Random House New Releases - Music - Performing Arts - Music Biographies - Entertainment Biographies

Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers by George Stevens, Jr.

2014-01-07T00:30:00-05:00

Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers The Next Generation
Written by George Stevens, Jr.

Trade Paperback, 768 pages | Vintage | Performing Arts - Film - Direction & Production | $20.00 | 978-0-307-47498-8 (0-307-47498-4)

A companion volume to George Stevens, Jr.’s, much admired book of American Film Institute seminars with the great pioneering moviemakers (“Invaluable”—Martin Scorsese).
Those represented here—directors, producers, writers, actors, cameramen, composers, editors—are men and women working in pictures, beginning in 1950, when the studio system was collapsing and people could no longer depend on, or were bound by, the structure of studio life to make movies.
            Here also are those who began to work long after the studio days were over—Robert Altman, David Lynch, Steven Spielberg, among them—who talk about how they came to make movies on their own. Some—like Peter Bogdanovich, Nora Ephron, Sydney Pollack, François Truffaut—talk about how they were influenced by the iconic pictures of the great pioneer filmmakers. Others talk about how they set out to forge their own paths—John Sayles, Roger Corman, George Lucas, et al.
            In this series of conversations held at the American Film Institute, all aspects of their work are discussed. Here is Arthur Penn, who began in the early 1950s in New York with live TV, directing people like Kim Stanley and such live shows as Playhouse 90, and on Broadway, directing Two for the Seesaw and The Miracle Worker, before going on to Hollywood and directing Mickey One and Bonnie and Clyde, among other pictures, talking about working within the system. (“When we finished Bonnie and Clyde,” says Penn, “the film was characterized rather elegantly by one of the leading Warner executives as a 'piece of shit' . . . It wasn’t until the picture had an identity and a life of its own that the studio acknowledged it was a legitimate child of the Warner Bros. operation.”)
            Here in conversation is Sidney Poitier, who grew up on an island without paved roads, stores, or telephones, and who was later taught English without a Caribbean accent by a Jewish waiter, talking about working as a janitor at the American Negro Theater in exchange for acting lessons and about Hollywood: It “never really had much of a conscience . . . This town never was infected by that kind of goodness.”
            Here, too, is Meryl Streep, America’s premier actress, who began her career in Julia in 1977, and thirty odd years later, at sixty, was staring in The Iron Lady, defying all the rules about “term limits” and a filmmaking climate tyrannized by the male adolescent demographic . . . Streep on making her first picture, and how Jane Fonda took her under her wing (“That little line on the floor,” Fonda warned Streep, “don’t look at it, that’s where your toes are supposed to be. And that’s how you’ll be in the movie. If they’re not there, you won’t be in the movie”). Streep on the characters she chooses to play: “I like to defend characters that would otherwise be misconstrued or misunderstood.”
            The Next Generation is a fascinating revelation of the art of making pictures.

The Walrus and the Elephants by James Mitchell

2013-12-03T00:30:00-05:00

The Walrus and the Elephants John Lennon's Years of Revolution
Written by James Mitchell

Hardcover, 352 pages | Seven Stories Press | Music - Individual Composer & Musician; Political Science - Political Ideologies; History - Social History | $26.95 | 978-1-60980-467-1 (1-60980-467-8)

In late 1971 John Lennon left London behind and moved to New York, eager to join a youth movement rallying for social justice and an end to the Vietnam War. Lennon was quickly embraced by radicals and revolutionaries, the hippies and Yippies at odds with the establishment. Settling in Greenwich Village, the heart of Manhattan's counterculture, the former Beatle was soon on the frontlines of the antiwar movement, and championing a range of causes and issues. Seen as a savior by a generation in need of cultural heroes, Lennon was just as passionately hounded by a government eager to find enemies within. The FBI and White
House considered Lennon a threat; a plan was devised to deport the singer prior to the election as a "strategic counter-measure" to preserve Richard Nixon's presidency in 1972.

