This book can be summed up as 'Quentin Tarantino talks about the movies he watched growing up'. Whether you like him as a film maker or not (I generalThis book can be summed up as 'Quentin Tarantino talks about the movies he watched growing up'. Whether you like him as a film maker or not (I generally do) you can't argue with the fact that he has an encyclopedic knowledge of movies and has a lot to say about them.
I ended up adding a few of these movies to my watch list and mostly enjoyed them. I learned quite a lot I wasn't aware of, even for films that I was familiar with. Although it is mostly Tarantino asserting his opinion, he was in the position where he could ask some film makers about things that he'd been wondering about, so there is some element of authority there.
I was disappointed that he focused almost entirely on American cinema, since he is well versed in movies from all over the world, but I assume it's because he didn't watch many of those until he was older. I hope there's a second volume where he covers the rest of the world.
The audiobook has an introduction and epilogue read by Tarantino himself, but the rest is narrated by Edoardo Ballerini who does an excellent job, but it would have been nice to heear Tarantino do the whole thing....more
I was hoping for more of the actual production, model and set making from this book since it's about the creation of a stop motion film. The concept aI was hoping for more of the actual production, model and set making from this book since it's about the creation of a stop motion film. The concept art is beautiful, but there is so little of anything else it makes this book a little disappointing. ...more
This is less of a book and more of a heavily documented account of the creation of "Star Trek" and the production of the first season. Marc Cushman waThis is less of a book and more of a heavily documented account of the creation of "Star Trek" and the production of the first season. Marc Cushman was given access to various production documents, scripts, memos and notes which allowed him to collate an incredibly detailed history of the show.
It's quite overwhelming the amount of detail he goes into, not just in terms of various drafts of the scripts and the copious amounts of notes from producers, writers and the network but also down to the filming of each episode. Every day is accounted for so we know exactly when and where each scene was filmed. It's less a book and more a legal document at times.
I learned a lot, possibly more than I ever wanted to know, but I can see why diehard Trekkies who have seen every episode countless times might be interested to learn every detail about the production of each episode. I particularly liked Cushman correcting some misconceptions or misremembered stories that didn't line up with the various memos.
The audiobook made it easier to divide it into chunks and was well read, each player given a different voice actor, shout out to whoever voiced Robert Justman, he managed to sound less like someone reading a memo and more like a guy just voicing how he feels at any given time....more
The big standout from this book is that it's written by Tanya Lapointe, one of the executive producers of the film so she had unfettered access to manThe big standout from this book is that it's written by Tanya Lapointe, one of the executive producers of the film so she had unfettered access to many of those involved. This allows her to interview most of the big names in the crew and cast, which is often lacking in "The Art of..." books.
Structurally it follows the story of the film, starting with a brief history of "Dune" on screen, Denis Villenueve's attachment before covering each section of the film, "Caladan", "Giedi Prime", "Arakis" etc. As we begin each chapter it covers off the design of the planet, the creatures, costumes, weapons and vehicles as well as the casting process for characters who appear in the section before moving onto the next section.
I'm quite fond of this format as it allows the reader to experience the film all over again.
The art is obviousy fantastic, and it thankfully has a fairly in depth discussion on why they went with certain designs. Sometimes a picture speaks a thousand words, but honestly I just want to hear the creatives discuss these things that spend so long building.
Needed more pictures of Timothée Chalamet though....more
This book is broken into five main parts. Early development, a chapter for each of the three seasons and an illustrations and extras section.
It's writThis book is broken into five main parts. Early development, a chapter for each of the three seasons and an illustrations and extras section.
It's written in a way that lets you see how the show evolved over the course of the three seasons, which means you're not looking at just architecture or just characters for chapters at a time. You're following it from it's beginning to it's (current) end.
I write this everytime I review an "Art of..." book, but you don't need to see a review for this. If you like the show and you like art books then you know it's worth checking out.
