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I'm Walking as Straight as I Can: Transcending Disability in Hollywood and Beyond
by Geri JewellA candid memoir of building an acting career—and a happy life—with cerebral palsy: &“It&’s a joy to read this book&” (Ian McShane). Exposing real pain, unstoppable perseverance, and unquestionable faith in the human spirit, this autobiography offers a true glimpse beyond actress Geri Jewell&’s public image as a one-dimensional hero. Born with cerebral palsy, Jewell made history when she became the first person with a disability cast in a recurring role on American television in The Facts of Life, and in the years that followed she experienced a string of other successes, including a performance at the White House and a role on HBO&’s Deadwood. But along with such accomplishments, this personal story also depicts some of the less-than-rosy events that happened behind closed doors during her initial climb to fame—among them, her release from The Facts of Life; her manager&’s embezzlement of the money she made on the show; and her struggle with chronic pain, despair, and a fear of revealing her true sexual identity. Told with grace and humor, this inspirational narrative presents an honest portrayal of a woman who refused to give up when others kept knocking her down.
The Importance of Being Ernie: From My Three Sons to Mad Men, a Hollywood Survivor Tells All
by Barry LivingstonI SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE PLAYING NERDS. . .--Barry LivingstonA true Hollywood survivor, Barry Livingston is one of the few child stars who turned early success into a lifelong career. As "Ernie" on the 1960s sit-com My Three Sons--which also featured his real-life brother Stanley as "Chip"--Barry become instantly recognizable for his horn-rimmed glasses and goofy charm. Five decades later, after working on TV shows like Mad Men and Desperate Housewives, and in feature films like Zodiac and The Social Network, Barry Livingston is one actor who knows The Importance of Being Ernie. . .In this fascinating and funny memoir, Barry reveals his most unforgettable anecdotes: Working on set with Fred McMurray, Ozzie and Harriet, Lucille Ball and Dick Van Dyke. Riding a limousine with Elvis Presley. Trying to upstage Ron "Opie" Howard. Even shooting a Superbowl beer commercial with Brad Pitt. At first, Barry's lazy eye and horn-rimmed glasses nearly derailed his career, getting him kicked off his first major film starring Paul Newman. Eventually, his "nerdy" look became his biggest asset, landing Barry a recurring role on Ozzie & Harriet and a regular part on My Three Sons. Fifty years later, Barry is still going strong--from the stage and small screen to to featured film roles opposite Adam Sandler and Robert Downey, Jr.. Like most Hollywood actors, Barry experienced some incredible highs and lows along the way, but he never gave up. "I've been around half a century," he affirms. "And I'm not going away." This is how one child star beat the odds and survived the dark side of the Hollywood dream factory--with charm, wit, determination. . .and big horn-rimmed glasses. This is The Importance of Being Ernie.Barry Livingston has been a professional actor on stage and screen for more than fifty years. Best known for his role as "Ernie" on the long-running TV program, My Three Sons, Livingston continues to appear regularly in feature films and television shows. He is married with two children, and lives in Los Angeles.Praise For The Importance Of Being Ernie"This wryly told saga of a child star who miraculously avoided the crash-and-burn fate of so many of the once-famous. . . an engaging tale of the unusual life of a humorous, modest, and observant man. Barry Livingston delivers a frank and funny tale of TV, movies, and family life." --Brent Maddock, co-author of Tremors and Short Circuit"For a child star, he's almost normal. This poor kid had to sit on William Frawley's lap; we're lucky he's not on a roof with a rifle. . .. Barry is one of those rare child stars who grew up to become an accomplished adult actor. Having logged fifty years in show business, working with everyone from Lucille Ball and Jack Benny to Brad Pitt and Robert Downey, Jr., he's got a great story to tell." --Paul Jackson, Producer Charmed and Sliders."I have known Barry Livingston since he was nine years old. He always made me laugh. Now he's kept me awake reading his wonderful autobiography. There's a lot of talent in those size eight shoes." --Gene Reynolds, director of TV's M.A.S.H.and Promised Land
The Improvisation Edge: Secrets to Building Trust and Radical Collaboration at Work
by Karen HoughThere are all kinds of books about building trust. But The Improvisation Edge is the only one that draws on the wisdom of those who are truly experts in the dynamics of trust-building: theatrical improvisers. Think about it: other than combat, no situation requires more extreme trust than improvisation. You have no script, costumes or set--nothing to depend on but your fellow improvisers. When you collaborate on such an intense level you intrinsically engender trust. Karen Hough describes four principles that will help leaders, managers, trainers, and front-line employees adopt the improviser's mindset. You'll learn techniques to create a positive environment, encourage fearless participation and selfless collaboration, play to your own and your colleagues' strengths, and turn surprises, mistakes and disasters into opportunities for something new, unexpected and maybe better than you planned. The Improvisation Edge offers a fun, engaging and very hands-on way to build the kind of organizational trust and collaboration that makes breakthrough business results possible.
