Johnny Depp Starts Here

Book Description

"Pomerance is the inimitable lyric poet of cinema scholars, bringing the imagination of a creative artist and the rigor of an exacting intellect to these masterly riffs on Depp's complexities and conundrums. The protean actor could not have found a commentator more in tune with his mercurial career and elusive, mesmerizing self."—David Sterritt, author of Mad to Be Saved: The Beats, the '50s, and Film

"Johnny Depp Starts Here offers an important contribution to the field of star studies. . . . Pomerance's passion is highly contagious."—Michael DeAngelis, DePaul University

From beloved bad-boy to cool and captivating maverick, Johnny Depp has inspired media intrigue and has been the source of international acclaim since the early 1990s. He has attracted attention for his eccentric image, his accidental acting career, his beguiling good looks, and his quirky charm. In Johnny Depp Starts Here, film scholar Murray Pomerance explores our fascination with Depp, his riddling complexity, and his meaning for our culture. Moving beyond the actor's engaging and inscrutable private life, Pomerance focuses on his enigmatic screen performances from A Nightmare on Elm Street to Secret Window.

The actor's image is studied in terms of its many strange nuances: Depp's ethnicity, his smoking, his tranquility, his unceasing motion, his links to the Gothic, the Beats, Simone de Beauvoir, the history of rationality, Impressionist painting, and other ambiguities. In a series of treatments of his key roles, including Rafael in The Brave, Bon Bon in Before Night Falls, Jack Kerouac in The Source, and the long list of acclaimed performances from Gilbert Grape to Cap'n Jack Sparrow, we learn of Johnny onscreen in terms of male sexuality, space travel, optical experience, Roland Barthes, nineteenth-century American capitalism, Orientalism, the vulnerability of performance, the perils of sleep, comedy, the myth of the West, Scrooge McDuck, François Truffaut, and more.

Both deeply intriguing and perpetually elusive, Depp is revealed as the central screen performer of the contemporary age, the symbol of performance itself.

Customer Reviews:

I'm sorry I bought this book!.......2006-03-26

This idiot believes he can write, but he is very good at using big words that makes him think he is intelligent, but he's not! He sounds stupid and he doesn't have a clue what he is talking about! Of course, none of his readers do either!!! He is obviously a fan of Johnny Depp's (aren't we all?), but that's the nicest thing I can say about Mr. Pomerance. Sorry.

Excellent Depp and film resource!.......2005-10-10

'Johnny Depp Starts Here' is definitely an excellent resource for the serious film scholar. Pommerance synthesizes multiple strands of theory with the multiplicity/performativity of identity and works of Johnny Depp in an engaging and accessible manner. Having done previous film projects on Depp, I tend to be skeptical about texts purporting to address the actor and his works as what I have found up to this date, for the most part, more resembles an extended issue of 'Teen Beat' than an address of film, theory, or any scholarly engagement. This book, however, does not disappoint -- easily the best book-length text on Depp theory and film I have found so far.

An Unusual Love Affair Revealed.......2005-10-05

Murray Pomerance's book is nothing one can be prepared for. It is not a filmography, not a biography. It's not an analysis of Johnny's films, nor of his characterizations. Yet it is partially all of these - Pomerance's book is a love letter to an illusion - the screen presence of Johnny Depp. Pomerance is in love with that elusive vision and raptures about the hidden and lyric meanings of that image. He could as well have written about Garbo's screen presence.

The book is not for everyone and definitely not for simple fans of Mr. Depp's screen work. It is a book written by and for film scholars, not film fans. The book is esoteric and complicated - Mr. Pomerance loves stringing descriptive words together (and the more obscure words the better). One is sent to one's dictionary almost at every paragraph. Sentences must be re-read (like poetry) to capture the images and meanings of Mr. Pomerance's words.

That said, it is a great book and Johnny -if he ever reads it - should be right proud that he has evoked such a serious, thoughtful and well felt tribute.

Tedious!.......2005-08-30

I was very disappointed in this book. I found it tedious, rambling, and disjointed. There were a few interesting facts thrown in for good measure, but you have to slog through so much drivel that the trip just isn't worth your time.

Excellent Study of Depps Acting, NOT intended as a biography.......2005-07-20

I highly recommend this unusual study of Johnny Depp's ability to disappear into character. By using specific examples from some of Depps finest roles (Gilbert Grape, Ed Wood..etc...), the author illustrates the art behind the mask, without destroying the mystery. Interesting reflections on Depps refusal to be catagorized or defined, combined with an innate talent, reminds me more of Bob Dylan everyday!!

