Celebrity Biographies - The Amazing Life of Bob Hoskins and Philip Seymour Hoffman - Famous Stars


Book Description

Ever wondered how Bob Hoskins and Philip Seymour Hoffman rose to stardom? Although most movie fans remember the surly and pudgy actor Bob Hoskins as the hardboiled detective in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the British actor was actually responsible for bringing a new level of class and artistic commitment to British filmmaking in the 80’s and 90’s. Beginning his life in the theater, Hoskins brought great poise and preparation to every role he undertook. The man who became known for his chameleon-like disappearance into a host of nuanced and creative characters was actually an extremely genial, kind, and gentle man in reality. Though his life was cut tragically short, actor Philip Seymour Hoffman left his indelible mark on the celluloid of film history forever. Starting off in a string of independent films as a struggling actor, Hoffman would later become recognized as one of the great pioneers of his craft – a man whose eccentric roles remain some of the most beloved in film. For more interesting facts you must read the biographies. Grab Your biography books now!




The Art of Watching Films


Book Description

Accompanying CD-ROM provides short film clips that reinforce the key concepts and topics in each chapter.




The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole


Book Description

The troubled life of Adrian Mole continues in this sequel to The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4. Adrian continues to struffle valiantly against the slings and arrows of growing up and his own family's attempts to scar him for life.




Bakhtin and the Movies


Book Description

Martin Flanagan uses Bakhtin's notions of dialogism, chronotope and polyphony to address fundamental questions about film form and reception, focussing particularly on the way cinematic narrative utilises time and space in its very construction.




The Cultural Cold War


Book Description

During the Cold War, freedom of expression was vaunted as liberal democracy’s most cherished possession—but such freedom was put in service of a hidden agenda. In The Cultural Cold War, Frances Stonor Saunders reveals the extraordinary efforts of a secret campaign in which some of the most vocal exponents of intellectual freedom in the West were working for or subsidized by the CIA—whether they knew it or not. Called "the most comprehensive account yet of the [CIA’s] activities between 1947 and 1967" by the New York Times, the book presents shocking evidence of the CIA’s undercover program of cultural interventions in Western Europe and at home, drawing together declassified documents and exclusive interviews to expose the CIA’s astonishing campaign to deploy the likes of Hannah Arendt, Isaiah Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Robert Lowell, George Orwell, and Jackson Pollock as weapons in the Cold War. Translated into ten languages, this classic work—now with a new preface by the author—is "a real contribution to popular understanding of the postwar period" (The Wall Street Journal), and its story of covert cultural efforts to win hearts and minds continues to be relevant today.




A Long Red Road


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Charisma


Book Description

A heartracing thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of NERVE, the book that launched the major motion picture! Aislyn suffers from crippling shyness—that is, until she’s offered a dose of Charisma, an underground gene therapy drug guaranteed to make her shine. The effects are instant. She’s charming, vivacious, and popular. But strangely, so are some other kids she knows. The media goes into a frenzy when the disease turns contagious, and then deadly, and the doctor who gave it to them disappears. Aislyn must find a way to stop it, before it's too late. Part medical thriller, part social justice commentary, Charisma will have readers on the edge of their seats.




Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors


Book Description

From live productions of the 1950s like Requiem for a Heavyweight to big budget mini-series like Band of Brothers, long-form television programs have been helmed by some of the most creative and accomplished names in directing. Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors brings attention to the directors of these productions, citing every director of stand alone long-form television programs: made for TV movies, movie-length pilots, mini-series, and feature-length anthology programs, as well as drama, comedy, and musical specials of more than 60 minutes. Each of the nearly 2,000 entries provides a brief career sketch of the director, his or her notable works, awards, and a filmography. Many entries also provide brief discussions of key shows, movies, and other productions. Appendixes include Emmy Awards, DGA Awards, and other accolades, as well as a list of anthology programs. A much-needed reference that celebrates these often-neglected artists, Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the history of the medium.




Two Fat Ladies


Book Description

You know them from their eponymous hit television series and their three previous cookbooks: Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies, The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again, and The Two Fat Ladies Full Throttle. Restoring passion to cooking and outspoken humor to the world of food, Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson have brought joy to millions of fans. In Two Fat Ladies Obsessions, they turned their attention to what turns them on, taking an in-depth look at thirty-four of their favorite ingredients, ranging from Oysters, Chicken, Chilies, Lamb, and Olives to Raspberries, Chocolate, Peaches, Salt, Butter, and Coffee. More than 150 recipes -- all written in true Fat Lady style -- reveal not only the history of these foods, but also why they are so near and dear to their hearts. Jennifer's fondness for Lobster Puffs, Maine Style, stemmed from the time she spent cooking on a boat off the coast of New England, while her Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe was a favorite from a childhood stint in Sicily. Clarissa's first food memory, at age 3 1/2, of eating a cold sausage and a hard-boiled egg, leads to a wonderful recipe for Simple Sausage Ragu, and her years spent working on a pheasant farm provide a variety of ways to prepare the bird, including delectable Georgian Pheasant. Other recipes, such as T-Bone Steak a la Castle Floors, Ceviche of Salmon, Duke of Hamilton's Fig Ice Cream, Walnut Pancakes, and Raspberry and Chocolate Millefeuilles, offer a new twist on foods we all love. Uniquely personal and highly entertaining, Two Fat Ladies Obsessions will delight old and new fans alike and serves as a fittingly robust tribute to the memory of Jennifer Paterson.




Nellie


Book Description

'In this highly readable biography of Nellie Melba...Robert Wainwright tells the story of the girl with the incredible voice who, by sheer force of her personality and power of her decibels, took the operatic world by storm and managed to escape from her violent husband' Ysenda Maxtone Graham, DAILY MAIL Nellie Melba is remembered as a squarish, late middle-aged woman dressed in furs and large hats, an imperious Dame whose voice ruled the world for three decades and inspired a peach and raspberry dessert. But to succeed, she had to battle social expectations and misogyny that would have preferred she stay a housewife in outback Queensland rather than parade herself on stage. She endured the violence of a bad marriage, was denied by scandal a true love with the would-be King of France, and suffered for more than a decade the loss of her only son - stolen by his angry, vengeful father. Despite these obstacles, she built and maintained a career as an opera singer and businesswoman on three continents which made her one of the first international superstars. Award-winning biographer Robert Wainwright presents a very different portrait of this great diva, one that celebrates both her musical contributions and her rich and colourful personal life.