Improvised Life: A Memoir
by Alan ArkinAlan Arkin, who began acting lessons at age 10 and whose first major film role won him an Academy Award offers a memoir of his acting career. In addition to acting, he also excelled in directing, writing, and as a musician. Arkin takes readers along on a journey through his career and the discoveries he made about acting and life along the way. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
In Stitches: A Memoir
by Anthony Youn Alan EisenstockScrubs meets David Sedaris in this hilarious fish-out-of- water memoir about a young Korean-American nerd turned renowned plastic surgeon. Tony Youn grew up one of two Asian-American kids in a small town where diversity was uncommon. Too tall and too thin, he wore thick Coke-bottle glasses, braces, Hannibal Lecter headgear, and had a protruding jaw that one day began to grow, expanding to an unthinkable, monstrous size. After high school graduation, while other seniors partied at the beach or explored Europe, Youn lay strapped in an oral surgeon’s chair where he underwent a life-changing jaw reconstruction. Ironically, it was this brutal makeover that led him to his life’s calling, and he continued on to endure the four horrific, hilarious, sex-starved, and tension-filled years that eventually earned him an M.D. Offering a window into a side of medicine that most people never see, Youn shares his bumpy journey from a shy, skinny, awkward nerd into a renowned and successful plastic surgeon. Now, Youn is the media’s go-to plastic surgeon. He appears regularly on The Rachael Ray Show, and his blog, Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery, is widely read and very popular. But it was a long road to success, and In Stitches recounts Dr. Youn’s misfit adolescence and his four tumultuous years in medical school with striking wit, heart, and humility. For anyone who has ever experienced the awkward teenage years or is ready for some escapist fun, In Stitches is one man’s heartfelt, candid, and laugh-out-loud funny, journey of finding his true calling in life—and learning to be comfortable in his own skin.
Indie: An American Film Culture (Film and Culture Series)
by Michael Z. NewmanAmerica's independent films often seem to defy classification. Their strategies of storytelling and representation range from raw, no-budget projects to more polished releases of Hollywood's "specialty" divisions. Yet understanding American indies involves more than just considering films. Filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors, festivals, critics, and audiences all shape the art's identity, which is always understood in relation to the Hollywood mainstream.By locating the American indie film in the historical context of the "Sundance-Miramax" era (the mid-1980s to the end of the 2000s), Michael Z. Newman considers indie cinema as an alternative American film culture. His work isolates patterns of character and realism, formal play, and oppositionality and the functions of the festivals, art houses, and critical media promoting them. He also accounts for the power of audiences to identify indie films in distinction to mainstream Hollywood and to seek socially emblematic characters and playful form in their narratives. Analyzing films such as Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996), Lost in Translation (2003), Pulp Fiction (1994), and Juno (2007), along with the work of Nicole Holofcener, Jim Jarmusch, John Sayles, Steven Soderbergh, and the Coen brothers, Newman investigates the conventions that cast indies as culturally legitimate works of art. He binds these diverse works together within a cluster of distinct viewing strategies and invites a reevaluation of the difference of independent cinema and its relationship to class and taste culture.
