DEVOUR! Some Great Food Writing

Devour! Food Film Fest is the world’s largest food and film festival, happening now in Wolfville, NS. Here are some books inspired by the festival line-up this year:  

Movies featuring food as a subject or theme are a relatively new sub-genre.  Steve Zimmerman's Food in the Movies shows the progression of food moving from being used merely as minor props or storytelling devices to the many films where food is an integral part of the theme or plot of the film, and the eventual creation of the food film genre. The book features over four hundred movie scenes where food is an important component to the story. Definitely recommended for the food film fan!

Babette's Feast is a 1987 film that is widely considered to be one of the best food movies ever made, and will be screened at the Devour! gala event this year. Did you know that the film is based on a short story written by Isak Denison in her anthology of short stories, Anecdotes of Destiny? Babette's Feast tells the story of a skilled French chef that is forced to leave Paris, and finds work in a repressive religious household in 19th century Denmark. When Babette wins the lottery after spending years cooking bland food for a pair of elderly sisters, she spends her entire winnings on cooking an extravagant banquet for the community. Despite the sisters' ingrained distrust of pleasure, the feast transforms those around the table.

Documentaries and non-ficiton books about the health and environmental effects of the modern food industry are changing the way we think about our food systems. Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto is a classic in this genre, and is the inspiration of a new documentary film of the same name. Pollan sees modern society's obsession with fad diets and nutrition making us more unhealthy than ever: "Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Pollan’s bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating." Publisher.

Many of the unhealthy aspects of our modern food processing industry are being exposed by investigative journalists who tell their stories in documentaries and in non-fiction books. Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us was written by Michael Moss, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at The New York Times. "Salt, Sugar, Fat is a journey into the highly secretive world of the processed food giants, and the story of how they have deployed these three essential ingredients, over the past five decades, to dominate the North American diet." Publisher.


The creators of Thug Kitchen, a foul-mouthed, trash-talking vegetarian food blog, will be also speak at this year's Devour! festival at a workshop, with the Trailer Park Boys appearing as special guests. Their edgy vegetarian cookbooks have been on the bestseller lists since they came out, and it's not just because they're making vegetarian food cool: "This book is an invitation to everyone who wants to do better to elevate their kitchen game. No more ketchup and pizza counting as vegetables. No more drive-thru lines. No more avoiding the produce corner of the supermarket. Sh*t is about to get real." Publisher.

North Korea and Film

As we celebrate Asian Heritage Month, I decided to check out a book that might shed some light on the history of North Korea, an isolated country shrouded in secrecy: A Kim Jong-Il Production: the extraordinary true story of a kidnapped filmmaker, his star actress, and a young dictator’s rise to power by Paul Fischer.

This book tells the incredible story of the lengths to which dictator Kim Jong-il was willing to go in order to improve the North Korean film industry: by kidnapping prominent filmmakers from South Korea. Shin Sang-ok, South Korea’s most famous director, and Choi Eun-hee (“Madam Choi”), a renowned actress who starred in many of Shin’s movies, were a formerly-married couple who had fallen on hard times in South Korean film industry. They were separately kidnapped, held in North Korea for a decade, and forced to make propaganda movies for Kim Jong-il after undergoing years of imprisonment and attempted brainwashing. Eventually, they gained Kim Jong-il’s trust and managed to stage their escape to Vienna in 1986. It really does sound like something out of a movie plot, and indeed, an upcoming documentary called The Lovers and the Despot will cover their story.

What I really appreciate about this book is not only the amazing fortitude of Choi and Shin but also the insights they and others are able to give us about what it was like living in North Korea: the staggering wealth inequality where Kim Jong-il owns countless luxury mansions while many of his people starve. I was stunned by the contrast between Jong-il’s lavish parties with personal entertainment while political prisoners are fed soup filled with rocks and forced to sit perfectly still for sixteen hours a day or be beaten. The book emphasizes that kidnappings to North Korea happened on a frequent basis, and once you were there, it was almost impossible to escape from the country. But the main message is Jong-il’s obsession with reinforcing his family’s regime through the power of film. The movies became one of Jong-il’s main tools in building and maintaining a national identity from worship of his father, Kim Il-sung, to himself and beyond.

