Heaven and Hell to Play With: The Filming of The Night of the Hunter

Book Description

Jones uncovers the fascinating inside story of the making of this film, one of the American Film Institutes's 100 Greatest Thrillers. Every aspect is revealed of the film's development and production - casting, design, shooting, scoring, and editing - to the profound disappointment upon its release. This book is the result of over a decade of archival research and interviews with a dozen key people associated with the film, including Grubb, Gregory, actors Robert Mitchum and Lillian Gish and cinematographer Stanley Cortez. Their oral histories, along with numerous artifacts and film stills, are here deftly assembled into an account that is as compelling as the movie it celebrates.

Customer Reviews:

a good compliment to a great film.......2007-04-28

i like how jones' book started off, contextualizing the plot of 'night of the hunter' in american history. and i appreciated some of the trivia and various insights in to the process of making this wonderful, wonderful film. but the book was not nearly as magical for me in the end.

i think it may be because there are writers that do this and are much more clever at it like sam staggs.

oh well, i bought it and i ain't giving it away!

GET THIS BOOK NOW !.......2006-07-12

Preston Neal Jones has written the best book ever about the production of a particular movie, "Heaven and Hell To Play With," which treats the making of Charles Laughton's neo-D. W. Griffith "The Night of the Hunter." Not only is his book the best of its general category but also it represents an almost-unique category of its own, which is to say that it is the story of a movie production told almost entirely in the words of those who participated in that production. It is built from detailed oral history, and the author, Mr. Jones, is almost entirely absent from the narrative. It is a great book that I read in one day. You just can't put it down. (Now, if only we could have a sumptuous re-recording of Walter Schumann's carefully crafted score. The state of movie music today would be far better if directors were willing to bring composers into their projects early in the process as Laughton did. Schumann was in on "The Night of the Hunter" almost from the beginning, and its shows in the results) GET THIS BOOK NOW !

A Compelling Look at What Film Histories Can Be.......2006-02-26

Heaven & Hell To Play With: The Filming of The Night of the Hunter by Preston Neal Jones is by no means a trivial read, and it is its sheer density that makes it so special. Jones compiled numerous interviews and basically provides an oral history of what many consider a compelling masterpiece, offering as thorough a history as one could ask for. Yes, there is much detail here, and perhaps those not familiar with Laughton's film (or fond of it) may be overwhelmed, but consider for a moment what you have here.

How many of us dream of actually observing the creation and production of a favorite film? Jones provides just that -- even without interviews from Laughton or the principal performers (save Robert Mitchum and Lillian Gish), we see the film of Davis Grubb's novel being imagined, created, and released as described by those who were there, including Davis Grubb. Where a director's commentary on a DVD is typically a trifle, providing some interesting notes and observations limited by the film's running time, this book is all about immersion -- you almost feel you are there, and you're invited to stay for awhile. Jones rarely intrudes upon the first person accounts of the participants, and when he does, it's usually to point out potential discrepancies between remembered versions of events.

The "loose" narrative of oral history, any oral history, fills in an amazing amount of detail by accident, rather than by authorial intent, and this book leaves one feeling completely satisfied (or for those with shorter attention spans on the subject, perhaps a bit full) on a subject that seemed lost -- that we're seeing this book in 2002, nearly two generations separated from the film's creation, shows us the result of determined and dedicated sleuthing. This book can't have been easy to write or compile.

As presented, the book doesn't read like a typical film history, but more like an eyewitness account, and of course, that's what it is. If only more film books like this existed -- the greatest accomplishment of this book is not that you can walk away with facts -- it's that you can walk away feeling not only like you were there, but that you actually knew the participants, and could see where the social fabric between the personalities grew taut and relaxed at key points in the narrative.

Hats off to Jones -- a fine job, and one would hope, as novel in its execution as the film it describes, that will hopefully inspire imitation. Fans of the film are decidedly in your debt.

Probably more than you want to know.......2005-12-13

A book only for those people who have seen, and loved, "Night of the Hunter." Offers incredible, detailed insights not only into the making of the film, but also, into the creative process of Charles Laughton (what an incredible shame that this was the only film he directed). What would make the book better? Better editing (a fifth of the book's text could easily be cut) and more critiques from the time of the movie's release, to get into the mindset of that period (because it's mind-boggling that this was a flop when it came out).