Indie: An American Film Culture
by Michael Z. NewmanFrom Stranger than Paradise (1984) to Synecdoche, New York (2008), America's independent films often seem to defy classification. Their strategies of storytelling and representation vary widely, and they range from raw, no-budget productions to the more polished releases of Hollywood's "specialty" divisions. Understanding American indies involves more than just considering films. Filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors, festivals, critics, and audiences play a role in the art's identity, which is always understood in relation to the Hollywood mainstream. By locating the American indie in the historical context of the Sundance-Miramax era (the mid-1980s to the end of the 2000s), Michael Z. Newman considers indie cinema as an alternative American film culture. His work isolates patterns of character and realism, formal play, and oppositionality in these films and the function of festivals, art houses, and critical media in promoting them. He accounts for the power of audiences to distinguish indie films from mainstream Hollywood and to seek socially emblematic characters and playful form in their narratives. Analyzing films such as Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996), Lost in Translation (2003), Pulp Fiction (1994), and Juno (2007), along with the work of Nicole Holofcener, Jim Jarmusch, John Sayles, Steven Soderbergh, and the Coen brothers, Newman investigates the conventions that cast indies as culturally legitimate works of art and sustain these films' appeal. In doing so, he not only binds these diverse works together within a cluster of distinct viewing strategies but also invites readers to reevaluate the difference of independent cinema, as well as its relationship to class and taste culture.
Infamous Players
by Peter BartIn 1967, Peter Bart, then a young family man and rising reporter for the New York Times, decided to upend his life and enter into the dizzying world of motion pictures. Infamous Players is the story of Bart's whirlwind journey at Paramount, his role in its triumph and failures, and how a new kind of filmmaking emerged during that time. When Bart was lured to Paramount by his friend and fellow newcomer, the legendary Robert Evans, the studio languished, its slate riddled with movies that were out of touch with the dynamic sixties. By the time Bart had left Paramount in 1975, the studio had completed a remarkable run with such films as The Godfather, Rosemary's Baby, Harold and Maude, Love Story, Chinatown, Paper Moon, and True Grit. But this new golden era at Paramount was also fraught with chaos and company turmoil. Drugs, sex, runaway budgets, management infighting, and even the Mafia started finding their way onto the Paramount backlot, making it surely one of the worst-run studios in the history of the movie industry. As Peter reflects on the New Hollywood era at Paramount with behind-the-scenes details and insightful analysis, here too are his fascinating recollections of the icons from that era: Warren Beatty, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski, and Frank Sinatra among others. For over five decades, first on the inside as a studio executive, and later as the longtime editor-in-chief of Variety, Peter Bart has viewed Hollywood from an incomparable vantage point. The stories he tells and the lessons we learn from Infamous Players are essential for anyone who loves movies.
Infamous Players
by Peter BartIn 1967, Peter Bart, then a young reporter for theNew York Times, decided to upend his life and enter the dizzying world of motion pictures. Infamous Playersis the story of Bart’s remarkable journey at Paramount, his role in its triumphs and failures, and how a new kind of filmmaking emerged during that time. When Bart was lured to Paramount by his friend and fellow newcomer, the legendary Robert Evans, the studio languished, its slate riddled with movies that were out of touch with the dynamic ’60s. By the time Bart left Paramount, in 1975, the studio had completed an extraordinary run with such films asThe Godfather,Rosemary’s Baby,Harold and Maude,Love Story,Chinatown,Paper Moon, andTrue Grit. But this new golden era at Paramount was also fraught with chaos and company turmoil. Drugs, sex, runaway budgets, management infighting, and even the Mafia started finding their way onto the Paramount back lot, making it surely one of the worst-run studios in the history of the movie industry. As Peter reflects on the New Hollywood era at Paramount with insider details and insightful analysis, here too are his fascinating recollections of the icons from that era: Warren Beatty, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski, and Frank Sinatra, among others. For over five decades, Peter Bart has viewed Hollywood from an incomparable vantage point. The stories he tells and the lessons we learn fromInfamous Players are essential for anyone who loves movies.