This might help to explain the extreme reaction to the political satire film The Interview, starring Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Randall Park as Jong-il’s son, Kim Jong-un. Sony Picture’s theatrical release of the film was eventually cancelled due to threats of violence from hackers linked with North Korea, which unfortunately may have a chilling effect on future films satirizing North Korea.

Those wanting more satirical films could try the 2005 film Team America: World Police, made by the creators of South Park. Here, Kim Jong-il is made to look particularly ridiculous—but then, so is everyone else parodied in the movie, whose actors, amusingly, are marionettes.

While comedy films may invite us to mock the dictators of North Korea, we must remember the actual harm done to the everyday citizens who suffer under the regime, which seeks to suppress the free thought of its people and can have them and their entire families thrown into prison without a trial or even an official charge. The documentary Kimjongilia: the flower of Kim Jong Il shares appalling firsthand stories from six former detainees: survivors of the horrors of the prison system, sexual slavery, torture, mutilation, and starvation. While the inclusion of interpretive dancers distracts from the accounts, the harrowing tales have undeniable power.

For another documentary about North Korea, try National Geographic’s Inside North Korea, with correspondent Lisa Ling. She traveled to the elusive country by posing as part of a medical team under Dr. Sanduk Ruit, a Nepalese eye surgeon whose goal was to spend 10 days doing 1,000 surgeries to remove cataracts from North Korean citizens—including many children—who had become blind due in part to malnutrition, a chronic problem in the country. While unfortunately, the team was constantly monitored by government officials, simply gaining access to Pyongyang was quite a feat. One amazing scene in particular showed how strong Kim Jong-il’s cult of personality had become: when those who had been blind finally had their bandages removed, rather than thank the doctors standing there, each of them instead profusely thanked the pictures of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on the wall.

Finally, try A State of Mind. The creators of this fascinating documentary were given unprecedented access to two young Pyongyang gymnasts who work tirelessly to bring glory to their country. Pak Hyon-sun (age 13) and Kim Song-yon (age 11) spent months training for the Mass Games, a gloriously colourful performance that requires up to 80,000 gymnasts in the floor display and 12,000 schoolchildren for the floor backdrop. The purpose of the Mass Games is to celebrate the unity of the people and the glory of the state and leader. While the spectacle of the Games was beautiful, perhaps more interesting were the scenes of relatively privileged everyday life in the capital city, including ubiquitous power cuts and accordion performances. These scenes help to humanize the people living in North Korea and remind us that they are doing the best they can to make a living in an oppressive environment.

Hollywood scandals

Hollywood has been the mecca for scandals ever since its founding. I have always been a lover of movies and thus, interested in the people who make them. While there are plenty of scandals that TMZ covers daily, I want to concentrate on the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle has always fascinated me, but not for his talent. The only thing that I previously heard about Arbuckle was the accusation that he had brutally killed Virginia Rappe. In Room 1219: the Life of Fatty Arbuckle, the Mysterious Death of Virginia Rappe, and the Scandal That Changed Hollywood, by Greg Merritt, I learnt more. Room 1219 tells the tale of Arbuckle’s rise to fame and his stunning fall from grace – from Hollywood superstar to its first pariah. Merritt gives an account of the sensational accusations and trials of Roscoe Arbuckle, following a party held Labor Day weekend, 1921. The events of that weekend became a major newspaper story, and one of the first “trials of the century.” Merritt not only covers the three trials and what happened in room 1219, but also the climate of Hollywood at this time. He takes a look at all the evidence, including autopsy reports, trial transcripts, police and coroner testimony. Merritt clears up misunderstandings about both Arbuckle’s life and Rappe. The lives of two people were ruined that weekend in 1921, Rappe lost her life and Arbuckle lost everything. This book proves that truth be damned, people will say and believe anything they want. To learn the truth read Room 1219.

