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What Fresh Lunacy is This?: The Authorized Biography of Oliver Reed
by Robert SellersOliver Reed may not have been Britain's biggest film star - for a period in the early 70s he came within a hairsbreadth of replacing Sean Connery as James Bond - but he is an august member of that small band of people, like George Best and Eric Morecambe, who transcended their chosen medium, became too big for it even, and grew into cultural icons.For the first time Reed's close family has agreed to collaborate on a project about the man himself. The result is a fascinating new insight into a man seen by many as merely a brawling, boozing hellraiser. And yet he was so much more than this. For behind that image, which all too often he played up to in public, was a vastly complex individual, a man of deep passions and loyalty but also deep-rooted vulnerability and insecurities. Why was a proud, patriotic, intelligent, successful and erudite man so obsessed about proving himself to others, time and time again?Although the Reed myth is of Homeric proportions, he remains a national treasure and somewhat peculiar icon.Praise for other books by Robert Sellers:Hellraisers: The Life and Inebriated Times of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O'Toole, and Oliver Reed: 'So wonderfully captures the wanton belligerence of both binging and stardom you almost feel the guys themselves are telling the tales.' GQ.Vic Armstrong: The True Adventures of the World's Greatest Stuntman:'This is the best and most original behind-the-scenes book I have read in years, gripping and revealing.' Roger Lewis, Daily Mail.Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down: '...a rollicking good read... Sellers has done well to capture a vivid snapshot of this exciting time.' Lynn Barber, Sunday Times.
What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting
by Marc NormanShakespeare in Love screenwriter Norman offers a history of his Hollywood predecessors and contemporaries, the famously despised screenwriters. Stories include the fallout of the McCarthy-era blacklists, the introduction of the Production Code and writers' attempts to outsmart the censors, the disappointment of director Billy Wilder upon hiring master crime novelist Raymond Chandler to script Double Indemnity (later nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar), and the redefining of screenwriting by the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Charlie Kaufman. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
What Happens in Paradise: Book 2 in NYT-bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand's sizzling Paradise series (Winter in Paradise)
by Elin HilderbrandSecret lives and new loves emerge in the bright Caribbean sunlight . . .A year ago, Irene Steele had the shock of her life: her loving husband, father to their grown sons and successful businessman, was killed in a plane crash. But that wasn't Irene's only shattering news: he'd also been leading a double life on the island of St. John, where another woman loved him, too. Now Irene and her sons are back on St. John, determined to learn the truth about the mysterious life - and death - of a man they thought they knew. Along the way, they're about to learn some surprising truths about their own lives, and their futures. Lush with the tropical details, romance and drama, What Happens in Paradise is another immensely satisfying page-turner from one of the world's most beloved and engaging storytellers.(P) 2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
What Has Life Taught You?: 10 Eternal Questions Answered by 40 Exceptional People
by Zoe SallisA unique concept: 40 extraordinary people give answers to 10 searching questions about their beliefs. In our current age of uncertainty and turmoil, this is a book to give insight for life's journey and to encourage readers to confront the same questions themselves."My suggestion or advice is very simple; that is, to have a sincere heart." - The Dalai LamaWhat Has Life Taught You? features the answers given by 40 outstanding people to 10 profound questions about life, the mind and the spirit. Author Zoë Sallis has a passion for stirring up debate on philosophical and ethical questions and journeyed all over the globe to ask well-known figures of widely varying beliefs the same 10 questions. Interviewees include:Nelson MandelaHis Holiness the Dalai LamaNeale Donald WalschAnjelica HustonJack NicholsonSophia LorenTeale SwanRichard DawkinsDavid LynchGore VidalAnd more...The questions range from "What is your concept of God?" and "Do you think this life is all there is, or do you believe in an afterlife?" to "What has life taught you so far?" and "How do you find peace within yourself?"Socrates thought the unexamined life was not worth living, and perhaps that is why he roamed the streets of Athens accosting people and asking them their thoughts and beliefs. By sharing the wisdom of these truly inspiring people, the book hopes to provoke debate and encourage readers to examine what they have learned on their life journey so far and share their own insights with others.
