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D_Davis
03-27-2012, 03:03 PM
I like reading books about movies and music/bands.

I just started reading Studies in the Horror Film: The Exorcist, and it is very good. It is a collection of essays, articles, and interviews about The Exorcist films. But while it is very good, I'm a bit surprised that it doesn't contain a single thing written by Mark Kermode, who is pretty much the leading expert on all things Blatty, especially The Exorcist. I really need to find out why nothing of his was included.

Anyhow, let's talk about books about music and bands and movies. What are some of the great examples?

megladon8
03-28-2012, 01:46 AM
It's actually more about comic books and their ties to the mob back in the "golden era" of the art form, but I very strongly recommend checking out "Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book" by Gerald Jones.

Fantastic read.

kuehnepips
03-28-2012, 09:56 AM
Blonde: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates.

D_Davis
03-28-2012, 03:20 PM
It's actually more about comic books and their ties to the mob back in the "golden era" of the art form, but I very strongly recommend checking out "Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book" by Gerald Jones.

Fantastic read.

That sounds kind of cool.

number8
03-28-2012, 03:30 PM
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FP1S45YCL._SS500_.jpg

I got my copy signed by Tsukamoto when I met him a couple of years ago. I cherish this book.

D_Davis
03-28-2012, 03:47 PM
That sound cool - I'll need to check that out. Is the book really good, or is it just because you like the subject matter so much?

A couple of my favorites:

Kung Fu Cult Masters, by Leon Hunt (http://www.amazon.com/Kung-Cult-Masters-Leon-Hunt/dp/1903364639/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332949078&sr=1-7) - The most scholarly and high-brow examination of the martial arts film that I've ever read. In a series of incredibly well-written essays, Hunt talks about issues such as the deadly china doll syndrome, ideas on shapes and forms in the body genre, and a host of other topics including gender and race, the use of wires, Bruce Lee clones, and other things. If you like the genre at all, you need this book. It is invaluable.

Hong Kong Cinema: The Extra Dimensions (http://www.amazon.com/Hong-Kong-Cinema-Extra-Dimensions/dp/0851705146/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332949297&sr=1-2) and King Hu's a Touch of Zen (http://www.amazon.com/King-Touch-Hong-Kong-Cinema/dp/9622098150/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332949297&sr=1-4), both by Stephen Teo. Two more invaluable volumes on HK cinema. Teo's voice isn't as pedantic as Hunt's, and his books is more readable but they don't sacrifice the scholarly knowledge. Teo is a well-spring of amazing insight and information.

number8
03-28-2012, 03:53 PM
No, Tom Mes is a really good writer and is recognized by the critics community as one of the most knowledgeable guys about Asian cinema, especially genre ones. He's the editor of Midnight Eye, if you ever read their reviews. I also have this book by him:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CA3S9MGDL._SS500_.jpg

D_Davis
03-28-2012, 04:01 PM
No, Tom Mes is a really good writer and is recognized by the critics community as one of the most knowledgeable guys about Asian cinema, especially genre ones. He's the editor of Midnight Eye, if you ever read their reviews. I also have this book by him:


Yeah - I know him. Pretty good stuff. I read the Miike book, but didn't love it. I expected more based on some other stuff I read from him. But then again, writing a general book on Miike is nearly impossible. It's best to break his career into very small chunks. Same as Tsui Hark. However, I'd love to know more about Shinya, so I think I'll check that one out.

D_Davis
03-28-2012, 04:05 PM
This is my favorite book of any kind that I own:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61C4W6kMDgL._SL500_.jpg

Published by the HK Film Institute. It's a collection of essays written by people who have worked with Tsui Hark in different capacities over the years, and offers up some insightful, and sometimes not so friendly, but usually respectable, commentary on his techniques. Tsui sounds like a hard guy to work for and with because he works so fast and so completely out of control - he serves only one master: creativity. Each essay is presented in Chinese and English, and there are a ton of amazing photographs and drawings throughout. Just a remarkable book.

D_Davis
03-28-2012, 04:47 PM
Just ordered the deluxe hardcover version of the Exorcist book, signed by Blatty and Ligotti, for a hefty discount. It pays to send e-mails to small publishers.

D_Davis
05-14-2012, 07:11 PM
Starting this today - it's a memoir by the founder of the Roland Corporation.

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267295262l/7168468.jpg

ledfloyd
05-14-2012, 07:40 PM
frank zappa's autobiography is fantastic.

D_Davis
05-15-2012, 03:04 PM
It's crazy to think that Ikutaro Kakehashi, the founder of the Roland Corporation, was -this- close to dying from TB in the early 1950s. Had he not volunteered for a super experimental treatment, music as we know it today would be fundamentally different.

Sven
05-15-2012, 03:27 PM
frank zappa's autobiography is fantastic.

Yeah, love it. Great candor, funny anecdotes, wise ideas, illuminating.

D_Davis
05-17-2012, 01:42 PM
I Believe in Music, by Ikutaro Kakehashi

There is some good stuff in this book, but I can't recommend it to anyone unless they're a fan of Roland's musical instruments and the company, specifically, and the history of electronic instruments in general.

For me, there was far too much spent on the business side of things, and too much time spent talking about business relations with Roland's joint-ventures. I wanted more time spent talking about all of the amazing, groundbreaking electronic instruments Roland has made, and how these instruments changed the landscape of music as we know it today.

However, this is not that book. Taro offers up some interesting insights into the business of music, and he did make me think about somethings in different ways.

My one major complaint is that the book lacks focus. Taro jumps around in time, mentions things in one chapter only to be further explained much later, and it is oddly structured. It seems like it was written for people who already know about the company and their products.

Anyhow, I'm really glad I read it. I really admire Taro and his accomplishments, and as a musician who makes electronic music, Roland will always have a special place in my heart.