Night of the Hunter...unplugged.......2002-09-13

Night of the Hunter is the kind of movie that jolts your senses in every way. Preston Jones account on the genesis of this cinematic masterpiece is engrossing as the film itself. Meticulously researched, Jones covers every aspect of the making of this classic. Any serious film aficionado would benefit greatly to add this superb book to their library.

To Hell With Culture, and Other Essays on Art and Society (Essay index reprint series)

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To Hell With Culture, and Other Essays on Art and Society (Essay index reprint series)
Herbert Read
Manufacturer: Books for Libraries
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

jp-unknown2 | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0836929187

Book Description

Herbert Read was a maverick character in the cultural life of the twentieth century. A radical leader of the avant garde in the 1930s, and an anarchist revolutionary during the war years, by the time of his death in 1968 he had become a key figure at the heart of the British cultural establishment. To Hell with Culture offers readers an ideal overview of the ideas that marked out this seminal and hugely influential thinker. It is a controversial work that engages the reader in a wide range of topics, from revolutionary art to pornography.

Raising Hell: Straight Talk With Investigative Journalists

Average customer rating:

Disappointing, waste of time
Investigative journalism from behind the word processor

Raising Hell: Straight Talk With Investigative Journalists

Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Journalism | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 078640356X

Book Description

In recent years, a new wave of investigative journalists have become prominent. Some relish being "politically incorrect" (David Brock, author of The Real Anita Hill); others methodically shatter cultural icons (Douglas Frantz's expos of Washington insider Clark Clifford); and still others have revealed such horror as Cold War experimentation on unsuspecting citizens (Eileen Welsome's Pulitzer Prize-winning stories). In their own words, these journalists and nine others provide insight to their jobs and the role of investigative journalism in American society.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing, waste of time.......2002-02-12

For those wanting to learn about the ropes of investigative journalism, this book will prove disappointing. It features interviews with so called famous investigative journos, such as John Camp - whose reportage apparently brought down evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, Sydney Schanberg (The Killing Fields) etc. This should have proved fascinating reading, but this doesn't come through. For starters, it fails to recap the stories written by these journalists. So in the feature of John Camp, it describes vaguely that he uncovered the seedy money trail to Jimmy Swaggert, but fails to convey the excitement of how he broke the news, what the stories were, and how he did it. Second, the "stories'' are in question and answer format. This would be fine, except that some questions are seriously inane. For example, "do you have researchers to help you'', and worse, "do you use computer records in researching a story'' ? For those who want to be inspired about investigative journalism, reading Woodword and Bernstein in "All the President's Men'' would offer far greater insights. On the other hand, this book, while having the potential to be gripping, has turned out to be dry and boring. It had the opportunity to mine some great journalists on their biggest scoops. All it succeeded in doing was ask questions that elicited little value added. I don't care two hoots about whether they use computers. I would expect that few who pick up this book to learn about investigative journalism would.

Investigative journalism from behind the word processor.......1998-02-11

"Raising Hell" is a collection of interviews with notable investigative reporters. The length of these talks give these journalists plenty of space to describe how they go about their work, which can take them from Vietnam and Cambodia (Sydney Schanberg, whose story was the basis for the movie "The Killing Fields") to the Boeing beat in Seattle (Byron Acohido, who won a Pulitzer for his coverage). Also interviewed are Gerald Posner, whose book on the JFK assassination, "Case Closed," is a brilliant and readable defense of the Warren Commission; conservative advocate David Brock, author of "The Real Anita Hill"; and John Camp, whose stories about Jimmy Swaggert led to the televangelist's downfall. Journalists interested in learning more about the investigative side of their profession will find this worth reading.

Average customer rating:

To Hell With Culture
Herbert Read
Manufacturer: SCHOCKEN BOOKS INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UDQPQA

Average customer rating:

To Hell With Culture
Herbert Read
Manufacturer: Scocken Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JVB4I2

Average customer rating:

To Hell with Culture
Herbert Read
Manufacturer: Schocken Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000L2LAFQ

Average customer rating:

To Hell with Culture
Herbert. Read
Manufacturer: Schocken Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I393NY

To Hell with Culture and Other Essays on Art and Society

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To Hell with Culture and Other Essays on Art and Society
Herbert Read
Manufacturer: Routledge & Kegan Paul
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OENIQ0