Infamous Players
by Peter BartIn 1967, Peter Bart, then a young family man and rising reporter for the New York Times, decided to upend his life and enter into the dizzying world of motion pictures. Infamous Players is the story of Bart's whirlwind journey at Paramount, his role in its triumph and failures, and how a new kind of filmmaking emerged during that time.When Bart was lured to Paramount by his friend and fellow newcomer, the legendary Robert Evans, the studio languished, its slate riddled with movies that were out of touch with the dynamic sixties. By the time Bart had left Paramount in 1975, the studio had completed a remarkable run with such films as The Godfather, Rosemary's Baby, Harold and Maude, Love Story, Chinatown, Paper Moon, and True Grit. But this new golden era at Paramount was also fraught with chaos and company turmoil. Drugs, sex, runaway budgets, management infighting, and even the Mafia started finding their way onto the Paramount backlot, making it surely one of the worst-run studios in the history of the movie industry.As Peter reflects on the New Hollywood era at Paramount with behind-the-scenes details and insightful analysis, here too are his fascinating recollections of the icons from that era: Warren Beatty, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski, and Frank Sinatra among others.For over five decades, first on the inside as a studio executive, and later as the longtime editor-in-chief of Variety, Peter Bart has viewed Hollywood from an incomparable vantage point. The stories he tells and the lessons we learn from Infamous Players are essential for anyone who loves movies.
Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Untold, Unauthorized, and Unpredictable Story of a Pop Phenomenon
by Caseen Gaines&“Gaines thoroughly explores the innerworkings of the most grownup kiddie show in TV history. Pull up a Chairry and enjoy&” (Michael Musto, Village Voice). Between 1986 and 1991, a pandemic swept the nation. Symptoms included talking to furniture, checking the refrigerator for signs of life, and a desire to SCREAM REAL LOUD every time a &“secret word&” was spoken. For five years, Saturday morning television infect nearly ten million people a week with Pee-wee Fever. Following the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pee-wee&’s Playhouse, the behind-the-scenes story of this groundbreaking, successful, and still revered children&’s program is told for the first time by those who experienced it, with never-before-seen photos. Come on in and take a look Inside Pee-wee&’s Playhouse. &“With his inspired, lunatic Pee-wee&’s Playhouse, Paul Reubens showed a generation of television viewers that it&’s okay to be different. Caseen Gaines has crafted a meticulously researched look at the origin, production, and legacy of this landmark series that is every bit as educational and entertaining as the show it chronicles.&” —Jeremy Kinser, senior editor, The Advocate &“Caseen not only reveals the genius behind Paul Reubens&’ pop culture creation, but also takes us inside Pee-wee&’s Playhouse to meet the fascinating team that brought it to life.&” —Noah Levy, senior news editor, In Touch Weekly &“A must for any Pee-wee fan. Gaines unearths a significant moment in pop culture with the care of an archaeologist, and the vibrant humor of Pee-wee himself.&” —John Ortved, author of The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History This book is not affiliated with Pee-wee&’s Playhouse nor is it endorsed or approved by Paul Reubens
Inside the Inbetweeners: An Unofficial Full-colour Companion
by Charlotte WilsonThe Inbetweeners are Will, Simon, Neil and Jay - brought together at Rudge Park Comprehensive through their sheer lack of popularity, virginal status, and cringeworthy attempts to secure girlfriends...If you can't get enough of Will's pompous commentary, Simon's moody indecisiveness, Neil's dimwits and flatulence, or Jay's potty-mouthed boasting, then we have the very thing for you!This unique and unofficial guide brings you all the facts on the cast, both the characters and the actors behind them, comprehensive episode guides across all three series. A full listing on the music/tracks and artists featured in the show, hilarious quizzes, including Which Inbetweener Are You? and a fabulous pull-out poster of all four boys - TV's most unlikely pin-ups! Masses of colour photographs of the cast make this a must-have for teenagers of any age...