And I write this everytime but my only criticism is that it's so short. You could devote this many pages to each of the three (soon to be seven!) seasons, but I suppose I am happy to take quality over quantity....more
Like the first volume this book goes through each episode of the season with an episode synopsis as well as behind the scenes interviews with the castLike the first volume this book goes through each episode of the season with an episode synopsis as well as behind the scenes interviews with the cast and crew.
What I find most interesting about this book is that it was written (or at least the interviews were taken) between seasons two and three, so a lot of those involved didn't actually know where the show was going.
So, on one side there's no spoilers for future seasons, but on the other it would be nice for them to have the chance to acknowledge future plot threads.
There is a section at the back of the book that talks about season one things, such as visual effects, music, sets, etc which I really enjoy, I just wish there was more focus on that.
Overall, this is consistent with the rest of these companions, so if you enjoyed them, you'll feel the same way about this one....more
I read the first part of this some time ago but decided to wait until it was all collected before reading the rest. For some reason I didn't really liI read the first part of this some time ago but decided to wait until it was all collected before reading the rest. For some reason I didn't really like the art as much, because it was less like screenshots from the show and more stylised.
Well, I was wrong because the art looks fantastic. It's still definitely Avatar, all the characters look right, they've just been adjusted to fit into the static medium of comics, and it works great, particularly the colouring and shading.
The story mainly focuses on the rift between benders and non-benders that has begun to appear in a post-war world. It's an interesting change from the nation vs nation mentality of the original series and begins to bridge the gap between 'The Last Airbender' and 'Legend of Korra'.
It also continues to build upon characters that were created in earlier volumes of this comic, so overall it has a really nice sense of continuity.
All of the characters (for the most part) get their moments to shine. I adored Sokka in the TV series so it's nice to see him take such a big part of this story. He's the perfect mix of goofy and genuinely one of the most intelligent (if not always wise) characters in 'The Last Airbender'. He sees things the other characters don't. Partly it's because he's a non-bender and has to work a lot harder to accomplish his goals, and partly because he's the best.
Aang vents his frustration that technology is slowly becoming more prevalent in their world, and Sokka gently reminds him that as a non-bender, technology helps even the playing field for everyone. It's not always going to be a good thing to have machines replace people, but it's something we all have to come to terms with.
Katara feels somewhat underused in this story, but she plays an important part in counseling Aang when he considers taking away the bending powers of an opponent. She describes it as an absolute last resort because it's essentially like removing part of someone, taking away a limb or a sense. If he's going to do that he needs to be sure the punishment really does fit the crime.
This is such a great continuation of the show, and it's so easy to understand why it's had a resurgence recently with the addition to Netflix. It may get dismissed as a kids show but it's so much more than that.
"I know this book is supoposed to be an autobiography but the fact is that most of you don't give a tinker's cuss for me as a human being, or for the "I know this book is supoposed to be an autobiography but the fact is that most of you don't give a tinker's cuss for me as a human being, or for the many different forms of suffering that makes me special. No, you're just flipping through my heart-rending life story in the hope of getting a couple of good laughs, aren't you?"
For those looking for ancedotes about the history of Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda, you'de be best to read one of the many other books written on those topics, including those written by Cleese himself.
He spends most of this book recounting his youth, early experiences with writing, acting and comedy and ends it all fairly neatly just as the first sketch for "Monty Python" begins, like the end of a biopic or something.
Okay, there's also the final chapter that delves into Cleese's experiences with the Pythons, their reunion show and his interesting relationship with Graham Chapman, his writing partner.
I admit I was disappointed he didn't go into more detail about his more well known professional career, but as he says it's his fucking book and he'll write about what he wants. And there have been so many other books written by those involved that I completely understand why this book ends where it does.
Cleese continues to be incredibly funny, but adds in a humanity that isn't always obvious with the overbearing characters he so often plays. His chapters about his mother were particularly interesting and touching in a very English kind of way.
The audiobook is read by Cleese, so it has his very particular type of delivery which left me laugh out loud on several occasions and also has a nice intro/outro by Michael Palin, showing they still have a good relationship after all these years.
