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Film
The aftermath of the Vietnam War, the war on drugs, the CIA, mental illness: These are not the ingredients one would expect from a big-budget action-comedy. But Lethal Weapon is not your typical big-budget action-comedy. The story of Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) uncovering a conspiracy involving ex-special forces soldiers and L.A.'s drug trade is mostly remembered for spawning the "buddy-cop" genre and spotlighting Gibson's mullet. Chris Ryan takes a closer look at Richard Donner's 1987 film and unearths what it has to say about race, friendship, and aging--and about its co-conspirators Donner, Gibson, Glover, screenwriter Shane Black, and producer Joel Silver. Ryan sifts through the blood, guts, and cocaine of eighties Hollywood to find out what makes this violent and profane artifact so disturbingly mesmerizing.
From Melville to Madoff, the Confidence Man is an essential American archetype. George Roy Hill's 1973 film The Sting treats this theme with a characteristic dexterity. The movie was warmly received in its time, winning seven Academy Awards, but there were some who thought the movie was nothing more than a slight throwback. Pauline Kael, among others, felt Hill's film was mechanical and contrived: a callow and manipulative attempt to recapture the box-office success of Robert Redford and Paul Newman's prior pairing, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. Matthew Specktor's passionate, lyric meditation turns The Sting on its head, on its side, and right-side-up in an effort to unpack the film's giddy complexity and secret, melancholic heart. Working off interviews with screenwriter David S. Ward and producer Tony Bill, and tacking from nuanced interpretation of its arching moods and themes to gimlet-eyed observation of its dizzying sleights-of-hand, Specktor opens The Sting up to disclose the subtle and stunning dimensions--sexual, political, and aesthetic--of Hill's best film. Through Specktor's lens, The Sting reveals itself as both an enduring human drama and a meditation on art-making itself, an ode to the necessary pleasure of being fooled at the movies.
Probing perhaps more deeply than ever before into American racial practices. --The Nation Baldwin's personal reflections on movies gathered here in a book-length essay are also an appraisal of American racial politics. Offering an incisive look at racism in American movies and a vision of America's self-delusions and deceptions, Baldwin challenges the underlying assumptions in such films as In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and The Exorcist. Here are our loves and hates, biases and cruelties, fears and ignorance reflected by the films that have entertained us and shaped our consciousness. And here too is the stunning prose of a writer whose passion never diminished his struggle for equality, justice, and social change.
When Brian De Palma agreed to allow Julie Salamon unlimited access to the film production of Tom Wolfe's best-selling book The Bonfire of the Vanities, both director and journalist must have felt like they were on to something big. How could it lose? But instead Salamon got a front-row seat at the Hollywood disaster of the decade. She shadowed the film from its early stages through the last of the eviscerating reviews, and met everyone from the actors to the technicians to the studio executives. They'd all signed on for a blockbuster, but there was a sense of impending doom from the start-heart-of-gold characters replaced Wolfe's satiric creations; affable Tom Hanks was cast as the patrician heel; Melanie Griffith appeared mid-shoot with new, bigger breasts. This riveting insider's portrait provides a timeless account of an industry where art, talent, ego, and money combine and clash on a monumental scale.
A revealing look at the shows that helped TV emerge as the signature art form of the twenty-first century In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the landscape of television began an unprecedented transformation. While the networks continued to chase the lowest common denominator, a wave of new shows on cable channels dramatically stretched television's narrative inventiveness, emotional resonance, and artistic ambition. Combining deep reportage with cultural analysis and historical context, Brett Martin recounts the rise and inner workings of a genre that represents not only a new golden age for TV, but also a cultural watershed. Difficult Men features extensive interviews with all the major players, including David Chase, David Simon, David Milch, and Alan Ball; in addition to other writers, executives, directors and actors. Martin delivers never-before-heard story after story, revealing how cable television became a truly significant and influential part of our culture.
A riveting and revealing look at the shows that helped cable television drama emerge as the signature art form of the twenty-first century.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the landscape of television began an unprecedented transformation. While the networks continued to chase the lowest common denominator, a wave of new shows, first on premium cable channels like HBO and then basic cable networks like FX and AMC, dramatically stretched television s narrative inventiveness, emotional resonance, and artistic ambition. No longer necessarily concerned with creating always-likable characters, plots that wrapped up neatly every episode, or subjects that were deemed safe and appropriate, shows such as The Wire, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Deadwood, The Shield, and more tackled issues of life and death, love and sexuality, addiction, race, violence, and existential boredom. Just as the Big Novel had in the 1960s and the subversive films of New Hollywood had in 1970s, television shows became the place to go to see stories of the triumph and betrayals of the American Dream at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
This revolution happened at the hands of a new breed of auteur: the all-powerful writer-show runner. These were men nearly as complicated, idiosyncratic, and difficult as the conflicted protagonists that defined the genre. Given the chance to make art in a maligned medium, they fell upon the opportunity with unchecked ambition.
