Best of
Movies

2006

The Pursuit of Happyness


Chris Gardner - 2006
    Considered a prodigy in scientific research, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry-level position at a prestigious firm than Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him as part of the city's working homeless and with a toddler son. Motivated by the promise he made to himself as a fatherless child to never abandon his own children, the two spent almost a year moving among shelters, "HO-tels," soup lines, and even sleeping in the public restroom of a subway station.Never giving in to despair, Gardner made an astonishing transformation from being part of the city's invisible poor to being a powerful player in its financial district.More than a memoir of Gardner's financial success, this is the story of a man who breaks his own family's cycle of men abandoning their children. Mythic, triumphant, and unstintingly honest, The Pursuit of Happyness conjures heroes like Horatio Alger and Antwone Fisher, and appeals to the very essence of the American Dream.

Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare's Greatest Heroine, the Magical City of Verona, and the Power of Love


Lise Friedman - 2006
    But that is just part of the story. Every day, letters, frequently addressed simply, “Juliet, Verona,” arrive in the city. They come by the truckload, in almost every language imaginable, written by romantics seeking Juliet’s counsel. Most of the missives talk of love, of course —love found and love lost, love sought and love remembered. And, amazingly, not one letter goes unanswered. Letters to Juliet tells the story of these letters and the volunteers who have been writing responses for more than seven decades —volunteers who first acted privately, and who are now sanctioned by the city of Verona as part of the Juliet Club . Featuring more than seventy-five heartfelt letters, this poetic book retraces the history behind Shakespeare’s tale and tours the monuments that have fueled the world's enchantment with Juliet and her Romeo.

Little Miss Sunshine: The Shooting Script


Michael Arndt - 2006
    Brazenly satirical yet deeply human, Little Miss Sunshine introduces audiences to one of the most endearingly fractured families in recent cinema history. Meet the Hoovers, a motley six-member family who treks from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach, California, to fulfill the deepest wish of seven-year-old Olive, an ordinary little girl with big dreams.Starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin, the film strikes a nerve with everyone who's ever been awestruck by how their muddled families seem to make it after all. On the way the family must deal with crushed dreams, heartbreak, and a broken-down VW bus, leading up to the surreal Little Miss Sunshine competition itself. On their travels through this bizarrely funny landscape, the Hoovers learn to trust and support each other along the path of life, no matter what the challenge.

Cars


Elizabeth Hurchalla - 2006
    But on the way to the race, Lightning's impatience causes him to get separated from his driver. In his struggle to find the interstate, Lightning tears through the forgotten Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, demolishing its main street in the process. With the race just days away, Lightning is arrested and forced to slow down for the first time in his life. As he gets to know the town's offbeat residents, he learns the importance of teamwork and friendship--and discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line.

The Art of Cars


Michael Wallis - 2006
    In fact, life begins at the off-ramp. The Art of Cars invites you on an illustrated road trip with the most successful animation studio at work today. Ride with Pixar's exceptionally talented artists, writers, and designers to uncover the origins of their charming and clever automobile-based world. Gathered in this overflowing scrapbook are hundreads of pieces of concept art that helped to convert real-life imagery and stories from the back roads into rich, memorable characters and colorful backdrops. Including a forward by director John Lasseter , insights from the artists and production team, and lively text by Route 66 experts Michael and Suzanne Wallis, The Art of Cars is a spirited ride in the fast lane of a masterful animated feature film.

The Prestige - Screenplay


Jonathan Nolan - 2006
    In late nineteenth-century England, two stage illusionists are drawn into a match of wits, each desiring to annihilate the reputation of the other. Upper-class Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) enjoys worldwide fame, while cockney Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) is his most ardent rival. Their antagonism is also a mutual fascination, but the competition between them leads to evermore dangerous acts of conjuring. When Angier raises the stakes by consulting scientist Nikola Tesla (David Bowie), the potential for a deadly reckoning draws near. This volume contains an Introduction by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan.

Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert


Roger Ebert - 2006
    And during those four decades, his wide knowledge, keen judgment, prodigious energy, and sharp sense of humor have made him America’s most celebrated film critic. He was the first such critic to win a Pulitzer Prize—one of just three film critics ever to receive that honor—and the only one to have a star dedicated to him on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His groundbreaking hit TV show, At the Movies, meanwhile, has made “two thumbs up” one of the most coveted hallmarks in the entire industry. No critic alive has reviewed more movies than Roger Ebert, and yet his essential writings have never been collected in a single volume—until now. With Awake in the Dark, both fans and film buffs can finally bask in the best of Ebert’s work. The reviews, interviews, and essays collected here present a picture of this indispensable critic’s numerous contributions to the cinema and cinephilia. From The Godfather to GoodFellas, from Cries and Whispers to Crash, the reviews in Awake in the Dark span some of the most exceptional periods in film history, from the dramatic rise of rebel Hollywood and the heyday of the auteur, to the triumph of blockbuster films such as Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, to the indie revolution that is still with us today. The extraordinary interviews gathered in Awake in the Dark capture Ebert engaging not only some of the most influential directors of our time—Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Werner Herzog, and Ingmar Bergman—but also some of the silver screen’s most respected and dynamic personalities, including actors as diverse as Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Warren Beatty, and Meryl Streep. Ebert’s remarkable essays play a significant part in Awake in the Dark as well. The book contains some of Ebert’s most admired pieces, among them a moving appreciation of John Cassavetes and a loving tribute to the virtues of black-and-white films. If Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris were godmother and godfather to the movie generation, then Ebert is its voice from within—a writer whose exceptional intelligence and daily bursts of insight and enthusiasm have shaped the way we think about the movies. Awake in the Dark, therefore, will be a treasure trove not just for fans of this seminal critic, but for anyone desiring a fascinating and compulsively readable chronicle of film since the late 1960s.

Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design


Deborah Nadoolman Landis - 2006
    Whether spectacular or subtle, elaborate or barely there, a movie costume must be more than merely a perfect fit. Each costume speaks a language all its own, communicating mood, personality, and setting, and propelling the action of the movie as much as a scripted line or synthetic clap of thunder. More than a few acting careers have been launched on the basis of an unforgettable costume, and many an era defined by the intuition of a costume designer—think curvy Mae West in I'm No Angel (Travis Banton, costume designer), Judy Garland in A Star is Born (Jean Louis and Irene Sharaff, costume designers), Diane Keaton in Annie Hall (Ruth Morley, costume designer), or Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (Deborah Nadoolman Landis, costume designer).In Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design, Academy Award-nominated costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis showcases one hundred years of Hollywood's most tantalizing costumes and the characters they helped bring to life. Drawing on years of extraordinary research, Landis has uncovered both a treasure trove of costume sketches and photographs—many of them previously unpublished—and a dazzling array of first-person anecdotes that inform and enhance the images. Along the way she also provides and eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of the costume designer's art, from its emergence as a key element of cinematic collaboration to its limitless future in the era of CGI.A lavish tribute that mingles words and images of equal luster, Dressed is one book no film and fashion lover should be without.

Leading Ladies: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era


Turner Classic Movies - 2006
    Produced by Turner Classic Movies, this playful and definitive guide to fifty unforgettable actresses mirrors the focus of a month-long film festival on the channel. The life and accomplishments of each actress is celebrated in an insightful career overview, accompanied by an annotated list of essential films, filmographies, behind the scenes facts and style notes, Academy Award wins and nominations. Full of delightful trivia, film stills, posters, and glamorous photos, Leading Ladies pays tribute to the most charismatic, enduring, and elegant actresses of the silver screen.

Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop


Lorne Peterson - 2006
    In each of these cases, and literally hundreds more, the model-making wizards of Industrial Light & Magic were instrumental in creating a universe full of glorious, heart-pounding illusions.In Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop, Lorne Peterson, one of the founding members of ILM, takes the reader on a journey through thirty years of incredible adventures, telling never-before-published stories, explaining how classic scenes were created, and how beloved models were - often from the most unexpected of parts and ingredients. Paint buckets, model car parts, and walnut shells play important roles, alongside high-tech lasers and computer graphics, in creating the familiar yet fantastic components of a galaxy far, far away.Lavishly illustrated with more than 300 full-color photographs from the Lucasfilm Archives, this book provides an unparalleled look behind the scenes of a place that really has created magic. Lorne Peterson's warm, evocative voice and dedication to his craft inform every page, making this not just a stunning visual piece, but an epic history in its own right.

The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap


Stu Maschwitz - 2006
    The Orphanage was created by three twenty-something visual effects veterans who wanted to make their own feature films and discovered they could do this by utilizing home computers, off the shelf software, and approaching things artistically. This guide details exactly how to do this: from planning and selecting the necessary cameras, software, and equipment, to creating specific special effects (including gunfire, Kung Fu fighting, car chases, dismemberment, and more) to editing and mixing sound and music. Its mantra is that the best, low-budget action moviemakers must visualize the end product first in order to reverse-engineer the least expensive way to get there. Readers will learn how to integrate visual effects into every aspect of filmmaking--before filming, during filming and with "in camera" shots, and with computers in postproduction. Throughout the book, the author makes specific references to and uses popular action movies (both low and big-budget) as detailed examples--including El Mariachi, La Femme Nikita, Die Hard, and Terminator 2. Note from the Publisher: If you have the 3rd printing of The DV Rebel’s Guide, your disc may be missing the data files that accompany the book. If this is the case, please send an email to Peachpit in order to obtain the files at ask@peachpit.com