Average customer rating:

To Hell With Culture and Other Essays on Art and Society
Herbert Read
Manufacturer: Routledge & Kegan Paul
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CLNFY

Average customer rating:

To Hell with Culture and Other Essays on Art and Society

Manufacturer: Schocken Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GWTTZ4

Book Description

Digital photography has arrived once and for all. No longer do photographers have to be defensive because they prefer digital. Thanks to new technologies, digital cameras at all ends of the price spectrum can rival their film counterparts. If you have shifted from traditional to digital photography, and need to know what's different about shooting digital, this is the book for you. Now in its third edition, this bestseller has been fine-tuned and updated to provide you with the most current information on today's cameras that you'll find anywhere. Whether you're new to photography, or new to digital photography, you'll learn how to take the best possible shots. Even though your camera may pack an image sensor instead of film, taking good pictures still involves understanding apertures, shutter speeds, and metering techniques, as well as a few other issues that film shooters don't face. Fortunately, digital cameras also provide some unique tools to help you get the shot right the first time. Covering everything from the inner workings of your camera to the subtle intricacies of your image editing software, the book is divided into four sections. The first section provides a basic technical foundation that will prepare you for the rest of the book. It details the basics of how digital cameras work and gives you a quick photography primer. The second part explores everything you need to know to make an informed decision about which camera, computer, and software is right for you. In section three, you'll progress to the nitty gritty of shooting, including metering, choosing the right exposure, using histograms, flash photography, and much more. In the final section, you'll learn about digital editing and correction techniques, along with the various methods for outputting your images (print and electronic). If you're new to photography, you'll learn the basic theory that photographers have studied for decades, as well as the latest tools and techniques mad

Customer Reviews:

Excellent reference book.......2007-10-03

Good presentation of basic facts of digital photography. Especially valueable I found the chapters that explained how cameras and digital cameras in particular work and what should be taken into account when selecting your camera.

More advanced topics like editing images with your computer are also covered in an easy to follow fashion. Even though you might not do an awful lot of editing it's good to know where to find the guidance.

This book is most suitable for someone who is not very experienced in photography but reasonably technically oriented and wants to create better quality images taking the best out of his or her camera.

I'm told it's "just what [he] wanted".......2007-09-26

I got this for my friend's birthday. He is fast becoming a very skilled digital photographer and is ready to hone his technical capabilities. I selected this book entirely on others' recommendations. The feedback from my friend is very positive, and I expect to see his work in print any day now! :-)

I love this book!.......2007-05-13

I found this book extremely helpful, having just purchased a digital SLR. It is easy to read and very informative. I would recommend this book for someone that does not know a lot about digital SLR, but is familiar with a film SLR.

Very informative book........2007-04-01

This book answered all the questions my wife and I had about photography. It was easy to understand for a beginner and it goes into intermediate/advanced topics.

good for beginners.........2007-03-09

i took it for my photography class. I love it!! it's good for beginners, too..

Book Description

A frenetic mix of samurai honor, base violence, and the blood of beheading, Samurai Executioner is not for the faint of heart. For those who love blood and guts crime drama, historical fiction, and brutal action, this is right up your alley. The men who brought you Lone Wolf & Cub also created Kubikiri Asa, a young ronin samurai who helps keep the peace by putting the fear of beheading into Edo's criminals. But it doesn't always work, and so he has to. Full of squirting blood, fast paced samurai swordwork, and the drama that comes from human corruption, Samurai Executioner is like no other classic manga.

Customer Reviews:

An amazing turn in a fantastic series.......2006-07-13

The Samurai Executioner series takes a sharp turn in Volume 4, and Kazuo Koike brings us a diverse, truly fascinating and sometimes harrowing set of tales. None of these stories is in the simple "bringing a criminal to justice" theme like we saw in most of the earlier tales. In many ways, the stakes are bigger for our hero, Yamada Asaemon.

The first story, "An Offering of Cut Mochi", opens with Asaemon observing a group of samurai practicing their skills in what looks like a Edo-Period Japan version of touch football. As Asaemon joins these men for a meal, we see the first smile of his to ever appear on these pages. This is coupled with the narration "This was an encounter that would lead to the one and only tragic friendship that Yamada Asaemon would ever have," (p24), causing a sure sense of tension in the reader. Like some of the stories we have seen in the past, this story is less about our hero as it is about the people around him. In this case, it's a tragic tale of the samurai pals he makes. We see much insight into the samurai code, and the original and truly moving way Koike ends the tale foreshadows the title story, "Portrait of Death".