Combining deep reportage with cultural analysis and historical context, Brett Martin recounts the rise and inner workings of a genre that represents not only a new golden age for TV but also a cultural watershed. Difficult Men features extensive interviews with all the major players, including David Chase (The Sopranos), David Simon and Ed Burns (The Wire), Matthew Weiner and Jon Hamm (Mad Men), David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood), and Alan Ball (Six Feet Under), in addition to dozens of other writers, directors, studio executives, actors, production assistants, makeup artists, script supervisors, and so on. Martin takes us behind the scenes of our favorite shows, delivering never-before-heard story after story and revealing how cable TV has distinguished itself dramatically from the networks, emerging from the shadow of film to become a truly significant and influential part of our culture.
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"Being directed by the Jimmy Burrows, while on Friends, was like hitting the jackpot. I'm delighted that everyone can now share in his incredible insight with this book."--JENNIFER ANISTON From the director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, and Will & Grace comes an insightful and nostalgic behind-the-scenes memoir that's "as difficult to put down as a Friends marathon is to turn off" (The Washington Post). Legendary sitcom director James Burrows has spent five decades making America laugh. Here readers will find never-revealed stories behind the casting of the dozens of great sitcoms he directed, as well as details as to how these memorable shows were created, how they got on the air, and how the cast and crew continued to develop and grow. Burrows also examines his own challenges, career victories, and defeats, and provides advice for aspiring directors, writers, and actors. All this from the man who helped launch the careers of Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Aniston, Debra Messing, and Melissa McCarthy, to name a few. Burrows talks fondly about the inspiration he found during his childhood and young adult years, including his father, legendary playwright and Broadway director Abe Burrows. From there he goes on to explain his rigorous work ethic, forged in his early years in theater, where he did everything from stage managing to building sets to, finally, directing. Transitioning to television, Burrows locked into a coveted job with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where he first observed and then started to apply his craft. Directing most of the episodes of Taxi came next, where he worked closely with writers/producers Glen and Les Charles. The three formed a remarkable creative partnership that helped Burrows achieve his much sought-after goal of ownership and agency over a project, which came with the creating and directing of the seminal and beloved hit Cheers. Burrows has directed more than seventy-five pilots that have gone to series and over a thousand episodes, more than any other director in history. Directed by James Burrows is a heart-and-soul master class in sitcom, revealing what it truly takes to get a laugh.
"Being directed by the Jimmy Burrows, while on Friends, was like hitting the jackpot. I'm delighted that everyone can now share in his incredible insight with this book."--JENNIFER ANISTON From the director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, and Will & Grace comes an insightful and nostalgic behind-the-scenes memoir that's "as difficult to put down as a Friends marathon is to turn off" (The Washington Post). Legendary sitcom director James Burrows has spent five decades making America laugh. Here readers will find never-revealed stories behind the casting of the dozens of great sitcoms he directed, as well as details as to how these memorable shows were created, how they got on the air, and how the cast and crew continued to develop and grow. Burrows also examines his own challenges, career victories, and defeats, and provides advice for aspiring directors, writers, and actors. All this from the man who helped launch the careers of Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Aniston, Debra Messing, and Melissa McCarthy, to name a few. Burrows talks fondly about the inspiration he found during his childhood and young adult years, including his father, legendary playwright and Broadway director Abe Burrows. From there he goes on to explain his rigorous work ethic, forged in his early years in theater, where he did everything from stage managing to building sets to, finally, directing. Transitioning to television, Burrows locked into a coveted job with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where he first observed and then started to apply his craft. Directing most of the episodes of Taxi came next, where he worked closely with writers/producers Glen and Les Charles. The three formed a remarkable creative partnership that helped Burrows achieve his much sought-after goal of ownership and agency over a project, which came with the creating and directing of the seminal and beloved hit Cheers. Burrows has directed more than seventy-five pilots that have gone to series and over a thousand episodes, more than any other director in history. Directed by James Burrows is a heart-and-soul master class in sitcom, revealing what it truly takes to get a laugh.
Collaborating with actors is, for many filmmakers, the last frontier--the scariest part and the part they long for--the human part, the place where connection happens. Directing Actors: 25th Anniversary Edition covers the challenges of the actor-director relationship--the pitfalls of "result direction"; breaking down a script; how to prepare for casting sessions; when, how and whether to rehearse--but with updated references, expanded ideas, more detailed chapters on rehearsal and script analysis (using a scene from The Matrix)--and a whole new chapter on directing children. For twenty-five years the industry standard for instilling confidence in filmmakers, Directing Actors perseveres in its mission--to bring directors, actors and writers deeper into the exhilarating task of creating characters the world will not forget.