Instructions for a Broken Heart
by Kim CulbertsonThree days before her drama club's trip to Italy, Jessa Gardner discovers her boyfriend in the costume barn with another girl. Jessa is left with a care package from her best friend titled "Top Twenty Reasons He's a Slimy Jerk Bastard," instructing her to do one un-Jessa-like thing each day of the trip. At turns hilarious and heartwrenching, Instructions for a Broken Heart paints a magical Italy in which Jessa learns she must figure out life-and romance-for herself.
Interviewing for Radio (Media Skills)
by Jim Beaman'Jim Beaman’s Interviewing for Radio is a classic and seminal practice text, brilliantly written and masterful in its content. Nobody working in professional radio can do without it. It is a must for all radio courses and I could not recommend it more highly' - Tim Crook, Head of Radio, Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK Interviewing for Radio is a thorough introduction to the techniques and skills of the radio interview. It offers advice on how to ask the right question and elicit a response, and guides the reader through the use of equipment, the mechanics of recording, the studio environment, live broadcasts, presentation and pronunciation, and editing material. Written by an experienced producer and instructor, Interviewing for Radio includes: the history of the radio interview and the importance of its role today practical exercises which introduce successful interview and technical skills case studies and hypothetical scenarios to help you prepare for potential difficulties a discussion of ethics, risk assessment, codes of conduct and regulations This second edition has been thoroughly updated and includes advice from a new range of practitioners, and examples of recent UK and international interviews. The author critically analyses these interviews and explains the preparation, organisation and expertise required in order to produce a successful radio broadcast. Interviewing for Radio references both new and existing regulations and guidelines for UK journalists, then offers a global perspective by drawing on the differences and similarities with those applicable to other countries. This invaluable book is supported by a companion website that includes audio interviews with practitioners accompanied by a range of student exercises, a comprehensive glossary in the form of interactive flashcards, and suggested links for further listening.
Introduction to Modern Dance Techniques
by Joshua LeggBringing together all of the major modern dance techniques from the last 80 years, this engaging account is the first of its kind. The informative discussion starts by mapping the historical development of modern dance: in the late 19th century, a new dance emerged--not yet known as modern dance--that rejected social strictures and ballet as well. With insight into the personalities and purposes of modern dance's vanguard--including Martha Graham, Lester Horton, José Limón, and Merce Cunningham--this compilation provides a comparative approach that will enable students to discern which technique best suits them and dispel the idea that there is a single, universal modern dance technique. There are also ideas for experimentation so that students can begin developing an aesthetic sense for not only what is pleasing to their artistic eye, but also for what technical ideas are exciting while their own body is in motion. Sample lessons are included for teachers to incorporate the text into courses.
Iron Man
by Tony IommiThe memoir of one of the great musicians of our time, Tony Iommi?Grammy-winning revolutionary guitarist, cofounding member of Black Sabbath, and architect of heavy metal
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns): (and Other Concerns)
by Mindy KalingMindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck-impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence "Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I'll shut up about it?" Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you've come to the right book, mostly! In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door--not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.From the Hardcover edition.