"Portrait of Death" is about a female artist, Kawai Jufu, who wants to witness one of Asaemon's beheadings to use in her artwork. Her brutally realistic depictions of "live sword testing" clue Asaemon into the truth behind this popular artist's motivations, and Asaemon keeps the artist, as well as the reader, guessing as he decides how to deal with her. We get some insight into Asaemon's pasts in this long and in-depth tale. This story has some of the most beautiful and brutal depictions we have seen so far. Since much of the story is in flashbacks, Kojima exercises his artistic freedom in his dreamlike drawings.

The third story, "The Season of New Straw", is uses it brevity to administer its surprising finale. The ending seems to come from out of nowhere. It's nice to see Koike not limited by the constraints of story length. If he wants to make a story 150 pages, that's his choice, and if he wants to make it 15 pages, that's his choice, too.

The final story, "The Set-up", is another story where the Samurai Executioner is not the main focus of the story. To reduce costs, government officials decide to reduce committing executions, and get the criminals to off each other as the jails get more crowded. A revolt ensues, and Asaemon can no longer stand by idly.

Capital punishment related to deterrence and art in feudal Japan.......2005-08-04

"Portrait of Death," Volume 4 in the "Samurai Executioner" series, is quite unusual in that we end up getting about three-fourths of the way through its pages become Yamada Asaemon performs the sole execution in these four stories. But then writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima are obviously more interested in re-creating the Edo period in Japan and weaving stories out of things as simple as the first new straw of the season than in providing graphic depiction of sex and death. The latter are why a Parental Advisory is slapped on the cover of these manga before they are wrapped in plastic, but it is the former that makes these episodic stories as interesting in their own way as the epic saga of "Lone Wolf & Cub." Each story seems to draw out even further the contrast between the brutal world of the shogunate and the nobility of the title character:

(12) "An Offering of Cut Mochi" begins with a group of samurai doing the horaku drill, in which their place plain unglazed swallow earthen pans on their foreheads and attack each other to determine who is best: break a horaku and the wearer is treated as if he were dead. Yamada Asaemon is invited to dine with the samurai and we are told that this encounter would lead to the one and only tragic friendship that the Executioner would ever make. This is something of a path-not-taken story for the title character, although what is more important are the politics of the time and the economic realities of employing samurai. Notice where Koike and Kojima choose to end this tale, which is a nice way of underscoring the point being made.

(13) "Portrait of Death" has Asaemon refusing to allow a woman to witness the executions he performs. She is an artist who has created realistic pictures of sword testing. When she makes a personal please, Asaemon discovers the secret of why it is that she knows so much about the intimate art of sword testing and why she is driven to make such pictures. However, neither the young woman nor the reader would suspect the counter-proposal that Asaemon has to make once he learns the truth. What I especially liked about this story is that the mystery that sets the chain of events into motion is not resolved, which is a strong indication that the point being made relates to something else. This is another story where Asaemon discusses the philosophical aspects of his job and the right way of doing it.

(14) "The Season of New Straw" is a very short story of only 16 pages. A young girl comes into town selling new straw, which she explains to Asaemon young women put into their hair because they believe it improves their circulation. Even though there are no women in his house, the Decapitator asks if he may have some new straw and there is a reason for his strange request. A simple story that offers a link between beauty and death.

(15) "The Set-up" begins with an interesting discussion of capital punishment in that time and place. Both the economics of beheadings and its efficacy as a deterrent are discussed. But when a moratorium is placed on executions and the prison becomes overcrowded, the prisoners take matters into their own hands, keeping the population level the same by "setting-up" new prisoners for death. This, in turn, leads to a prison riot, at which point is it time for Decapitator Asaemon to restore order. But he is a minor character in this story and really functions as a deus ex machina device to quickly end the story.

Book Description

How to win at poker. The power of a business's mission statement. If you can dial a telephone, you can do anything. These are the lessons to be learned from "Star Trek." First a hit television show, and then a pop culture phenomenon, "Star Trek" is now the basis for inspiration and guidance in our daily lives. ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM WATCHING STAR TREK is an anthology of valuable lessons that can be found within the episodes of "Star Trek." Discover why its dangerous to wear a plain red shirt, why Captain Kirk was such a superb leader, and why you should always help people in need.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2007-08-23

We tend to forget all the lessons we learned watching the original Star Trek series, and Dave Marinaccio brings it all back with a lot of humor.