Leading Men: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actors of the Studio Era


Turner Classic Movies - 2006
    Produced by Turner Classic Movies, this stylish and definitive guide as the inside scoop and off-the-record reveals of fifty unforgettable actors and is also the focus of an on-air film festival on the channel. The lives and accomplishments of each actor are celebrated in an insightful career overview, accompanied by an annotated list of essential films, filmographies, behind the scenes facts, Academy Award wins and nominations. Full of surprising trivia, film stills, posters, and stunning photos, Leading Men pays tribute to the most charismatic, enduring, and elegant actors of the silver screen: an essential resource for movie buffs and pop-culture enthusiasts alike.

The Fountain


Darren Aronofsky - 2006
    In three different lives in three vastly different time periods, one man, Thomas, Tommy, Tom, is desperate to beat death and to prolong the life of the woman he loves.

There Will Be Blood: Final Shooting Script


Paul Thomas Anderson - 2006
    Based on "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair

The Marine (WWE)


Rudy Josephs - 2006
    Though happy to be home, Triton soon discovers that adjusting to a 'normal life' doesn't come easy for him. In fact, suppressing his intense training and strong survival instincts may be the greatest challenge he has ever faced. That is, until a camping trip to the mountains results in an unfortunate encounter with five ruthless killers on the run, and Kate becomes their unwilling hostage. Left for dead, Triton relentlessly pursues his quarry deep into backwoods country, determined to get his wife back safely at any and all costs. But he's wounded, unarmed, and outnumbered. All he has left are his wits and an almost-animalistic rage that made him an unstoppable killing machine in the frontlines overseas. The marine is waging a new war, and his enemies have no idea how much trouble they're in...

Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age: At the American Film Institute


George Stevens Jr. - 2006
    The book is edited—with commentaries—by George Stevens, Jr., founder of the American Film Institute and the AFI Center for Advanced Film Studies’ Harold Lloyd Master Seminar series.Here talking about their work, their art—picture making in general—are directors from King Vidor, Howard Hawks and Fritz Lang (“I learned only from bad films”) to William Wyler, George Stevens and David Lean.Here, too, is Hal Wallis, one of Hollywood’s great motion picture producers; legendary cinematographers Stanley Cortez, who shot, among other pictures, The Magnificent Ambersons, Since You Went Away and Shock Corridor and George Folsey, who was the cameraman on more than 150 pictures, from Animal Crackers and Marie Antoinette to Meet Me in St. Louis and Adam’s Rib; and the equally celebrated James Wong Howe.Here is the screenwriter Ray Bradbury, who wrote the script for John Huston’s Moby Dick, Fahrenheit 451 and The Illustrated Man, and the admired Ernest Lehman, who wrote the screenplays for Sabrina, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and North by Northwest (“One day Hitchcock said, ‘I’ve always wanted to do a chase across the face of Mount Rushmore.’”).And here, too, are Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini (“Making a movie is a mathematical operation. It’s absolutely impossible to improvise”).These conversations gathered together—and published for the first time—are full of wisdom, movie history and ideas about picture making, about working with actors, about how to tell a story in words and movement. A sample of what the moviemakers have to teach us: Elia Kazan, on translating a play to the screen: “With A Streetcar Named Desire we worked hard to open it up and then went back to the play because we’d lost all the compression. In the play, these people were trapped in a room with each other. As the story progressed I took out little flats, and the set got smaller and smaller.”Ingmar Bergman on writing: “For half a year I had a picture inside my head of three women walking around in a red room with white clothes. I couldn’t understand why these damned women were there. I tried to throw it away . . . find out what they said to each other because they whispered. It came out that they were watching another woman dying. Then the screenplay started—but it took about a year. The script always starts with a picture . . . ”Jean Renoir on actors: “The truth is, if you discourage an actor you may never find him again. An actor is an animal, extremely fragile. You get a little expression, it is not exactly what you wanted, but it’s alive. It’s something human.”And Hitchcock—on Hitchcock: “Give [the audience] pleasure, the same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare.”

The Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane


Stephen Cox - 2006
    Now, it's time to rediscover Herman and Lily, Grandpa, Eddie and Marilyn in this entertaining, comprehensive look at the first family of fright. A complete episode guide makes "The Munsters" the must-have companion to watching the series on DVD, while hundreds of rare photographs from the archives of Universal Studios plus interviews with cast and crew reveal the deepest, darkest secrets of the Munster family. Foreword by Yvonne DeCarlo (who played the wife, Lily Munster) and Afterword by Butch Patrick (who played the son, Eddie Munster) are included.