Charlie Chaplin may have been everyone’s lovable” Little Tramp” but Peter Ackroyd’s book, Charlie Chaplin presents his difficult personal life. This biography shows the brilliance of the star, but also his blemishes as he struggled his way from poverty to worldwide fame. In his personal life he was morose, private and obsessive, with an unrelenting perfectionism that annoyed his fellow actors and directors. What was scandalous about Chaplin was his politics and his sex life. It was reported that Chaplin had sex with more than 2,000 women!  When asked to describe his ideal women, he replied “I am not exactly in love with her, but she is entirely in love with me”. Chaplin was well known for his preference for young women, as he married and discarded a number of them. In the mid-40s a scandal erupted involving Joan Barry, who filed a paternity suit against him. Because of his political leanings, the FBI was also interested in Chaplin. They named him in four indictments, the worst being breaking the Mann Act (transporting women across state line for the purpose of sex). If convicted he would have been sentenced to 23 years in jail. He was acquitted of the charges and proven not to be the father of Barry’s child. Yet, he was forced to pay child support until she turned 21. Newsweek stated that this was “the biggest scandal since Fatty Arbuckle’s murder trial in 1921”

Golden Globes books

The recent Golden Globe Awards brought back the fact that most really good movies are based on books. Here is a brief look at what has won this year:


12 Years a Slave (M), based on the book by Solomon Northrup published in 1853, won for Motion Picture Drama. This memoir is a slave narrative of a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. It was considered a best seller for its time, selling 30,000 copies.


The Wolf of Wall Street (M), based on the book by Jordan Belfort, had Leonardo DiCaprio winning Best Actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy. Interestingly, what you think could not have possibly happened to this man because of the outrageousness is true. Belfort really did crash a helicopter on his lawn, and he did have to be rescued by the Italian Navy after his yacht sank off the coast of Sardiania. Much of DiCaprio’s dialogue comes directly from the book.

Mandela: long walk to freedom (M) is based on Nelson Mandela’s autobiographical work published in 1995. Many musicians helped bring the plight of Mandela’s imprisonment to the world’s attention. U2 wrote “Ordinary Love” for the movie version of this books and it won Original song for a Motion Picture.

Hans Christian Andersen (M) has inspired many movies but for the Golden Globe this year has the movie Frozen winning for Animated Feature Film.

Behind the Candelabra (M) won the best TV miniseries or movie and won an award for Michael Douglas. It is based on the last ten years in the life of flamboyant pianist Liberace and his secret affair with Scott Thorson.

Even though it is not even in theatres yet, I am both dreading and looking forward to the film version of Gillian Flynn’s novel Gone Girl (M). Many readers loved this psychological thriller because of the plot twists and turns to a tale of an unhappy marriage. The big news about the film is that the author herself wrote the screenplay and apparently “wasn’t afraid to take a buzzsaw to her own novel” ! It is reported that she has completely changed the ending. I really can’t see how that would improve this bestseller, but time will tell. This movie could be up for a Golden Globe award next year!

So, as long as there have been good stories written, movies will be inspired by them.

Furious Cool - Forthcoming Bios from the World of Film and Television

Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the world that made him (M) by David Henry

"The latest biography of "the world's most brilliant stand-up comedian" is the culmination of a project that took more than a decade (originally intended as a three-act screenplay) by screenwriter Henry and his brother, musician Joe.

Born in 1940 in Peoria, IL, Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III was raised by his grandmother, who ran a brothel in which his mother "also turned tricks." Raped at five by a teenage bully (who, decades later, appeared with his son seeking Pryor's autograph), Pryor found respite from his oppressive childhood by acting in local theater. Leaving the first of six wives and his first two (of seven) children, Pryor arrived in New York City in 1963, embarking on a career that spanned clubs, television, and film, finding unparalleled success as a black performer in a racially stratified industry. Universally lauded as a genius, Pryor never overcame his drug addictions, spectacularly exemplified by his 1980 freebasing-induced self-immolation. More a compilation of assiduous research than a narrative-with irreverent profanity that echoes Pryor's performances-this book should succeed in introducing a legend to new generations. Readers raised on dystopia will find Pryor's life tragically epic." - Library Journal

Rich man, Poor man (M)
by Nick Nolte

"One day you're the sexiest man alive, and another day your face is like a flattened road-killed bird in the worst mug shot of all time. 

