Random House New Releases - Music - Performing Arts - Music Biographies - Entertainment Biographies - Between November 25, 2008 and December 25, 2009.

The Futurist by Rebecca Keegan

2009-12-15T00:30:00-05:00

The Futurist The Life and Films of James Cameron
Written by Rebecca Keegan

With the release of Avatar, James Cameron cements his reputation as king of sci-fi and blockbuster filmmaking. It’s a distinction he’s long been building, through a directing career that includes such cinematic landmarks as The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, and the highest grossing movie of all time, Titanic.

The Futurist is the first in-depth look at every aspect of this audacious creative genius—culminating in an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of Avatar, the movie that promises to utterly transform the way motion pictures are created and perceived. As decisive a break with the past as the transition from silents to talkies, Avatar pushes 3-D, live action, and photo-realistic CGI to a new level. It rips through the emotional barrier of the screen to transport the audience to a fabulous new virtual world.

With cooperation from the often reclusive Cameron, author Rebecca Keegan has crafted a singularly revealing portrait of the director’s life and work. We meet the young truck driver who sees Star Wars and resolves to make his own space blockbuster—starting by building a futuristic cityscape with cardboard and X-Acto knives. We observe the neophyte director deciding over lunch with Arnold Schwarzenegger that the ex–body builder turned actor is wrong in every way for the Terminator role as written, but perfect regardless. After the success of The Terminator, Cameron refines his special-effects wizardry with a big-time Hollywood budget in the creation of the relentlessly exciting Aliens. He builds an immense underwater set for The Abyss in the massive containment vessel of an abandoned nuclear power plant—where he pushes his scuba-equipped cast to and sometimes past their physical and emotional breaking points (including a white rat that Cameron saved from drowning by performing CPR). And on the set of Titanic, the director struggles to stay in charge when someone maliciously spikes craft services’ mussel chowder with a massive dose of PCP, rendering most of the cast and crew temporarily psychotic.

Now, after his movies have earned over $3 billion at the box office, James Cameron is astounding the world with the most expensive, innovative, and ambitious movie of his career. For decades the moviemaker has been ready to tell the Avatar story but was forced to hold off his ambitions until technology caught up with his vision. Going beyond the technical ingenuity and narrative power that Cameron has long demonstrated, Avatar shatters old cinematic paradigms and ushers in a new era of storytelling.

The Futurist is the story of the man who finally brought movies into the twenty-first century.

The Futurist by Rebecca Keegan

2009-12-15T00:30:00-05:00

The Futurist The Life and Films of James Cameron
Written by Rebecca Keegan

With the release of Avatar in December 2009, James Cameron cements his reputation as king of sci-fi and blockbuster filmmaking. It’s a distinction he’s long been building, through a directing career that includes such cinematic landmarks as The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, and the highest grossing movie of all time, Titanic. The Futurist is the first in-depth look at every aspect of this audacious creative genius—culminating in an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of Avatar, the movie that promises to utterly transform the way motion pictures are created and perceived. As decisive a break with the past as the transition from silents to talkies, Avatar pushes 3-D, live action, and photo-realistic CGI to a new level. It rips through the emotional barrier of the screen to transport the audience to a fabulous new virtual world.
With cooperation from the often reclusive Cameron, author Rebecca Keegan has crafted a singularly revealing portrait of the director’s life and work. We meet the young truck driver who sees Star Wars and sets out to learn how to make even better movies himself—starting by taking apart the first 35mm camera he rented to see how it works. We observe the neophyte director deciding over lunch with Arnold Schwarzenegger that the ex-body builder turned actor is wrong in every way for the Terminator role as written, but perfect regardless. After the success of The Terminator, Cameron refines his special-effects wizardry with a big-time Hollywood budget in the creation of the relentlessly exciting Aliens. He builds an immense underwater set for The Abyss in the massive containment vessel of an abandoned nuclear power plant—where he pushes his scuba-breathing cast to and sometimes past their physical and emotional breaking points (including a white rat that Cameron saved from drowning by performing CPR). And on the set of Titanic, the director struggles to stay in charge when someone maliciously spikes craft services’ mussel chowder with a massive dose of PCP, rendering most of the cast and crew temporarily psychotic.
Now, after his movies have earned over $5 billion at the box office, James Cameron is astounding the world with the most expensive, innovative, and ambitious movie of his career. For decades the moviemaker has been ready to tell the Avatar story but was forced to hold off his ambitions until technology caught up with his vision. Going beyond the technical ingenuity and narrative power that Cameron has long demonstrated, Avatar shatters old cinematic paradigms and ushers in a new era of storytelling.

