Reference Books

Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever 2009 (Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Video Hound's Golden Movie Retriever 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Video Hound is the best way yet to evaluate a movie before buying or renting it. I am impressed by the multiple ways to search - actors, material content, category, rating, etc. No negative aspects except that many good foreign movies are excluded, and you need a new version every couple of years to keep up with newer films.

This Book Rocks-Settles any argument instantly! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is the 4th Videohound book that I have purchased over the past 10 years. The information is presented in short, sweet, concise paragraphs that cut straight to the point. The greatest feature of the Videohound books is the cross-reference ability. This book has settled many an argument in my house about the year of a film or who was in it. A must have if you live with a trivia buff. Excellent for finding obscure films that you didn't know were hiding out there somewhere. Well worth the money, an excellent gift for that hard to buy for person.

This was a Christmas gift for my neighbor. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought it for HER, but I couldn't put it down! She loves it. This book left out Jan Clayton who starred in a six movies which are in my library. THIS MAN'S NAVY, for instance. And the LASSIE DVD's and VHS's [of course].

The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script

David Trottier

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 107 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

How does a spec script differ from a shooting script? What kind of fasteners should one use to bind a script? How did the term MOS come to mean without sound? You'll find the answers to these pressing questions and much more in David Trottier's eminently usable Screenwriter's Bible. The avuncular Trottier--a writer-producer, script consultant, and seminar leader--has written a friendly guide through the Hollywood morass. He touts it as six books in one: it's "a screenwriting primer, a screenwriting workbook, a formatting guide, a spec writing guide, a sales and marketing guide, [and] a resource guide."

Much of Trottier's advice is common sense: "Don't write anything that cannot appear on the screen"; to keep casting options open, don't make your physical descriptions too specific; "don't say Ron Howard is looking at the project if he is not." But there are things to know about Hollywood that are, well, quirkier. Don't write the title of your script on the front cover or side binding; present action sequences using the "stacking action" style; in query letters and scripts alike, avoid "big blocks of black ink." Trottier's guidance--from character development and revision to queries and pitches--is invaluable. Getting in the door can seem impossible, but it's not, necessarily. "If you write a script that features a character who has a clear and specific goal," says Trottier, "where there is strong opposition to that goal leading to a crisis and an emotionally satisfying ending, your script will automatically find itself in the upper five percent."

(By the way, MOS is said to have "originated with German director Eric von Stroheim, who would tell his crew, 'Ve'll shoot dis mid out sound'"). --Jane Steinberg

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Stephen J. Sansweet, Pablo Hidalgo, Bob Vitas, Daniel Wallace

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Editorial Review:

THE DEFINITIVE REFERENCE GUIDE TO A SPACE FANTASY PHENOMENON


The Star Wars universe, much like our own, is constantly expanding. In the ten years since the publication of the Star Wars Encyclopedia, a lot has happened in that galaxy far, far away: four new feature films, a host of official original novels, comics, video games, and more. Now, thirty years of information on all things Star Wars–ranging from science and technology to history and geography, culture and biography to ecology and cosmology–has been supplemented with an entire decade’s worth of all-new material. Abundantly illustrated with full-color artwork and photos, and now in a new three-volume edition to accommodate its wealth of detailed entries, the Star Wars Encyclopedia encompasses the full measure of George Lucas’s creation.

Here’s just a sampling of what’s inside:
• character portraits of both the renowned (Luke Skywalker, Queen Amidala, Darth Vader) and the obscure (Tnun Bdu, Tycho Celchu, Bib Fortuna)
• the natives and customs of planets as diverse as Tatooine and Hoth, Dagobah and Kashyyyk
• the rituals, secrets, and traditions of Jedi Knights and Sith Lords
• a timeline of major events in Star Wars history, from the Clone Wars and the inception of the Empire to the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker and the invasion of the monstrous Yuuzhan Vong

Scrupulously researched and written by leading authorities Stephen J. Sansweet, Pablo Hidalgo, Bob Vitas, and Daniel Wallace, this landmark work is the must-have centerpiece of every Star Wars library.

