January 2023 MBR The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Roots of Film Noir
Kevin Grant
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476687483, $39.95, PB, 252pp

https://www.amazon.com/Roots-Film-Noir-Precursors-Silent/dp/147668748X

Synopsis: Film Noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations.

Comprised of individual reviews for 90+ films created and released before 1941, "Roots of Film Noir: Precursors from the Silent Era to the 1940s" by Kevin Grant (a film historian and periodical journalist living in London) is the first title-by-title reference guide to the forerunners of film noir. Silent Hitchcock thrillers and German expressionist masterpieces, French poetic realist dramas and forgotten Hollywood B-movies, pseudo-Freudian gangster films and costume melodramas are among the works covered.

Illustrated with black/white period photos, this collection spans subgenres and cultures of filmmaking, aiming to demonstrate that the roots of noir were sown far and wide, long before the lasting and mysterious genre flowered in America during the war years.

Critique: Fascinating, informative, detailed, and a genuine treat for Film Noir movie buffs, "Roots of Film Noir: Precursors from the Silent Era to the 1940s" is a welcome and unreserved recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic librry Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of film buffs, film students, and academia, that "Roots of Film Noir: Precursors from the Silent Era to the 1940s" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.99).

Try Not to Hold It Against Me
Julian Schlossberg
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10011
www.beaufortbooks.com
9780825310256, $26.95, HC, 374pp

https://www.amazon.com/Try-Not-Hold-Against-Me/dp/0825310253

Synopsis: Veteran motion picture, television, and Broadway producer Julian Schlossberg grew up in New York City with an early love of entertainment. As a child, he was an avid fan of radio, film, and the new art of television, and harbored ambitions of meeting his favorite stars one day. Little did he know that in the course of his career, he would not only meet many of them, but also become their producer, representative, and friend.

During his nearly 60 years in show business, Schlossberg has worked as a producer, director, distributor, exhibitor, radio and television host, and record executive. At 27 he was the youngest head film buyer of a national theater chain; after working at the ABC network, the Walter Reade Organization, and Paramount Pictures, he would start his own motion-picture company, Castle Hill Productions, which would become one of the largest independent film-distribution companies in the world with a library of over 500 films. Not willing to restrict his efforts to film and television, he has also produced award-winning plays and musicals for Broadway and off-Broadway, working closely with brilliant writers and directors like Mike Nichols, Larry Gelbart, Susan Stroman, Woody Allen, and David Mamet.

With the publication of his memoir "Try Not to Hold It Against Me", Schlossberg shares stories from a lifetime in entertainment, from his childhood in the Bronx to his years as a producer for screen and stage. Schlossberg takes us through the trials and triumphs of work and play in every avenue of the business: negotiating with Al Pacino, Burt Reynolds, and Lillian Hellman; hosting the syndicated radio and television production Movie Talk, which introduced him to hundreds of stars; experiencing the paranormal with Shirley MacLaine and Betty Hill; running the Orson Welles estate and restoring Welles' masterly film adaptation of Othello; partying with Barbra Streisand and Liza Minelli; testifying in a lawsuit against The Beatles; and interviewing over 120 of the most influential figures of the 20th century for his series Witnesses to the 20th Century.

Written with engaging humor and self-deprecation (and featuring a foreword by Academy Award winner Elaine May), "Try Not to Hold It Against Me" gives readers a behind-the-scenes pass to Cannes and Las Vegas, the lives and homes of the stars, and the rarely seen but crucial work of the producer in the midst of it all. It's a compelling read for film, television, and theater enthusiasts alike -- and a one-of-a-kind autobiography by one of entertainment's true insiders.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative insider's account of a successful and substantial Hollywood career behind the camera, "Try Not to Hold It Against Me" has a very special appeal to readers with an interest in cinematic history in general, and film industry biographies/memoirs in particular. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Try Not to Hold It Against Me" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library American Cinema, Theatre, and Television History, as well as Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Try Not to Hold It Against Me" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note #1: Julian Schlossberg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Schlossberg) has produced more than 60 works in film, theater, and television. During his career, he has established himself as a producer's representative for such prominent figures as Elia Kazan, John Cassavetes, Elaine May, and George C. Scott. Schlossberg is also the co-founder of Merlian News, an online magazine, and (with partner Danny Goldberg) Gold Castle Records. He is currently producing Witnesses to the 20th Century, a TV series examining the century's major events through the experiences of its most prominent people.

