Entertainment Books

This book has a huge amount of films that Overstreet basically reviews and ties into each chapter. It is amazing how he connects so many seemingly secular films to Christian values. I'd recommend this book to anyone who thinks that every film not coming from Christian makers is garbage, because Overstreet has definitely found deeply religious themes in some very offensive films.

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keen insight and well written. going to go back to movies thinking a little differently going forward.

Jeffrey Overstreet expertly guides readers on a cinematic journey, thoughtfully raising questions and broaching issues to help Christians and non-Christians alike challenge their traditional views on art, faith, culture and cinema.

Overstreet demonstrates remarkable skill in providing a comprehensive and thoughtful reflection on a wide variety of films. He discusses them in fresh ways, displaying cultural relevance in his interpretation while also dramatically illustrating the spiritual principles and biblical truths that surface in the themes of each film.

Overstreet's masterful work will offer you a fresh look at beauty, truth, evil and redemption in the movies. A must-have for any film lover!

What books were to previous generations, movies are to the present one; their ability to teach and shape our view of reality is unparalled by any other medium. Christians can't afford to be ignorant of the content and power here, and "Through a Screen Darkly" provides an excellent guide.

As a filmmaker and a Christian I am always striving to find an articulate voice able to handle the spiritual as well as the cinematic. With Jeffery Overstreet's Through a Screen Darkly I have found a strong one. The book traces Overstreet's own experience with cinema as an artist, a Christian and a human being. The book serves to open readers' eyes not only to their own experiences, but to the larger questions of artistic as well as moral excellence. Highly recommended.

I live and die for House (well, really Hugh Laurie) so I grabbed this book as soon as it came out. The interviews with his castmates and others behind the scenes are interesting but I would have liked more original material and a lot more of Laurie.

Although I have not yet finished reading this book, the chapters I've read through have given me some insight into Hugh Laurie, himself ... an extremly intelligent and interesting man! He also seems very self-depreciating an admirable quality for such a multi talented Brit?American superstar! Paul Challen makes this Bio an enjoyable and humorous read. I highly recomend it.

I'm a big fan of everything Hugh Laurie, particularly House, and Jeeves and Wooster. This 'autobiography' was a complete waste of money, without a single redeeming feature. There are no original interviews with Hugh or other cast members of House. The 'biographer' seems to have relied on Google as his primary research tool.

This book appears as if it were rushed to market to capitalize on the show's fame. There is, sadly, nothing new or insightful about the actors in the biographical portion of the book. All the information in the book can be found through other sources. I was also disappointed with the book's poor editorial quality. There are glaring errors on almost every page: misspellings, grammatical errors, misplaced paragraphs are all clearly noticeable. It may serve as an introduction to the show for non-fans, but there is nothing new in here that House fans don't already know.

This book gives the reader a reasonable introduction to the main characters on the hit show House, MD, although most of the information contained in the biographical sections of the book is likely available on Wikipedia. The episode guides are interesting reading, but need some work, and the number of errors seem to increase with the seasons. Perhaps some of this can be explained by a difference between what actually aired and what was scripted, but the details are error prone often containing multiple misquotes and outright incorrect information such as the wrong medication or condition. The "Booboos" sections of the episodes often directly contradict multiple medical references such as the current edition of the Merck Manual and others. In the episode differential sections, the flows of the episodes are also sometimes misordered or incomplete. The Exam Room section details are also incorrect some of the time, at least when compared to the DVD/aired version of the episodes.

Still, I enjoyed reading the book and picked up a few details I had missed when first watching the episodes. Also, some of the conclusions drawn were definitely food for thought.

I waited a long time to buy the original companion mainly because I didn't have a credit/debit card and local bookstores don't carry it. The online merchandise store the band uses is also a little overpriced.
When it arrived in the mail, I immediately looked through it and was pleasantly surprised. There's not a bunch of pictures, if you are a picture buff, but the text is an enjoyable read and the sheet music is pretty accurate and simple enough to play if you can read music... and play piano.
For any fan that knows how Amanda Palmer works and is interested in not only the back story of the band but the back story of Amanda, this is the book for you.

This book is alright but I bought it thinking it was all of their songs and was disappointed to find out it's only early stuff. It makes a big deal about including photos, art, writing etc, but considering there are only 11 songs of sheet music, it would be a pretty thin book without all the other stuff. It's a great book, I am just more of a fan of Yes Virginia than the self titled, so now am searching again for sheet music for my favourite songs, Delilah, Mandy Goes to Med School, My Alcholic Friends etc, when I thought I had paid $45 (NZ) for them already. poos. PS If anyone knows where to get hold of Cat Power sheet music can you let me know? Thanks.

