Product Description
The sense of God has often been touched on in the movies. European directors like Ingmar Bergman, Robert Bresson, Luis Buñuel, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Roberto Rossellini and many others have dealt directly with the theme throughout their careers, and Hollywood too has told stories based on the Bible, the lives of the saints and the martyrdoms of ordinary people. The Hidden God, which accompanies a film series of the same name organized by The Museum of Modern Art and screening in October and November of 2003, explores the ways in which a sense of God may appear in films, whether or not it is understood as such or is visible to the eye. This book contains over 50 essays by a wide range of writers, who find God encoded not only in explicitly religious subjects but in westerns, horror movies, comedies and many other genres, and in films from all over the world. In the times, places and societies these filmmakers explore, God may be lost, found, absent entirely or seen by only a few, whether saint or sinner.Edited by Mary Lea Bandy and Antonio Monda. ~Essays by Carlos Fuentes, Charles Silver, Dave Kehr, Michael Wood, Kent Jones, Phillip Lopate, Andrew Sarris, and Martin Scorsese.Paperback, 6.25 x 9.75 in./312 pgs / 0 color 60 BW0 duotone 0 ~ Item D20152 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I was intrigued
The Hidden GodContrary to another reviewer, I was not disappointed by this book.It takes an unusual angle into the subject of film and struggling faith, and although it doesn't say the last word on any of the fifty films chosen, it starts one thinking on new lines.The directors included are world leaders of cinema. While a few of the brief, four-page treatments are worthless, many are erudite and insightful.Try it! ... Read more

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Set in the turbulent streets of Lower Manhattan in the mid-nineteenth century, Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York depicts the politically corrupt and volatile social climate of New York during the early years of the Civil War. While the North is fighting in the South, the difference between the insular opulence of uptown life and the lawless destitution of those living downtown becomes more intolerable. Irish immigrants and emancipated slaves add to the swelling numbers of the poor. The city is a bomb ready to explode.

The action unfolds at the Five Points, a notoriously corrupt, gang-infested area between New York harbor and lower Broadway, where the native-born (Protestant) Americans and the Irish (Catholic) immigrants battle for control of the city. Amsterdam Vallon (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young Irish-American who has returned to New York, after fifteen years in a house of reform, to seek revenge against Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis), the nativist gang leader who had killed Vallon's father. The movie follows Amsterdam as he infiltrates Bill's inner circle, falls in love with Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz), a beguiling pickpocket, and fights for the honor of his family and people. His personal struggle explodes in tandem with the 1863 draft riots, the most dramatic episode of urban unrest in American history.

Included in the book are interviews of the principal people involved with the making of the film: the director, actors, cinematographer, designers, screenwriters, and producers; the complete shooting script; a historical introduction by the writer Luc Sante, the film's technical advisor; color stills taken during the shooting; sketches of the lavish sets and costumes, and a portfolio of behind-the-scenes photographs taken by Brigitte Lacombe. This is an inside look at how an epic movie, one which the director had envisioned for twenty-five years, got made. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Quite impressed actually
Before I began to write this review I was quite surprised to read a few under whelming reviews by other people. The reason I am writing this is because I am so impressed by what has been assembled.

The more I think about Gangs of New York, the more I watch it, compare it to other films and to Scorsese's previous achievements the more I believe it is a truly great piece of filmmaking. Despite a somewhat disappointing central character, a love interest that lacks chemistry and a final third that erupts onscreen without pounding adrenaline in our hearts, this film remains miraculous. Many have criticised the script, which the shooting version is featured in this book, but having just read it I maintain it is one of the best scripts filmed in recent years. Rewritten, restructured and refined over 20 years the script boasts colourful characters, rich environments and exciting confrontations that are truly cinematic, so violently visceral in fact that maybe the screenwriters were pushing themselves knowing only Scorsese could pull it all off.

On a technical stand point Gangs is unrivalled. The ridiculously inventive and electrical editing, the epic, expensive, all-consuming set design, the raw, flamboyant yet accurate costumes, the densely researched music and flat out stunning cinematography render this film the true king of 2002, regardless of whatever miss-informed award ceremony decided at the time.

In this book you have interviews with all the production's key figures; the director, producer, an executive producer, scriptwriters, actors, costume designer, researcher, set designer, editor, cinematographer. I found Weinstein to be particularly interesting, with some humorous anecdotes that shed a smidgen of light on the much publicised heat between the director and producer (which they continuously refute as being overblown).

The film is responsible, like all films that portray real events, for igniting interest in the subject. As a result the press featured articles on New York during the 19th century and Asbury's book, among others, became Amazon bestsellers. The interviewees list a number of sources that they used to research to perform their jobs. As a result I will probably end up reading the referenced texts because I am now extremely interested in this period in America's young history.

I agree with one reviewer that the questions asked may have been repetitive and should have been more specific with each differing craft. I'm pretty sure the same person asked all these people the questions, however, in an ideal world, each person would have been interviewed by someone with a greater knowledge of what they do. So, to get to the point, why not get a student of editing to pose Thelma Schoonmaker questions regarding her process (what equipment did she use, how has her craft evolved, which scenes posed difficulty, what has influenced her, yadayadayada)? But that is not to say the questions asked are useless. In fact, having just read from cover to cover, I found all the interviewees to be extremely informative. Their answers were intelligent and CLEARLY showed that this film was made by great filmmakers. It would be interesting to just compile all the previous films these people worked on to see how experienced a crew it took to make this film. For a Making of publication, the content here is certainly of a high standard.

For me two things stood out in this book; Daniel Day-Lewis, and how Scorsese was revered by all the interviewees. Day-Lewis gave the performance of his career in this film, and in just a few pages this book reveals how complex, poetic, allusive and ultimately human his acting craft is. And then there is the main man himself, Mr Scorsese. His knowledge of film is legendary. His excitement and love of film unquestionable. His talent forever celebrated, and this book only reinforces the power of his image. He is an inspiration to us all.