The Good, the Bad and the Ancient
Sue Matheson, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476667645, $55.00, PB, 227pp

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Bad-Ancient-Greco-Roman-Influence/dp/1476667640

Synopsis: Although Americans are no longer compelled to learn Greek and Latin, classical Greco/Roman ideals remain embedded in American law and politics, philosophy, oratory, history and especially popular culture.

In the Western genre, many film and television directors (such as John Ford, Raoul Walsh, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann and Sam Peckinpah) have drawn inspiration from antiquity, and the classical values and influences in their work have shaped our conceptions of the West for years.

Compiled and edited by Sue Matheson, "The Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Essays on the Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns" is a thought-provoking, first-of-its-kind collection of essays that celebrate, affirm and critique the cinematic Westerns relationship with the classical world. Explored are films like Cheyenne Autumn, The Wild Bunch, The Track of the Cat, Trooper Hook, The Furies, Heaven's Gate, and Slow West, as well as serials like Gunsmoke and Lonesome Dove.

Critique: Comprised of fifteen impressively informative and deftly crafted essays, as well as a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, "The Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Essays on the Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns" is a singularly unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Movie/TV History & Criticism collections. It should be noted for dedicated western movie and television fans that "The Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Essays on the Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $32.99).

General Note: Sue Matheson (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sue-Matheson) is a Professor of English at the University College of the North in Manitoba, Canada.

Do the Right Thing
Karla R. Fuller
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933402, $26.95, PB, 132pp

https://www.amazon.com/Right-Thing-Storytelling-Screenplays-Diversity/dp/1615933409

Synopsis: With the publication of "Do the Right Thing: Five Screenplays that Embrace Diversity", Professor Karla R. Fuller offers screenwriting strategies that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. These are the five film that are discussed: Moonlight, Get Out, Mudbound, Roma, and Always be My Maybe. The goal is to teach an already challenging writing mode that requires screenwriters to create complex human experiences through visual storytelling.

We are in a critical historical moment where the importance of screenwriting can be of the utmost usefulness in the observation of racism, inequity and inclusion in all media. The screen representations of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or class are not often explicitly addressed at the "front end" of the film production process, specifically, during the creation of the screenplay (whether original or adapted from outside source material). The idea is to introduce and reinforce the importance of accountability for what you write for the screen.

This is not to limit the screenwriter's creative impulses, but rather to create and engage them in consistent ways that reveal unconscious biases and instances of systemic racism. We will use five case studies of commercially successful and award-winning screenplays that resist stereotypes to present multidimensional depictions of historically underrepresented groups, such as LGBTQ, African American, Latino and Asian American.

In the discussions of each individual screenplay issues such as the adaptation process, plot structure and devices, characterization, setting, symbolism, and genre conventions are introduced and analyzed in depth.

Critique: Simply stated, "Do the Right Thing: Five Screenplays that Embrace Diversity" should be required reading for anyone who aspires to be a successful screen writer. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, insightful and informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Do the Right Thing: Five Screenplays that Embrace Diversity" is essential and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Screen Writing instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Do the Right Thing: Five Screenplays that Embrace Diversity" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.13).

Editorial Note: Karla Rae Fuller (http://www.karlaraefuller.com) is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Cinema and Television Arts at Columbia College Chicago. She teaches in the Cinema Studies and Screenwriting areas in the undergraduate and MFA graduate programs. She received her PhD from Northwestern University, MFA from Columbia University in New York City and BA from Amherst College. Prior to teaching at Columbia College, Ms. Fuller held the position of Director of Feature Film Evaluation at Vestron Inc. which produced the hit movie Dirty Dancing among others. She was also a freelance script reader for New Line Cinema, Miramax and various other production companies.

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