Book Description

Let It Blurt is the raucous and righteous biography of Lester Bangs (1949-82)--the gonzo journalist, gutter poet, and romantic visionary of rock criticism. No writer on rock 'n' roll ever lived harder or wrote better--more passionately, more compellingly, more penetratingly. He lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, guzzling booze and Romilar like water, matching its energy in prose that erupted from the pages of Rolling Stone, Creem, and The Village Voice. Bangs agitated in the seventies for sounds that were harsher, louder, more electric, and more alive, in the course of which he charted and defined the aesthetics of heavy metal and punk. He was treated as a peer by such brash visionaries as Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Richard Hell, Captain Beefheart, The Clash, Debbie Harry, and other luminaries.

Let It Blurt is a scrupulously researched account of Lester Bangs's fascinating (if often tawdry and unappetizing) life story, as well as a window on rock criticism and rock culture in their most turbulent and creative years. It includes a never-before-published piece by Bangs, the hilarious "How to Be a Rock Critic," in which he reveals the secrets of his dubious, freeloading trade.

Customer Reviews:

a legend.......2007-06-10

lester bangs is a legend in the music industry. this is a great read for anyone who is a fan of his work. i got a used copy and it was in great condition.

More or less a shame.......2007-03-31

Let it be assumed that most of the people who read this book will be familiar with Lester Bangs, be it through his writings or (as when I first heard of him, from the initial issues of _Punk_ magazine or like quasi-insider sources) by reputation.
For such readers, reading this book will be an experience that brings only minor rewards. For those interested in Bangs' writing and its influences, the book will clarify the direct stylistic influences (those called the Beats, mostly). On the other hand, anyone who's read Bangs' articles (collected or in situ) should have had no trouble recognizing the rather flimsy rants as variations on the Beat theme.
Other readers might be interested in the milieu of the book. This was the appeal to me, as I spent much of my youth moving in the same world, meeting the same people (and, indeed, running into Bangs himself at CBGB's). Such readers will find the book a pleasant way to be reminded of other times.
The "shame" part of my title stems from two things: first, Bangs' life as described in this book was pretty pathetic. Much of it was wasted with drug and drink, as was common and unremarkable at the time. (Most of the Bangs reputation grew from self-publicizing.) Likewise, it becomes clear from the book that Bangs knew little about music technically (as becomes clear from reading his generally useless reviews), so that the great measure of the value of his writing comes only from his profoundly derivitive style, which stood out only because of the places in which it was published. Note that Derogatis is clearly a Bangs fan, so that any critical apprasal of Bangs' writing must be supplied by the reader.
The second shame is that this book is a better read than anything Bangs turned out. "Let it Blurt" is not a bad way to pass an afternoon or two, but the uninteresting subject finally gives the reader an impresssion of emptiness. This is no fault of Derogatis': writing about an empty life is no mean task.

Buy the colections instead.......2006-10-19

It was necessary that someone would write a book about the late great Lester Bangs but it could have been better. As some of Lester's stuff it suffers from juvenile tendencies and does not in that sense allways give the man the seriousnes he deserves. It is in no way a very bad book but it should have been better and the two colections of hiw work deserve to be bougth first.

Very Good Biography.......2006-02-22

He was raised by Jehovah's Witenesses, didn't bathe often, and got high off cough syrup. He was recently enshrined in the Rock Snob Dictionary. Welcome to the world of Lester Bangs, whose speed-feuled writing made rock criticism into an art form. Jim Derogatis has done Lester's memory justice, though the subject of his biography comes across as difficult, immature, and self-destructive. Lester lived the life of the rock stars he wrote about. And though he tried his hand at playing in a few bands, his music career never went anywhere. What he's remembered for is his writing, which was done in the gonzo journalist style of Hunter S. Thompson. Whether or not you share Lester's tastes--which ranged from the New York Dolls and Captain Beefheart to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music anti-album--you have to appreciate his passion for music. He's like the guy in school who would rant and rave about his favorite bands in a way that was both poetic and embarrassing. After all, was what he was talking about that important? For Lester it was: what was at stake was an art form that he felt was more democratic than any. Punk's "Do it Yourself" aesthetic was supposed to signal a new era of self-made musicians and raw, powerful albums. Lester believed that rock was never about the music so much as the swagger. One only needed three chords and a lot of attitude. When the 1980s rolled around, Lester seemed depressed by the move away from musicians who couldn't play to the more competent bands of New Wave. Although Lester has been immortalized by Philip Seymour Hoffman in Almost Famous, the spirit of Lester is more apparent in a movie like High Fidelity, which celebrates vinyl snobs and music fanaticism. Whether you like Lester as a person after reading this book, and I did not, Derogatis has written an entertaining and well-balanced biography. However, he doesn't include much of Lester's own critical writing in the book other than the appendix piece, "How to Be a Rock Critic." But, having read this book, I now want to seek out collections of Lester's work. Recommended reading for any serious rock fan.

