Martin Scorsese: A Retrospective - Tom Shone

The films of Martin Scorsese sear themselves into our collective film consciousness because they are such extreme examples of personal artistic expression. His films connect with us because they’re not aiming for the widest possible audience. They feel as though they had to be made. In Martin Scorsese: A Retrospective (Abrams, $40), Tom Shone, whose overview is the first such study to get the director’s approval, recounts Scorsese’s Little Italy upbringing and the childhood asthma that kept him off the streets and in the movie houses. From Scorsese’s first short film "What’s a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This?" through this year’s documentary on the New York Review of Books, "The 50-Year Argument", Shone tracks the artistic highs, lows ,and under-rated works that make up Scorsese’s illustrious career. Whether you can’t forget the classics like "Taxi Driver" or are hooked on his recent genre pictures this is every Scorsese fan’s must-have.

Martin Scorsese: A Retrospective By Tom Shone Cover Image
$40.00
ISBN: 9781419710629
Availability: Backordered
Published: Abrams - October 7th, 2014

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride - Cary Elwes, Joe Layden, Rob Reiner

Oh yes, you want this book. Your every fond memory of watching or reading The Princess Bride will only be magnified by this lovely volume. Narrated by Wesley/Dread Pirate Roberts himself (forgive the spoiler, but it’s been 27 years), Cary Elwes’s As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride (Touchstone, $26) is the story behind the brilliant book-to-film adaptation that set the genre’s standard. Director Rob Reiner’s introduction conveys the fresh excitement and genuine pride that runs throughout this account. Elwes retraces the film’s making with a day-by-day chronicle along with reminiscences of fellow cast members, including Robin Wright and Billy Crystal, the crew, and Bride’s author and screenwriter, William Goldman. (The actor includes one adorable moment when “Bill” Goldman is caught on film unconsciously praying under his breath during the first day of filming.) Color photos, the author’s witty commentary, and ROUS’s abound in this book for film fans in general and Bride aficionados especially. And do take a gander at the reverse of the book jacket—the special poster is all you could ever wish for.

Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad - Brett Martin

Difficult Men is a chronicle of the first wave of Cable's original network programming and its impact on the future of television. The title refers both to the shows' protagonists and their odd creators. There’s the cantankerous and black-humored "Sopranos" creator David Chase. "Deadwood"'s David Milich with his “inspirational” drug use and almost-shaman like writing process; "Mad Men"'s obsessive and prickly Matthew Weiner; and "The Wire"’s David Simon who used the medium to conduct blistering attacks on the rot at the heart of public institutions. Author Brett Martin illustrates how each of these men worked through the ranks of television to eventually wield unprecedented creative power and change the industry forever.

Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution By Brett Martin Cover Image
$20.00
ISBN: 9780143125693
Availability: Backordered
Published: Penguin Books - July 29th, 2014

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