The photographs are luscious however I wished there were more off-camera shots, revealing the crew, the cast at ease, where the set ends and where the Italian studio begins. There are however some striking images, especially one where Dicaprio and Lewis are sitting in their respective chairs, drenched in makeup following the final confrontation, distant in their own thoughts. This is where Making Of books tend to excel and this is no exception.

So, you get great pictures, great interviews, a complete screenplay AND a wonderful introduction from Luc Sante (who penned the most influential text for this film). If you are a die-hard fan of the film I would buy this book (no doubt obtainable at a discounted price due to the film's disappointing reception). It will be a priceless document in the future when people wake up from their comas and realise how great a film this truly is.

The Making of an Epic
It's a given: if you love a movie, you'll love every "The Making Of..." that comes out about it. This is no exception. I loved this film. I enjoyed reading the script, and all the interviews and photographs were delicious gravy. The story of how Scorsese and his team captured, very accurately for the most part, the way The Five Points looked is itself worth the price. If there is anything negative to be said, it's that some of the photographs are not of the best quality. But I'm nitpicking. Treat yourself to this superb book!

Book marred by poor interviews
The movie is astounding, but this book is less than great because the interviewer of cast and crew was amateurish at best. EVERYONE was asked: "What did you think of the sets?" and "What was it like working with (fill in the blank)?". Those are the type of questions one would expect of a high school journalist. Some of the interviewees, however, managed to rise above the questions and provided some interesting insights into the film and it's making. The photos are very good, but don't show much of the "behind the scenes" perspective that would have been interesting. Get the book if you loved the movie as I do, but be aware that it is more of a coffee-table book than an exhaustive making-of book.

The book and the movie
I have seen the movie and read this book about the making of the movie.I am struck by the interviews done with the actors and the production people involved with the making of this movie.They all agree on two things:That Martin Scorsese is a genius and that they were not terribly impressed with "The Gangs of New York" by Herbert Asbury upon which this movie is based.Scorsese may be a genius but his movie is not a work of genius.It is a flawed work which never quite comes together and therefore does not satisfy.Asbury's book will live on long after the movie is forgotten.

Incredible
Thumbing through this book in the bookstore, I decided to see Gangs of New York in the theater. The movie was an incredible experience -- gorgeous, stirring, horrifying, thrilling, heart-poundingly beautiful. A great story. Superb acting. What research! Direction, cinematography, set design, costume design, casting, on and on -- brilliant. A period of history seldom visited, little known, that has such a powerful effect on who and where we are today. (And since I had lived blocks from Five Points for five years, in the East Village, a personal connection... ) The next day I returned to the bookstore, thumbed through the book again, and understood even more. I'm ordering it now. If you love history, and love America, see the movie (though you will cover your eyes on some parts!) Then buy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Martin Scorsese is the most influential director of his generation and, with his work regularly included among the top 20 films of all time, his place in cinema history is assured. Scorsese’s films have defined the cinematic essence of each decade since the 1960s and have set the standard of New Hollywood cinema.

Mark Nicholls traces Martin Scorsese’s central theme of melancholia, nostalgia, and loss through five of the director’s finest films: The Age of Innocence, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Cape Fear. Scorsese’s Men reflects on the heroes of these films and their "tribal groups": 19th-century New York Society, the Italian American Mob, and the Yuppified New South. Nicholls asserts that for all of this melancholic man’s perversions, he ultimately becomes a universally adored and culturally empowered Superman of loss. ... Read more

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This study examines the life and work of acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese, showing that his films reflect his experiences growing up in a Sicilian-American-Catholic family in the tough neighborhood of New York’s Little Italy. The study links the personal Scorsese, his roots, and his ethical and religious attitudes.

The work examines many films from Boxcar Bertha (1972) to Bringing out the Dead (1999), with special attention given to Gangs of New York (2002) as a vehicle for Scorsese’s return to his roots. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) is analyzed as a template for the Scorsese opus.

The study begins with a biography of Scorsese, and then describes his films from 1963 to 2002, providing plot summaries, themes, and characters. The body of the work analyzes films in terms of male sexuality, narcissism, violence, and the place of women in the director’s personal and cinematic world. In addition to showing how the themes of Scorsese’s films derive from his roots, the study offers psychological analyses of his focal characters. It provides a psychological basis for understanding the dialogue and actions of the characters in the context of their respective film stories. The study shows that Scorsese’s films express the values that define his worldview, which include his attitudes about masculinity, aggression, and violence. ... Read more

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From the violence-drenched streets of Taxi Driver, to King of Comedy’s crazed celebrity stalker, to the urban warfare of Casino and Gangs of New York, Martin Scorsese’s films are definitive works that reveal the dark heart of American culture. This new anthology compiles the best interviews, reviews, and articles pertaining to a man rightfully hailed as one of the most talented and respected directors in the history of film. Rising to prominence in the cinematic golden age of the 1970s, Scorsese led a group of young iconoclastic directors who took filmmaking to new artistic heights while advancing it as a powerful form of social commentary. This carefully chosen collection, the fifth title in the Ultrascreen series, examines Scorsese’s personal history and passions, and how they have informed and inspired his filmmaking. Spanning several decades, this anthology charts the evolution of modern cinema through the work of one of its masters. ... Read more

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One of a hand-picked selection of some of the most popular and cult-worthy titles on Faber and Faber's extensive list of film scripts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Fantastic Script
Sure, if you're not into the film "Goodfellas" that much or if you don't care for screenplays, then chances are that this would be rather worthless to you.Might as well find something else to buy, because this isn't going to do anything for you.

But, if you DO love the film and would like to read the screenplay, then this is just the thing for you.Written by Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi, "Goodfellas" is an amazing script that sucks you in right away.