The Futurist is the story of the man who finally brought movies into the twenty-first century.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Get Happy by Gerald Clarke

2009-11-11T00:30:00-05:00

Get Happy The Life of Judy Garland
Written by Gerald Clarke

She lived at full throttle on stage, screen, and in real life, with highs that made history and lows that finally brought down the curtain at age forty-seven. Judy Garland died over thirty years ago, but no biography has so completely captured her spirit -- and demons -- until now.

From her tumultuous early years as a child performer to her tragic last days, Gerald Clarke reveals the authentic Judy in a biography rich in new detail and unprecedented revelations. Based on hundreds of interviews and drawing on her own unfinished -- and unpublished -- autobiography, Get Happy presents the real Judy Garland in all her flawed glory.

With the same skill, style, and storytelling flair that made his bestselling Capote a landmark literary biography, Gerald Clarke sorts through the secrets and the scandals, the legends and the lies, to create a portrait of Judy Garland as candid as it is compassionate.

Here are her early years, during which her parents sowed the seeds of heartbreak and self-destruction that would plague her for decades ... the golden age of Hollywood, brought into sharp focus with cinematic urgency, from the hidden private lives of the movie world's biggest stars to the cold-eyed businessmen who controlled the machine ... and a parade of brilliant and gifted men -- lovers and artists, impresarios and crooks -- who helped her reach so many creative pinnacles yet left her hopeless and alone after each seemingly inevitable fall.

Here, then, is Judy Garland in all her magic and despair: the woman, the star, the legend, in a riveting saga of tragedy, resurrection, and genius.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Elvis 1956 by Amy Henderson

2009-11-10T00:30:00-05:00

Elvis 1956
Written by Alfred Wertheimer
Text by E. Warren Perry, Jr. and Amy Henderson
Introduction by Chris Murray

1956 was the year Elvis released his first record, made his first television appearance, and started his movie career. It was the year he became a star. Alfred Wertheimer, then a young freelance photojournalist, was there to document the extraordinary transition. Elvis 1956 features images that are a national treasure, including photographs of Elvis never before published: a unique visual record of one of the most exciting performers of his time, one of the most influential of all time, the first true icon of rock 'n' roll. Here is the first and last unguarded look at Elvis, featuring images of him in every aspect of his life - from performance and with the fans, to the recording studio and at home with his family.

Elvis 1956 serves as the catalogue for a nationally traveling exhibition exhibition developed collaboratively by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, and the Govinda Gallery to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the legendary rock star's birthday. Lavishly illustrated with 72 tri-tone photographs and with an introduction by curator Chris Murray, essays by E. Warren Perry, Jr. and National Portrait Gallery historian Amy Henderson, Elvis 1956 is a remarkable window into a defining time for rock 'n' roll's most enduring presence.

How to Write a Selling Screenplay by Christopher Keane

2009-11-04T00:30:00-05:00

How to Write a Selling Screenplay
Written by Christopher Keane

Christopher Keane has spent 20 years in the business, learning the truths--and the tricks--of writing a selling screenplay. In How to Write a Selling Screenplay, he takes writers through the entire process, from developing a story to finding the best agent. Using an annotated version of an often-optioned screenplay of his own, and citing examples from movies ranging from Casablanca and Lethal Weapon to Sling Blade and The English Patient, he discusses how to create three-dimensional characters, find a compelling story, build an airtight plot structure, fine-tune dialogue, and much more. Keane's tips on the difference between writing for film and television, as well as his advice on dealing with Hollywood movers and shakers, make this an essential companion for people writing their first--or their fortieth--screenplay.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Intimate Strangers by Bill Zehme

2009-11-04T00:30:00-05:00

Intimate Strangers Comic Profiles and Indiscretions of the Very Famous
Written by Bill Zehme

Schwarzenegger intimidates.
Sharon Stone strips.
Leno and Letterman duel.
In twenty years of raw and raucous celebrity profiles

Irreverently bold journalist Bill Zehme has long been celebrated for his ability to get under the skins of our most elusive icons, from the evasive Warren Beatty to the ever-unpredictable Madonna to the much misunderstood Barry Manilow. Now his most provocative work is collected for the first time, with over twenty-five landmark profiles, including Frank Sinatra, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, Liberace, Howard Stern, Eddie Murphy, and Woody Allen.

Zehme witnesses Hugh Hefner withstanding the single blow that never entered into an adolescent boy’s dreams--losing his fantasy woman. He gets a nude massage with Sharon Stone, and an earful about men, sex, and the shotgun she keeps under her bed. Included, too, is Zehme’s exclusive firsthand coverage of David Letterman and Jay Leno, before and throughout their late-night feud. Here is entertainment history through the eyes of a man the Chicago Tribune called “one of the most successful and prolific magazine writers in the country.”