There's also a couple of sketches that are played from the original tapes, which is a nice addition when you're listening to the audio version....more
This is a fairly comprehensive look at the creation of the Battlestar Galactica miniseries and first season. Each episode is given a synopsis and an aThis is a fairly comprehensive look at the creation of the Battlestar Galactica miniseries and first season. Each episode is given a synopsis and an analysis often involving the producers and actors involved.
It's a nice look at the first season, but it is fairly heavily focused on those episodes, with some supplemental material looking at the main characters and getting the actors' thoughts on them.
I would have liked a bit more from the design and creation of the ships, sets, costumes, but I suppose I'll need to seek out an "Art of Battlestar Galactica" book for that....more
I was concerned that this book was going to completely retcon or ignore the previous five volumes. Thankfully I was completely mistaken. It builds upoI was concerned that this book was going to completely retcon or ignore the previous five volumes. Thankfully I was completely mistaken. It builds upon those stories and characters as well as expanding upon the gap between "The Last Airbender" and "The Legend of Korra".
In fact I'd suggest that anyone who is interested in continuing the Avatar journey to read the previous five arcs before jumping into this one because of how interconnected it is to those stories.
My main issue is that it's such a short book that it feels incomplete. Previously I read the library editions that were combinations of three shorter books which gave the arc a more complete feel. I think I will hold off reading volume two of "Imbalance" until the third volume has been released. At this point it's too early for me to form a view of this story.
I miss the artwork from the previous volumes. Each page looked like it was a screenshot straight from the show, it was beautiful. This time around the art has more of the artist's own style while still being recognisably Avatar... but I prefer the previous style if I'm being entirely honest. But don't get me wrong, it is a really nice take on the art.
"That God Damned, lying, hypocritical, deceiving, thieving, son of a bitch. That bullying bastard. Everything that I'd been pretending was not true fo"That God Damned, lying, hypocritical, deceiving, thieving, son of a bitch. That bullying bastard. Everything that I'd been pretending was not true for twenty years just welled to the top. I walked out of there and said that man can never again call me friend, he's a user. I went home and the first thing I did was pick up the phone, call Harlan Ellison and tell him he was right." -David Gerrold on Gene Roddenberry.
This is for the fans only. It's so long, covering the period from the creation of Star Trek: The Next Generation all the way to Star Trek Beyond, so that by the time I reached thge chatpers covering Voyager, TNG felt like a whole book ago. I treated this almost like a podcast, something I listened to whle driving, and that worked for me, thinking of it as individual episodes in a show rather than a single exhausting narrative.
While Gene Roddenberry continues to come across as egotistical and jealous, his successor Rick Berman had his own issues. It seems like the nicest thing most people say about Berman is when he didn't stand in their way, even though he had the opportunity. The biggest issue seems to be he stands in the way of actual writers because of what he believed Roddenberry would have wanted... it wasn't even for his own beliefs, but a long dead, deeply flawed man. Berman also comes across as sexist, referring to women as "babes" on more than one occasion, claiming how hard it is to find a beautiful woman in Hollywood who can act. Like it can only be one or the other.
I enjoyed the section on Deep Space Nine, and it was interesting to learn the reason it's one of the best incarnations of Star Trek is because Berman and the studio saw it as the black sheep, so they just let Ira Steven Behr and his team of writers do their own thing.
Towards the end there is a lot of excuses about Berman and Brannan Braga not getting the chance to do what they wanted with Voyager and Enterprise, but I find that hard to believe. I think by that point they just didn't really care and were happy to just run the series into the ground.
Because of the length, I can only recommend this to Trekkies... I think it's a bit too overwhelming for the casual fan. There are times it's embarassing to be a Trekkie, but after listening to this book, and seeing how much hard work and effort went into this universe, I'm glad it's a fandom I belong to....more
This book starts off a little dry and clinical but once it begins to delve into the issues surrounding the creation of the show and movies it gets intThis book starts off a little dry and clinical but once it begins to delve into the issues surrounding the creation of the show and movies it gets interesting. It's not a tell-all bitchfest or anything but it's refreshing how open and honest a lot of the major players are.