Henry Hill has always wanted to be gangster, as he states in the very beginning of the film.This is his story of how he became one and everything he had witnessed and experienced.It's a tragic story of how good things always have to come to an end.It's also about how power and money can grab hold of your life until it's too late to turn back.A tale full of crime, murder, paranoia, and greed, "Goodfellas" is a trip down Mafia Lane that you will never forget.This is Mr. Hill's story.

The script is based on Nicholas Pileggi's novel, "Wise Guys," which is also based on a true story.The dialogue is sharp and very realistic and gives us a window into the lives of people in the Mafia.It is a very quick read, only about 130 pages.That's pretty short, considering that the movie was at least 2 and a half hours long.But, it's just dialogue, which is why it is very easy to read it quickly.I finished it in less than a day.

If you love the film "Goodfellas," and are interested in reading screenplays, then this is the perfect book for you.Here's your chance to relive some of your favorite moments, this time in writing.A very fine screenplay, it is.

Wiseguy
Great book. Great detail.A must for anyone who has seen the film. Gives you a 100% more info and detail.

Best Gangster Film Ever Made
Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" is, hands down, the best gangster film ever made."The Godfather" created the mythical imagery of mob families that was forever buried by this gutty, bloody real life drama.Based upon the true story as told by the film's main character, Henry Hill, "Goodfellas is the best filmed example of the real life glamour and woekmanlike drudgery that goes with being a wiseguy.It is difficult to imagine a show like "The Sopranos," for example, had not "Goodfellas" reinvented the gangster film genre.

Ray Liotta is excellent as Henry, but the movie's real showcases are the performances of Joe Pesci and Robert DiNiro as his partners in crime.Pesci in particular gives a tour de force performance that is downright frightening.Other first rate performances come from Lorraine Bracco as Henry's Jewish wife and Paul Sorvino, whose performance as a real life Godfather could not be more different than Marlon Brando's.

This film is a must see for anyone who enjoys gangster movies.It also has to rank as THE best American movie of the 1990s.

"Like I'm A Clown...I'm Here To Amuse you?"
Turning dense, non fiction material such as Nick Pileggi's 1985 best seller "Wiseguy," into a cohesive screenplay is no easy task, but Pileggi and the brilliant Martin Scorsese pulled it off beautifully in 1990 with the script for "Goodfellas"

"Goodfellas" remains America's penultimate crime film; the "Godfather" is Hollywood's version of what wiseguys are like; "Goodfellas" depicts them as how they really are.

This Faber paperback edition of the screenplay, with a foreward by David Thompson ("Scorsese on Scorses") reproduces all of the dialouge verbatim (including the scenes that were improvised on the set such as the famous "what's so funnny about me" sequence between Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta).

The book serves as both as written testamint to what great movie making is all about and as a primer for budding screenwriters.

As a bonus, there is a listing of all the music Scorcese used on the soundtrack (no small part of what made the movie a classic),including those selections that were unfortunately deleted from the commercial issue on Atlantic records).

As Joe Pesci's character might say--"this is one great -------book!"

A classic screenplay to a classic film.
Though Nicholas Pileggi's source book, Wise Guy, gave this screenplay both its voice-over and its final conclusion, the screenplay to GoodFellas is an essential addition to any screenplay library.If not for the fact thatPileggi and Martin Scorsese have pulled off the mammoth task ofinterpreting the detailed-packed, wide-scoped vision of the book intocinema-speak, then for the writing itself.GoodFellas is a screenplay thatcan be read as entertainment -- fast-paced, crisp, clear, and exciting. The published version of this script is mostly in master-scene form, givingonly the most evocative details, beautifully paced.This is one of thecrowning entries in Faber and Faber's superb screenplay series, rankingright up there along Paul Schrader's Taxi Driver and Odets/Lehmann's forSweet Smell of Success.To any upstart screenwriter or serious student offilm, this series is invaluable. ... Read more

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Martin Scorsese's films ignite connections, illuminating memories and moments from other movie-going experiences. This daring book explores the way he "remakes" other movies (Raging Bull replays The Red Shoes; Taxi Driver mirrors The Searchers) and how we absorb and make sense of these films.

Customer Reviews (3)

I like it
very self-conscious and smart, often a bit show-offy and exhibitionistic, but that keeps your attention; great intro paragraphs on each chapter, great stuff on putrescence.Probably the best, most imaginative, and bravest book written on Scorsese.

Finding Scorsese's Connections and Inspirations
Film professor Lesley Stern has written what amounts to an enthusiastic love letter to the great postmodern film director, Martin Scorsese.

It's a good read, though text does not follow the usual stylistic protocol of essay or non-fiction book writing.Full of gushing observations about postmodernist connections between Scorsese's work and that of other film directors.

That's okay, because Scorsese is a brilliant postmodernist and pure film buff who happily steals (Hitchcock would be proud) from all kinds of filmic sources.

However so much fun reader will have, going after all the videos this book praises, the pace and path of the writing can be almost overwhelming.It is full of ricochets and breathless connections to all kinds of sources.I found it annoying, sometimes, how rather reactive the text could be... this is like this is connected to this is from this is similar to this, etc etc.

But I give it four stars because anyone who likes Scorsese will probably enjoy reading this.

fabulous book!
The reader really gets a sense of Scorsese; the master of film direction.Beautifully written in extreme elegance.Whitty---well done...a must read! ... Read more

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Film critic David Robinson chronicles the early use of film as vaudeville sideshow; as sheer spectacle of moving images precluding any notion of plot development or drama; and as a fledgling dramatic effort, ranging from prizefights to Passion plays. He also takes readers to the nickelodeon theaters, and replete with more than 150 drawings and photographs, shows how the earliest devices of cinematic prehistory--machines with colorful names like the Phantascope and the Wheel of Life--led to the technology of filmmaking we know today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Overview
This book is hardly new, having been published in 1996.However, given that it is a potted history of the first two decades of since cinema, 1983 through 1913, this should hardly be troublesome.

