Previews - Movies, Music, Video
Brisbane Excelsior Brass Band 1912-1995
Author: Dan O'Donnell
ISBN: 0 646 25391 3
Publisher: Dan O'Donnell
Address: 89 Wilgarning Street, Stafford Heights, QLD, 4053
Formed in 1912 by Jim Napier, the award winning Brisbane Excelsior Band
has had a long and distinguished career. The book traces the history of
the Excelsior from its formation to the present.
California Music Magazine Issue 83
Author: Stephen McParland
ISSN: 0810 3461
Publisher: Bowling Club Press
Address: PO Box 106, North Strathfield, NSW, 2137
The magazine for surf music afficionados where what you get is now no longer
confined to the written work. Whist it continues to provide comprehensive
coverage of everything that is happening in surf music, this issue includes
the second of CMUSIC's Sampler CDs, designed to give the reader the opportunity
to not only read about some new releases and new recording artists, but
to hear them as well.
The collection of masters is an eclectic mix with one common denominator
- surf and beach culture, aka "coastal consciousness".
A variety of music styles are employed under the surf music banner - from
blues to new age, from heavy guitar based sounds to sax dominated music
- and CMUSIC is attempting to represent them all.
Unlike many recent surf compilations, this Sampler CD, includes vocal works
as well as the more usually represented surf instrumentals.
Motion Picture Film Processing
Author: Dominic Case
ISBN: 0 646 27217 9
Publisher: Dominic Case
Address: 31 Fourth Avenue, Eastwood, NSW, 2122
A piece of film undergoes many transitions between the shooting of a
scene and its presentation as an image on the screen. A definitive work,
"Motion Picture Film Processing" takes the reader inside the laboratory
where much of this happens to explain the process from manufacture of the
raw stock to projection of the finished print.
Case has the rare ability to write technical works in plain English, making
the information accessible to anyone - a little concentration is required
but a background in the area is not.
Each topic is set out with straightforward text supported by clear illustrations,
so it can be read through in detail or dipped into at will.
It covers everything from the chemical reactions affecting the emulsion
during exposure and processing, the optics and mechanics of film printers,
colour vision and colour mixing, to the techniques used in duplication and
optical effects.
Importantly, it includes an easy to read introduction to sensitometry, used
to measure and control every stage of the laboratory's work.
Since it was first published in the UK in 1985 the value of this work has
been established time and again and it has now been translated for publication
in Japan.
An authorative, comprehensive and comprehisible work.
CinemaScope Strikes Back
Author: John Howard Reid
ISSN: 0015-1289
Publisher: Rastar Press
Address: 26 Casey Drive, Wyong, NSW, 2259
Number 25 in Reid's Film Index series, "CinemaScope Strikes Back"
provides detailed information on the CinemaScope features produced by Columbia,
Warner Brothers, and United Artists as well as many produced outside a major
studio. (Reid's "The CinemaScope Revolution, No 17, covers the first
hundred features produced in cinemascope by Fox and 35 of the RegalScope
films produced by Robert L. Lippert under the Regal Films banner. See also
Film Index No. 26: "CinemaScope Revolution - Big Picture Fox")
Also included is a listing of the first 20 CinemaScope shorts from Fox.
All entries include credits, storyline synopsis, Reid's comments and viewing
guide notes. Many also include information on box office performance, summaries
of reviews and information about the making of the film. As usual, the publication
is illustrated with appropriate publicity shots of the cast and posters.
Subscriptions: $28 per volume for private subscribers; $32 per volume for
public libraries, and $40 per volume for book outlets. Contact John Howard
Reid at the address above.
Color by Technicolor
ISSN: 0015-1289
A celebration of Technicolor, No 24 in John Reid's Film Index is devoted
to productions filmed in the wondrously rich colours that Technicolor produced.
All entries include credits, storyline synopsis, Reid's comments and viewing
guide notes, publicity shots of the cast and posters. They are introduced
by Reid who outlines the impact that Technicolor had on the motion picture
industry and on audiences.