Silent Traces: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Charlie Chaplin


John Bengtson - 2006
    This stunning work of cinematic archeology combines Chaplin’s movie images with archival photographs, vintage maps, and scores of then-and-now comparison photographs to conjure up the silent-movie era from an entirely new perspective.By describing the historical settings found in such Chaplin classics as The Kid, City Lights, and Modern Times, Bengtson illuminates both Chaplin’s genius and the evolving city that served as a backdrop for his art. Part time machine, part detective story, Silent Traces presents a unique look at Chaplin’s work, and a captivating glimpse into Hollywood’s most romantic era.

Bridge to Terabithia: The Official Movie Companion


David Paterson - 2006
    Included inside this official movie scrapbook are: never–before–seen images from the movie; exclusive behind–the–scene stories; actor profiles and interviews and much more!This exciting guide is written by David Paterson, the son of the Newbery Medal winning author of Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson. His commentary, combined with brilliant full color photographs from the film, render this an unforgettable insider's exploration of a story that has captured the hearts and minds of a generation.

American Movie Critics: An Anthology From the Silents Until Now


Phillip Lopate - 2006
    Caligari" to Richard Shickel on the cult of Greta Garbo.

Spiderman: Worst Enemies


Catherine Saunders - 2006
    Stunning photographs combine with lively illustrations and engaging, age-appropriate stories in DK Readers, a multilevel reading program guaranteed to capture children's interest while developing their reading skills and general knowledge.

Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever


Peter Cowie - 2006
    Pale

Extras


Ricky Gervais - 2006
    Never forgets his lines because he never gets any. And meet Maggie Jacobs, actor. Would love to throw herself into a good part, but she's more likely just to put her foot in it. With an agent who works part-time at Carphone Warehouse, sometimes you have to take a small role on the path to acting fame. But now, after years spent struggling to make it big, Andy has landed a pilot for his sitcom script. Will he finally get the recognition he craves? Extras: the Scripts is the perfect memento for fans of the show and a stylish record of the astonishing writing talent of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

Marie Antoinette


Sofia Coppola - 2006
    Shot entirely in France, much on location at the Palace of Versailles, the film is visually stunning, bringing together a cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Rip Torn, and Marianne Faithful, and the extraordinary costume designs of Oscar-winner Milena Canonero (Barry Lyndon, A Clockwork Orange). A moving story of naivety and responsibility, reputation and misunderstanding, Marie Antoinette is a film that Sofia Coppola has wanted to make for years. In a book that is at once the personal chronicle of a major work and a beautiful tribute to the potential of film, featuring elements of the director's own screenplay as well as captivating stills, the director's personal photos, and original designs for costumes and sets, Marie Antoinette is an essential companion for any lover of modern cinema.

Just Outside the Spotlight: Growing Up with Eileen Heckart


Luke Yankee - 2006
    Oscar-, Emmy-, and Tony-winning actress Heckart, she of the foghorn voice and forward-leaning gait, worked with most of the greatest stars of the twentieth century. Wait till you read the one about Dietrich and—wait, can’t tell that one here. Or the one about—nope, not that one either. Oh, well. Just Outside the Spotlight is a remarkable memoir, packed with heartwarming family photos and never-before-seen images of stars, and with unforgettable anecdotes.

Charlotte's Web: The Movie Storybook


Kate Egan - 2006
    The barn is a big, scary place, but a very kind spider named Charlotte befriends him. Then life on the farm doesn't seem so bad--until Wilbur discovers a terrible secret. He won't live to see another spring. Charlotte promises to come up with a brilliant plan. Will she be able to save Wilbur before it's too late?

Planet Earth - The Making of an Epic Series


David Nicolson-Lord - 2006
    With producers and camerapeople travelling to every continent and almost every corner of the world, from the highest mountains to the lowest depths, their adventures have been many and unforgettable. Using every kind of craft and technological wizardry imaginable, from helicopters and submersibles, to satellites and remote cameras, they have also witnessed remarkable things. And what makes so much of the series special are the unique aerial perspectives from which they have filmed so many of the animals.This book tells the dramatic tales of their encounters, discoveries and many trials and tribulations. Also revealed are the ingenious means by which some of the unique sequences in the series have been made. Memorable sequences filmed in the wild include wild camels in the snow in the Gobi desert, a giant (truly giant) salamander hunting at night, desert lions capturing an oryx, golden snub-nosed monkeys playing high in the mountains of China, a giant panda in a cave tending her tiny newborn and a snow leopard chasing its prey down a sheer rock face. Used for the first time in any book are special photographs taken from high-definition film footage, which will bring the tales to life.