Since I have just read the book for the second time, and given there are no other comments (and taking into account that the title can be bought secondhand for under $2!) I thought a word or two might help encourage someone to pick it up.

The main text of this book runs for a little over 170 pages.There are many lavish illustrations and pictures, including color inserts in the mid-section.

The book sets out to document the rise of moving pictures from their very earliest origins (such as magic laterns) to the epics of GW Griffith.Since the first documented Magic Lantern apears to be from 1420, you can see that the book starts at the very beginning of what can be considered moving projected images for entertainment.

By 1893 the likes of Edison and his company were set on their way to defining, and refining what we know as cinema today.The book covers developments quite well, and while there are books out there that have more detail, it can be advantageous to have a title such as this that condenses the topic for an educated overview.

The stories told here include technological developments, patent litigations, the rise of the Nickleodean, the rise of multi-reel films, the development of a star system, the Director, the photographer, experiments in sound and color, the development of marketing campaigns, the cinema poster, the import of movies from and to Europe, and the effects of the First World War on film production.It's quite a canvas to cover in so few pages, but for me that is the beauty of this volume, short, concise, and to the point.

I'd recommend this as a starting point for people interested in the development of motion pictures.If you want more detail you can get other titles later, but as an introduction, this serves well. ... Read more

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In 1988, director Martin Scorsese fulfilled his lifelong dream of making a film about Jesus Christ. Rather than celebrating the film as a statement of faith, churches and religious leaders immediately went on the attack, alleging blasphemy. At the height of the controversy, thousands of phone calls a day flooded the Universal switchboard, and before the year was out, more than three million mailings protesting the film fanned out across the country. For the first time in history, a studio took responsibility for protecting theaters and scrambled to recruit a "field crisis team" to guide The Last Temptation of Christ through its contentious American openings. Overseas, the film faced widespread censorship actions, with thirteen countries eventually banning the film. The response in Europe turned violent when opposition groups sacked theaters in France and Greece and caused injuries to dozens of moviegoers. Twenty years later, author Thomas R. Lindlof offers a comprehensive account of how this provocative film came to be made and how Universal Pictures and its parent company MCA became targets of the most intense, unremitting attacks ever mounted against a media company. The film faced early and determined opposition from elements of the religious Right when it was being developed at Paramount during the last year the studio was run by the celebrated troika of Barry Diller, Michael Eisner, and Jeffrey Katzenberg. By the mid-1980s, Scorsese's film was widely regarded as unmakeable -- a political stick of dynamite that no one dared touch. Through the joint efforts of two of the era's most influential executives, CAA president Michael Ovitz and Universal Pictures chairman Thomas P. Pollock, this improbable project found its way into production. The making of The Last Temptation of Christ caught evangelical Christians at a moment when they were suffering a crisis of confidence in their leadership. The religious right seized on the film as a way to rehabilitate its image and to mobilize ordinary citizens to attack liberalism in art and culture. The ensuing controversy over the film's alleged blasphemy escalated into a full-scale war fought out very openly in the media. Universal/MCA faced unprecedented calls for boycotts of its business interests, anti-Semitic rhetoric and death threats were directed at MCA chairman Lew Wasserman and other MCA executives, and the industry faced the specter of violence at theaters. Hollywood Under Siege draws upon interviews with many of the key figures -- Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader, Michael Ovitz, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jack Valenti, Thomas P. Pollock, and Willem Dafoe -- to explore the trajectory of the film from its conception to the subsequent epic controversy and beyond. Lindlof offers a fascinating dissection of a critical episode in the embryonic culture wars, illuminating the explosive effects of the clash between the interests of the media industry and the forces of social conservatism.

Customer Reviews (1)

The Culture Wars Begin
It is strange to read of the ancient Christological heresies like Arianism which held that somehow Jesus was more than mortal, but less than God; or Docetism, which held that Jesus's humanity was a mere illusion.They were not just controversies, they were often bloody, and we are lucky to be beyond such hairsplitting now.Except that we are not beyond them, really.There is a good deal of writing about how Jesus was tempted, and of course the Gospels describe that he indeed was.Naturally, there had to be some risk that he might give in, or it wasn't really a temptation.There are passages that show that he was tempted in every way, which includes being sexually tempted; but it was too much for many Christians that his sexual temptation was described in the 1951 novel _The Last Temptation of Christ_ by Nikos Kazantzakis, and it was worse when it was depicted in Martin Scorsese's movie in 1988.In _Hollywood Under Siege: Martin Scorsese, the Religious Right, and the Culture Wars_ (The University Press of Kentucky), Thomas R. Lindlof, a professor in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, has given a detailed history of an important event in popular culture, religious thinking, and First Amendment philosophy.It was a real firestorm at the time, and it is surprising how naïve the filmmakers were about how much trouble the film might cause.The week the movie opened, Paul Schrader who wrote the initial screenplay found the director Martin Scorsese fretting over the protests and controversy.Schrader pointed out that Scorsese had intended to make a controversial film and had succeeded."I know, I know," came the reply, "but I didn't think it would be _this_ controversial."