In a career spanning five decades, Nick Nolte has endured the rites of Hollywood celebrity. Rising from obscurity to leading roles and Oscar nominations, he has been both celebrated and vilified in the media; survived marriages, divorces, and a string of romances; was named the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine; and suffered public humiliation over his drug and alcohol issues, including a drug-fueled trip down a long road of nothingness that ended in arrest. Despite these ups and downs, Nolte has remained true to the craft he loves, portraying a diverse range of characters with his trademark physicality and indelible gravelly voice. Already 35 when his performance in the 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man launched him to stardom, Nolte never learned to play by Hollywood's rules..." - publisher

Still Foolin' 'Em: where I've been, where I'm going, and where the hell are my keys? (M) by Billy Crystal 

"*Starred Review* If you've been paying attention for the last few decades, you're probably familiar with the career of Billy Crystal: his stand-up roots, his controversial role on the sitcom Soap, his run on Saturday Night Live, his Oscar-hosting turn, his movies (City Slickers and When Harry Met Sally, among many others). Why, you might be wondering, do I need to read the book when I already know the guy? Here's one reason: the book is massively laugh-out-loud funny. Here, on the very second page, for example, he writes about getting older: Why does God make everything small that should be big and everything big that should be small? Like my nuts, why are they now HUGE? Every time I sit on the toilet, I make tea with my balls. If you're not laughing, then you didn't read that right. Crystal, who turned 65 in March 2013, reflects on his life and career and the joys of aging, and the book has a lot of surprises, ranging from the story of how he created the character of Fernando (the You look mahvelous guy) to his brief stint as a player with the New York Yankees. Hollywood memoirs don't come much more entertaining than this one, and the book reinforces one thing we've always known about Crystal: he's a genuinely funny, genuinely nice guy" - Booklist

Johnny Carson (M)
by Henry Bushkin 

"A revealing and incisive account of the King of Late Night at the height of his fame and power, by his lawyer, wingman, fixer, and closest confidant. From 1962 until 1992, Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show and permeated the American consciousness. In the ’70s and ’80s he was the country’s highest-paid entertainer and its most enigmatic. He was notoriously inscrutable, as mercurial (and sometimes cruel) off-camera as he was charming and hilarious onstage. During the apex of his reign, Carson’s longtime lawyer and best friend was Henry Bushkin, who now shows us Johnny Carson with a breathtaking clarity and depth that nobody else could. From the moment in 1970 when Carson hired Bushkin (who was just twenty-seven) until the moment eighteen years later when they parted ways, the author witnessed and often took part in a string of escapades that still retain their power to surprise and fascinate us." - publisher

Nicholson: a biography (M)
by Marc Eliot

"Relying on years of extensive research and interviews with insiders who know Nicholson best, acclaimed biographer Marc Eliot sheds new light on Nicholson's life on and off the screen. From Nicholson’s working class childhood in New Jersey, where family secrets threatened to tear his family apart, to raucous nights on the town with Warren Beatty and tumultuous relationships with starlets like Michelle Phillips, Anjelica Huston, and Lara Flynn Boyle, to movie sets working with such legendary directors and costars as Dennis Hopper, Stanley Kubrick, Meryl Streep, and Roman Polanski, Eliot paints a sweeping picture of the breadth of Nicholson’s fifty-year career in film, as well as an intimate portrait of his personal life." - publisher

Books to Film - 3 novels to read before the big screen release

These three books are slated to be released as films in Fall 2013.
Read now, watch later.