James Bond Encyclopedia

John Cork, Collin Stutz

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A COOL BLAST OF BOND 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

If I may wax nostalgic for a moment, I can still recall the very first James Bond movie that I sever saw...actually the first three Bond movies...it was sometime in the late 60's or early 70's and my mom took me and my brothers to the drive-in theater to see a triple feature of Goldfinger, Dr. No, and From Russia with Love...in that order. I know I never made it past the credits of From Russia with Love but man...I loved those first two films! I had never seen anything like Bond before with his cool gadgets and those nasty villains like Odd Job and that began a lifelong passion for James Bond. With Christmas approaching, I cannot think of a better gift for the Bond fan on your list than the James Bond Encyclopedia from DK Books.

I've read a lot of books from DK on popular films and while they are always very well done, they sometimes can be a bit light on material. No so with this book. This book contains over 300 pages filled with information that will test even the most knowledgeable of Bond fans. It is bountifully illustrated with over 2000 photographs and images and traces the Bond history right up to the most recent film, Casino Royale.

As the title suggests it is an encyclopedia but rather than just list its hundreds of entries in alphabetical order it lists them alphabetically by subject. The subjects include: The Bond Style, The Role of Bond, Bond Villains, Bond Women, Supporting Cast, Vehicles, Weapons & Equipment, and the Movies. A comprehensive index finishes things off.

The role of Bond covers the six actors who have portrayed Bond with two pages of biographical information on each actor and a list of the Bond films they starred in. Next up is the section on Bond Villains. This section covers Bond villains from the criminal masterminds Blofeld, Hugo Drax, and Goldfinger; crime lords like Frank Sanchez; muscled thugs Jaws, Odd Job, Mr. Kil, and Tee Hee; and dangerous females May Day, Elekta King, and Bambi & Thumper. The encyclopedia gives the film(s) they appeared in, their current status, characteristics, the actor who portrayed them, and a synopsis of their roles in the films.

No book on Bond would be complete without looking at the dozens of Bond Women played by some of the most beautiful actresses in the world: Terri Hatcher, Ursula Andress, Lana Wood, Eva Green, and Halle Berry. The section on supporting cast members covers all the other major and minor characters in the Bond films from Q to Miss Moneypenny. Each Aston Martin that Bond drove is featured in the section on vehicles along with some of the more extraordinary vehicles like the Bath-O-Sub from Diamonds are Forever and the Dragon Tank from Dr. No. And of course all of Bonds secret weapons and gadgets are detailed in the Weapons section.

The last fifty pages or so of the book covers each bond film in chronological order with a listing of cast and crew credits but rather than provide a synopsis of films you've probably seen numerous times the book instead provides anecdotes on the making of the films with all manner of interesting production notes.

This is a book that is perfect for the die-hard or casual James Bond fan.

Editorial Review:

Created in full collaboration with Eon Productions, producers of the Bond movies, this illustrated celebration of the world's most famous super-spy examines every aspect of 007's world, with information on his history, style, and tastes, along with A-Z guides to his adversaries, allies, gadgets, cars, and, of course, the ever-glamorous Bond girls. AUTHOR BIO: John Cork and Colin Stutz authorities on every aspect of the James Bond story, wrote the acclaimed book on the James Bond phenomenon, James Bond: The Legacy, have produced, written and directed 30 special feature documentaries for MGM's DVD releases of James Bond films, and contributed to The Ultimate James Bond: An Interactive Dossier CD-Rom for MGM Interactive.

The Quotable John Wayne: The Grit and Wisdom of an American Icon

Carol Lea Mueller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Father-in-law thrilled with it 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The John Wayne fanatic in our family (who, by the way, has nearly everything John Wayne) was excited to receive this as a gift.

A Fresh new look at John Wayne 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I've been a fan of "Duke" for over 30 years and I've read a lot about him, and I can say that "The Quotable John Wayne - The Grit And Wisdom Of An American Icon" by Carol Lea Mueller is one of the finest. Not simply another boring biography like many other books, this book succinctly gets to the 'True Grit'...the spirit behind the legend of the man. Chock full of interesting anecdotes,memorable quotes and tasty tidbits regarding Duke's attitudes about God, America & family values, it's all here. Good job Ms. Mueller!