Scorsese had wanted to do a Jesus picture for years, and when he read Kazantzakis's novel, he knew he wanted to make a film of it.The Hollywood brass sitting around the table at a planning session probably could not have understood his answer when they asked why he wanted to make this particular picture: "Because I want to get to know Christ better," came the utterly serious answer.It proved to be a difficult way to attain such knowledge.Lindlof details the problems in gaining rights to the novel, in coming up with draft scripts, and in dealing with the reactions of those who wanted Jesus shown straight from the Gospels only.Scorsese always said he was filming a novel, not the Bible, but even the idea of doing so stirred protest long before filming began.The movie was eventually taken up by Universal Studios, and Lindlof describes the filming in Morocco, including how Scorsese would provide the cast with articles from theology journals to have them consider their roles in depth.The biggest problem the protesters had was that they made the movie more popular.There were serious and dangerous physical assaults, with a gasoline bomb found on one theater's roof or an evangelical Christian ramming a bus through another theater's lobby.More often there were letters of death threats against members of the studio.In one town after another, though, the most visible manifestation of the protests were the pickets outside theaters, and the advanced teams sent from the studios were able to manipulate them so that they would make good photos for the newspapers.Lindlof doesn't mention it, but in Dayton, theater manager Larry Smith kept the protesters outside the Neon Movies warm and well fed with coffee and doughnuts, a small investment to keep up the free publicity.

The film did fairly well financially, and Scorsese went on to direct movies like _Goodfellas_ and _Casino_, which for all their violence, repeated his themes of individuals forced to make moral choices.Lindlof has given us a parable of a simpler time, when the phrase "culture war" was just beginning to be used.Scorsese took into the battle sincerity and intelligence, and made a thoughtful and meaningful film (and, one assumes, one that let him know Christ better).Lindlof's account is detailed and even exciting.Different aspects of the battle between the religious right and Hollywood are still in play, but this episode from twenty years ago marked an important beginning.
... Read more

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Jack Cardiff tells the story of his life in films, first as a cameraman and then as a director. He was one of the first to use the Technicolor film camera, and the book provides a record of how colour cinematography developed in Britain. He also provides a humorous account of his days on the music-hall circuit during the 1920s and '30s, and anecdotes about his experiences photographing actresses such as Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe.Amazon.com Review
Cameraman Jack Cardiff photographed some of the most sumptuouscolor movies of all time. He won an Oscar for his work on Black Narcissus, shotThe Red Shoes and The African Queen,and worked steadily as cinematographer and director through the1980s. In this winning autobiography, Cardiff tells wonderful storiesabout his collaboration with the great Michael Powell, his work withAlfred Hitchcock the perfectionist and master storyteller, thegruelling experience of shooting jungle locations for The AfricanQueen, his experiences as director on such films as Sons andLovers, and his intimacy with Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, SophiaLoren, and Marilyn Monroe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An essential book for film studies
Jack Cardiff's little jewel of a book is well worth reading if you care about how films are created; his loving, detailed reminiscences are genuinely instructive and rich. You will also like him very much -- as a craftsman, he has few peers. Cardiff shares the experience of seeing as a way of life and thoughtfully examines how it shapes artistic expression. Highly recommended. ... Read more

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Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo--in which obsessve ex-cop James Stewart pursues troubled loner Kim Novak throughout San Francisco--is one of the most dissected, discussed, and revered movies of all time.Now, for the first time, the story of this remakable film is revealed.Writing with the full cooperation of the director's family and many crew members, Dan Auiler offers up a remarkable in-deph re-creation of Hitchcock's signature thriller. The result is one of the most thorough and illuminating studies of a single film ever published, and a testament to the enduring power of Hitchcock's masterwork of suspense. AUTHORBIO: Dan Auiler, a film collector, teacher, and historian, is the author of Hitchcock's Notebooks and North By Northwest: The Making of Hitchcock's Classic Thriller.He lives in Los Angeles, CA.Amazon.com Review
Vertigo is Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece and perhapshis most personal film. To view it once is to be devastated. With eachsubsequent screening, most viewers notice bits of business, depths ofthought, and stunning ironies that had previously eludedthem. Vertigo is a riveting experience, haunting its fans inthe same way that Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) is haunted by themysterious Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak).

Upon researching the film, author Dan Auiler found that "thisodd, obsessional, very un-matter-of-fact film was created" under"systematic, businesslike, matter-of-fact circumstances."His book gives us the opportunity to witness the construction of afilm that seems at once amazing complex and absolutely seamless. Hediscusses the painstaking development of the screenplay (including itscontroversial explication of the mystery only two-thirds of the waythrough the film), the decision to cast Novak instead of Vera Milesopposite Stewart, the typically meticulous Hitchcock shoot, the film'samazing special effects and extraordinary credit and dream sequences,and the legendary musical score composed by Bernard Herrmann. Uponfinishing the book, readers will appreciate the various contributionsof Hitchcock, Herrmann, Stewart, Novak, actress Barbara Bel Geddes,Thomas Narcejac and Pierre Boileau (who wrote the book upon which itis based), uncredited scenarists Maxwell Anderson and Angus MacPhail,screenwriters Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor, cinematographer RobertBurks, editor George Tomasini, costume designer Edith Head, and manyothers. The book includes a list of cast and crew, an appendixdiscussing the VistaVision process in which it was shot, a forward byVertigo enthusiast Martin Scorsese, and hundreds of productionphotos, reproductions of memos, storyboard sketches, andposters. Vertigo: The Making of a Hitchcock Classic hasenhanced even this avid fan's appreciation of a film he's long knownand loved. --Raphael Shargel ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Hitch...
I am a big hitch fan, this book on his best work didn't disappoint me.