Reconstructing Amelia (M)
by Kimberly McCreight
~starring Nicole Kidman

"Kate believes her daughter, 15-year-old Amelia, has committed suicide, jumping from the roof of her private school until she receives an anonymous text saying simply, Amelia didn't jump. Could she have been murdered? Kate, a successful attorney, is determined to find out even as she is haunted by the fear she has failed her daughter, too often putting her career ahead of her responsibilities as a mother. McCreight has written an elaborately plotted mystery that not only tells Kate's story but also includes Amelia's own first-person narrative along with her e-mails, texts, and Facebook posts, all of which tell a harrowing story while keeping the reader one step ahead of Kate and the police. This first novel occasionally requires a willing suspension of disbelief and comes dangerously close to melodrama near the end, but McCreight does a fine job of building suspense and creating characters, notably Kate and Amelia, whom the target audience both adults and older teens will care about and empathize with." - Booklist

If I Stay (M)
by Gayle Forman
~starring Chloe Grace Moretz

YA Novel. "Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones. Move to New York City to pursue her true love -- music -- or stay with her boyfriend, family and friends. Then one February morning everything changes. Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. In a blink she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... And suddenly all of her choices are gone. Except for the one choice that truly matters. 'If I stay' is heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make."

The Monuments Men: Allied heroes, Nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history (M)
by Robert M. Edsel~starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Cate Blanchett

"This is a chronicle of an unusual and largely unknown aspect of World War II. The heroes here aren't flamboyant generals or grizzled GIs in combat. In civilian life these men and women had been architects, museum directors, sculptors, and patrons of the arts. They were drawn from thirteen nations, although most were American or British citizens. Beginning in 1943, they were recruited into a special unit formed to protect and recover cultural treasure that had been looted by top Nazis, especially Hitler and Goring. As Allied armies liberated areas of northern Europe after D-Day, these monuments men moved into the front lines. Since they had little advance knowledge of the location of the looted art, their efforts often resembled treasure hunts. In addition to recovering stolen art, they worked tirelessly, often at personal risk, to protect and restore art damaged by the ravages of war. Edsel describes the exploits of these men and women in a fast-moving narrative that effectively captures the excitement and dangers of their mission." - Booklist

 

In Memoriam - Elmore Leonard, 1925 - 2013

Acclaimed author and screenwriter Elmore Leonard (M) has passed away at the age of 87.

Recently awarded a lifetime achievement award, a Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Medal, by The National Book Foundation, presenter Martin Amis portrayed him as "a literary genius who writes re-readable thrillers." I think that is a rather apt description.

NoeveList describes him as such:

"Elmore Leonard's fast-moving crime writing houses a colorful array of sleazy characters spouting inspired, street-smart dialogue in vividly described locales such as Detroit, Miami and Hollywood. Elmore brings his lean, direct narrative voice to his Western novels as well. His often wry tone suits both genres equally. Sudden eruptions of fierce violence keep readers on edge and off-balance. His fast-paced writing focuses on lifelike, idiosyncratic characters -- in pursuit of a big score, or of each other -- heading toward a final collision that not all will walk away from. Start with: Hombre (M)." NoveList

His most recent novel is 2011's Raylan (M), book three of the Raylan Givens series of novels.

"Deputy U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens first appeared in Pronto and Riding the Rap. Then Raylan, as portrayed by actor Timothy Olyphant, became the hero of the hit Fox television series Justified. Now Leonard lays down another splendidly grimy crime yarn featuring his law-enforcing protagonist. Raylan finds himself drawn into a bizarre set of cases involving drug dealers, moonshiners, coal-mining conglomerates, and the urban legend-like harvesting of human organs. Yes, siree, Harlan County, KY, ain't no sleepy bunch of tree-lined hollers no more. Raylan, true to character, is willing to allow cocky law breakers enough leash to choke themselves. The bolder ones wind up in front of his pistol. VERDICT Leonard lovers will find the fascinatingly twisted personalities common to his fiction here, along with memorable trademark Leonard moments of humor, grit, and greed. Raylan will play well with his current popularity and won't disappoint fans of the books and the show." - Library Journal

He also created quite a buzz among writers in 2001 with his famous "10 Rules of Writing" series of articles in the NY Times, later published as a book.