What Have We Here: Portraits of a Life
by Billy Dee WilliamsWHAT HAVE WE HERE? follows Billy Dee Williams from his childhood growing up in Harlem to his days on Broadway and in Hollywood before landing the role in George Lucas' space opera that would win him everlasting fame.Over a 60-year career spanning Broadway, music, movies, and television, Billy's tales and travels include Lawrence Olivier, Marlon Brando, James Baldwin, Henry Fonda, Duke Ellington, Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, Richard Pryor, Sylvester Stallone, Diahann Carroll, and a world of less famous but no less colourful characters.And that's just his life on this planet. As hundreds of millions of Star Wars fans worldwide know, Williams is and always will be Lando Calrissian, the double-dealing, outlandishly handsome rogue from George Lucas' classic Star Wars adventures The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, a role he reprised in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
What Have We Here: Portraits of a Life
by Billy Dee WilliamsWHAT HAVE WE HERE? follows Billy Dee Williams from his childhood growing up in Harlem to his days on Broadway and in Hollywood before landing the role in George Lucas' space opera that would win him everlasting fame.Over a 60-year career spanning Broadway, music, movies, and television, Billy's tales and travels include Lawrence Olivier, Marlon Brando, James Baldwin, Henry Fonda, Duke Ellington, Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, Richard Pryor, Sylvester Stallone, Diahann Carroll, and a world of less famous but no less colourful characters.And that's just his life on this planet. As hundreds of millions of Star Wars fans worldwide know, Williams is and always will be Lando Calrissian, the double-dealing, outlandishly handsome rogue from George Lucas' classic Star Wars adventures The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, a role he reprised in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
What Have We Here?: Portraits of a Life
by Billy Dee WilliamsA film legend recalls his remarkable life of nearly eight decades—a heralded actor who's played the roles he wanted, from Brian’s Song to Lando in the Star Wars universe—unchecked by the racism and typecasting so rife in the mostly all-white industry in which he triumphed. <p><p> Billy Dee Williams was born in Harlem in 1937 and grew up in a household of love and sophistication. As a young boy, he made his stage debut working with Lotte Lenya in an Ira Gershwin/Kurt Weill production where Williams ended up feeding Lenya her lines. He studied painting, first at the High School of Music and Art, with fellow student Diahann Carroll, and then at the National Academy of Fine Art, before setting out to pursue acting with Herbert Berghoff, Stella Adler, and Sidney Poitier. <p><p> His first film role was in The Last Angry Man, the great Paul Muni’s final film. It was Muni who gave Billy the advice that sent him soaring as an actor, “You can play any character you want to play no matter who you are, no matter the way you look or the color of your skin.” And Williams writes, “I wanted to be anyone I wanted to be.” <p><p> He writes of landing the role of a lifetime: co-starring alongside James Caan in Brian’s Song, the made-for-television movie that was watched by an audience of more than fifty million people. Williams says it was “the kind of interracial love story America needed.” <p><p> And when, as the first Black character in the Star Wars universe, he became a true pop culture icon, playing Lando Calrissian in George Lucas’s The Empire Strikes Back (“What I presented on the screen people didn’t expect to see”). It was a role he reprised in the final film of the original trilogy, The Return of the Jedi, and in the recent sequel The Rise of Skywalker. <p><p> A legendary actor, in his own words, on all that has sustained and carried him through a lifetime of dreams and adventure. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
What Hollywood Believes: An Intimate Look at the Faith of the Famous
by Ray Comfort(From the book jacket) Did you know that George Lucas produced Star Wars so young people would seek after God, or that Frank Sinatra believed in God and in the Sermon on the Mount? Which Hollywood star thinks God is a woman? Who are atheists? What did John Wayne say about God just before he died? How many Hollywood celebrities pray every day, and believe the Bible? Contrary to popular opinion, America is very interested in the topic of God. Combining the rising popularity of spirituality and the public's voracious appetite for celebrity information, this unique publication shares the spiritual beliefs of Hollywood stars from past and present. You will be intrigued as you discover the personal beliefs of Jim Carrey, Britney Spears, Bruce Willis, Jack Nicholson, and over 100 top celebrities. Martin Sheen, Nick Nolte, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Christopher Reeve, Barbara Eden, Bill Maker, Jerry Lewis, Carrie Fisher, Howard Stern, James Taylor, John Lennon, Andy Griffith, Denzel Washington, Pamela Anderson, Janet Jackson, Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Jodie Foster, John Travolta, Winona Ryder, Kim Basinger, Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, Kirstie Alley, Larry Flynt, Laurence Fishburne, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Whitney Houston, Liza Minnelli, Marlon Brando, Woody Allen, and many more...