Editorial Review:

Perhaps best known for his classic movie lines, such as Fill your hands, you sons-a-bitches from True Grit, the late actor John Wayne often displayed a spontaneous and biting wit away from the screen as well. This gem of inspiration contains Wayne anecdotes on God and country, the old West, friends and family, acting, and quotes from others about John Wayne the actor, and John Wayne the man.

The Visual Dictionary of Star Wars, Episodes IV, V, & VI: The Ultimate Guide to Star Wars Characters and Creatures

David Reynolds

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 43 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Watch the Star Wars trilogy enough times and you'll find yourself straining to catch all the little details. Not the subtle plot points (Darth is Luke's dad, check; Luke and Leia are brother and sister, check), but all the cool gear and gadgets that keep flashing in front of the camera. Like what are those pointy things on Boba Fett's kneepads? And what's with all that ammo on Chewie's bandolier? And does an Imperial Probe really need that many legs? Finally, we've got some answers.

David West Reynolds, a boyish Ph.D. in archaeology who looks like he just rode in on the last Bantha, has catalogued the artifacts and inhabitants of the Star Wars universe with the same clinical thoroughness one typically reserves for studying Mesopotamia. His oversized, eye-pleasing picture book is packed with scrutinizing photos of actual props and characters from the movies, complete with systematic, scientific labels. And Reynolds's friendly, pseudo-academic style seamlessly blends new information with old. (In the Sand People description, you can't help but hear Alec Guinness's voice when Reynolds reveals that "Sand People ride in single file to hide their numbers.") In a few instances, the book shines an embarrassing light on the movies (Max Rebo is clearly no alien lifeform, just a poofy, blue elephant muppet), but the countless close-ups of thermal detonators, imperial blasters, and gaffi sticks more than make up the difference. --Paul Hughes

The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age

Steven Ascher, Edward Pincus

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Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The authoritative guide to funding, preparing, shooting, lighting, editing, finishing and distributing your film or video

Widely acknowledged as the "bible" of film and video production and used in courses around the world, this indispensable guide to making movies is now updated with the latest advances in high- definition formats. For students and teachers, the professional and the novice filmmaker, this clear and comprehensive handbook remains the reliable reference to all aspects of moviemaking.
• Techniques for making narrative, documentary, corporate, experimental and feature films.
• Working with high-definition and standard-definition digital video formats, including DV, HD, and HDV.
• Extensive coverage of video editing with the latest nonlinear editing systems.
• Thorough grounding in lenses, lighting, sound recording, and sound editing.
• The business aspects of financing and producing movies.

Written by filmmakers for filmmakers, this book will give you the skills you need to take your dreams from script to screen.

The New Biographical Dictionary of Film: Expanded and Updated

David Thomson

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Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

For almost thirty years, David Thomson’s Biographical Dictionary of Film has been not merely “the finest reference book ever written about movies” (Graham Fuller, Interview), not merely the “desert island book” of art critic David Sylvester, not merely “a great, crazy masterpiece” (Geoff Dyer, The Guardian), but also “fiendishly seductive” (Greil Marcus, Rolling Stone).

This new edition updates the older entries and adds 30 new ones: Darren Aronofsky, Emmanuelle Beart, Jerry Bruckheimer, Larry Clark, Jennifer Connelly, Chris Cooper, Sofia Coppola, Alfonso Cuaron, Richard Curtis, Sir Richard Eyre, Sir Michael Gambon, Christopher Guest, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Spike Jonze, Wong Kar-Wai, Laura Linney, Tobey Maguire, Michael Moore, Samantha Morton, Mike Myers, Christopher Nolan, Dennis Price, Adam Sandler, Kevin Smith, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlize Theron, Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski, Lew Wasserman, Naomi Watts, and Ray Winstone.

In all, the book includes more than 1300 entries, some of them just a pungent paragraph, some of them several thousand words long. In addition to the new “musts,” Thomson has added key figures from film history–lively anatomies of Graham Greene, Eddie Cantor, Pauline Kael, Abbott and Costello, Noël Coward, Hoagy Carmichael, Dorothy Gish, Rin Tin Tin, and more.