'I try to leave out the parts that people tend to skip'

—Elmore Leonard

He was also well regarded in Hollywood, where many of his novels became popular films, such Get Shorty, Jackie Brown (Rum Punch) and 3:10 to Yuma.

May he rest in peace.

All Aboard - Train Robbery Novels

Fifty years ago yesterday was the UK's Great Train Robbery. As I listened to CBC Radio One's fascinating recounting of this this infamous event, I recalled that train robberies have inspired many great books and films.  Here are but a few for your consideration. All Aboard!

Signal Red: a novel based on the Great Train Robbery (M)
by Robert Ryan

"8th August 1963: A team of criminals, led by a charismatic mastermind, commit a crime that will shock the nation - the great train robbery. In the early hours of the morning, the gang hold up the Royal Mail train en route to London, knocking the driver unconscious and escaping with millions. Angered by the sheer scale of the crime and under serious political pressure, the police are desperate to catch the thieves. As the men struggle to conceal their haul and huge quantities of money are discovered in forests and phone boxes, Scotland Yard determine to track them down, one by one, by fair means or foul...This fictionalized account of one of the most infamous true crimes of all times tells the thrilling story of one incredible robbery and fifteen men who risked it all for fame, fast cars, and more money than they could handle." - Publisher

The Great Train Robbery (M)
by Michael Crichton

"Crichton now takes us to Victorian England in this excellent adaptation of his 1975 novel. We follow charming Edward Pierce in 1955 as he moves between England's aristocrats and its criminal classes, planning the theft of a fortune in gold from a train. The story is well paced, with Simon Prebble's outstanding reading, and contains a number of interesting characters, from bankers to safecrackers, pickpockets, prostitutes, and petty thieves. Numerous plot twists hold the listener's interest nicely, while recounting Pierce's 1856 trial offers many humorous moments. Crichton includes extensive commentary on Victorian society, which nicely frames the tale and helps one understand the historical period. A first-class production;" - Library Journal

Also consider the film adaptation directed by Crichton and starring Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland

The James Boys : a novel account of four desperate brothers (M)
by Richard Liebmann-Smith

"In 1876, the No. 4 Missouri Pacific Express pulls out of Kansas City for St. Louis. Among those on board is Henry James, the erudite and esteemed novelist and brother of the brilliant philosopher William James. Trying his hand at travel writing, Henry is beset, as ever, by hypochondria--in the form, in this case, of dire digestive woes. Suddenly the train is stopped and robbed--and not just by any bandits but by the legendary James Gang. Taken hostage by the brigands, Henry realizes to his unspeakable horror that "Jesse" and "Frank" are in fact Rob and Wilky, his long-lost brothers, who had disappeared during the Civil War and been presumed dead for more than a decade." - Publisher

The Railway Detective (M)
by Edward Marston

"Set in 1850s England, Marston's excellent new historical series features a Scotland Yard detective with attitude. Inspector Robert Colbeck tends to look down on local cops and tells them so. When well-organized thieves derail and rob a train of gold and mail, Colbeck is in his element. Only insiders would know schedules and amounts, and the safe required two separate keys, so Colbeck targets post office, bank, and mint employees. As with his Elizabethan and medieval mysteries (e.g., The Vagabond Clown; The Bawdy Basket), Marston fuses realistic time, place, and events with believable protagonists. Strongly recommended." - Library Journal

With No Remorse (M)
by Cindy Gerard

"Black Ops, Inc. operative Luke – Doc Holliday – Colter is taking some much needed down-time, making his way across the Peruvian Andes via rail, when banditos attack the moving train in the midnight hours.  It soon becomes apparent that robbery is not their intent but the abduction of super model Valentina, who is traveling incognito while recovering from a public scandal involving her ex-husband, high profile US Senator, Marcus Chamberlin.  Luke whisks Valentina off the train in a daring escape but the two of them become the targets of a relentless manhunt..." -Publisher

Screenwriters Within

Many of us dream about making our own films. Why not try and make that dream a reality? Who knows, you might be the next great screenwriter or director. Maybe destined for glory at a future Atlantic Film Festival.