Lester Bangs Lives!.......2005-09-24

I first became exposed to rock 'n roll literature through an older cousin who was an avid reader of Creem magazine. I soon became a fan of Lester Bangs'work through that medium. This book does a good job of book documenting the turbulent life of Lester with sincerity, compassion and is a great, easy read. Any fan of Lester and his imaginative, cerebral writings would find this book worthy of being in your collection.

Average customer rating:

ok but not quite my style

Very Nice

Comprehensive, but dated in many areas

Root headed out to teach with no compromise, but following a standard of completeness and clarity.

A complete guide to the language of bidding

Commonsense Bidding: The Most Complete Guide to Modern Methods of Standard Bidding
William S. Root
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Bridge | Card Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Card Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Modern Bridge Conventions

How to Play a Bridge Hand: 12 Easy Chapters to Winning Bridge by America's Premier Teacher

How to Defend a Bridge Hand

The ABCs of Bridge

25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know

ASIN: 0517884305
Release Date: 1995-04-11

Book Description

The most complete guide to the modern methods of standard bidding for bridge, from one of America's leading players, teachers, and authorities. With a logical, easy-to-follow style, William Root covers all the bidding essentials.

Customer Reviews:

ok but not quite my style.......2007-03-05

this book is fine, but not my favorite, and not one i regard as essential. the BIGGEST flaw in all of the root books is that there is no INDEX!!! this is so important for research (when comparing different books and systems) that i cannot believe they left it out, and it often means i don't find out what root's take on a given issue is!

his system is unusual, and quirky, and it's not quite my style. but, this is a personal issue i think, and it may be great for others.

Very Nice.......2006-01-23

Actually, it would be 4 1/2 stars, because this is a really thorough guide to bridge bidding. It is not dated, because it only discusses the standard, which hasn't changed much. Of course, if you want to know about the conventions, you should get Modern Bridge Conventions by the same author. Both very thorough; if you read them (and undersatnd and remember them) both, there are little situations where you will not know what to do

Comprehensive, but dated in many areas.......2005-09-27

Another of Bill Root's comprehensive bridge primers, "Commonsense Bidding" is about as close to a bible of modern Standard American bidding as is available in the literature today. Root examines every aspect of bidding methods from a perspective that is in line, for the most part, with modern club players. There are some exceptions, especially in the emphasis of strong twos (weak twos being an afterthought) and neglect of the now virtually universal Jacoby transfer. However, for someone wanting to understand what comprises "standard" in the modern era, there is no better book. With appropriate adjustments, it is a great read for beginning to intermediate players.

Root headed out to teach with no compromise, but following a standard of completeness and clarity........2005-06-28

In another review about a book by the same author, I remarked that reading his books is like chewing sawdust. This basic fact has not changed. However, I now maintain that Bill Root has written the best books on learning the game in all its aspects.

This book is not about plain point ranges as another reader has already claimed; the book is logical, methodical, clear, but there is a catch: this is to be read like a text book; I have taken notes, underlined, and made crib sheets out of it. If you slow down enough your reading speed and do not read it casually like a novel, you will be amptly rewarded.

An example of the terseness of this book is that the headings in this book need to be read and fully understood before reading the respective sections; most of us tend to skip the headings, don't we?
Before I have used this terseness as a con in Root's books, but I have come to realise that this is the best possible format: no distractions, just pure essence.

I am tired of these books that are full of anectodes, pretend to ease you into the point they are trying to make, and then ... KABOOM, here is the point as dry as ever.

Root's books have the guts to be pure bridge, no filler, no gimmicks, JUST EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WITH NO HOLDING BACK OR TRYING TO SPREAD THE INFORMATION OVER SEVERAL BOOKS.

Root headed out to teach with no compromise, but following a standard of completeness and clarity.

It took me quite a time to realise his sense of integrity and charisma, but I did. I am sure that any absolute beginner will initially resist buying his books, but he or she will inexorably gravitate to them and appreciate their wealth of information.

It is this wealth that will make you go through them slowly; the other authors have spoiled you and have put the emphasis on easy reading.

A page by Root is worth easily 20 by the other authors.

5 stars!!!

A complete guide to the language of bidding.......2003-05-02

The most modern and complete guide to the language of bidding. Bill's simplified approach will teach you how to value your hand and modify the value as the bidding progresses. Gives illustrative examples on how to handle almost every situation. 1986 Bridge Book of the Year - already regarded as a classic.