What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America
by David Ritz Tavis SmileyFrom the man who catapulted the Covenant with Black America to number one on the New York Times bestseller list comes a searing memoir of poverty, ambition, pain and atonement. Tavis Smiley grew up in a family of thirteen in rural Indian, where money was scarce and the sight of other black faces even scarcer. Always an outsider because of his race, economic background, and Pentecostal religious beliefs, he was sustained by his family's love. But one day his world was shattered when his father brutally beat him, sending him to the hospital and then into foster care for a period of time. In What I Know for Sure, Smiley recounts how he overcame his painful history and became one of America's most popular media figures.
What I Learnt: What My Listeners Say and Why We Should Hear Them
by Jeremy VineJeremy Vine has been presenting a BBC Radio 2 show since 2003 that attracts more than seven million listeners. In that time he calculates he has taken more than 25,000 calls on topical subjects - big issues and small ones: on life, love, lollipop ladies and poisonous plants. But what have the callers told him? In the age of Brexit and Donald Trump, is the world now being run by Radio 2 listeners? If you listen to Radio 4, Brexit was a shock. If you are a Radio 2 listener it wouldn't have surprised you at all. Where Jeremy's callers once expressed a kind of resignation ('But what can you do?' or the gloomy rejoinder: 'You have to laugh'), now they tend to give him their views expecting to be heeded. They have not called in to entertain the audience. They expect to take the wheel of the car and drive.Listener wisdom is far more valuable than most of what we hear from appointed spokespeople. What was the response when Jeremy asked: 'Have you ever been pecked in the eye by a gannet?' Which subjects are most likely to start pitched warfare between different sections of the audience? (Answer: old people using buses, old people NOT using buses, cellophane, or Tony Blair saying anything.)In a book punctuated by vivid anecdotes and laugh-out-loud moments, Jeremy Vine explains what it's like to hit a button and hear - totally unvarnished and unspun - the voices of so-called ordinary people. And why they are not so ordinary after all.
What I'd Say to the Martians: And Other Veiled Threats
by Jack HandeyJack Handey is one of America's favorite humorists, from his New Yorker pieces to his Deep Thoughts books and Saturday Night Live sketches. Now, in What I'd Say to the Martians, Handey regales readers with his incredible wit and wacky musings.
What If . . . ? (Sesame Street): Answers to Calm First-Day-of-School Jitters
by Sonali FryElmo and his Sesame Street friends help ease anxiety about starting preschool and kindergarten with this picture book that straightforwardly answers children's "What if...?" questions.Young children can have lots of anxiety, especially when faced with something new, such as starting school. Luckily, Elmo and his Sesame Street friends are here to relieve those first-time jitters! This picture book helpfully answers common questions (What if I don't like my teacher? What if I don't know where the bathroom is?) to ease your little one's worries. Plus, the friendly, colorful faces of Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, and other Muppets always produce smiles! This is a great resource--and gift--for any child about to start preschool or kindergarten.Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, aims to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder through its many unique domestic and international initiatives. These projects cover a wide array of topics for families around the world.