Here is a great, rare book, one that encompasses the chaos of art, entertainment, money, vulgarity, and nonsense that we call the movies. Personal, opinionated, funny, daring, provocative, and passionate, it is the one book that every filmmaker and film buff must own. Time Out named it one of the ten best books of the 1990s. Gavin Lambert recognized it as “a work of imagination in its own right.” Now better than ever–a masterwork by the man playwright David Hare called “the most stimulating and thoughtful film critic now writing.”

Obssessed With... Hollywood: Test Your Knowledge of the Silver Screen (Obsessed With) (Obsessed With...)

Andrew J. Rausch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Obsessed with Hollywood - Great Movie Trivia Product!!! 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Obssessed With... Hollywood: Test Your Knowledge of the Silver Screen (Obsessed With) (Obsessed With...)

I'm so glad I finally got this movie trivia book! I passed over this book a few times over the holidays, but now that I've finally gotten myself a copy and taken time to read it / play with it, I'm wishing I would have gotten this earlier. I definitely could have seen giving this as a gift to my fellow movie junkies. And I would have certainly enjoyed playing this myself some more if I would have gotten it earlier.

This book is packed with very good film trivia questions, though not too difficult. Over my first couple of hours of playing I was at about %50. Definitely easy enough to keep my interest and challenging enough to joggle my memory.

The lower right corner houses an electronic answer box that randomly gives you question numbers to flip to. You also use this box to answer questions, and it gives you instant feedback and tracks your accuracy.

The book itself, while solid, could have been put together better. The bookstore had a few copies where the electronic answer box had broken free from the book. In addition, after playing for a while I've come to think the binding is too tight. A spiral binding would have made flipping through the questions easier.

Regardless, the content is very good and this thing is surprisingly addictive. If you love movie trivia and want something fun to kill a few hours, this will do it.

They've also got a similar book about Baseball which I also bought. Obsessed with...Baseball: Test Your Knowledge of America's Pastime (Obsessed With...) I would definitely look into this series for other topics. This may not be as cool for home use as some of the newer multimedia trivia games, like the various "Scene It" games Scene It? Movie Travel DVD Game. Still, this book is very portable and well designed with great content. At the price of around $16-$17, it's not a bad value.

Definitely give this one a try.

Enjoy!!!

Editorial Review:

With a whopping 2,500 multiple-choice questions spanning the world of film, Obsessed with HOLLYWOOD is the movie-lover's ultimate trivia experience. This sleek, compact book tests readers' knowledge on everything from unforgettable lines to obscure factoids. Chapters include Classic Films, Celebrity Icons, Academy Awards, and more; there's even a section on Guilty Pleasures those movies so bad, they're terrific. But, Obsessed with HOLLYWOOD is no average trivia book. Embedded in the package is a computerized quiz module that lets cinephiles compete against themselves or a friend. The book keeps track of how many answers each player gets right and reveals who is overdue for a trip to the video store.

Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia (Third Edition)

Dave Smith

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great source of infomation! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is a great resource for all Disney fans. All the characters, all the movies (unfortunately, the Mephisto movie made in collaboration with Salvador Dali is not in the book) and all the attractions, parks, properties and influentials employees are mentioned. Maybe just not as exhaustive as I would like it; it is, however, a great resource.

Great Gift 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a great gift for any Disney fan. Many listing bring back great memories and coll trivia.

A Book that Disney Fans should not live without! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

"Disney A to Z" is an awesome book that a true Disney fan cannot live without. It is a great book that will help you find out about old Disney movies, that you might have not seen. "Disney A to Z" encyclopedia is also an essential source for those that love to play the "Disney Seen it" board game. It gives a short description of ALL Disney movies including the short ones that came out after the World War II. I LOVE IT!!!

Editorial Review:

More than 6,500 entries and hundreds of photographs combine to provide a comprehensive reference on the world of Disney, providing authoritative coverage of the history of Disney, park attractions, television shows, songs, animated features and shorts, films, and much more.