration and the claustrophobic principal photography. In the end it was all worth it and because of it, Alien was born and Ian Nathan was able to put it to text in this awesome book as a great piece of film history. This book is a definite must buy and I would recommend it to everyone, not just Alien fans, but even people that were interested in film production in general. Nathan's enthusiasm shows for the seminal sci-fi masterpiece and is a perfect candidate to have written this book. This book comes out right on time from Voyageur Press and 20th Century Fox. Ridley Scott's sequel to the film, Prometheus, comes out next year and Ian Nathan's The Alien Vault is just the right thing to get one caught up and excited about it. Highly Recommended!]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/the_alien_vault.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/the_alien_vault.html Books on Film Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:49:51 -0600 Viewed Sideways: Writings on Culture and Style in Contemporary Japan is the third collection of essays from author Donald Richie. This new addition to the series is a page turner. Once you finish one essay, you look at the title of the next and want to keep reading. The book contains eleven essays from previous collections and twenty-six never before collected. The book is split into five subsections, each containing essays that are related to a particular aspect of the Japanese culture. One section focuses solely on Japanese Film while another section examines how the Japanese and Americans view the world and their place in it in fundamentally different ways. Viewed Sideways is written by a man who grew up in America and later adopted Japan as his second home. This creates a point of view that is knowledgeable of the two countries and their cultures. The understanding that Richie possesses of the cultural view points from each country is obvious from the first essay. He writes in a way that helps the layman from either country to not only understand but also respect the viewpoints of the others. It is never felt, while reading, that you are being given an opinion of a man who is choosing which viewpoint is better. He is simply discussing the differences between the two cultures and giving reasons for these differences. There is much to be learned from these essays, not only about Japanese culture but also about the American culture. There are times when, as Americans, we do not see how our culture and upbringing affects our home and worldly viewpoints. Scattered throughout this collection of essays there are many examples of just how this is, whether from history or from modern days. Then there is the aspect of how our culture has affected the culture in Japan. Since Japan decided to open its borders in the late 1800’s to other countries, their culture has been affected. Richie hits on bits of how Japanese culture has been affected by other Asian countries, as well as how they have reached out to in turn affect those countries as well, but his main focus is on the Western American influence over the past decades. Because he has been living in Japan for a substantial amount of time, he has the advantage of looking at the changes in terms of recent history and the ever changing modern society. ]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/viewed_sideways_writings_on_culture_and_style_in_contemporary_japan_2011.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/viewed_sideways_writings_on_culture_and_style_in_contemporary_japan_2011.html Books on Film Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:56:21 -0600 The Vampire Film was originally released in 1976, and the duo have returned to the text over the years to keep it updated and relevant. The new fourth edition is quite an update, covering vampires in film up to 2010-- the previous edition was published in 1993. Since the time of the last edition, vampires in film have exploded in popularity and as a result, The Vampire Film was in dire need of a serious update, one which it has certainly received in the Fourth Edition. This is still unquestionably the ultimate guide to vampires in cinema. First, the book has grown from 342 pages in the Third Edition to 488 pages in the Fourth Edition. A large part of this growth is in the book's comprehensive listing of vampire films in the appendix, which the authors note has more than doubled since the previous edition. The book is copiously illustrated, with screen captures, posters, promotional art, or set photos from countless vampire films over the ages, including a few sections of illustrations devoted to one particular subgenre (such as lesbian vampires) or themes (lady vampires with swords, for example). There are a number of full-page illustrations as well, which almost make The Vampire Film seem like a casual coffee-table book. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. Silver and Ursini write in-depth about a vast number of vampire films from big-studio blockbusters and classics (Dracula, Interview with the Vampire) to extremely obscure no-budget shot-on-video features (such as the Red Lips and Addicted to Murder series) and virtually everything in between. There are examinations of vampire softcore/horror hybrids, vampire horror films from around the world, and spotlights on influential filmmakers and trends. The sub-chapters on Mario Bava and Guillermo Del Toro are well-researched and informative, and like the rest of the book are also very entertaining. If The Vampire Film has any flaw worth noting, it would be that this edition features some typographical and grammatical errors and that (rather inexplicably) the sub-chapter on True Blood is actually written by someone else entirely. Linda Brookover is a writer whose work has appeared in previous anthologies of writing edited by Silver and Ursini, although why they would enlist her to write about True Blood instead of writing it themselves-- as they did everything else in the entire book-- is a bit of a head-scratcher. Still, despite these minor nitpicks, The Vampire Film is inarguably the ultimate reference and guide to all things Vampire in cinema from the Silent Era to modern day, and should be considered required reading for any student or hardcore fan of horror cinema. ]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/the_vampire_film_from_nosferatu_to_true_blood_fourth_edition.