What If It's Us
by Adam Silvera Becky AlbertalliLove Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper? Meet Arthur and Ben! From INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING authors Adam Silvera (They Both Die At The End) and Becky Albertalli (Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda) comes a long-awaited collaboration about two very different boys who can't decide if the universe is pushing them together or pulling them apart.Soon to be a feature film, adapted by the creator of 13 Reasons Why!Meet Arthur and Ben. ARTHUR is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it&’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it. BEN thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn&’t be carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend&’s things.But when the boys have a chance meeting at the post office, they leave wondering what exactly the universe does have in store for them. What if - in a city of eight million people - they can't find each other again?What if they do ... and then can&’t nail a first date even after three do-overs?What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work and Ben doesn&’t try hard enough?What if life really isn&’t like a Broadway play?But what if it is? What if it's us?PRAISE FOR WHAT IF IT'S US:'Romantic, realistic and sweet, this perfectly captures New York, teenage love and life in that gray area when you're not quite an adult and not quite a child either.' Lauren James, author of The Loneliest Girl in the UniversePRAISE FOR ADAM SILVERA:'A phenomenal talent.' Juno Dawson, author of Clean and WonderlandPRAISE FOR BECKY ALBERTALLI:'The love child of John Green and Rainbow Rowell.' Teen Vogue
What If...
by Samantha Berger Mike CuratoCreativity, the power of imagination, and the importance of self-expression are celebrated in this inspiring picture book written and illustrated by real-life best friends.This girl is determined to express herself! If she can't draw her dreams, she'll sculpt or build, carve or collage. If she can't do that, she'll turn her world into a canvas. And if everything around her is taken away, she'll sing, dance, and dream...Stunning mixed media illustrations, lyrical text, and a breathtaking gatefold conjure powerful magic in this heartfelt affirmation of art, imagination, and the resilience of the human spirit.
What If?: Twenty-Two Scenarios in Search of Images
by Vilém FlusserAn imagination of possibilities, of miscalculations, of futures off-kilter &“Probability is a chimera, its head is true, its tail a suggestion. Futurologists attempt to compel the head to eat the tail (ouroboros). Here, though, we will try to wag the tail.&” —Vilém Flusser Two years after his Vampyroteuthis Infernalis, the philosopher Vilém Flusser engaged in another thought experiment: a collection of twenty-two &“scenarios for the future&” to be produced as computer-generated media, or technical images, that would break the imaginative logjam in conceiving the social, political, and economic future of the universe. What If? is not just an &“impossible journey&” to which Flusser invites us in the first scenario; it functions also as a distorting mirror held up to humanity. Flusser&’s disarming scenarios of an Anthropocene fraught with nightmares offer new visions that range from the scientific to the fantastic to the playful and whimsical. Each essay reflects our present sense of understanding the world, considering the exploitation of nature and the dangers of global warming, overpopulation, and blind reliance on the promises of scientific knowledge and invention. What If? offers insight into the radical futures of a slipstream Anthropocene that have much to do with speculative fiction, with Flusser&’s concept of design as &“crafty&” or slippery, and with art and the immense creative potential of failure versus reasonable, &“good&” computing or calculability. As such, the book is both a warning and a nudge to imagine what we may yet become and be.
What Is Cinema?
by Hugh Gray Dudley Andrew André Bazin Jean RenoirAndré Bazin's What Is Cinema? (volumes I and II) have been classics of film studies for as long as they've been available and are considered the gold standard in the field of film criticism. Although Bazin made no films, his name has been one of the most important in French cinema since World War II. He was co-founder of the influential Cahiers du Cinéma, which under his leadership became one of the world's most distinguished publications. Championing the films of Jean Renoir (who contributed a short foreword to Volume I), Orson Welles, and Roberto Rossellini, he became the protégé of François Truffaut, who honors him touchingly in his forword to Volume II. This new edition includes graceful forewords to each volume by Bazin scholar and biographer Dudley Andrew, who reconsiders Bazin and his place in contemporary film study. The essays themselves are erudite but always accessible, intellectual, and stimulating. As Renoir puts it, the essays of Bazin "will survive even if the cinema does not."
