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WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO IS DIRECT

SEVEN FILM SCHOOL GRADUATES GO TO HOLLYWOOD

Lights, camera, inaction!—as we follow seven recent, and surprisingly dull, film-school grads trying to succeed in Hollywood. As it now exists, the American movie industry is predicated largely upon saying ``No.'' And if you're fresh out of film school, like the seven in this book, the odds against you are overwhelming. Over the three-plus years they were tracked by Frolick, an entertainment journalist and New York University film school graduate, only one of them managed to direct a feature film. The rest eked out semi-precarious livings in a variety of freelance film jobs. Most of these filmmakers hardly seem the sort to inspire confidence in a studio exec. While they may be a diverse group (black, white, gay, straight), they are almost identical in their unreflective narcissism and their obsession, not so much with films, as with the idea of being FILMMAKERS! In fairness, they aren't helped by Frolick's style of writing. All too rarely does he break into their otherwise ceaseless monologues to provide perspective, commentary, or the occasional brief but revealing interview with an industry professional. And he neglects one of screenwriting's cardinal rules: Create characters the audience cares about. There is also very little here on the film school experience and how it prepared (or didn't prepare) these filmmakers for the realities of Hollywood. Frolick does succeed in capturing the strange, arbitrary nature of the business: He makes clear that any of these seven could become established filmmakers. Once you've cleared the low talent hurdle, he suggests that success is more a question of luck, persistence, and good connections than any special gifts or abilities. Frolick's debut effort features some boffo scenes, but it's much too talky, and poor performances and awkward editing will likely limit its box-office appeal. (7 b&w photos, not seen)

Pub Date: Nov. 12, 1996

ISBN: 0-525-93770-6

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1996

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NUTCRACKER

This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.

Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955

ISBN: 0670717797

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955

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