Vertigo is a dizzyingly outstanding book on the makiing of a classic film
Vertigo is one of the best films ever made. Sir Alfred Joseph
Hitchcock's masterpiece will keep you dizzy with the intricate
plot, the beauty of the streets of San Francisco and the great
acting of James Stewart, Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes.
Aulier begins his book with a short biography of the rotund
Cockny genius AJH. We learn of his career and the outstanding
team he assembled to produce such timeless masterpieces as Vertigo.
Vertigo is Hitchcock's most personal film as he explores such
heavy topics as:
1. Romantic obsession as Detective John Scottie Ferguson seeks his lost love Madeline seeking to remake her in shopgirl Judy.
2. Voyeurism as Hitchcok lovingly photographs the Bay area and gets inside the mind of his characters.
4, The haunting score by Bernard Hermann adds texture to the dreamlike operatic quality of this masterpeice, Hitch looks at
dreams and the elegaic desire to return to the past.
The convoluted plot is well known but readers will learn the
nuts and bolts of how a great film is put together from business
deals; casting (Vera Miles was scheduled to play Madeline)special effects; sound and filming techniques,
Aulier illustrates his book with stills from the film as well as letters from Hitch. The book contains interviews the author conducted with such Hitchcock aassociates as Saul Bass who created the titles noted for their swirling imagery.
Vertigo is based on a French novel and is like a wheel within
a wheel in its complexity and insight into the mind of AJH.
If you love movies, San Francisco, mystery, glamour and haunting music then Vertigo is the film for you! This fine book
is a requisite primer and introduction to this filmic classic.

Trivia abounds
Great reference book, but I did get bogged down on all the technical information/processes of the films restoration. Otherwise it's very interesting and enjoyable.

A worthy companion to Hitchcock's best film.
Dan does a nice job here providing lots of information on the development of the script, the circumstances of the adaptation from the french novel, the shooting sequences, and the relationships of the actors and actresses once the camera stopped rolling.

Vertigo is my favorite film and I was generally pleased by this book. My only complaints concern numerous printing/spelling errors that I came across. These errors do not contribute to any misinformation about the film, but they are annoying. The reproductions of various movie posters and pictures from the set throughout the book are a nice addition. This book is a must for film buffs-especially Hitchcock film fans. Dan makes a convincing argument for the claim of many who say this is the master's best film.Hopefully some of the typographical errors in my first edition will be corrected in the future-nothing major, but enough to drop my rating one star.

Highly recommended.

CLASSIC
"Vertigo" is not only my favorite Hitchcock film; it is also one of my top five favorite films of all time.

It is a film that, at first viewing, seems merely like a slightly irregular, well-made, not quite formula murder mystery.You go away from the movie with doubts in your mind (questions keep pricking you over and over) and then the "Vertigo" vertigo starts:How did they do it?How did they get away with it and why?Why is James Stewart so obsessed with, at first, a living woman and then, tragically, a dead woman?Why does Kim Novak allow Stewart to manipulate her into becoming a different person?Why do the director and author tell the audience who-done-it long before the movie is over? (This is a particularly thorny point in Auiler's book).And those are only the questions which pop to mind after a first viewing with no preconceptions.

With a foreward (really a short appreciation of "Vertigo")by Martin Scorsese, Dan Auiler's book is a "Vertigo" encyclopedia:the author has collected color and black & white photographs from the film and from ad campaigns; he shows us reproductions of Hitchcock's famous storyboards; he has researched and explained how and why the screenplay was written (and by whom!)and lets us know how Hitchcock participated in the writing in this and everyone of his films and why the studio did not want Hitchcock to direct this movie, preferring that he do another African adventure after the success of "The Man Who Knew Too Much." We learn how Bernard Herrmann's score came about and was recorded,why the specific actors were chosen for their roles and how they worked with their director, how the movie was made ready for the public and how the public received it, originally and in its re-release.There is also a discussion of the process used in making VERTIGO which was called Vistavision.

Auiler also explains the process by which this great, sad, twisted, dark, mysterious, complicated, brave movie was saved from destruction by complete restoration, a painstaking process that directors such as Scorsese support and fund on a regular basis.

This book is a must-read for any fans of Alfred Hitchcock, of "Vertigo" and, indeed, for any film fans.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ... Read more