What Is Cinema?
by Hugh Gray Dudley Andrew André Bazin Francois TruffautAndré Bazin's What Is Cinema? (volumes I and II) have been classics of film studies for as long as they've been available and are considered the gold standard in the field of film criticism. Although Bazin made no films, his name has been one of the most important in French cinema since World War II. He was co-founder of the influential Cahiers du Cinéma, which under his leadership became one of the world's most distinguished publications. Championing the films of Jean Renoir (who contributed a short foreword to Volume I), Orson Welles, and Roberto Rossellini, he became the protégé of François Truffaut, who honors him touchingly in his forword to Volume II. This new edition includes graceful forewords to each volume by Bazin scholar and biographer Dudley Andrew, who reconsiders Bazin and his place in contemporary film study. The essays themselves are erudite but always accessible, intellectual, and stimulating. As Renoir puts it, the essays of Bazin "will survive even if the cinema does not."
What Is Japanese Cinema?: A History
by Yomota InuhikoWhat might Godzilla and Kurosawa have in common? What, if anything, links Ozu’s sparse portraits of domestic life and the colorful worlds of anime? In What Is Japanese Cinema? Yomota Inuhiko provides a concise and lively history of Japanese film that shows how cinema tells the story of Japan’s modern age.Discussing popular works alongside auteurist masterpieces, Yomota considers films in light of both Japanese cultural particularities and cinema as a worldwide art form. He covers the history of Japanese film from the silent era to the rise of J-Horror in its historical, technological, and global contexts. Yomota shows how Japanese film has been shaped by traditonal art forms such as kabuki theater as well as foreign influences spanning Hollywood and Italian neorealism. Along the way, he considers the first golden age of Japanese film; colonial filmmaking in Korea, Manchuria, and Taiwan; the impact of World War II and the U.S. occupation; the Japanese film industry’s rise to international prominence during the 1950s and 1960s; and the challenges and technological shifts of recent decades. Alongside a larger thematic discussion of what defines and characterizes Japanese film, Yomota provides insightful readings of canonical directors including Kurosawa, Ozu, Suzuki, and Miyazaki as well as genre movies, documentaries, indie film, and pornography. An incisive and opinionated history, What Is Japanese Cinema? is essential reading for admirers and students of Japan’s contributions to the world of film.
What Is Lighting Design?: A Genealogy of People and Ideas
by Michael ChybowskiWhat Is Lighting Design?: A Genealogy of People and Ideas explains what lighting design is by looking at the history of ideas that are a part of this craft and how those ideas developed. Lighting design began in the West with the Renaissance, and each historical period since then has modified how and why light is used in performance, the methods for producing light, and the consensus around what its purpose is. Exploring each lighting design era and the basic components of lighting design, the book discusses how the central ideas of this craft developed over the past 500 years, what today’s lighting designers are concerned with, and how lighting design contributes to performances. This book is designed as a main course text for History of Lighting Design university courses and a supplementary text for and Introduction to Lighting Design, Stagecraft, and Scenography courses. It will also be of interest to directors, choreographers, and working lighting designers who wish to explore the history and meaning of their craft.
What Is This Thing Called Jazz? African American Musicians as Artists, Critics, and Activists
by Eric PorterWhat Is This Thing Called Jazz? challenges interpretive orthodoxies by showing how much black jazz musicians have struggled against both the racism of the dominant culture and the prescriptive definitions of racial authenticity propagated by the music's supporters, both white and black.