This volume also includes a filmography of cameraman Sol Polito (renowned
for his work with Michael Curtiz) and a filmography of the photographer/director/special
effects expert Byron Haskin.
Movies Rare and Curious
ISSN: 0015-1289
No 22 in the Reid Film Index looks at a range of movies rare and curious
- an eclectic selection. Entries include "Broadway Melody of 1940",
"That's Entertainment" and "Jane Eyre". Movies starring
Gene Autry get a good run (but considering he notched up more than 90 film
roles it's probably not surprising).
The full listing of all the Zorro feature films from 1920 to 1980 is interesting
reading as is the entry on Rouben Mamoulian's "The Mark of Zorro"
starring Tyrone Power.
All entries include credits, storyline synopsis, Reid's comments and viewing
guide notes, publicity shots of the cast and posters.
Hollywood Gold
ISSN: 0015-1289
No 23 in the Read Film Index salutes the films of the forties and includes
approximately a hundred entries from the Humphrey Bogart vehicle "The
Big Shot" to "Our Vines have Tender Grapes" with Edward G.
Robinson.
All entries include credits, storyline synopsis, Reid's comments and viewing
guide notes, publicity shots of the cast and posters, samples of reviews
and information about award nominations and box office performance.
CinemaScope Revolution
Part 4: Big Picture Fox
ISSN: 0015-1289
No 26 in the Read Film Index again looks at Cinemascope, this time with
listings from 20th Century Fox - "Long Hot Summer", "Love
is a Many Splendoured Thing", "Diary of Anne Frank" and the
classics "Bus Stop" and "Heaven Knows Mr Allison" and
many more.
All entries include credits, storyline synopsis, Reid's comments and viewing
guide notes, publicity shots of the cast and posters, samples of reviews
and information about award nominations and box office performance.
Cinema Scope Revolution
Part One, The Fighting Fox
Author: John Howard Reid
ISBN: 0 949149 74 8
Address: 26 Casey Drive, Wyong, NSW, 2259
"The Cinema Scope Revolution" provides detailed information
on the first hundred features produced in cinemascope by Fox and 35 of the
RegalScope films produced by Robert L. Lippert under the Regal Films banner.
The book provides an alphabetical by year listing of the Twentieth Century-Fox
Cinemascope releases as well as a listing by order of production.
So for all the film buffs who love to spend endless hours debating issues
of such earth shattering importance as whether "Bus Stop" was
made before or after the "Rains of Ranjipur", whether "Oklahoma"
was first released in Todd-AO or not or what was the first film produced
in Cinemascope (yes it was "The Robe"), then this definitely for
your bookshelf.
Favorite Films
Author: Tom Howard
ISBN: 0 949149 75 6
Address: 26 Casey Drive, Wyong, NSW, 2259
Film buff Tom Howard's favorite films. His listing is fascinating but,
of course, debatable - what list of favourite films is not! But half the
fun is agreeing or disagreeing with the validity of the entries - I agree
with "Funny Face" and who could argue with "Notorious"
or "Singing in the Rain" but "Funny Girl"? and "The
Mikado"?
For those lovers of American musicals this collection will come as a welcome
surprise as it gives them a far better run for their money than is usually
the case with such listings and for those who can't abide people bursting
into song and find the Hollywood movies of the fifties worth missing, Howard's
listing will certainly find debate. (And if you think Rivette's "Umbrellas
of Cherbourg" should be in any 'favourite' listing that leans towards
musicals then you can have that argument with Howard but don't have it with
me because I would agree with you.)
This book provides a mass of detail on each film listed, right down to the
assistant directors and makeup artists together with stills of the cast
and many posters and flyers all as usual reproduced in black and white,
information about release dates and box office takings and so on. One person's
trivia is another's brain food. And for film buffs one probably equals the
other.
- If you'd like to purchase a copy of one of the books listed above please
contact the publisher directly. Their address is just under the title's
listing.
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