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Chapters: Roman Polanski, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, James Cameron, Mel Gibson, Frank Capra, Robert Redford, Bernardo Bertolucci, Miloš Forman, Robert Altman, Billy Wilder, John Huston, Elia Kazan, Cecil B. Demille, William Wyler, Warren Beatty, Paul Newman, Barbra Streisand, Mike Nichols, George Cukor, David Lean, Kevin Costner, Leo Mccarey, Fred Zinnemann, Peter Jackson, Robert Rossen, Sidney Lumet, Oliver Stone, Ang Lee, Richard Attenborough, Robert Zemeckis, Anthony Minghella, Stanley Kramer, Sam Mendes, Michael Cimino, Vincente Minnelli, Julian Schnabel, William Friedkin, Jack Cardiff, Herbert Ross, Joshua Logan, Arthur Hiller, László Benedek, Charles Jarrott. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 542. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Clinton Elias "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American film actor, director, producer, and composer. He has received five Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, and five People's Choice Awards including one for Favorite All-Time Motion Picture Star. Eastwood is known for his anti-hero acting roles in violent action and western films. Following his role as a cast member of the TV series Rawhide starting in 1958, he went on to star as the Man With No Name in the Dollars trilogy of Spaghetti Westerns in the 1960s and as Inspector Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry films of the 1970s and 1980s. These roles have made him an enduring icon of masculinity. Eastwood is also known for his comedic efforts in Every Which Way but Loose and Any Which Way You Can, his two highest-grossing films after adjustment for inflation. For his work in the films Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004), Eastwood won Academy Awards for Best Director and for produ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=43373 ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Casino, Les Affranchis, Aviator, Taxi Driver, Shutter Island, Gangs of New York, Kundun, Raging Bull, Les Nerfs à Vif (Film, 1991), à Tombeau Ouvert (Film, 1999), No Direction Home, Mean Streets, La Dernière Tentation Du Christ, La Couleur de L'argent, le Temps de L'innocence, La Valse Des Pantins, New York Stories, Alice N'est Plus Ici, After Hours, New York, New York, Mon Voyage En Italie. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Casino est un drame criminel américano-français réalisé par Martin Scorsese sorti en 1995. L'histoire est basée sur un ouvrage de Nicholas Pileggi, qui a cosigné le scénario avec le réalisateur. Les deux rôles masculins principaux sont interprétés par Robert De Niro et Joe Pesci (qui jouaient déjà ensemble et sous la direction de Scorsese dans Les Affranchis et Raging Bull), accompagnés de Sharon Stone qui a reçu pour son rôle le Golden Globe de la meilleure actrice dans un film dramatique en 1996. Il s'agit d'un film « scorsésien » par excellence, dans la mesure où un grand nombre des thèmes de prédilection du réalisateur sont abordés, tels la mafia, la religion, le mal ou encore la trahison. C'est un film complexe qui mélange les genres et multiplie les informations, au rythme d'une bande-son éclectique et dense. Casino est le seizième long-métrage de Martin Scorsese, et marque la huitième collaboration de celui-ci avec Robert de Niro. Dans les années 1970, Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (De Niro) est envoyé à Las Vegas par la mafia de Chicago pour diriger l'hôtel-casino Tangiers, financé en sous-main par le puissant syndicat des camionneurs. Il a un contrôle absolu de toutes les affaires courantes, et gère d'une main de fer cette «terre promise», tandis que l'argent coule à flots. Le...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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Chapters: Francis Ford Coppola, Jenna Jameson, Martin Scorsese, Frank Capra, Sylvester Stallone, Brian de Palma, Quentin Tarantino, Godfrey Reggio, Steve Buscemi, Matt Pizzolo, Robert Zemeckis, Vin Diesel, Sofia Coppola, Abel Ferrara, Stanley Tucci, Tom Savini, Michael Cimino, Lizzy Borden, Roy Campanella Ii, Christopher Coppola, Giovanni Capitello, Tamela D'amico, William Lustig, Tony Giglio, Joseph Zito. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 220. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Martin C. Scorsese (born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. He is the founder of the World Cinema Foundation and a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema, and has won awards from the Oscars, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Directors Guild of America. Scorsese is president of The Film Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to film preservation. Scorsese's body of work addresses such themes as Italian American identity, Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption, machismo, and violence. Scorsese is widely considered to be one of the most significant and influential American filmmakers of his era, directing landmark films such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas all of which he collaborated on with actor and close friend Robert De Niro. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for The Departed and earned an MFA in film directing from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. In 2007, Scorsese was honored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) at the nonprofit's 32nd Anniversary Gala. During the ceremony, Scorsese helped launch NIAF's Jack Valenti Institute, which provides support to Italian American film students, in memory of former Foundation Board Member and past presiden...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=18995 ... Read more

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With a new Introduction by Martin Scorsese.

If Stanley Kubrick had made only 2001: A Space Odyssey or Dr. Strangelove, his cinematic legacy would have been assured. But from his first feature film, Fear and Desire, to the posthumously released Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick created an accomplished body of work unique in its scope, diversity, and artistry, and by turns both lauded and controversial.
In this newly revised and definitive edition of his now classic study, film critic Michel Ciment provides an insightful examination of Kubrick's thirteen films--including such favorites as Lolita, A Clockwork Orange, and Full Metal Jacket--alongside an assemblage of more than four hundred photographs that form a complementary photo essay. Rounding out this unique work are a short biography of Kubrick; interviews with the director, as well as cast and crew members, including Malcolm McDowell, Shelley Duvall, and Jack Nicholson; and a detailed filmography and bibliography.
Meshed with masterful integrity, the book's text and illustrations pay homage to one of the most visionary, original, and demanding filmmakers of our time.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Must-Have
I know it's been said before, though never with this sense of urgency: this book is a MUST HAVE for anyone into Kubrick's work, anyone with a passion for film-making or simply anyone looking for a great book on art & film. Profusely illustrated with rarely seen images and written in a style that goes from the intimate to the most general aspects of Kubrick's life, going through this book will make you feel like an acquaintance of the great master witnessing a friendly discussion on set. A must have indeed.

Kubrick-The Definitive Edition
One of the most interesting books I have read on Kubrick.Plenty of set photos. A great addition to any Kubrick library.

An excellent overview of entire Kubrick's career
With Stanley Kubrick dead and his final film released, Michael Ciment had the opportunity to update his biography/analysis of the great director's career. Rather than rewrite the entire book, he's decided to update it with new interviews and an additional chapter or two on Eyes Wide Shut. (The previous edition was updated to include Full Metal Jacket.) He's also added a lot more photographs --- stills from the films and images of Kubrick at work. The photos of Kubrick working on EWS are particularly interesting.

Early in the book, after a short biographical chapter, Ciment goes through a list of common motifs in Kubrick's films. These include the use of masks, actors in dual roles, character playing games such as chess and cards within the film, circular set design, and a close shot of a main character's eye. Because this section was not updated to include Full Metal Jacket or Eyes Wide Shut, you can decide for yourself if these motifs were carried on in the those two films. (In my opinion, many of the motifs are not found in his last two films.)

This is followed by an essay on 'Kubrick and the Fantastic,' a dull and pretentious piece that doesn't add much. It leads to the best part of the book, the second half, in which Kubrick and his collaborators are interviewed. Kubrick responds to questions with answers that are full of information, but he's evasive when he describes his own films. Later on, the author explains why: Kubrick felt his movies should be self-explanatory (after multiple viewings) and didn't like the "What's this movie about?" question.

The interviews with actors, set designers, co-writers, and costume designers are very good. Everyone has the same reaction: Kubrick exasperated them as he demanded their best work . . . but they wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world. It's a testament to Kubrick that he choose people who were not petty. (The only sour note is Frederick Raphael, the co-screenwriter for Eyes Wide Shut. He seems smart, but not in Kubrick's league.)

If you're a casual Kubrick fan, this book is a worthwhile introduction. The photos are very good and, as an overview, it's excellent. It is, however, pretentious at times in the analysis of the films. For the hardcore Kubrick fan who has read (or is planning to read) everything on the director, this book ranks third or fourth. Read Baxter's and Herr's books first.

