This work revisits the golden age of theatrical magic and silent film to reveal how professional magicians shaped the early history of cinema. The author treats cinema and stage magic as overlapping practices that together revise our understanding of the origins of motion pictures and cinematic spectacle.
An insiders' look at the land of 10,000 laughs--how Minneapolis became a hotspot for comedy. It is a lively look back at the wild '80s scene and the creative legacy it wrought.
Funny: The Book is an entertaining look at the art of comedy, from its historical roots to the latest scientific findings, with diversions into the worlds of movies (Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers), television (The Office), prose (Woody Allen, Robert Benchley), theater (The Front Page), jokes and stand-up comedy (Richard Pryor, Steve Martin), as well as personal reminiscences from the author's experiences on such TV programs as Mork and Mindy. With allusions to the not-always-funny Carl Jung, George Orwell, and Arthur Koestler, Funny: The Book explores the evolution, theories, principles, and practice of comedy, as well as the psychological, philosophical, and even theological underpinnings of humor, coming to the conclusion that (Spoiler Alert!) Comedy is God.
In this actor's guidebook, renowned acting coach Judy Kerr shares her lifetime of techniques and tricks of the trade. She opens the doors of Hollywood to acting hopefuls and professionals with a straightforward road map for building their dreams and careers. The previous 11 editions have contributed to the success of thousands of readers. In this new Ebook Judy shares brand new content: including Acting Tools, private dairy entries from those who have successfully applied Acting Is Everything to their careers, and more. A wonderful intro to the world of show biz. -- Jerry Seinfeld This is good, Judy, this is good. Julia Louis-Dreyfus First rate primer, excellent refresher course. -- Jason Alexander Informative and to the point. - Michael Richards
Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job—Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy. At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away.
(Applause Acting Series). Never before has a monologue book been written completely by people who are actually funny for a living. This incredibly hysterical, cutting-edge collection of monologues will give an actress the extra bang she needs to land the perfect comedic role. Women's Comedic Monologues features 60 monologues by writers and comics who have written for or performed on Chelsea Lately , Carson Daly , The Tonight Show , Last Comic Standing , Comedy Central Stage, and many more. This book is the answer to the comedic monologue needs of female actors everywhere!