Directing the Documentary is a comprehensive manual that has inspired over 100,000 readers worldwide. If you are interested in making documentary films, everything you need technically and conceptually is here. Filled with practical advice on every stage of production, this is the book you will return to throughout your career.
Directing the Documentary covers the methods, technologies, thought processes, and judgments that a director must use throughout the fascinating process of making a film. It emphasizes low-cost digital technology, which allows cutting-edge creativity and professionalism on shoestring budgets. And, recognizing that you learn best by doing, the book includes dozens of practical hands-on projects and activities to help you master technical and conceptual skills. Just as important as surmounting technological hurdles is the conceptual and authorial side of filmmaking. This book offers eminently practical tools and exercises to help you develop credible and compelling stories. It shows you how to surpass mere technical proficiency and become a storyteller with a distinctive voice and style.Please visit:
www.directingthedocumentary.com
for the book's companion website.
Now a major motion picture--directed by and starring James Franco From the actor who somehow lived through it all, a "sharply detailed...funny book about a cinematic comedy of errors" (The New York Times): the making of the cult film phenomenon The Room. In 2003, an independent film called The Room--starring and written, produced, and directed by a mysteriously wealthy social misfit named Tommy Wiseau--made its disastrous debut in Los Angeles. Described by one reviewer as "like getting stabbed in the head," the $6 million film earned a grand total of $1,800 at the box office and closed after two weeks. Ten years later, it's an international cult phenomenon, whose legions of fans attend screenings featuring costumes, audience rituals, merchandising, and thousands of plastic spoons. Hailed by The Huffington Post as "possibly the most important piece of literature ever printed," The Disaster Artist is the hilarious, behind-the-scenes story of a deliciously awful cinematic phenomenon as well as the story of an odd and inspiring Hollywood friendship. Greg Sestero, Tommy's costar, recounts the film's bizarre journey to infamy, explaining how the movie's many nonsensical scenes and bits of dialogue came to be and unraveling the mystery of Tommy Wiseau himself. But more than just a riotously funny story about cinematic hubris, "The Disaster Artist is one of the most honest books about friendship I've read in years" (Los Angeles Times).
From the actor who lived through it all and an award-winning narrative nonfiction writer: the inspiring and laugh-out-loud funny story of a mysteriously wealthy social misfit who got past every road block in the Hollywood system to achieve success on his own terms--the making of The Room, "the Citizen Kane of bad movies" (Entertainment Weekly). The hilarious and inspiring story of how a mysterious misfit got past every roadblock in the Hollywood system to achieve success on his own terms: a $6 million cinematic catastrophe called The Room. Nineteen-year-old Greg Sestero met Tommy Wiseau at an acting school in San Francisco. Wiseau's scenes were rivetingly wrong, yet Sestero, hypnotized by such uninhibited acting, thought, "I have to do a scene with this guy." That impulse changed both of their lives. Wiseau seemed never to have read the rule book on interpersonal relationships (or the instruc-tions on a bottle of black hair dye), yet he generously offered to put the aspiring actor up in his LA apart-ment. Sestero's nascent acting career first sizzled, then fizzled, resulting in Wiseau's last-second offer to Sestero of costarring with him in The Room, a movie Wiseau wrote and planned to finance, produce, and direct--in the parking lot of a Hollywood equipment-rental shop. Wiseau spent $6 million of his own money on his film, but despite the efforts of the disbelieving (and frequently fired) crew and embarrassed (and fre-quently fired) actors, the movie made no sense. Nevertheless Wiseau rented a Hollywood billboard featuring his alarming headshot and staged a red carpet premiere. The Room made $1800 at the box office and closed after two weeks. One reviewer said that watching The Room was like "getting stabbed in the head." The Disaster Artist is Greg Sestero's laugh-out-loud funny account of how Tommy Wiseau defied every law of artistry, business, and friendship to make "the Citizen Kane of bad movies" (Entertainment Weekly), which is now an international phenomenon, with Wiseau himself beloved as an oddball celebrity. Written with award-winning journalist Tom Bissell, The Disaster Artist is an inspiring tour de force that reads like a page-turning novel, an open-hearted portrait of an enigmatic man who will improbably capture your heart.