Israeli Cinema
by Miri Talmon Yaron PelegWith top billing at many film forums around the world, as well as a string of prestigious prizes, including consecutive nominations for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, Israeli films have become one of the most visible and promising cinemas in the first decade of the twenty-first century, an intriguing and vibrant site for the representation of Israeli realities. Yet two decades have passed since the last wide-ranging scholarly overview of Israeli cinema, creating a need for a new, state-of-the-art analysis of this exciting cinematic oeuvre. The first anthology of its kind in English, Israeli Cinema: Identities in Motion presents a collection of specially commissioned articles in which leading Israeli film scholars examine Israeli cinema as a prism that refracts collective Israeli identities through the medium and art of motion pictures. The contributors address several broad themes: the nation imagined on film; war, conflict, and trauma; gender, sexuality, and ethnicity; religion and Judaism; discourses of place in the age of globalism; filming the Palestinian Other; and new cinematic discourses. The authors’ illuminating readings of Israeli films reveal that Israeli cinema offers rare visual and narrative insights into the complex national, social, and multicultural Israeli universe, transcending the partial and superficial images of this culture in world media.
It Chooses You
by Miranda JulyIn the summer of 2009, Miranda July was struggling to finish writing the screenplay for her much-anticipated second film. During her increasingly long lunch breaks, she began to obsessively read the PennySaver, the iconic classifieds booklet that reached everywhere and seemed to come from nowhere. Who was the person selling the "Large leather Jacket, $10"? It seemed important to find out-or at least it was a great distraction from the screenplay.Accompanied by photographer Brigitte Sire, July crisscrossed Los Angeles to meet a random selection of PennySaver sellers, glimpsing thirteen surprisingly moving and profoundly specific realities, along the way shaping her film, and herself, in unexpected ways.Elegantly blending narrative, interviews, and photographs with July's off-kilter honesty and deadpan humor, this is a story of procrastination and inspiration, isolation and connection, and grabbing hold of the invisible world.
It's So Easy: and other lies
by Duff MckaganIn his New York Times bestseller, Duff McKagan, founding member of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, shares the story of his rise to fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, and his life-saving transformation via a unique path to sobriety.In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle--partly to pursue music but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In LA only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as "Slash." Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N' Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide. In It's So Easy, Duff recounts Guns' unlikely trajectory to a string of multiplatinum albums, sold-out stadium concerts, and global acclaim. But that kind of glory can take its toll, and it did--ultimately--on Duff, as well as on the band itself. As Guns began to splinter, Duff felt that he himself was done, too. But his near death as a direct result of alcoholism proved to be his watershed, the turning point that sent him on a unique path to sobriety and the unexpected choices he has made for himself since. In a voice that is as honest as it is indelibly his own, Duff--one of rock's smartest and most articulate personalities--takes readers on a harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock-and-roll history and out the other side.
It's So Easy
by Duff MckaganIn his New York Times bestseller, Duff McKagan, founding member of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, shares the story of his rise to fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, and his life-saving transformation via a unique path to sobriety.In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle--partly to pursue music but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In LA only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as "Slash." Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N' Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide. In It's So Easy, Duff recounts Guns' unlikely trajectory to a string of multiplatinum albums, sold-out stadium concerts, and global acclaim. But that kind of glory can take its toll, and it did--ultimately--on Duff, as well as on the band itself. As Guns began to splinter, Duff felt that he himself was done, too. But his near death as a direct result of alcoholism proved to be his watershed, the turning point that sent him on a unique path to sobriety and the unexpected choices he has made for himself since. In a voice that is as honest as it is indelibly his own, Duff--one of rock's smartest and most articulate personalities--takes readers on a harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock-and-roll history and out the other side.
It's So Easy
by Duff MckaganA founding member of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver shares the story of his rise to the pinnacle of fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, and his phoenix-like transformation via a unique path to sobriety. In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle--partly to pursue music but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In L.A. only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as "Slash." Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N' Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide. In It's So Easy, Duff recounts GN'R's unlikely trajectory to a string of multiplatinum albums, sold-out stadium concerts, and global acclaim. But that kind of glory can take its toll, and it did--ultimately--on Duff, as well as on the band itself. As GN'R began to splinter, Duff felt that he himself was done, too. But his near death as a direct result of alcoholism proved to be his watershed, the turning point that led to his unique path to sobriety and the unexpected choices he has made for himself since. In a voice that is as honest as it is indelibly his own, Duff--one of rock's smartest and most articulate personalities--takes readers on his harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock-and-roll history and out the other side.