Guitar chords and full sheet music for every song (except 672) on the original debut album, plus a section with photos and information on the band. I'd recommend this even if you don't play piano or guitar.

As a fan of the music, as well as a musician, I find a great amount of appreciation for the Companion. It really is the only book of its kind, you aren't going to get a songbook with both the histories of the band, each individual song, and perfomance tips written in on the musical scores.

If you're interested in playing songs by the Dresden Dolls, this will be an invaluable resource, but even if you just appreciate their music, this is a window into the heart and soul of an excellent band. The only problem I have is with the book itself, I wish it were capable of resting open on a music stand without closing or flopping over.

This book was really helpful when trying to play the songs i've heard for so long. It's actually very cool to see Amanda scribble out a lyric and write in one she prefers instead. Keep in mind though, that this book does come with a parental advisory sticker, but it's really nothing to be concerned about. If you're old enough to listen to their music, you're mature enough to hand the content inside.

A journey to love that readers familiar with this Hollywood couple will likely enjoy. The couple takes turns narrating their lives from childhood to adulthood - from college at Yale to the New York theatre to the Los Angeles Hollywood scene. We read about their romantic relationships. We read about addictions and issues with their parents. We read about their own struggle to become parents. The book wraps with Angela and Courtney's views/tips on becoming a better you/strengthening and maintaining your relationships. Readers are sure to come away from this with a greater respect for this couple's views on life and love.

*NOTE: There are WAY too many typos in this book. Would I buy it? Hmmm, nah - not something I'd want to read again.

I really enjoyed reading Angela's contributions. Courtney's grew on me. The book was a thorough journey down the path(s) that led them to become [such] great lovers, and it's a very insightful and candid story. Alot of passion I felt through their recounting, and it even made me look at some things in my own life differently. Would recommend to men and women-- whether single, married, divorced.......or dating! I think it may change the way one looks at the opposite sex [a little bit]--

Oh... I just got this book and within three days I'm almost finished Angela and Courtney bring you into their world.. I want more more more.. I love their story it is so touching.. thumbs up...

Like most others, I highly enjoyed Angela & Courtney's story. I loved how the author alternated from her story to his bringing completion to the whole novel. I admire them both more seeing how they put their personal tragedies & demons out in the open but yet came out on top.

I'm not completely done this book. Bought it because I heard Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance speak on Oprah. The writing isn't very good, but I am enjoying very much hearing about their individual lives leading up to the point where they become interested in each other. I have started many books in 2007, but this is one I haven't been able to put down and will definitely finish!

This was a great way to "finish the story." I loved the people in the story- laughed with them and cried with them. Sharon should write more of this kind of story- she is the best.

When you bring up the subject of Laurel and Hardy's last film to Laurel and Hardy buffs, many may cringe. It was terrible, the boys were sick, it never should have been made etc. Many refuse to even watch the film, so bad is its repuatation. But author Norbert Aping makes the case that Atoll K, while not a great film, is NOT the abomination people believe it is. Aping writes about the film from its conception, the writing, the filming, the editing, and the many versions that were released in different areas of the world. He also details the health problems Laurel and Hardy dealt with during the filming. Aping includes rare photos taken on filming locations, sample pages from the script, and lobby cards and advertising from all over the world. Also included are details of scenes that were cut from the original version of the film, French box office reports, and a filmography of the verious versions of Atoll K. Atoll K is a Laurel and Hardy film that needs another look, and this book is a good start.

This is the kind of "keeper" that fans and historians dream about. What is fascinating is to see rare behind the scenes photos, worldwide promotion, and read detailed analysis of a subject which I surmise many people thought ended with other fine books.
If you feel, as this reviewer does, that Atoll K was their best film since Hal Roach, then you will not know where the time goes as you enjoy this tome.
[Don't like the cover design altogether: "Laurel And Hardy" should be on one line, or covering three lines, as in their short subject opening titles: but, tut-tut-tut...it's not a deterrant!].

I highly recommend this book, which is beautifully written. When you finish "In Balanchine's Company," you'll be searching Amazon to see what other books Ms. Fisher has written. I look forward to reading more!