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/the_vampire_film_from_nosferatu_to_true_blood_fourth_edition.html Books on Film Horror Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:09:54 -0600 A Hard Day’s Night, would be considered by many the greatest rock-and-roll movie in history, and prove to be successful both artistically and financially. This book, by film historian and script consultant Ray Morton, offers readers a behind-the-scenes look at how A Hard Day’s Night came to be. (Morton is a senior writer and columnist for Script magazine, and his previous works of film history include the wonderful King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson, as well as Amadeus, another installment of the Music on Film series.) Morton takes us all the way back to the beginnings of the Beatles, as well as Lester himself, providing us with a brief but thorough look at the paths that led the men to this collaboration, before tackling the making of the film proper. From the film’s hectic production schedule to the success of both film and soundtrack album, Morton provides fascinating stories and insights into the film’s production and lasting influence. Among other topics, Morton addresses the now iconic formal qualities Lester employed to depict the Beatles’ comic adventure (including the fast-paced pixellation so commonly associated with the Beatles) and how the film established the diverse public personas of the individual band members, when in reality, they were not all that different from one another. Morton’s writing style is succinct and bereft of the sort of flowery prose employed in this very sentence that has the tendency to beleaguer the reader’s smooth progress through a text. And although its 128 pages are absolutely jam-packed with information and anecdotes, you could easily pour through this book in a single sitting, propelled forward by Morton’s fast-paced approach to this real life narrative. The book also includes a glossy, eight-page insert featuring images of the film’s major players, the Beatles behind the scenes in the studio and on set, as well as A Hard Day’s Night posters, album covers, and even a novelization of Alun Owen’s screenplay.]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/a_hard_days_night_music_on_film_series.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/a_hard_days_night_music_on_film_series.html Books on Film Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:20:24 -0600 Maltin On Movies. Mr. Maltin was not only the President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for two years, but also a teacher at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. That is why it comes as no surprise that Leonard Maltin releases an enormous annual movie guide. The Leonard Maltin 2012 Movie Guide is huge, clocking in at 1,643 pages. But each page is crammed full of information on almost 17,000 films. Each of the films listed includes the lead actors/actresses, MPAA rating, aspect ratio, nation of origin, director, and running time. The guide has a detailed index of actors and their film roles, listed from their first up until their most recent. Since new movies are added to each subsequent edition, some films have been left out. Many older films (pre-1965) have been moved to one of Mr. Maltin’s other publications, Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide. Also, due to the ever growing heft, the Director’s Index from previous editions had to be eliminated. Otherwise 150 more films would have been left out. The Leonard Maltin guide is more portable than the VideoHound Golden Movie Retriever, another highly regarded source for movie reviews. The differences do not end with size. VideoHound has some nice features that Mr. Maltin’s guide does not. First, to coincide with the name of the guide, VideoHound uses a system of bones, not stars, to rate the movies. Also, instead of using the word BOMB to describe bottom of the barrel dreck, VideoHound uses the term WOOF. Second, because of its much larger size, VideoHound is able to incorporate a list of all Academy Award and Golden Globe nominees and winners for every category. Finally, VideoHound has the aforementioned Director’s Index. It is ironic, though, that VideoHound does not have the pedigree of Leonard Maltin. Leonard Maltin’s 2012 Movie Guide is regaled by both fans and fellow critics. The Guide is an annual New York Times bestseller. It is also highly regarded by Mr. Maltin’s contemporaries. “I recommend Leonard Maltin’s Video Guide, which has become standard.” That is a quote from possibly the most recognized film critic in the world, Roger Ebert. If Leonard Maltin’s 2012 Movie Guide is good enough for Roger Ebert, it’s good enough for me. As well as it should be for you. ]]> http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/leonard_maltins_2012_movie_guide.html http://www.filmmonthly.com/books_on_film/leonard_maltins_2012_movie_guide.html Books on Film Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:44:34 -0600