Publisher: Tales of Terror
This book includes 136 reviews of horror anthology films, which are compilations of short films. The films are ranked according to their star, story, creativity, acting, quality, creepiness, gimmick, and rewatchability values. Each film description comprises a synopsis, five ratings, a segment count, and a three-paragraph review.
At the beginning of the XXth century, there was an unprecedented explosion of creativity in all artistic fields. Overwhelming both Europe and North America, the Russian Ballet revolutionized theatrical design with their stage sets and their costumes that were ablaze with colour yet refind in effect, bearing much of the mystic of the Orient yet also visually influenced by the work of the Persian miniaturists. Together with Diaghilev, Léon Bakst showed himself to be the most talented of the theatre group designers of his time. The costumes he devised with exclusive art seemed to shimmer with a thousand colours. Dazzled by such powers of imagination, the author, Jean Cocteau, dedicated his book "Bonjour Monsieur Bakst" to him. The great contemporary composers Tchaïkovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky, among others, all had occasion to call upon his creative genius. Today, his designs remain very popular and may still be seen on stage scenes all over the world, admired by a public that remains as enthusiastic as ever.Show book
Today, art theft is one of the most profitable criminal enterprises in the world, exceeding $6 billion in losses to galleries and art collectors annually. And the masterpieces of Rembrandt van Rijn are some of the most frequently targeted. In Stealing Rembrandts, art security expert Anthony M. Amore and award-winning investigative reporter Tom Mashberg reveal the actors behind the major Rembrandt heists in the last century. Through thefts around the world—from Stockholm to Boston, Worcester to Ohio—the authors track daring entries and escapes from the world's most renowned museums. There are robbers who coolly walk off with multimillion dollar paintings; self-styled art experts who fall in love with the Dutch master and desire to own his art at all costs; and international criminal masterminds who don't hesitate to resort to violence. They also show how museums are thwarted in their ability to pursue the thieves—even going so far as to conduct investigations on their own, far away from the maddening crowd of police intervention, sparing no expense to save the priceless masterpieces. Stealing Rembrandts is an exhilarating, one-of-a-kind look at the black market of art theft, and how it compromises some of the greatest treasures the world has ever known.Show book
Since its original publication in 1973, Uta Hagen's Respect for Acting has remained a durable classic for all students of acting. As an acting instructor at the Herbert Berghof Studio, Hagen helped to develop the talents of world-class actors like Robert DeNiro, Matthew Broderick, Gene Wilder, Amanda Peet, Austin Pendleton, Whoopi Goldberg, and more. This updated edition illuminates Hagen's original text with a new foreword written by Katie Finneran, retaining the David Hyde Pierce foreword, along with added background on HB Studio—one of the original New York performing arts training and practice spaces—and an excerpt from Hagen's autobiography SOURCES. Respect for Acting is a book for actors and audiences who understand the need for truth in the creative process. ● Discover the acting book that has shaped professional theater performances for decades ● Learn the history and background of Herbert Berghof Studio ● Practice the craft of acting with concrete exercises and instruction on technique ● Delve into the deep questions that arise when actors truly inhabit the lives of their charactersShow book
Oasis’s incendiary 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe managed to summarize almost the entire history of post-fifties guitar music from Chuck Berry to My Bloody Valentine in a way that seemed effortless. But this remarkable album was also a social document that came closer to narrating the collective hopes and dreams of a people than any other record of the last quarter century. In a Britain that had just undergone the most damaging period of social upheaval in a century under the Thatcher government, Noel Gallagher ventriloquized slogans of burning communitarian optimism through the mouth of his brother Liam and the playing of the other Oasis ‘everymen’: Paul McGuigan, Paul Arthurs and Tony McCarroll. On Definitely Maybe, Oasis communicated a timeworn message of idealism and hope against the odds, but one that had special resonance in a society where the widening gap between high and low demanded a newly superhuman kind of leaping. Alex Niven charts the astonishing rise of Oasis in the mid 1990s and celebrates the life-affirming, communal force of songs such as “Live Forever,” “Supersonic,” and “Cigarettes & Alcohol.” In doing so, he seeks to reposition Oasis in relation to their Britpop peers and explore one of the most controversial pop-cultural narratives of the last thirty years.Show book
The Sosso Empire emerged during a period of great upheaval in West Africa, following the decline of the once-powerful Ghana Empire. The Sosso people, a group of warriors and rulers, capitalized on the weakening of Ghana to establish their dominance in the region. Their rise was marked by military aggression, strategic leadership, and a desire to control the lucrative trade routes that had long been the backbone of West African wealth. The origins of the Sosso people remain somewhat obscure, but they were likely a subgroup within the greater Soninke-speaking population that had once formed the core of the Ghana Empire. As Ghana’s power waned due to external invasions and internal struggles, smaller states sought to assert their independence. The Sosso, led by a series of ambitious leaders, were among the most successful in carving out a new political and military identity for themselves. One of the most defining moments in the rise of the Sosso Empire was the ascent of Sumanguru Kanté, a warrior-king whose leadership transformed Sosso into a dominant force. Sumanguru’s reputation as a ruthless and determined leader spread quickly. He capitalized on the disintegration of Ghana by taking control of its former capital, Koumbi Saleh, and imposing his rule over the surrounding regions. His conquest of Ghana marked a shift in power, with Sosso assuming the role of the dominant state in the region.Show book
As a boy, William Lee Adams spent his days taking care of his quadriplegic brother, while worrying about his undiagnosed bipolar Vietnamese mother, and steering clear of his openly racist and homophobic father. Too shy and anxious to even speak until he was six years old, it seemed unlikely William would ever leave small-town Georgia. In time, William discovered that learning was both a refuge and a ticket out. So even as he struggled to understand and to get others to accept both his sexuality and his biracial identity, William focused on his schoolwork, his extracurricular activities, and building community with the students and teachers who embraced him for who he truly was. Though his scholarship to Harvard parachuted him into a whole new world, he still carried a lifetime of secrets and unanswered questions that would haunt him no matter how far he traveled. Years later, as a journalist in London, William discovered the Eurovision Song Contest—an annual competition known for its extravagant performers and cutthroat politics. Initially just a fan, he started blogging about the contest, ultimately becoming the most sought-after expert on the subject. William was soon jetting across the continent to meet divas, drag queens, and aspiring singers, who welcomed him to their beautiful, if dysfunctional, family of choice.Show book