We were waiting
This book has been held in high regard ever since it first appeared.Earlier editions were becoming collectible and were always disappearing from libraries.

I guess it was safe for a reappearance following the passing of Stanley Kubrick and the completion of his body of work.The book has been reworked beautifully, including all of the amazing color photos, essays, and interviews from before plus some new additions, namely chapters on Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut chapters.There are additional interviews with various collaborators.

In short, in the wake of Kubrick books that sprouted up following the director's death in 1999, Ciment's Kubrick ranks right at the top.It's a gorgeous volume, and the interviews (done by Ciment following Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, and The Shining) are some of the most enlightening words from the director.

Highly recommended for the Kubrick fan and the film buff.Also recommended is Thomas Allen Nelson's Kubrick: Inside a Film Artist's Maze.

DEFINITIVE, INDEED!
I am glad Mr. Ciment waited until Kubrick's oeuvre was completed before updating what is, indeed, the very last word on this very unique artist's films.Everything is here from the first edition which was out-of-print for quite awhile plus the films that were made after.With Stanley Kubrick's death we now have the very best study of the themes, techniques and recurring visions of a very singular artist.Anyone who wants to understand the evolution of Stanley Kubrick can disregard all the other flawed books out there and put this one on the shelf as a keeper.With detailed analysis and tons of pictures, any serious fan of his films will appreciate this as only the subtitle says it is - the definitive edition. ... Read more

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For more than three decades, Bruce Springsteen’s ability to express in words and music the deepest hopes, fears, loves, and sorrows of average Americans has made him a hero to his millions of devoted fans. Racing in the Street is the first comprehensive collection of writings about Springsteen, featuring the most insightful, revealing, famous, and infamous articles, interviews, reviews, and other writings. This nostalgic journey through the career of a rock-’n’-roll legend chronicles every album and each stage of Springsteen’s career. It’s all here—Dave Marsh’s Rolling Stone review of Springsteen’s ten sold-out Bottom Line shows in 1975 in New York City, Jay Cocks’s and Maureen Orth’s dueling Time and Newsweek cover stories, George Will’s gross misinterpretation of Springsteen’s message on his Born in the USA tour, and Will Percy’s 1999 interview for Double Take, plus much, much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Extemely thorough-- nice extras
In this book, June Sawyers has assembled a wonderful variety of Springsteen articles from as far back as 1973. All of the classic pieces are here-- the Time and Newsweek pieces, excerpts from Dave Marsh, Father Andrew Greeley on Springsteen's "Catholic imagination", even the infamous George Will monstrosity about "Born in the USA". The only one that seems to be missing is Jon Landau's "rock and roll future" article, but that can always be found elsewhere. Sawyers also has some very nice excerpts from novels where Springsteen's name and influence are invoked; these help to show his wider influence on the world of popular culture. But even aside from the different authors this reader assembles, the "extras" this book includes at the front and back-- a complete list of all the bands Bruce ever played in; one of the most through chronologies of his life ever printed; maps of Asbury Park and Freehold; a full discography (up to 2002); a wonderful biblography, among other items-- is by itself worth the price of admission. This is in many way the most indispensible addtion to any Springsteen library. Bruce has done so much in the years since it was published that one really hopes a revision is in the works.

A Boss Book for the Boss Fans
A must read for all fans of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen.I especially enjoyed the interview sections.They were the highlight of this book.They offered rare insight into Springsteen's thinking.I enjoyed the review of his earlier works.It does get a bit tedious at times, but overall, it is a very good and enjoyable read.It would make a welcome addition to any Springsteen Fan's collection.

Gerard Zemek
husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

Good Overview Of Writings On Springsteen
I really enjoyed the majority of the pieces in June Skinner Sawyers' Racing In The Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader. Highlights for me include Martin Scorese's (brief) foreward (always figured he was a fan) and, of all things, the excerpts from one Kevin Major's young adult novel Dear Bruce Springsteen, in which my favorite passage in the collection occurs:

"I knew he [the young narrator's father] was into your music a lot. He never listened to it much in the house, mostly when he was driving the old van we used to have. Mostly then by himself. The four of us were in the van once and he put on Nebraska. Mom made him take it off because, she said, it sounded too depressing. He sort of grunted something about she didn't know what good music was and popped out the tape. She said if you're going to spend money we can't afford on music, then you might as well spend it on something that'll cheer you up. He ignored her."

Now tell me - is there a Bruce fan alive that can't relate to that?

Though I would have liked to have seen Tama Janowitz' "You And The Boss" and Richard Meltzer's "The Meaning of Bruce" (both collected in Clinton Heylin's Penguin Book Of Rock & Roll Writing, if you're interested) included for balance, this is a solid anthology of writings on Bruce, and recommended if you're a fan.

PS Also recommended if you're a fan of great music writing (or great writing, period): Lester Bangs' Psychotic Reactions And Carburetor Dung and Mainlines, Blood Feasts, And Bad Taste.

Racing Is A Great Boss Bio Plus...
Racing In The Street is not so much a great biography about Bruce.
It goes much deeper.
It is a series of very insightful articles pinpointing the appeal Bruce has for so many of his fans.

He is a mega star but it is his struggle to remain normal and humble that is at the heart of this book.

For the casual fan, If you truly want to know why his fans are so intense, this is the book to read.
For his fans that have always tried to figure out why we are so intense, this book puts all that into perspective better than any other.

Highly recommended.

Great book for any Bruce fan!!!
This book provides wonderful, informative articles that offer various perceptions of the Boss and his 30+ year career!!! I learned so much about how other people see Bruce, and gained knowledge about his life and work, which was very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Boss and wants to gain more insight into his long and amazing career. The maps, discography, timeline, and other extras were also brilliant additions to the collection! ... Read more