I read the book in the Mid 80's while living in California and saw all of the myths that I thought were just that myths come to light out of the dark. This book is slimmer that the most of them but contains everything you need. "A musicians instruction manual."

Absolutely fantastic. Gives the honest truth about the business today. Any person in the music business should read this.

This book is a God-send to all aspiring musicians. Gives you insight on everything from getting small-time gigs to recording to making it big.

This volume, along with Katz's, The Film Encyclopedia, are the foundation of celluloid information. The two will be sufficient for most viewers. Saw a movie and what to know more? Planning to rent a video and what to know more? Look here. Not all movies are reviewed, but almost every important film, some sleepers, some low-budget gems, and some you may hate but are important within film history. Our 1995 edition is worn out, and I wish we had a 'cover' for this one; that's how often we refer to this. We have also use it to build our own film library, now numbering over 500. Directors, actors, Academy Awards, obscure information and the source - whether book, play or original screenplay are all included. Now, if they had only included "The Reivers" and "Sometimes a Great Notion!"

Saw a movie and what to know more? Planning to rent a video and what to know more? Look here. Not all movies are reviewed, but almost every important film, some sleepers, some low-budget gems, and some you may hate but are important within film history. Our 1995 edition is worn out, and I wish we had a 'cover' for this one; that's how often we refer to this. We have also use it to build our own film library, now numbering over 500. Directors, actors, Academy Awards, obscure information and the source - whether book, play or original screenplay are all included. Now, if they had only included "The Reivers" and "Sometimes a Great Notion!"

This is hands down the single best reference for films from the 1930s on. Detailed reviews of works that are deserving of them, with sharp analysis that puts films in their proper historical context.

This book evaluates the work of a great many film artists (actors, directors, editors, etc.) and lists their every movie chronologically. I refer to my 1991 edition constantly, but we need a new edition. What are chances we'll see one?

This is the best movie guide we've found (and we're on our 3rd).You can look up information by actor. It puts Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide to shame (which is weak on information by actor). I wish the author would come out with an updated version. We'd be first in line to buy it.

Every since I used James Monaco's "How to Read a Film" in the first film course I taught, even when I was not using his textbook I was using his glossary of film terms. Of course, "The Dictionary of New Media: The New Digital World of Video, Audio, and Print" goes well beyond just film terms, dealing with television, DVD, home theater, satellite, digital photography, wireless, super CD and Internet terms. There are more than 2,400 entries in this volume, which is extensively cross-referenced. Monaco also suggests general entries as starting points for various topics (e.g., For print: printing technologies, typography, and logo). As far as dictionaries go this one does not always prize brevity, so entries can range from a short sentence to a couple of paragraphs. Obviously there are more terms covered in this dictionary than you could ever need to use, but, then, that is true of all dictionaries. However, for those in either academics or the professional world this volume not only covers pretty much everything you need to know but also gives you easier access to the working vocabulary of the cutting edge technologies and media. Certainly this book has helped me out with regards to technology, where the gaps in my knowledge border on epic embarrassment. Monaco tends to pay attention to not only concise definitions for each term, but often brings a sense of the history of the concept to play as well. If this sounds like this book is a compilation of pretty much every glossary you have ever found in the back of one of your textbooks, then you are pretty much on course. "The Dictionary of New Media" should be a standard reference book for anyone in the ever-expanding digital world. Certainly this is the latest edition to my shelf of reference books right next to my computer and I will be sharing many of these definitions with the students in my Popular Culture class. Note: This book is NOT illustrated, but the electronic versions at the website and on disc have not only illustrations but also animation, sound and movies to provide the best possible examples of key terms.

The author includes directions, hours of operation, supplies and all other information you need to know to plan your trip. Mining locations from Maine to California are included. I found loads of locations to take my family on a real life adventure. Seize the day!

While not as concentrated, pragmatic, or reader-friendly as the title might suggest, Monaco's book is still the best comprehensive one-volume introduction to the aesthetics, politics, economics, theory, phenomenology, and industry of film. It's best seen as complementary to more basic introductory texts and detailed histories. Readers with a theoretical bent are most likely to appreciate its unique strengths.

Monaco's "How To Read A Film" is an excellent introduction to film theory and it's concepts.

While we have all aquired a certain level of "cinematic language" (you can't help it, it's part of watching movies), Monaco provides a Dictonary and Thesaurus for those of us who want a deeper understanding of the film "experience" and the language to descibe it with.

Don't be daunted by the above paragraph, either -- Monoco is a good enough writer that it's much easier to read the book than to read *about* the book. Also an excellent companion piece to Cook's "History Of Narrative Film".

"How to Read a Film" is one of those books that tell you something you already know. I remember how incredibly quiet it was in the packed theater watching "The Blair Witch Project" and realizing that the film was being "read" in such a way that everyone was on the edge of their seat because something was about to happen and because nothing really did happen in that movie the suspense was killing everyone. If you are raised watching films then you learn how to "read" them. What James Monaco does in his book is provide the conceptual vocabulary that is used in the fields of movie making and academic criticism to describe the process.