For the most part everyone involved is quite civil, but I got a definite vibe that Star Trek's nominal creator Gene Roddenberry was somewhat of an ego maniac and a bit of a prick. He was jealous of anyone else getting the slightest amount of credit, insisting on rewriting almost all scripts from the original series, usually to their detriment. He even went to the extreme of leaking Spock's death in Wrath of Khan because he was essentially excluded from production (to the benefit of the final product).
Of course he deserves credit for creating the show, for having such a nice vision of the future, he also deserves credit for some very valid criticisms and suggestions of the films that were ignored. At times he comes across as incredibly insightful.
Unfortunately he ultimately comes across as a massive piece of shit. But hey, at least I've spent two hundred words talking about him, so he'd be happy about that.
The best part of this book is learning about the many people involved who share responsibility for Star Trek becoming the phenomenon it is today. I'm a pretty big Trekkie, but there were a few revelations to me in terms of people I'd barely heard of who deserve credit for co-creating the brand. People like Gene L. Coon, Robert Wise, Harve Bennett, Nicholas Myer and many others have at times received some measure of credit, but perhaps not as much as they deserve.
I'd recommend this to anyone who considers themselves a Star Trek fan, as it's not only about the creation of the show and movies but also the fan reaction and subsequent build up of fan conventions.
I'd also highly recommend the audiobook version. It features multiple narrators and it helps make it feel more like a conversation than a single person reading a book....more
The making of the film Alien 3 is arguably more interesting than the film itself. It went through so many variations, so many writers and directors weThe making of the film Alien 3 is arguably more interesting than the film itself. It went through so many variations, so many writers and directors were attached, multiple ideas were attempted and rejected that it's astounding (or completely unsurprising) that the final product was as lackluster as it was.
I really love the idea of going back to original scripts and publishing them, either as books or beautifully illustrated comics as has been done many times before. So, when I heard William Gibson's original script for Alien 3 was being adapted for comics, I knew I'd have to get it.
He takes the story in a very different direction from the final film, arguably a more interesting one. The biggest drawback is the lack of Ellen Ripley's character, a requirement as Sigourney Weaver wasn't planning on returning at that stage. It does allow Corporal Hicks played by Michael Biehn in Aliens to take a more central role, but his actual character isn't all that fleshed out... he mostly reacts to what's going on around him.
The story is much more about biological warfare and combines the horror of the first with the action of the second. Whether it would have worked as a film is anyone's guess but I think it would have been more interesting than the one we got. It also left the door open for what could have been the most interesting sequel of the franchise.
The artwork is pretty solid, although of the characters based on actors only Bishop really looks like Lance Henriksen. The variations of the xenomorphs were interesting and I really liked the design of some of the space stations.
As a stand-alone sequel to the Alien franchise this book is mildly entertaining, but the appeal of seeing what could have been is the real draw-card....more
This is a fairly exhaustive look at the making of 2001 all the way from the initial meetings between Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke all the way This is a fairly exhaustive look at the making of 2001 all the way from the initial meetings between Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke all the way through production and the film's lasting impact.
The vertical aspect of the book was difficult to get used to. I thought it worked well for the many fold-out sections, giving us a nice array of concept and photographs, but there were times when simply holding the book in a comfortable manner was beyond me. Some of the images, like the instructions for the zero G toilet were unreadable because the majority of the content was lost to the spine.
Aside from the technical issues it's a fantastic book and I recommend it to any fans of Kubrick, Clarke or their amazing collaboration....more
This is less a novel/comic and more a collection of information about the Avatar universe. It's essentially a scrapbook that Aang contructed for his yThis is less a novel/comic and more a collection of information about the Avatar universe. It's essentially a scrapbook that Aang contructed for his youngest son Tenzin, the next last Airbender.
It has a lot of cool little items like an Earth Kingdom postcard, a Waterbender scroll, a flyer for the Ember Island Players and a lot more content that makes it seem like it came straight out of the Avatar universe.