With the grace of a ballerina transposed to the page, Barbara Milberg Fisher's memoir, In Balanchine's Company, captures the ephemeral art and rigorous discipline of dance in the New York City Ballet during its early and formative years. From her childhood on a tree-lined street in Brooklyn leaping over mud puddles, when her Russian emigre parents told her to practice the piano to keep her out of mischief, and gave her ballet lessons as an antidote to her hoydenish exploits, to the afternoon when George Balanchine discovered her playing Schubert's C Minor sonata in an empty studio, she describes the education of an artist en route from Flatbush to the world's most glittering stages. In recounting her own journey, Ms. Fisher sheds light on the creative process of George Balanchine and the many extraordinary dancers, musicians, costume and set designers who worked with his fledgling company.

"Sometimes," she wrote, "it seemed as if the company was flowing out of his veins." But while Mr. Balanchine was the presiding genius, it was the passion and dedication of his dancers, their unquestioning sense of mission, long hours, and sweat that brought his dreams to fruition. Ms. Fisher takes us into the studios with the tinkling pianos where for hours each day the young dancers did barre exercises and floor work under the watchful eyes of their beloved ballet masters, and, later, practiced and critiqued each other over and over until their lungs were bursting and the dancing looked effortless. She describes the patient way Mr. Balanchine worked with individual dancers, keenly aware of the natural ways they moved, creating ballets that used their special talents and gifts, recreating the role of Firebird to fit Maria Tallchief's style of movement, "a brilliant whirling creature," restoring the candy cane hoop dance to the Nutcracker to fit Robert Barnet's tireless vitality. She gives us insight into the making of avant garde masterpieces such as Opus 34, in which she appeared as a bandaged corpse, and Agon, which opened with Melissa Hayden's high speed footwork, and in which Balanchine experimented with silent arm gestures invented by the dancers themselves (which were cut from the final version). She shows us the theatres they performed in throughout Europe and across America, dark, drafty stages and blinding spotlights, how they rehearsed to the point of exhaustion, and, how, undeterred by blisters and sprains, they danced their hearts out on ancient splintered floors, thin wood planks laid on concrete, "raked" stages that tilted downward, in splendid costumes, or in worn toe shoes stuffed with paper, dazzling audiences wherever they went.

Ms. Fisher weaves her personal story with that of Balanchine's company as she rose from the corps de ballet to soloist in works such as Illuminations and Afternoon of a Faun, traveled, made lasting friends, read voraciously and indiscriminately, and from time to time questioned Mr. Balanchine, on one occasion asking why the father in Prodigal doesn't help the boy in the end. She recalls her whirlwind courtship, marriage, touring with Jerome Robbins' company as a principal dancer after leaving the New York City Ballet, and performing at the White House. She retired at age thirty-one following the birth of her second child, and went on to become a Professor of English at City College, where her deep appreciation for poetry was an inspiration to her students. Written with lively and precise detail that is a pleasure to read, her memoir is a story with legs.

My ballet experience is limited to one class I took as a 5 year old and a handful of ballets that I have gone to see over the years. And yet I was captivated by the glimpse of the world of a professional ballerina, particularly since it seems that Barbara Milberg Fisher was a participant in an important era in the development of American ballet.

I have to admit that I do know Barbara personally as the mother of a college friend, but that had nothing to do with how much I enjoyed the book, except perhaps that it gave me new respect for her. Barbara's life as a young talented dancer seems so removed from the woman I knew as an English professor and the hard-working single mother of my friend. To be sure, her wit and quirky sense of humor are certainly recognizable in the book. And the "voice" is definitely hers. But it seemed incredible that the relatively modest woman I knew could have led such an exciting and impressive life as a young woman.

I very much like that the book is about her experiences and yet is not at all a self-centered book. I suppose I'm guilty of believing in stereotypes (or in press accounts of the actions of famous dancers), as I tend to think of ballerinas as being vain, demanding, and self-absorbed. And yet even when the story is about something that happened to her, Barbara's focus is often on the other people rather than on herself. And she is quite honest in divulging some of her own mistakes and embarrassing moments.

Her stories are humorous and even sometimes quite suspenseful (such as when she snuck into across the Berlin Wall). Her youthful exuberance, defiance, as well as dedication to ballet, are shown clearly in her vivid descriptions. I found that in reading the book, I learned about dance and dance history, world history, and even some lessons about dealing with people, all while being delightfully entertained.