James Cameron: Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers Series)
by Brent DunhamJames Cameron (b. 1954) is lauded as one of the most successful and innovative filmmakers of the last thirty years. His films often break records, both in their massive budgets and in their box-office earnings. They include such hits as The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Titanic, and Avatar. Part scientist, part dramatist, Cameron combines these two qualities into inventive and captivating films that often push the boundaries of special effects to accommodate his imagination. James Cameron: Interviews chronicles the writer-director's rise through the Hollywood system, highlighted by his “can-do” attitude and his insatiable drive to make the best film possible. As a young boy growing up in Canada, Cameron imagined himself an astronaut, a deep-sea explorer, a science fiction writer, or a filmmaker. Transplanted to southern California, he would go on to realize many of those boyhood fantasies. This collection of interviews provides glimpses of the filmmaker as he advances from Roger Corman's underling to “king of the world.” The interviews are drawn from a number of sources including TV appearances and conversations on blogs, which have never been published in print. Spanning more than twenty years, this collection constructs a concise and thorough examination of Cameron, a filmmaker who has almost single-handedly ushered Hollywood into the twenty-first century.
Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman
by Patricia Bosworth&“The definitive portrait of a woman conflicted, torn between ferocious ambition, family, and feminist causes&” (Gail Sheehy, author of Passages). Jane Fonda emerged from a heartbreaking Hollywood family drama to become a &’60s onscreen ingénue and then an Oscar-winning actress. At the top of her game she risked it all, speaking out against the Vietnam War and shocking the world with a trip to Hanoi. One of Hollywood&’s most committed feminists, she financed her husband Tom Hayden&’s political career in the &’80s with a series of exercise videos that sparked a nationwide fitness craze. Even more surprising was Fonda&’s next turn, as a Stepford Wife of the Gulfstream set, marrying Ted Turner and seemingly walking away from her ideals and her career. Patricia Bosworth goes behind the image of an American superwoman, revealing the real Jane Fonda—more powerful and vulnerable than we ever expected—whose struggles for high achievement, love, and motherhood mirror the conflicts of an entire generation of women. In the hands of this seasoned, tenacious biographer, the evolution of one of the world&’s most controversial and successful women becomes nothing less than a great, enthralling American life. &“A book that gets unusually close to its subject. It sees what Ms. Fonda cannot see about herself.&” —The New York Times &“Bosworth&’s thorough account of this wild, uniquely twentieth-century Hollywood life makes Jane Fonda the actress even more intriguing.&” —San Francisco Chronicle
Jason Statham: Taking Stock
by Len BrownHollywood's favourite action heroAfter an exhilirating ten years, Jason Statham has finally confirmed his place in the Hollywood elite. And starring alongside his childhood heroes Stallone, Schwarznegger, Willis and Jet Li, it is hard to imagine him anywhere else. Born in south London, Jason Statham has always been an action-man. As a boy, Jason chose not to follow in the footsteps of his parents and instead cultivated his thirst for adrenaline in athletics and diving - a skill that took him to the World Championships in 1992. But it was on the athlectics track that he was first discovered by a modelling scout for Tommy Hilfiger and French Connection, which eventually led Jason to the then fledgling director Guy Ritchie. A string of Hollywood blockbusters - Lock Stock, Revolver, Snatch - followed. But perhaps his best known role came in 2002 when Jason was cast as Frank Martin in The Transporter. Statham's background in martial arts defies the norm of the action-hero as he performs his own scenes and stunts in some of Hollywood's most death-defying action scenes. A huge box office hit, The Transporter spawned two sequels and has earned the reputation of a cult classic. Len Brown's biography is an insightful, comprehensive and gripping account of Britain's all-action hero.