The Walrus and the Elephants is told by the unlikely cast of friends, including the musicians of Elephant's Memory, who were among the few with a chance to see the man behind the Beatle. Exclusive interviews include writer and feminist leader Gloria Steinem; congressional black caucus cofounder Ron Dellums; "Chicago Seven" veteran Rennie Davis; immigration attorney Leon Wildes; and legendary poet-activist John Sinclair, whose imprisonment for marijuana--a ten-year sentence for two joints--kicked off Lennon's American journey.

It was a busy year of making albums, controversial TV appearances and what would be Lennon's last full-length concert at Madison Square Garden; it was a time of great change in America, the confrontations that began brewing in the sixties reaching an end for many movements . . . and the beginning of a new era. John Lennon fought for peace and was treated with scorn by some, suspicion by others--including a government wishing to silence the singer. The Walrus and the Elephants is a look back by those who fought the fight; he was a dreamer, but he wasn't the only one.

The Walrus and the Elephants by James Mitchell

2013-12-03T00:30:00-05:00

The Walrus and the Elephants John Lennon's Years of Revolution
Written by James Mitchell

eBook | Seven Stories Press | Music - Individual Composer & Musician; Political Science - Political Ideologies; History - Social History | $26.95 | 978-1-60980-468-8 (1-60980-468-6)

A Light That Never Goes Out by Tony Fletcher

2013-12-03T00:30:00-05:00

A Light That Never Goes Out The Enduring Saga of the Smiths
Written by Tony Fletcher

Trade Paperback, 704 pages | Three Rivers Press | Biography & Autobiography - Composers & Musicians; Music - Rock; Biography & Autobiography - Entertainment & Performing Arts | $16.00 | 978-0-307-71596-8 (0-307-71596-5)

The definitive book about The Smiths, one of the most beloved, respected, and storied indie rock bands in music history.

They were, their fans believe, the best band in the world. Hailing from Manchester, England, The Smiths--Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke, and Mike Joyce--were critical and popular favorites throughout their mid-1980s heyday and beyond. To this day, due to their unforgettable songs and lyrics, they are considered one of the greatest British rock groups of all time--up there with the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, and the Clash.

Tony Fletcher paints a vivid portrait of the fascinating personalities within the group: Morrissey, the witty, literate lead singer whose loner personality and complex lyrics made him an icon for teenagers who felt forlorn and forgotten; his songwriting partner Marr, the gregarious guitarist who became a rock god for a generation of indie kids; and the talented, good-looking rhythm section duo of bassist Rourke and drummer Joyce. Despite the band's tragic breakup at the height of their success, A Light That Never Goes Out is a celebration: the saga of four working-class kids from a northern English city who come together despite contrasting personalities, find a musical bond, inspire a fanatical following, and leave a legacy that changed the music world--and the lives of their fans.

Musorgsky and His Circle by Stephen Walsh

2013-12-03T00:30:00-05:00

Musorgsky and His Circle A Russian Musical Adventure
Written by Stephen Walsh

Hardcover, 496 pages | Knopf | Biography & Autobiography - Composers & Musicians; Music - Individual Composer & Musician; Music - Classical | $37.50 | 978-0-307-27244-7 (0-307-27244-3)

A fascinating collective biography of Musorgsky and the composers he associated with, creators of some of the best-known and most admired music of the 19th century.

The emergence of Russian music in the 19th century comprises one of the most fascinating and colorful stories in all musical history. Arising from the unlikely conjunction of a group of composers of extraordinary originality but almost no technical training, it led to the creation of works ranging from Musorgsky's magnificent opera Boris Godunov to Borodin's (alas unfinished) Prince Igor and such orchestral staples as Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. How this happened where it did--in the St. Petersburg of the 1860s--and the nature and genius of the men responsible is the subject of this brilliant study.