What Is the Story of Batman? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Michael Burgan Jake Murray Who HQWho HQ brings you the stories behind the most beloved characters of our time.His aliases include the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, and World's Greatest Detective, but he's best known as Batman, and he's leaping from the night sky onto the page in this fun biography.Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American philanthropist and business owner, and Batman, his crime-fighting alter ego, have been entertaining audiences since 1939. The character was so popular after appearing in Detective Comics that DC Comics decided to give Batman a comic book of his own. In doing so, they created one of the company's most successful franchises.Author Michael Burgan details the history of Batman--from his tragic origin story and his infamous arch enemies--to his iconic depictions in television and movies throughout the years. This book shows readers why this superhero with no superpowers is so beloved around the world.
What Is the Story of Captain Kirk? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Who HQ M. D. PayneYour favorite characters are now part of the Who HQ library!Journey to deep space and learn how James Tiberius Kirk became one of the greatest space heroes in the Star Trek universe in this addition to the New York Times bestselling series.From appearances in live action and animated television shows, a series of films, comics, video games, and more, James T. Kirk is an established space captain in pop culture. Star Trek remains one of the most popular science-fiction series of all time, and Captain Kirk is one of the most famous and highly decorated captains in the history of Starfleet. As the commanding officer of starships like the U.S.S. Enterprise, viewers follow his adventures through space. But did you know that Kirk wasn't even the show's first Captain? And that the Star Trek series almost didn't happen? Author M. D. Payne takes readers aboard Starfleet starships as Kirk explores new worlds, encounters new villains, and "boldly goes where no man has gone before."
What Is the Story of Captain Picard? (What Is the Story Of?)
by David Stabler Who HQYour favorite characters are now part of the Who HQ library! Climb aboard the starship USS Enterprise and learn how Jean-Luc Picard became one of the most beloved Starfleet members in the Star Trek universe.Star Trek stands as one of the most popular science-fiction series of all time, and Captain Picard is one of its fan-favorite characters thanks to his inspiring quotes and brilliant leadership. As the captain of the starship USS Enterprise, Picard has taken viewers with him on adventures through space for decades. Now, young fans can learn even more about the famous character, including details about his obsessions with Earl Grey tea and Shakespeare.From appearances in live-action and animated television shows, a series of films, comics, video games, and more, Jean-Luc Picard is an established icon in the Star Trek universe and a beloved character across pop-culture channels.Author David Stabler takes readers aboard Starfleet starships as Picard adventures through space, defeats great evils, and inspires hope in us all to believe that "things are only impossible until they're not."
What Is the Story of Cinderella? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Who HQ Dana Meachen RauHow did the story of Cinderella, her glass slipper, the pumpkin carriage, and a magical night at the ball with a prince come to be? Find out in this dazzling book that explores the many different versions of Cinderella's story across different authors, movies, cultures, and more!Who HQ brings you the stories behind the most well-known characters of our time in the What Is the Story Of? series!Did you know that the first version of Cinderella's story was written two thousand years ago in Greece? It was about a young woman named Rhodopis and her missing sandal. Since then, many versions of this fairy tale have been written featuring a poor girl whose kindness led to her dreams coming true. China, Italy, France, and Germany all have distinct versions of Cinderella's story that author Dana Rau explains within this exciting nonfiction book for fans of the beloved princess. Young readers will learn over a dozen different versions of Cinderella's story, including the most famous versions by Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Walt Disney, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Fans will also get to know the many different actresses who have brought Cinderella to life, including Brandy Norwood, Julie Andrews, Drew Barrymore, and Anne Hathaway.
What Is the Story of Doctor Who? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Who HQ Gabriel P. CooperWho HQ brings you the stories behind the most beloved characters of our time.This What Is the Story of? title is out of this universe! Learn the history of the Time Lord, the TARDIS, and the epic battles they've faced across time and space.When Doctor Who began airing on the BBC in 1963, British audiences were introduced to the rogue Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Now, viewers from all over the world are glued to their screens for the mysterious Doctor's intergalactic adventures. But how did this time traveler became such a beloved character? Author Gabriel P. Cooper provides readers with the inside scoop on the Doctor's unique time machine, loyal companions, and diabolical foes. This book, just like the show, is sure to intrigue a new generation of fans.