Laura Mulvey, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema


Carolina Hein - 2006
    These changes can be seen in every field of life. For instance, the way of supplying basic needs or the way how to make own life better, but also certain norms and values are quite different today. Instead of visiting a theatre in order to be entertained, people can watch TV or use the internet. If a man and a woman live together unmarried, hardly anybody will be shocked about that fact. But often certain attitudes are anchored in society and can hardly be changed. One example is the determination which individual role men and women are likely to play as members of a society and how their image appears in every culture. It is especially interesting to see how the media represent women, the so called -weaker sex-. The following pages respond with the representation of women through the years. Additionally, they deal with problems and consequences coming up because of the difference between men and women.

Kay Francis: I Can't Wait to Be Forgotten


Scott O'Brien - 2006
    Kay felt that being of some service to others was far more important than focusing totally on promoting herself and a film career. Readers will be surprised to learn about the "real" Kay Francis in retirement. Her godsons paint a portrait of a woman who lived in the moment, and generated a great deal of loving warmth. Many rare, unpublished photos from Kay's youth and retirement years are featured in her biography. Interviews from co-workers, friends and children of her "ex's" complete the picture of one of Hollywood's most glamorous and intriguing stars.

The Power of Film


Howard Suber - 2006
    Each entry in this remarkable book, which represents a lifetime of teaching film, has already inspired and educated several generations of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers and writers. This book examines the patterns and principles that make films popular and memorable, and will be useful both for those who want to create films and for those who just want to understand them better. Advance Review Quotes: "Howard Suber's understanding of film storytelling fills the pages of this wise, liberating book. Much of it is surprisingly contrary to what 'everyone knows.' A remarkable work." Francis Ford Coppola

DVD Delirium, Volume 1: Redux: The International Guide to Weird and Wonderful Films on DVD


Nathaniel Thompson - 2006
    Region-free, this is a guide to hundreds of DVD video releases from all over the globe.

Monsters: A Celebration of the Classics from Universal Studios


Roy Milano - 2006
    Featuring a collection of images from the studios' own vaults, this book looks at the 'creature features' which continue to influence filmmakers today.

The Art of Superman Returns


Daniel Wallace - 2006
    Directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men) and packed with explosive action, this blockbuster film documents the super hero's returnafter a mysterious absence of several yearsto a troubled Metropolis, where he is compelled to face his destiny in a world that has forgotten what it's like to have a hero. The Art of Superman Returns is an in-depth celebration of the concept and developmental art that served as an aesthetic foundation for the highly anticipated film. Nearly 200 pieces of gorgeous art capture all-new setsa cosmopolitan, art deco Metropolis, a massive, shimmering Fortress of Solitude, and a spectacular spaceshipand showcase the film's inventive costumes and breathtaking locations. An informed text that includes interviews with the director, screenwriters, artists, and production and costume designers completes this thoughtfully crafted deluxe hardcover. For the many Superman fans anxiously awaiting his revival, The Art of Superman Returns is a behind-the-scenes tour not to be missed.SUPERMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics 2006

The Devil's Rejects: A Director's Script


Rob Zombie - 2006
    Includes all the handwritten notes and deleted / altered scenes as Rob made changes throughout the entire script. Tons of off screen photos and behind the scenes information. Hundreds of pages, Full color.

In Character: Actors Acting


Howard Schatz - 2006
    By the award-winning photographer and best-selling author of "Athlete and "Nude Body Nude.

Citizen Kane


Orson Welles - 2006
    This edition includes the complete screenplay - with stills and frame enlargements - with Pauline Kael's classic essay on how the picture came to be made.

The Horror Film: An Introduction


Rick Worland - 2006
    In doing so, it outlines and investigates important issues in the production, consumption, and cultural interpretation of the genre. An ideal text for perennially popular courses on the horror film genre. Examines the ways in which horror movies have been produced, received, and interpreted by filmmakers, audiences, and critics, from the 1920s to the present. Provides a short historical introduction of the horror film as an orientation to the field. Analyses a wide variety of major works in the genre, including Frankenstein, Cat People, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween and Bram Stoker's Dracula.

VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 2007


Jim Craddock - 2006
    Voiceovers and cameos); Director, writer, cinematographer, composer, lyricist...; Awards; Made for TV, cable or video identification; plus, Nine indexes to help guide you to your favourite genre.

Red Velvet Seat: Women's Writings on the First Fifty Years of Cinema


Antonia Lant - 2006
    However, full evidence of their roles has until nowremained scant and dispersed, eclipsed in historical opinion formed through thetexts of men.In magisterial scale Red Velvet Seat restores this film culture tovisibility, using women’s written accounts from the beginnings up to 1950 tounderstand the significance of cinema for them. Sources include fashion andparenting magazines, newspapers and literary journals, memoirs and etiquetteguides, while contributors range from novelists such as Virginia Woolf, Coletteand Rebecca West to psychoanalysts, poets, social reformers, labor organizers,film editors, screen beauties, and race activists. For each section, AntoniaLant and Ingrid Periz provide an introduction, explaining the historicalcontext and linking their themes to the major social and political movements oftheir time, as well as to more traditionally feminine concerns. Compendious and absorbing, Red Velvet Seat is an invaluablecontribution to the history of cinema.

