An enthusiastic, well-observed, fresh look at old favorites that makes a compelling case for the genius of American film...
An affectionate chronicle of a century of laughs from the silver screen.
Austerlitz (Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video from the Beatles to the White Stripes, 2008) offers a breezy survey of American film comedy, from the sublime artistry of Charlie Chaplin to the disarmingly sweet juvenile antics of Judd Apatow. Largely unconcerned with academic explorations of the nature of comedy or the larger socio-historical contexts in which the films exist, the author comes off as an eloquent superfan celebrating his heroes and pinpointing favorite moments in their work. This approach works just fine, and the book, a compulsively readable reference for the confirmed comedy fan, will inspire readers to rewatch classics and delve deeper into the oeuvres of such legends as W.C. Fields, Ernst Lubitsch and Billy Wilder. It’s heartening to see underappreciated talents like Albert Brooks and Harold Lloyd receive the same careful attention as Woody Allen and Buster Keaton, and the affection and respect Austerlitz feels for his subjects is palpable. The author makes some interesting comparisons between such ostensibly unlike entities as screwball maestro Preston Sturges and the austerely artful Cohen brothers, or august auteur Robert Altman and mockumentary pioneer Christopher Guest (a freewheeling approach to performance and emphasis on ensembles), and he finds room to discuss the comedic legacies of such unlikely subjects as John Wayne and Meryl Streep. There are a few infelicities—Austerlitz likes the word “erstwhile,” but seems a little unsure of what it actually means—but overall, the author provides a delightful roll call of the funny men and women who have distinguished the cinema of laughter, and an indispensible listmaking tool for the Netflix generation in search of a good guffaw.
An enthusiastic, well-observed, fresh look at old favorites that makes a compelling case for the genius of American film comedy.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-55652-951-1
Page Count: 576
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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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