"How to Read a Film" has six parts. (I) "Film As An Art" establishes where film stands in relationship to other types of performance, representational and recording arts. (II) "Technology: Image and Sound" deals with the hardware of making movies from lens and camera to film stock and projection. (III) "The Language of Film: Signs and Syntax" is the key chapter where Monaco works out the codes of mise en scene and montage. (IV) "The Shape of Film History" makes a useful distinction between the economics of "movies," the politics of "film" and the esthetics of "the cinema." (V) "Film: Theory: Form and Function" looks at theorists on film, which includes not only critics like Bazin but directors like Eisenstein and Godard. (VI) "Media" briefly extends some of the book's ideas to non-film media including television, radio and video. There are also three appendixes: a first class glossary of terms, a bibliography of film/media works and a chronology of film and media.

Even when I have not used this as a textbook in a film class, I have always relied on Monaco's work. His strength is in not only defining concepts but in contextualizing them so that you understand the relationship between various categories of terms. As a result, once students have digested the wealth of information contained within, they could look at a scene from a film lasting less than a minute and write a 50-page essay detailing how the film demands to be read by its audience. As I said in the beginning, we already know how to read a film. What this book does is give us the vocabulary for talking about it once we leave the theater (or rewind the video tape).

For the money, what more could you expect? There's four books, tons of movie clips... and every genre is touched upon by this wonderful set. If you expect to find a specialty in this set, then you're in the wrong place.. you need to dig further. But, if you're interested in the art and science of film... run, dont walk (or actually, e mail, dont snail mail) for this.. you wont be dissappointed, and you will be fulfilled.

This is especially loved by my 14 year old daughter, who really has been into the art of movie making since perusing this wonderful addition to our movie library.

I have to admit, I am not technologically inclined but after reading this book, anyone can understand DVD video. I learned much and it made me think further about purchasing the whole DVD setup.

This is one of the very few books available for DVD review.( the only other book I know is a special issue from Widescreen Review but it is not as complete ) Mr. Pratt uses the same format as his previous book-"Leaserdisc Review". As a LD & DVD collector,I find his book rather useful but sometimes hard to read. His review style is very good which generally cover 4 areas; film, video quality, audio quality and bonus feature. But for some titles, Mr. Pratt is too polite and not aggressive enough to point out the poor quality of transfer or problem of the source materials. It would be nice if he can add a rating summary at the end of each title ( give 1-5 star rating for the 4 parts mentioned above ). Adding picture of DVD cover would make the presentation more attractive but it may require too much work. I will be happy if he can add rating for each review especially on quality of transfer. Most collectors like myself, know exactly what movies to get, and we can find out bonus features information on the back of DVD box or product listing on web pages. What we do not know and eager to find out is the quality of video and audio. I admire and appreciate Mr. Pratt's dedication to make this book available for us. Thanks.

James Spada aspires to create a shattering and shocking biography of the late Princess Grace Grimaldi, nee Grace Kelly. Unfortunately his biography reads less like a biography than like a listing of the affairs and miserable times she had.

It covers the background that Grace Kelly came from, and her rapid ascent into the Hollywood spotlight, where she became an adored and talented actress. She won the hearts of the public anew when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco, helped pull his small principality back into the spotlight -- and died tragically in a car crash at a relatively young age.

Spada certainly had the material for a good book in his hands, but like many other so-called biographers of famous and beloved personages, he descends to essentially repeating every little tabloid report and insinuation. Every one of Grace's lovers is listed, with Spada showing especial glee when the man in question was married. Literally half the book is taken up by descriptions of who she slept with and, very briefly, the movies she made. After reading this book, readers will be hard-put to remember the plots of her movies, but they will be able to remember her mother's argument with Oleg Cassini. Additionally, the only interactions in her life in Monaco that he focuses on are negative; one would think that Grace didn't have a satisfying five seconds after she married Rainier.

Similar treatment is given to her family. Rainier is a nebulous presence at best -- what little we hear is never enough to let us form a real picture of him as a person. Virtually no attention is paid to Caroline's role as First Lady, but plenty is paid to her tempestuous love life. Albert's adult life is summed up in a listing of his lovers, and Stephanie's accomplishments are crammed into a page and a half, in comparison to the pages dedicated to rebellion and, yes, her love life. To add insult to this amalgation of tabloid rumors, Spada even presents the assertion of a tabloid stringer that Grace's death was an attempted murder/suicide.

His writing style is dry and rushed. It is also repetitive; he often restates items such as the fiery personality under the ice queen exterior, or Grace's beauty, or how she only became involved with men if she believed they would marry her. Rather than grouping relevant quotes together, he allows them to crop up at random through the book.

For a better look at Grace's life, her flaws and gifts, and the lives of her family, try "Royal House of Monaco." If you're looking for a pointless listing of Grace's lovers, this is the book for you.