The Act of Life of Amrish Puri: An Autobiography


Amrish Puri - 2006
    Amrish Puri, whose voice could send shivers down your spine, while his antics made you chuckle; his costumes could drive you nuts, and his one-liners ranging from Mogambo khush hua to Dong kabhi wrong nahin hota become household parlance. The industry's ace villain was credited with bringing the hitherto mundane villainy into strobe light, and lent it a pride of place on the billboard with his unmatched histrionics. This son of the soil, born in the heart of Punjab in Naushahr, spent his formative years in the hilly regions and trekked miles in the valley of Simla, the summer capital of British India. He followed his creative instincts in college rather surreptitiously, given the stern scrutiny of a conservative, authoritarian father. Moved to the tinsel town of Bombay in the early 1950s, where his elder siblings Chaman and Madan Puri were already groping in the glamour world and he had to write his own destiny. After initial heartbreaks, dejected as a hero aspirant, he turned to theatre and created an amazing repertoire essaying some of the most challenging roles under the aegis of stalwarts, like Ebrahim Alkazi, Satyadev Dubey, Vijay Tendulkar, Girish Kamad, Badal Sircar and Mohan Rakesh, among others.But pursuing this innate passion for stage didn't provide for livelihood; bread and butter came from the rigmarole of a clerical job in a government office. And recording advertisement jingles and radio plays extended a little icing on the cake. The providential break on the silver screen came at an age when lesser mortals would be resolving mid-career crisis. And once again, he made a distinct mark in offbeat, parallel cinema of Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani, as he subtly transplanted the stark profundity of theatre on to celluloid. But the real litmus test was the commercial viability of his talent, as he could also rake in revenue at the box-office. Here too, he graduated with stunning performances, and became the highest paid villain breathing life into characters as the bald baddie, the cold-blooded don, the ruthless politician, the lecherous viper. The machiavellian prince evoked the essence of evil and went on to build a treasure of excellence, whether he played a wily father or an affectionate patriarch. This star-actor became a reckoning force in both Hindi and regional films with over 300 titles in his kitty. His brilliant renditions elicited the attention of renowned Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, thus emerging on the international horizon. The book captures poignant moments in the life of a terrific performer with the class act of a chameleon, who depicted an era that encountered the most challenging facet of blending art and commerce, seeking triumph over the paradox of playing the negative and positive, to create cinematic history. Hats off.

Horror!: 333 Films to Scare You to Death


James Marriott - 2006
    Packed with images of the most terrifying scenes in cinema history, this definitive volume traces the genre decade by decade, providing a witty and informative critique of more than 200 movies from all over the world. A team of seasoned, top horror experts leads the way with authority, humor, and encyclopedic knowledge, making this a superb guide for both die-hard and new horror fans.

Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York 1966-2006


James Sanders - 2006
    Beginning with a survey of such classics as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Scenes from the City captures how the changing face of New York, as well as the founding of the MOFTB, have contributed to a particular school of film characterized most emphatically in the street-style work of directors as diverse as Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee. With over 200 stills and contributions from noted New York film personalities such as Sidney Lumet and Nora Ephron, the book also includes rare, unpublished, behind-the-scenes shots and stories from the quintessential New York filmmaker himself--Woody Allen. With a special section on the landmark TV series, commercials and music videos filmed in New York, Scenes from the City is an affectionate and vivacious ovation for this captivating -character- that rarely receives billing but always steals the show.

Dreams of a Nation: On Palestinian Cinema


Hamid Dabashi - 2006
    Deeply rooted in the historic struggles for national self-determination, this cinema is the single most important artistic expression of a much-maligned people. In Dreams of a Nation, filmmakers, critics and scholars discuss the extraordinary social and artistic significance of Palestinian film. It is the only volume of its kind in any language.

Dream Palaces of Hollywood's Golden Age


David Wallace - 2006
    The result was a spectacle exhibiting the 'anything is possible' ideology that embodied Hollywood. This book shows us the best of these buildings.

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest


Hal Leonard Corporation - 2006
    8 songs from the summer blockbuster film, including: Jack Sparrow * The Kraken * Davy Jones * I've Got My Eye on You * Dinner Is Served * Two Hornpipes * Wheel of Fortune * Davy Jones Plays His Organ.

Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide 2007


Leonard Maltin - 2006
    The 2007 edition of this essential movielover’s companion includes hundreds of new entries, with capsule reviews and comprehensive information on date of release, running time, cast and crew, and MPAA ratings. Within this compact volume, you’ll find: • Listings for over 17,000 movies, including more than 300 new entries • Authoritative notations on format availability (DVD, video, and laser disc) • Up-to-date indices of top directors and actors • Maltin’s “Fifty Best Films on DVD” and “Fifty More Films You May Have Missed” From the masterpieces of classic cinema, to cutting-edge independent films, to the latest summer blockbusters, Leonard Maltin’s 2007 Movie Guide is truly “the best organized . . . the most complete” (Newsday).

Accidental Genius: How John Cassavetes Invented the American Independent Film


Marshall Fine - 2006
    Among filmmakers and film buffs, Cassavetes is revered, almost as a god. A major star of live television and a serious actor, he stumbled into making his first film, Shadows, and created a template for working outside the Hollywood system that would produce some of the most piercing and human films of the last thirty years including A Woman Under the Influence and Husbands. He became the prototypical outsider fighting the system for much of his career. Film critic Marshall Fine had unprecendented access to Cassavetes' wife, Gena Rowlands, and other members of their inner circle, as well as industry insiders who worked with Cassavetes -- some speaking publicly for the first time. Together, they tell his daring, tumultuous, and compelling story.

Movies of the 30s


Jürgen Müller - 2006
    The stock market crash of 1929 had left the America?and the globe?in a devastating depression that would not begin to lift until World War II. With so many jobless, penniless, broken people singing the blues, is it any wonder that Hollywood strove to distract viewers from their misery with comedies like Chaplin's Modern Times (1936), Capra's feel-good Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), and the Marx Brothers? hilarious Duck Soup (1933), thrillers such as Hitchcock's seminal The 39 Steps (1935) or Hawks's Scarface (1932), or the epic romantic classic Gone with the Wind (1939)? While American moviegoers flocked to the theaters to escape their troubles and find solace in the magical world of Hollywood movies, filmmakers in Europe were experimenting with new techniques in a medium that had only recently gained sound; Fritz Lang's German Expressionist M (1931) and Jean Renoir's anti-war masterpiece La Grande Illusion (1937) greatly enhanced cinema as an art form, while Leni Riefenstahl's visually stunning Olympia (1936-38) pushed the limits of the medium's technical capacities. It's clear that while the 1930s was a time of poverty and struggle for many people, the world of cinema was much enriched. Film entries include: ? Synopsis ? Film stills and production photos ? Cast/crew listings ? Trivia ? Useful information on technical stuff ? Actor and director bios Plus: a complete Academy Awards list for the decade The editor: J?rgen M?ller studied art history in Bochum, Paris, Pisa, and Amsterdam. He has worked as an art critic, a curator of numerous exhibitions, a visiting professor at various universities, and has published books and numerous articles on cinema and art history. Currently he holds the chair for art history at the University of Dresden, where he lives. M?ller is the series editor for TASCHEN's Movies decade titles.

Shepperton Babylon


Matthew Sweet - 2006
    Here you'll meet, among many others, the 20s film idols snorting cocaine from an illuminated glass dance floor on the bank of the Thames, the model who escaped Soho's gangsters to become the queen of the nudie flicks and the genteel Scottish comedienne who, at the age of fifty-five, reinvented herself as a star of exploitation cinema, and fondly remembers 'the one where I drilled in people's heads and ate their brains'. Welcome to the lost worlds of British cinema.

The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy


Paul Kane - 2006
    Beginning with the unconventional sources of Clive Barker's inspiration, the book follows Barker from his pre?Hellraiser cinematic experience through the filming of the horror classic. It examines various themes (such as the undermining of the traditional family unit and the malleability of the flesh) found throughout the film series and the ways in which the representation of these themes changes from film to film. The religious aspects of the films are also discussed. Characters central to the franchise?and the mythos?are examined in detail. Included is a foreword by actor Doug Bradley, who portrayed the infamous Pinhead.

Empire Film Guide: The Definitive Bible for Film Lovers from the World's Best Movie Magazine


Empire Magazine - 2006
    . . It's never got an axe to grind, it's not a kiss-my-ass magazine but it doesn't want to take a chomp out of you either' Quentin TarantinoThe team behind Britain's biggest-selling movie magazine bring you over 2,800 reviews of some of the most important movies, both past and present. Each review offers star ratings and award guides as well as a lengthy and informative review of each film, all compiled by Empire's team of experts in the magazine's inimitable style. This indispensable guide also includes photos, sidebars and boxouts of films to see, and lists of Top 10s to make film viewing even more entertaining.