As both an experienced biographer able to deal with original Russian sources and a musicologist competent to bring wonderfully fresh insights to the music of the five composers--the moguchaya kuchka or "mighty heap," as they were called--Stephen Walsh is exceptionally placed to illuminate a dramatic but little-known episode of cultural history. Written with deep understanding and panache, Musorgsky and His Circle is as engaging as it is important.

Musorgsky and His Circle by Stephen Walsh

2013-12-03T00:30:00-05:00

Musorgsky and His Circle A Russian Musical Adventure
Written by Stephen Walsh

eBook, 496 pages | Knopf | Biography & Autobiography - Composers & Musicians; Music - Individual Composer & Musician; Music - Classical | $ | 978-0-385-35048-8 (0-385-35048-1)

The CG Story by Christopher Finch

2013-11-12T00:30:00-05:00

The CG Story Computer-Generated Animation and Special Effects
Written by Christopher Finch

Hardcover, 368 pages | The Monacelli Press | Performing Arts - Film - History & Criticism | $75.00 | 978-1-58093-357-5 (1-58093-357-2)

The Actor's Secret by Betsy Polatin

2013-11-05T00:30:00-05:00

The Actor's Secret Techniques for Transforming Habitual Patterns and Improving Performance
Written by Betsy Polatin

Trade Paperback, 320 pages | North Atlantic Books | Performing Arts - Acting & Auditioning; Health & Fitness - Alternative Therapies; Body, Mind & Spirit - Mental & Spiritual Healing | $22.95 | 978-1-58394-682-4 (1-58394-682-9)

Offering revolutionary new training for the actor, The Actor's Secret teaches actors and performers how to incorporate the fundamentals of the Alexander Technique, Somatic Experiencing®, and Breathing Coordination in order to reduce performance anxiety and stress; improve stage presence, breathing, and vocal production; and restore well-being and healthy functioning. These three kinesthetic disciplines are designed to lead to profound change and healing through body-mind reeducation.

Part I explains in detail the principles of the three techniques. A practical method for self-improvement and neuromuscular reeducation, the Alexander Technique focuses on changing inefficient habits of movement and patterns of tension that inhibit the ability to move easily. Breathing Coordination helps increase breathing capacity and awareness. A method for resolving emotional trauma, Somatic Experiencing® follows a process of tracking bodily sensations to restore vitality and health.

Enhanced with over 100 instructive photos, Parts II and III present explorations and exercises that draw on elements of the three methods. Topics covered include the importance of presence and non-doing; the proper mechanics of vocalization and singing; the understanding of character and role; and the actor's journey from auditions to performance, including initial script preparation, rehearsal, monologue, and scene work. Developed by Betsy Polatin, a movement specialist and master lecturer at Boston University's College of Fine Arts, the book's exercises provide the actor with simple tools for exploring his or her acting work. Most techniques and self-help books teach a new way of "doing." The secret of this book lies in "non-doing." When the actor learns to first recognize and then suspend habitual patterns, he or she opens the door to deeper artistic choices.

"I have worked with many fine Alexander Technique teachers over the years and Betsy Polatin is far and away one of the finest. Her touch, her instincts, and her knowledge are miraculous."—Andre Gregory, actor and director, My Dinner with Andre

The Actor's Secret by Betsy Polatin

2013-11-05T00:30:00-05:00

The Actor's Secret Techniques for Transforming Habitual Patterns and Improving Performance
Written by Betsy Polatin

eBook, 320 pages | North Atlantic Books | Performing Arts - Acting & Auditioning; Health & Fitness - Alternative Therapies; Body, Mind & Spirit - Mental & Spiritual Healing | $18.99 | 978-1-58394-683-1 (1-58394-683-7)

Film After Film by J. Hoberman

2013-11-05T00:30:00-05:00

Film After Film Or, What Became Of 21St Century Cinema?
Written by J. Hoberman

Trade Paperback, 304 pages | Verso | Performing Arts - Film - History & Criticism | $16.95 | 978-1-78168-143-5 (1-78168-143-0)

One of the world’s most erudite and entertaining film critics on the state of cinema in the post-digital—and post-9/11—age. This witty and allusive book, in the style of classic film theorists/critics like André Bazin and Siegfried Kracauer, includes considerations of global cinema’s most important figures and films, from Lars von Trier and Zia Jiangke to WALL-E, Avatar and Inception.