Hilarious, endearing, and wickedly insightful, Intimate Strangers captures the business of celebrity for what it is: a big, lusty, star-crossed love affair between our icons and ourselves.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Lost in the Funhouse by Bill Zehme

2009-11-04T00:30:00-05:00

Lost in the Funhouse The Life and Mind of Andy Kaufman
Written by Bill Zehme

Natasha by Suzanne Finstad

2009-11-04T00:30:00-05:00

Natasha The Biography of Natalie Wood
Written by Suzanne Finstad

Riders on the Storm by John Densmore

2009-11-04T00:30:00-05:00

Riders on the Storm My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors
Written by John Densmore

Free for All by Joseph Papp

2009-11-03T00:30:00-05:00

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told
Written by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan takes you behind the scenes at the Public Theater and tells the amazing story of how Joe Papp made American theatrical and cultural history.

Free for All is the irresistible oral history of the New York Shakespeare Festival and the Public Theater-two institutions that under the inspired leadership of Joseph Papp have been a premier source of revolutionary and enduring American theater. To tell this fascinating story, Kenneth Turan interviewed some 160 luminaries-including George C. Scott, Meryl Streep, Mike Nichols, Kevin Kline, James Earl Jones, David Rabe, Jerry Stiller, Tommy Lee Jones, and Wallace Shawn-and masterfully weaves their voices into a dizzyingly rich tale of creativity, conflict, and achievement. And at the center of this incredibly engrossing account of artistic daring and excellence the larger-than-life figure of Joseph Papp reigns supreme.

Free for All by Joseph Papp

2009-11-03T00:30:00-05:00

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told
Written by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Somebody by Stefan Kanfer

2009-11-03T00:30:00-05:00

Somebody The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando
Written by Stefan Kanfer

Stefan Kanfer, acclaimed biographer of Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx, now gives us the definitive life of Marlon Brando, seamlessly intertwining the man and the work to give us a stunning and illuminating appraisal. Beginning with Brando’s turbulent childhood, Kanfer follows him to New York where he made his star-making Broadway debut as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire at age twenty-three. Brando then decamped for Hollywood, and Kanfer looks at each of Brando’s films over the years—from The Men in 1950 to The Score in 2001—offering deft and insightful analysis of his sometimes brilliant, sometimes baffling performances. And, finally, Kanfer brings into focus Brando’s self-destructiveness, ambivalence toward his craft, and the tragedies that shadowed his last years.

All of Me by Michael Posner

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

All of Me
Written by Anne Murray and Michael Posner

In this revealing autobiography, Canada’s first lady of song, for the first time, tells the whole story of her astonishing 40-year career in show biz. It is a candid retrospective of the extraordinary success achieved, and the prices that had to be paid.

“After ‘Snowbird’ hit, I was swept up like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and catapulted into a strange new universe … If I thought for a moment that I was really in control of events, I was deluded.” Anne Murray

An unflinching self-portrait of Canada’s first great female recording artist, All of Me documents the life of Anne Murray, from her humble origins in the tragedy-plagued coal-mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia, to her arrival on the world stage. Anne recounts her story: the battles with her record companies over singles and albums; the struggle with drug- and alcohol-ridden band members; the terrible guilt and loneliness of being away from her two young children; her divorce from the man who helped launch her career, Bill Langstroth; and the deaths of two of her closest confidantes. The result is a must-read autobiography by Canada’s beloved songbird.

From the Hardcover edition.

All of Me by Michael Posner

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

All of Me
Written by Anne Murray and Michael Posner

The As It Happens Files by Mary Lou Finlay

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain Nuts
Written by Mary Lou Finlay

In the tradition of Peter Gzowski’s The Morningside Papers comes a book that celebrates the great stories and personalities behind As It Happens.

For eight years, Mary Lou Finlay had the pleasure of being the co-host of one of CBC Radio’s most enduring institutions. On any given day she and Barbara Budd interviewed people on subjects varying from the Air India investigation to a man who invented a suit that would withstand an attack from a grizzly bear to a cheese-rolling contest in Cheshire. The As It Happens Files gives us the great stories – the hilarious eccentrics, the audience favourites, the poignant moments – that make up, for many Canadians some of the fondest, most vivid memories of the last decade.

The As It Happens Files by Mary Lou Finlay

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain Nuts
Written by Mary Lou Finlay

Bowie by Marc Spitz

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

Bowie A Biography
Written by Marc Spitz

Finally an expansive biography of one of the twentieth century’s greatest music and cultural icons

From noted author and rock ’n’ roll journalist Marc Spitz comes a major David Bowie biography to rival any other. Following Bowie’s life from his start as David Jones, an R & B—loving kid from Bromley, England, to his rise to rock ’n’ roll aristocracy as David Bowie, Bowie recounts his career but also reveals how much his music has influenced other musicians and forever changed the landscape of the modern era. Along the way, Spitz reflects on how growing up with Bowie as his soundtrack and how writing this definitive book on Bowie influenced him in ways he never expected, adding a personal dimension that Bowie fans and those passionate about art and culture will connect with and that no other bio on the artist offers.