The first unauthorized look at the inner workings--and ultimate breakdown--of the Disney Channel machine
For many kids growing up in the 2000s, there was no cultural touchstone more powerful than Disney Channel, the most-watched cable channel in primetime at its peak. Today, it might best be known for introducing the world to talents like Hilary Duff, Raven-Symoné, Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Zendaya. It wasn't always destined for greatness: when The Disney Channel launched in 1983, it was a forgotten stepchild within the Walt Disney Company, forever in the shadow of Disney's more profitable movies and theme parks. But after letting the stars of their Mickey Mouse Club revival--among them Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling--slip through their fingers, Disney Channel reinvented itself as a powerhouse tween network. In the new millennium, it churned out billions of dollars in original content and triple-threat stars whose careers were almost entirely controlled by the corporation. Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of the pie--and there were constant clashes between the studio, network, labels, and creatives as Disney Channel became a pressure cooker of perfection for its stars. From private feuds and on-set disasters, to fanfare that swept the nation and the realities of child stardom, culture journalist Ashley Spencer offers the inside story of the heyday of TV's House of Mouse, featuring hundreds of exclusive new interviews with former Disney executives, creatives, and celebrities to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between.
Received as an important work of one of our most important film critics, Do the Movies Have a Future? draws from a selection of the New Yorker writer's published pieces over a dozen years to examine the art, business, and future of the movies. In the second decade of the twenty-first century, the movies, once America's primary popular art form, have become an endangered species. Do the Movies Have a Future? is a rousing and witty call to arms. In these sharp and engaging essays and reviews, New Yorker movie critic David Denby weighs in on the frenzied, weightless action spectacles that dominate the world's attention and celebrates the films that re-affirm the importance of the movies in our national conversation. He assesses the triumphs and failures of legendary auteurs, examines the changing nature of stardom, and re-creates the excitement of reading film's finest critics. Wry, passionate, and incisive, Do the Movies Have a Future? is an essential guide for movie-lovers looking for ammunition and hope.
In Doctor Who and Philosophy, a team of mostly human philosophers (who are also fans) looks at the deeper issues raised by the Doctor's mind-blowing adventures. They discuss, among other topics, the Doctor's philosophy of science, the ethics of a universe with millions of intelligent species, what makes one life-form more important than another, whether time travelers can change history, and how the Doctor Who TV show is changing the world we live in. The chapters draw freely on both the classic series (1963-1989) and the new series. The book includes a collection of entertaining and insightful quotes from Doctor Who plus a complete list of episodes and companions.
A unique, in-depth look into the hidden lives and mysteries of the monsters from the hit BBC series Doctor Who--a fully illustrated color compendium that reveals proof of the existence of alien life out there and among us, packaged with removable artwork commissioned exclusively for the book.
For years, world governments and multinational organizations like the secretive UNIT have suppressed the truth. In this book, leading alientologist Justin Richards finally blows the lid off the biggest conspiracy to radically alter our world since The Scarlioni Incident.
Not only is there proof that alien life exists. The aliens are already here. Based on exclusive access to classified UNIT and Torchwood files--shocking information that has been suppressed for centuries--The Secret Lives of Monsters reveals the terrifying truth behind the rumors and legends.
Packed with iconic photographs, eyewitness accounts, diagrams and illustrations, and sixteen removable color prints, The Secret Lives of Monsters offers background details on a diverse range of alien species--including planetary and genetic origins, habits, social organization, and first human contact. If you want to know why the Sontaran's probic vent is his weak point or what it is used for; how Daleks reproduce; or how to determine whether your best friend is a Zygon, the answers--as well as everything you need to know to survive future invasions--are here in The Secret Lives of Monsters.
A unique collection of more than 100 never-before-seen letters, notes, and jottings both by and to the Doctor--correspondence by turns entertaining and inspiring, funny and flippant, brilliant and incredible drawn from all fifty-two years of the show.
No one could travel through history--past present and future--as much as the Doctor does without leaving an impression. Much of what we know about this mysterious figure comes from what he does-- the planets he saves and the monsters he defeats. But until now we've had little knowledge of his writings.
These rich and diverse documents paint an extraordinarily detailed picture of the Doctor and include his plea to the Time Lords to help end the War Games, an extract from the written defense he submitted at his subsequent trial, his application for the post of Caretaker at Coal Hill School, his apology to the Queen for missing dinner, even telepathic messages to the High Council on Gallifrey and his famous letter to Santa Claus. Like the Doctor himself, the mood can change in an instant.
The Time Lord Letters captures the best and most dramatic moments of an impossible life. You'll never see the Doctor in quite the same way again.
The full and official story of Doctor Who, from the show's first pre-production memos in 1963 to behind-the-scenes material from the latest season, including interviews with key cast and crew members as well as scores of prop photos, design sketches, and other collectible memorabilia. The Vault is a collector's dream--the ultimate celebration of all that is Doctor Who.