Rob Delaney by Rob Delaney

2013-11-05T00:30:00-05:00

Rob Delaney Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.
Written by Rob Delaney

Hardcover, 224 pages | Spiegel & Grau | Biography & Autobiography - Personal Memoirs; Humor; Biography & Autobiography - Entertainment & Performing Arts | $24.00 | 978-0-8129-9308-0 (0-8129-9308-X)

Rob Delaney by Rob Delaney

2013-11-05T00:30:00-05:00

Rob Delaney Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.
Written by Rob Delaney

eBook, 224 pages | Spiegel & Grau | Biography & Autobiography - Personal Memoirs; Humor; Biography & Autobiography - Entertainment & Performing Arts | $11.99 | 978-0-679-64461-3 (0-679-64461-X)

Rob Delaney by Rob Delaney

2013-11-05T00:30:00-05:00

Rob Delaney Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.
Written by Rob Delaney

Unabridged Audiobook Download | Random House Audio | Biography & Autobiography - Personal Memoirs; Humor; Biography & Autobiography - Entertainment & Performing Arts | $20.00 | 978-0-8041-2844-5 (0-8041-2844-8)

The View From The Train by Patrick Keiller

2013-11-05T00:30:00-05:00

The View From The Train Cities And Other Landscapes
Written by Patrick Keiller

Hardcover, 288 pages | Verso | Performing Arts - Film; Social Science - Sociology - Urban | $26.95 | 978-1-78168-140-4 (1-78168-140-6)

"Robinson believed that, if he looked at it hard enough, he could cause the surface of the city to reveal to him the molecular basis of historical events, and in this way he hoped to see into the future."

In his sequence of films, Patrick Keiller retraces the hidden story of the places where we live, the cities and landscapes of our everyday lives. Now, in this brilliant collection of essays, he offers a new perspective on how Britain works and sees itself. He discusses the background to his work and its development – from surrealism to post-2008 economic catastrophe – and expands on what the films reveal. Referencing writers including Benjamin and Lefebvre, the essays follow his career since the late 1970s, exploring themes including the surrealist perception of the city; the relationship of architecture and film; how cities change over time, and how films represent this; as well as accounts of cross-country journeys involving historical figures, unexpected ideas and an urgent portrait of post-crash Britain.

The View From The Train by Patrick Keiller

2013-11-05T00:30:00-05:00

The View From The Train Cities And Other Landscapes
Written by Patrick Keiller

eBook, 288 pages | Verso | Performing Arts - Film; Social Science - Sociology - Urban | $26.95 | 978-1-78168-196-1 (1-78168-196-1)

Electronic Awakening DVD by Julian Reyes

2013-10-29T00:30:00-05:00

Electronic Awakening DVD Spirituality and Electronic Music Culture
Produced by Andrew Johner
Created by Andrew Johner and Julian Reyes

New Media | North Atlantic Books | Music - Electronic & Computer; Body, Mind & Spirit - Gaia & Earth Energies; Body, Mind & Spirit - Prophecy | $19.50 | 978-1-58394-681-7 (1-58394-681-0)

Featuring footage with Daniel Pinchbeck, Alex Grey, Terence McKenna, Ken Kesey, Erik Davis, and Starhawk, this DVD is an ethnographic documentary film exploring the international "rave" phenomenon not as a party scene but as a reemergence of shamanic ritual. Showcasing the transcendental, spiritual, and communal effects of electronic dance music (EDM) events, Electronic Awakening strips away the common associations of drugs and hedonism, and demonstrates how the culture has evolved over the years into one that is conscious and sacred.