Bowie takes an in-depth look at the culture of postwar England in which Bowie grew up, the mod and hippie scenes of swinging London in the sixties, the sex and drug-fueled glitter scene of the early seventies when Bowie’s alter-ego Ziggy Stardust was born, his rise to global stardom in the eighties and his subsequent status as an elder statesman of alternative culture. Spitz puts each incarnation of Bowie into the context of its era, creating a cultural time line that is intriguing both for its historical significance as well as for its delineation of this rock ’n’ roll legend, the first musician to evolve a coherent vision after the death of the sixties dream.

Amid the sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll mayhem, a deeper portrait of the artist emerges. Bowie’s early struggles to go from follower to leader, his tricky relationship with art and commerce and Buddhism and the occult, his complicated family life, his open romantic relationship and, finally, his perceived disavowal of all that made him a touchstone for outcasts are all thoughtfully explored. A fresh evaluation of his recorded work, as well as his film, stage and video performances, is included as well.

Based on a hundred original interviews with those who knew him best and those familiar with his work, including ex-wife Angie Bowie, former Bowie manager Kenneth Pitt, Siouxsie Sioux, Camille Paglia, Dick Cavett, Todd Haynes, Ricky Gervais and Peter Frampton, Bowie gives us not only a portrait of one of the most important artists in the last century, but also an honest examination of a truly revolutionary artist and the unique impact he’s had across generations.

Bowie by Marc Spitz

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

Bowie A Biography
Written by Marc Spitz

Random House New Releases - Music - Performing Arts - Music Biographies - Entertainment Biographies - Between November 25, 2008 and December 25, 2009.

The Futurist by Rebecca Keegan

The Futurist The Life and Films of James CameronWritten by Rebecca Keegan

The Futurist by Rebecca Keegan

The Futurist The Life and Films of James CameronWritten by Rebecca Keegan

Get Happy by Gerald Clarke

Get Happy The Life of Judy GarlandWritten by Gerald Clarke

Elvis 1956 by Amy Henderson

Elvis 1956 Written by Alfred Wertheimer Text by E. Warren Perry, Jr. and Amy Henderson Introduction by Chris Murray

How to Write a Selling Screenplay by Christopher Keane

How to Write a Selling Screenplay Written by Christopher Keane

Intimate Strangers by Bill Zehme

Intimate Strangers Comic Profiles and Indiscretions of the Very FamousWritten by Bill Zehme

Lost in the Funhouse by Bill Zehme

Lost in the Funhouse The Life and Mind of Andy KaufmanWritten by Bill Zehme

Natasha by Suzanne Finstad

Natasha The Biography of Natalie WoodWritten by Suzanne Finstad

Riders on the Storm by John Densmore

Riders on the Storm My Life with Jim Morrison and the DoorsWritten by John Densmore

Free for All by Joseph Papp

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever ToldWritten by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Free for All by Joseph Papp

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever ToldWritten by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Somebody by Stefan Kanfer

Somebody The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon BrandoWritten by Stefan Kanfer

All of Me by Michael Posner

All of Me Written by Anne Murray and Michael Posner

All of Me by Michael Posner

All of Me Written by Anne Murray and Michael Posner

The As It Happens Files by Mary Lou Finlay

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain NutsWritten by Mary Lou Finlay

The As It Happens Files by Mary Lou Finlay

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain NutsWritten by Mary Lou Finlay

Bowie by Marc Spitz

Bowie A BiographyWritten by Marc Spitz

Bowie by Marc Spitz

Bowie A BiographyWritten by Marc Spitz

The Futurist The Life and Films of James Cameron
Written by Rebecca Keegan

The Futurist The Life and Films of James Cameron
Written by Rebecca Keegan

Get Happy The Life of Judy Garland
Written by Gerald Clarke

Elvis 1956
Written by Alfred Wertheimer
Text by E. Warren Perry, Jr. and Amy Henderson
Introduction by Chris Murray

How to Write a Selling Screenplay
Written by Christopher Keane

Intimate Strangers Comic Profiles and Indiscretions of the Very Famous
Written by Bill Zehme

Lost in the Funhouse The Life and Mind of Andy Kaufman
Written by Bill Zehme

Natasha The Biography of Natalie Wood
Written by Suzanne Finstad

Riders on the Storm My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors
Written by John Densmore

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told
Written by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told
Written by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Somebody The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando
Written by Stefan Kanfer

All of Me
Written by Anne Murray and Michael Posner

All of Me
Written by Anne Murray and Michael Posner

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain Nuts
Written by Mary Lou Finlay

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain Nuts
Written by Mary Lou Finlay

Bowie A Biography
Written by Marc Spitz

Bowie A Biography
Written by Marc Spitz