This book is a must for any original Star Trek fan. You can read it in one sitting, and then your friends will all be borrowing it. You may want to buy an extra just in case.

what hasn't already been said........2007-07-01

as the tittle says, i cant really say anything that the other reviewers haven't said themselves.
all i can say is that at first i was expecting it to be kind of corny, like if you encounter an alien energy life form set your phaser to heat to destroy it or if you encounter a giant rock thing use cement to heal its wounds.
but it wasn't anything like that, it was good, very entertaining thoughts and ideas about the lessons learned from star trek and how they are related to the authors real life.

defiantly a must read for any star trek fan.

misrepresented drivel.......2006-11-02

This is an almost completely self-regarding book. It has almost nothing to say about Star Trek, which is merely a vehicle for the discussion of the true subject, which is the author. It is also not very amusing or interesting, and is in fact pretty much a waste of time. I threw mine out with contempt; should have sent it back and at least got a partial refund.

A Horrendously Stupid Book.......2005-10-31

I love Star Trek, OK? This should have been a really great book, since there are so many important lessons in the series. But Marinaccio completely misses many important lessons, in my opinion, and gets several other lessons mixed up, and generally dilutes whatever lessons remain to the point of vapidity with his self-indulgence and self-absorption. Sorry, Dave, but not everything in Star Trek relates to some insignificant detail of your small little life in a Marketing company.

Not to mention that the book stops short. "I think there's a new series called DS9 or something, I'll have to keep an eye on that." Seriously, he says that. To me, watching the later series greatly expanded the "lessons that needed to be learned".

I threw this book away in disgust after reading it. Really. Lierally threw it in the trash. It was that bad, and I didn't want to be embarrassed by having it sit on the shelf as my complete DVD collections of all the Star Trek TV series.

Please do NOT buy this book. It's really HORRIBLY STUPID!

Words of Wisdom from TV? Amazing!.......2004-11-13

This is a fun little book chock full of wise sayings gleaned from episodes of the original Star Trek. The original was not a space opera, it was a futurized series of life's lessons, very carefully crafted. Each episode had a heavy-duty message embedded within--and not very hard to spot either. This book does not necessarily include these thematic messages, but it does excerpt a number of pithy, humorous quotes from the characters. It is highly reminiscent of a poster my dentist has in his office of Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. I expect there is also a book with that name, but I haven't read it. These words of wisdom also remind me of Dr. Akin's famous "Laws of Spacecraft Design" which you can access on the internet. With his permission, I used several in my book "The Knowledge Management and Information Technology Encyclopedia" (published by the Government and not for sale). My favorite submits from Marinaccio's delightful book are:

Gossip is often confused with conversation. In fact it often takes the place of conversation. Take gossip away from some folks and they would turn into mimes. p.61

When everyone is responsible, ultimately no one is responsible. p.52

Idiot-proofing is also genius-proofing. p.94

Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about people. p.61

Attitude is the top priority; after attitude, talent or gifts are important. p.64

As Yogi Berra, the great Yankees catcher, once said, "You can observe a lot, just by watching." p.23

A person who understands a rule knows when to break it. p.50

Competent people know which rules to follow and which to ignore ... when people of good judgement are allowed to exercise their insights, good results usually follow. When people=s hands are tied, they are ineffective. p.94

The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play. pp. 8, 53, & 54

Difficult choices expose how we truly feel. What we believe deep inside. p.39

The most important time to help someone is when they need it. p.8

For man, Utopia is endless challenge. p.17

All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek

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All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek
Dave Marinaccio
Manufacturer: Crown Publishing Group, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: B000KPGQXK

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All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek.
Dave Marinaccio
Manufacturer: SOLD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: B000KOOJJY

Average customer rating:

All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek
Dave Marianccio
Manufacturer: New York, NY, U.S.A.: Crown Publishing Group, Incorporated,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

All the Other Things I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek the Next Generation

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All the Other Things I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek the Next Generation
Dave Marinaccio
Manufacturer: SOLD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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