In addition to interviewing people whose lives and minds were forever changed by their transcendent, we-are-all-one experiences on the dance floor, director and anthropologist AC Johner ponders the cause of this mind-altering effect and suggests that the repetitive, mathematically perfect rhythms and oscillations of EDM have the power to create a communal "hive mind." Because more and more people are having this experience, he suggests, we could be on the verge of a mass transformation--one that would take us off the path of self-destruction and lead us into a new age of peace and harmony on Earth.

Random House New Releases - Music - Performing Arts - Music Biographies - Entertainment Biographies

Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers by George Stevens, Jr.

Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers The Next GenerationWritten by George Stevens, Jr.

The Walrus and the Elephants by James Mitchell

The Walrus and the Elephants John Lennon's Years of RevolutionWritten by James Mitchell

The Walrus and the Elephants by James Mitchell

The Walrus and the Elephants John Lennon's Years of RevolutionWritten by James Mitchell

A Light That Never Goes Out by Tony Fletcher

A Light That Never Goes Out The Enduring Saga of the SmithsWritten by Tony Fletcher

Musorgsky and His Circle by Stephen Walsh

Musorgsky and His Circle A Russian Musical AdventureWritten by Stephen Walsh

Musorgsky and His Circle by Stephen Walsh

Musorgsky and His Circle A Russian Musical AdventureWritten by Stephen Walsh

The CG Story by Christopher Finch

The CG Story Computer-Generated Animation and Special EffectsWritten by Christopher Finch

The Actor's Secret by Betsy Polatin

The Actor's Secret Techniques for Transforming Habitual Patterns and Improving PerformanceWritten by Betsy Polatin

The Actor's Secret by Betsy Polatin

The Actor's Secret Techniques for Transforming Habitual Patterns and Improving PerformanceWritten by Betsy Polatin

Film After Film by J. Hoberman

Film After Film Or, What Became Of 21St Century Cinema?Written by J. Hoberman

Rob Delaney by Rob Delaney

Rob Delaney Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.Written by Rob Delaney

Rob Delaney by Rob Delaney

Rob Delaney Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.Written by Rob Delaney

Rob Delaney by Rob Delaney

Rob Delaney Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.Written by Rob Delaney

The View From The Train by Patrick Keiller

The View From The Train Cities And Other LandscapesWritten by Patrick Keiller

The View From The Train by Patrick Keiller

The View From The Train Cities And Other LandscapesWritten by Patrick Keiller

Electronic Awakening DVD by Julian Reyes

Electronic Awakening DVD Spirituality and Electronic Music CultureProduced by Andrew Johner Created by Andrew Johner and Julian Reyes

Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers The Next Generation
Written by George Stevens, Jr.

The Walrus and the Elephants John Lennon's Years of Revolution
Written by James Mitchell

The Walrus and the Elephants John Lennon's Years of Revolution
Written by James Mitchell

A Light That Never Goes Out The Enduring Saga of the Smiths
Written by Tony Fletcher

Musorgsky and His Circle A Russian Musical Adventure
Written by Stephen Walsh

Musorgsky and His Circle A Russian Musical Adventure
Written by Stephen Walsh

The CG Story Computer-Generated Animation and Special Effects
Written by Christopher Finch

The Actor's Secret Techniques for Transforming Habitual Patterns and Improving Performance
Written by Betsy Polatin

The Actor's Secret Techniques for Transforming Habitual Patterns and Improving Performance
Written by Betsy Polatin

Film After Film Or, What Became Of 21St Century Cinema?
Written by J. Hoberman

Rob Delaney Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.
Written by Rob Delaney

Rob Delaney Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.
Written by Rob Delaney

Rob Delaney Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.
Written by Rob Delaney

The View From The Train Cities And Other Landscapes
Written by Patrick Keiller

The View From The Train Cities And Other Landscapes
Written by Patrick Keiller

Electronic Awakening DVD Spirituality and Electronic Music Culture
Produced by Andrew Johner
Created by Andrew Johner and Julian Reyes