Here are but a few of the many resources at the Library to help you achieve film making stardom:

The Screenwriter Within : new strategies to finish your screenplay & get a deal (M)
by D. B. Gilles

The Art of Immersion : how the digital generation is remaking Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and the way we tell stories (M)
by Frank Rose

The Shut Up and Shoot Freelance Video Guide : a down & dirty DV production (M)
by Anthony Q. Artis

Conquering YouTube : 101 pro video tips to take you to the top (M)
by Jay Miles

The Film Director's Bag of Tricks : how to get what you want from writers and actors (M)
by Mark W. Travis

For Film Buffs

As much as HRM is a literary city, it is also a city of filmmakers and film buffs. As evident by the ongoing great success of  The Atlantic Film Festival and by the sheer number of movie goers and theatres throughout our community. Film related titles also remain very popular among our library members.  Here for your consideration are a few titles for the film buffs among us:

Shock Value : how a few eccentric outsiders gave us nightmares, conquered Hollywood, and invented modern horror (M)
by Jason Zinoman

"Between 1968 and 1976, all the films that redefined the horror movie were made: Night of the Living Dead, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, Dark Star, The Last House on the Left, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Carrie. In fluent reporter's prose lent urgency by personal fascination, Zinoman tells how their creators made those paradigm-shifters; how they became popular favorites, against long odds for two of them (Living Dead, Dark Star); and something about the subsequent careers of their creators who made further horror films (not all did), paying particular attention to the highly influential Halloween and Alien." - Booklist

Stranded at the Drive-in : from The Breakfast Club to The Social Network : the 100 best teen movies (M)
by Garry Mulholland

"Everyone undergoes some kind of teenage trauma, and a fundamental way of coping, or rite of passage, is the teen movie. Yet until now there has been no book that explores this successful movie sub-genre with any depth. Step forward Garry Mulholland, who, taking his cue from his previous, hugely acclaimed pop culture list books (This is Uncool and Fear of Music) , seeks to create a pantheon of the very finest teen movies, or in Garry Mulholland's words: 'I'll be doing what film critics have been loathe to do since the 1950s, and taking the entire subculture of teen movies seriously, making a constant and compelling argument that Grease and A Nightmare on Elm Street tell us a great deal more about modern life and human nature than Citizen Kane and The Godfather.' From Kes to Fame, Badlands to the Breakfast Club, and National Lampoon's Animal House to Twilight, Garry Mulholland re-evaluates a much maligned genre, and brings it all back again: the good, the bad and the traumatic." - Publisher

Apocalypse on the Set : nine disastrous film productions (M)
by Ben Taylor

"There is nothing easy about making a film. Each of the films discussed in this book is distinguished by its disastrous production. These films were also chosen for the diverse circumstances of their production troubles, which provide insight into the incalculable combination of problems and dangers that take such a toll on the people involved in the process of filmmaking." - Publisher

Triumph of The Walking Dead : Robert Kirkman's zombie epic on page and screen (M)
edited by James Lowder

"The Walking Dead gained national attention as AMC's latest critically acclaimed drama, shattering the network's previous premiere ratings highs and earning a second season renewal after its very first episode. But before its television debut, Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead was a comic phenomenon. James Lowder, veteran editor and author in the horror genre and comics field, collects some of the biggest names in the zombie genre, along with other top horror and comics writers, to discuss the series on both page and screen. Contents include: what makes The Walking Dead so effective as a zombie narrative; the television show's surprising optimism; Rick Grimes as Objectivist hero; and The Walking Dead's journey from comic to television series." -Publisher