Barbara Fisher is obviously a remarkable person who has a lot to tell us about the rigors of a life in dance as well as delightful stories about her interactions with Balanchine and many other key figures in the dance world, including Stravinsky. The book is a perfect gift for anyone who cares about the art of dance.

this book didn't tell me anything i didn't already know. i guess i was hoping it would go more into friendships and events these two had been involved with but it seemed to just skim over their life with the bare minimum of details. i wasted my money.

The simple introduction here would be, "Liked him but didn't like her." Of course, he has that warm, winning smile that makes him both attractive and seemingly approachable--while she favors a frowny pout that is very off-putting. (The book contains 16 pages of photographs, most of them in color.) But more importantly, he has real talent that he has worked all his life to cultivate, while her skills might be charitably described as modest and haphazardly developed. Morton makes the point that Posh has always pursued success rather than proficiency: "Victoria's supreme ambition, the goal she had had since childhood, was to be famous and admired . . . [and her] success was achieved quickly and in spite of, rather than because of, any real talent she could demonstrate." I am also not keen on promoting anorexic role models for today's youth, and there are many pages in this tome devoted to her slenderizing habits.

For a change of pace (although not a sports buff), I took the time while reading this book to watch clips of David's action on the soccer field. I was amazed at what I saw, both in terms of skill but also, and unexpectedly, in terms of joy--this man loves to play! Yet he is described as "nice but dim," and his wife is a high school dropout.

Morton provides his own analysis of this couple: "He seems content to be who he is, secure in his skin, a talented footballer doing what he has always wanted. On the other hand, Victoria is driven by the demons within; a woman who is at once dauntless, intrepid, and dynamic, and yet insecure, vulnerable, and needy." But they have found each other, they love their kids, and they have been successful at promoting "Brand Beckham." Maybe it will all work out in the end . . .

I have read many books this is the second time and last time I ever read a book from this author. I happen to like the Beckhams, and feel that every single public personality deserves a key word privacy. When you cannot trust your nannies, cleaning people that is really sad, especially since they are a normal couple with children that fight and have their difficulties like everyone else in the world, they are the upper 3% of the world with money, they worked hard for it and deserve every single penny if we buy into them and their branding..and strong family values.
I am sad if David did have affairs on his wife because that is a lack of respect for her and his boys and if they even have an agreement to an open marriage it is still no ones business but their own. there is a saying men like blueberry pie, once in awhile they like a little apple but than they return to the bluebuerry pie men love history they never leave their wives!
To Victoria if you want your fashion sense to soar like an eagle think globally not locally to size 0.,go larger bring your books sell it all and than use some of it for charity or a training school for homeless teenagers to get them off the streets.
I would go QVC or Shopping channel with your fragrances and clothing and sunglasses the more units you sell the more you make it is simple math. Do Jewlery too and anything you can brand your name on because Beckham sells because everyone wants a piece of you it represents wealth and abundance.
You go Beckhams and when the press hate you it is because you are doing well. No one wants your sucess it is a famous saying. Andrew Morton can you never write a book that is pleasant I challenge you to do it my gosh man you are a negative and jealous writter and no better than the thousands of papparazzi that chase these people daily for their fix!

Andrew Morton is presented as the something between the devil incarnate and the Brit version of Kitty Kelley but this book, Posh and Becks isn't that bad actually. In fact, it's pretty fair. He makes it clear that the whole Girl Power thing that the Spice Girls had going was actually crap. They were invented by two busnessmen and their careers were guided by their male manager. They were a business venture first and musicians second. But hey, they entertained a whole lot of people and they all got rich so who can complain?

Morton says that the Adams/Beckham wedding was tacky. Well, that's a mater of opinion but the pictures of the wedding did provoke more derisive laughter than envy in most people who commented publicly.

Morton presents Beckham as a nice guy who let's his wife make the decisions... that could said for most happily married men. Morton also brings up a few alleged affairs but he makes it clear that the women involved all told their stories to the media so their actions have to be suspect.

As for Victoria Beckham herself, Morton spent less time talking about her relationships before Beckham than she did in her own book. She complains bitterly about Morton in her book but all in all, Posh and Becks isn't a hatchet job and seemed rather mild to me. Pity about Beckham's soccer career though.

Morton must receive his praise for putting together all the dirt there was on Posh and Becks. Is it morally wrong? By no means. Instead of digging through old glossy magazines you can check one book with a glossy cover.
One question which this book fails to answer is how a player who is apparently past his prime and a girl who never was a good singer could become and continue to be such celebrities world-wide. But this is not a question which has anything to do with this charming couple but with us.