Average customer rating:

Commonsense Bidding
Root William S
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LB45YA

Commonsense Bidding the Most Complete Guide to Modern Methods of Standard Bidding

Average customer rating:

Commonsense Bidding the Most Complete Guide to Modern Methods of Standard Bidding
Root William S
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LB5NQY

Book Description

** COMPLETELY UNAUTHORIZED **

Leading writers discuss, debate, and celebrate the legend of Superman in this anthology, contending that his legend is a truly American myth. Superman was an immigrant with little more than the clothes on his back and raised by simple farmers, absorbing their humble values. He always chose to do the right thing, fighting for truth, justice, and the American way, and represents America at its best. The in-depth analyses of the comics, films and cartoons are at turns funny, philosophical, insightful, and personal, exploring every aspect of the Superman legend.

Customer Reviews:

A must have for Superman fans.......2007-08-04

What a great read! Most of the essays I agreed with and some I did not, but I enjoyed reading everyone of them. What a fun and intellectual way to look at, who I believe is the greatest character in the history of popular culture.

Superman is many things to many people........2006-07-26

It is very clear that to each of us Superman is a different person and the same goes for his alter ego Clark Kent and the rest of the characters in the DC Universe. As a Superman reader and collector for 65 years and as one who used Superman in the classroom for 40 years, I start reading any book like this with a prejudiced viewpoint. I know Superman, I was born in his birth city or rather the city his creators lived in.

I wish I could give this book five stars, some of the selections are sensational. Others kind of go against everything I personally believe about The Man of Steel. In some cases I can't believe the authors really read the comics or saw the films and TV shows. This is just my perception. I won't cite examples one way or another as this is a matter of personal opinion.

Over all I love the book and especially enjoyed reading plotlines and quotes from various comic books that took me back to when I first read them. You are bound to forget a great deal in 65 years and in that context this was a trip down memory lane. However, you can over analyse and I am reminded of college English teachers who destroyed more than one person's interest in reading by being picky over every little line in a story.

Most of the writers were careful in their analysis, using logic and good sense while showing a love for the Superman legend. Others over killed by trying to intellectualize everything said or done by Superman, Clark Kent, Lois and others no matter how trite. My favorite current reading about Superman is Steve Skelton's, "The Gospel According To The World's Greatest Super Hero". That I have read twice since receiving it a month ago.

I am glad that after the documentation section at the end of each article there is mention of other works by the authors that the reader may want to check out. Some I will.

Average customer rating:

Look Closer: Swamp Life
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0789460718

Book Description

Study a fiddler crab's huge claw and a snapping turtle's dangerous jaws.

Average customer rating:

A Closer Look

Manufacturer: Greenwillow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0061240737
Release Date: 2007-08-21

Book Description

Open your eyes.

Open your mind.

Open your imagination.

Look!

What do you see?

Mary McCarthy's beautiful handmade-paper collages will transport young children on a journey of discovery.

Average customer rating:

A Closer Look at Science Fiction
Anthony Thacker
Manufacturer: Kingsway Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0854768882

Book Description

Looks at the popular face of science fiction, especially TV, and addresses the key spiritual and moral themes raised by sci-fi. Written by an enthusiast, but one who is able to be critical and who makes clear where the gospel of Jesus Christ differs from sci-fi's sub-texts

Lenses: Take a Closer Look (Fun With Technology)

Average customer rating:

Lenses: Take a Closer Look (Fun With Technology)
Siegfried Aust
Manufacturer: Lerner Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0822597322

Average customer rating:

Look Closer: Cave Life
Christiane Gunzi
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1564582124

Book Description

Study the leathery wings of a bat and the scales of a see-through fish.

Average customer rating:

Look Closer Meadow by Kim Taylor

Meadow (Look Closer)
Barbara Taylor
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Zoology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1564581292

Book Description

Study a grasshopper's spiny legs and a bumblebee's pollen sacs. Look Closer reveals nature in an original and exciting way.

Customer Reviews:

Look Closer Meadow by Kim Taylor.......2000-05-02

Clear concise text with beautifully clear photos.There areenough details for a general knowledge and will make you want to digdeeper for more information. An excellent book in a wonderful series.

Average customer rating:

Tree Life (Look Closer Series)
Theresa Greenaway
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

jp-unknown2 | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 1564581322

Book Description

Look closer at birds, mammals, insects, and other tree wildlife in their natural surroundings. Study a wood ant's spiky feet and a beetle's orange wings. Find out how a woodpecker feeds and why geckos eat their skin.

Average customer rating:

Look Closer: Shoreline
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 078946070X

Book Description

Look closer at birds, crab, fish, and other shoreline wildlife in their natural surroundings.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books