I'll Be in My Trailer: The Creative Wars Between Directors and Actors


John Badham - 2006
    You'll learn how to use proven techniques to get actors to give their best performances - including the ten best and ten worst things to say - and what you can do when an actor won't or can't do what the director wants. Includes never before published stories from veteran director, John Badham, as well as Sydney Pollock, Mel Gibson, James Woods, Michael Mann and many more.

The Rough Guide to Westerns


Paul Simpson - 2006
    The guide looks at what makes a good Western, considering the seven basic Western plots, the pens behind the movies, the major historic events and their influences, and the genre''s central ritual - the gunfight. There is a potted history of the Western decade-by-decade and a critical canon of the 50 greatest Westerns. From the pioneers and directors to the iconic cowboys and railroads, this guide covers it all.

Lights! Camera! Molly!: A Behind-The-Scenes Movie Guide


American Girl - 2006
    Also includes excerpts of interviews with the actors and other interesting facts about filmmaking.

Frank Borzage: The Life And Films Of A Hollywood Romantic


Hervé Dumont - 2006
    This is the definitive reevaluation of one of the giants of filmdom.

Directed by Steven Spielberg: Poetics of the Contemporary Hollywood Blockbuster


Warren Buckland - 2006
    This is in opposition to classical Hollywood cinema and International Art cinema, whose form has been analyzed and deconstructed in great detail. Directed By Steven Spielberg fills this gap by examining the distinctive form of the blockbuster. The book focuses on Spielberg's blockbusters, because he is the most consistent and successful director of this type of film - he defines the standard by which other Hollywood blockbusters are judged and compared. But how did Spielberg attain this position? Film critics and scholars generally agree that Spielberg's blockbusters have a unique look and use visual storytelling techniques to their utmost effectiveness. In this book, Warren Buckland examines Spielberg's distinct manipulation of film form, and his singular use of stylistic and narrative techniques.The book demonstrates the aesthetic options available to Spielberg, and particularly the choices he makes in structuring his blockbusters. Buckland emphasizes the director's activity in making a film (particularly such a powerful director as Spielberg), including: visualizing the scene on paper via storyboards; staging and blocking the scene; selecting camera placement and movement; determining the progression or flow of the film from shot to shot; and deciding how to narrate the story to the spectator.Directed By Steven Spielberg combines film studies scholarship with the approach taken by many filmmaking manuals. The unique value of the book lies in its grounding of formal film analysis in filmmaking.

The Cheetah Girls 2: The Junior Novel


Alice Alfonsi - 2006
    Galleria, Chanel, Aqua, and Dorinda return for a cheetah-spotted sequel of diva-licious proportions, and now you can read all about it! The feisty foursome star in this junior novelization of the all-new Disney Channel original movie, chronicling the further adventures of New Yorks favorite musical teens! Plus theres an 8-page, full-color insert of photos from the film.

Kinda' Hot: The Making of Saint Jack in Singapore


Ben Slater - 2006
    And what I had thought was a lost world is still accessible – I enjoyed revisiting it in this book (Kinda Hot: The Making of Saint Jack in Singapore).” - Paul Theroux, author of Saint Jack Kinda Hot: The Making of Saint Jack in Singapore reveals, for the first time, the extraordinary story behind the making of Saint Jack (1979), the only American film to be entirely shot on location in Singapore. Filmed in secret, it was subsequently banned by the authorities. Adapting Paul Theroux’s celebrated novel about pimps and prostitutes in the Lion City, a local, amateur cast and crew worked right alongside brilliant film-making talents gathered from all over the world. The director was Peter Bogdanovich, one-time Hollywood golden-boy whose career was in decline. The star was Ben Gazzara, a charismatic method actor. They immersed themselves into the world of brothels in the name of ‘research’. The film was made on the run, with the cast and crew improvising wildly, chaotically capturing the last vestiges of Singapore’s famous colonial and seedy past, all the time telling the authorities they were shooting a romance called Jack Of Hearts. Author Ben Slater has tracked down everyone from chief crew members and lead actors to the humblest extras, in order to tell the gripping, funny and poignant tale of what happened when Saint Jack came to Singapore for six months in 1978.

Hold That Joan: The Life, Laughs and Films of Joan Davis


Ben Ohmart - 2006
    The star of television's I Married Joan and film classics Hold That Ghost, Show Business, Thin Ice and many more, very little has been documented about Joan's comical career - until now.

From Broadway to the Bowery: A History and Filmography of the Dead End Kids, Little Tough Guys, East Side Kids and Bowery Boys Films, with Cast Biographies


Leonard Getz - 2006
    This chronicle follows the street kids through several assorted incarnations, shifting casts, and studios. It talks about how the original play and film came about.