I was hoping for a more conventional narrative that involved seeing Aang and Tenzin's relationship, but this was a cool too....more
My biggest issue with this book is that it's not big enough. Every episode gets some coverage, so obviously certain elements need to be left out. ThisMy biggest issue with this book is that it's not big enough. Every episode gets some coverage, so obviously certain elements need to be left out. This book could have easily focused entirely on the first season with two more volumes doing the same, but I understand that isn't necessarily feasible.
That being said, what is there is a great collection of sketches, concept art and the finished product. It still amazes me how beautiful the Avatar universe is, and this book really goes to show how much love went into that creation.
We get to see the earliest concepts of the boy with the arrow on his head and how he eventually evolved into Aang. The elements of each nation are addressed as well as the very distinctive fighting styles of each bender type.
If you're a fan of the universe and are still sad that it's all over, I cannot recommend this book enough....more
Were you disappointed when The Secret History Of Twin Peaks failed to catch you up on what's been going on in the town for the last twenty five yeWere you disappointed when The Secret History Of Twin Peaks failed to catch you up on what's been going on in the town for the last twenty five years? Yeah, me too.
In retrospect it made sense, so when I watched the 'Limited Event Series' it was a surprise everytime an old character popped up, rather than having their fates spoiled by a book beforehand.
Now that the dust has settled and the fates of these characters is known (or remains to be unknown), this follow-up book is a recap of sorts of the series as well as a bridge between the finale of season two and the start of season three.
It should also be stressed that this book is for those who have finished season three as there are some fairly massive spoilers within.
Rather than the first book's collection of reports, newspaper articles and notes taken by Agent Preston, this is a final report compiled by her for reading by Deputy Director Cole as a way of catching him up on the events in Twin Peaks.
While I enjoyed the first volume, I appreciate this one more as a means of filling in some gaps. Now as ever with anything David Lynch is involved in there are still many unanswered questions, but it will bring some closure for viewers who continue to wonder what happened between seasons for some of the characters....more
The artwork continues to be fantastic to the point where it might as well be screenshots from an episode. The characters don't look exactly the same aThe artwork continues to be fantastic to the point where it might as well be screenshots from an episode. The characters don't look exactly the same a lot of the time but it works. Aang for example seems older, not a lot but enough that he's not that little kid anymore.
This is another story featuring the differences between Aang and Zuko and their respective leadership styles. Zuko continues to struggle with being Fire Lord, which I appreciate. It shouldn't be easy and I'm glad he acknowledges it.
I missed Katara and Sokka, but I know they'll be back. Writing stories about particular characters allows them to be even more fleshed out rather than constantly including ALL of the major recurring players.
A really good Toph-centric adventure. Both she and Aang have to deal with both the future and the past and the best way to deal with it in the presentA really good Toph-centric adventure. Both she and Aang have to deal with both the future and the past and the best way to deal with it in the present.
The artwork continues to be gorgeous, it looks just as good (and sometimes better than) the show....more
For those who wanted to know the answer to Zuko's final question in the series "Where is my mother?", this is for you. I don't think you'll be disappoFor those who wanted to know the answer to Zuko's final question in the series "Where is my mother?", this is for you. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
The volume is primarily about Zuko and Azula and their relationship with their mother. I loved seeing the flashbacks to them as children... Azula was always manipulative and jealous of her brother's relationship with her mother. And Zuko... ah, poor little Zuko. Even in the show they seemed to make him an adorable kid just to enhance the sadness when he gets beaten. He's basically the punching bag of the Avatar universe. No matter how many times he's smacked down he just keeps getting back up again.
Zuko's arc is my favourite of all the characters in the TV Show. He starts out as the main (and incredibly unlikable) antagonist, but as the viewer learns more and more about him, he becomes such a sympathetic character that by the end of the show you want him to win.
This story continues Zuko's arc in unexpected directions and this time Azula comes along for the ride. She's just as interesting a character as Zuko, particularly in her mentally unstable state. The continued contrast between those two siblings and Katara and Sokka shows how important family is to the Avatar universe. Something that's been apparent since Katara invited Aang to be part of theirs.
My only complaint, not enough Toph. But I understand why she needed to take a backseat to allow Azula to (temporarily?) join the Gaang. ...more
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