Knowledgeable and meticulous, this is the first full-scale biography of America's first horror-film auteur. The strange genius of Tod Browning is perhaps best summed up in a single shot from his Dracula: Amidst the cobwebs of Dracula's Transylvania castle, a family of armadillos scurries across the floor. Browning made dozens of acclaimed box-office-busting silent films. But along with Dracula, he is best remembered for one of his few talkies, Freaks, a horrific yet strangely touching melodrama set in a circus freak show. While now regarded as a classic, it effectively ended Browning's career. For years he had used Hollywood's lavish machinery to illuminate his private obsessionsthe occult, violence, mystery, deformityand so long as these obsessions made money, the studios indulged him. Freaks bombed (it was also banned in several countries), and soon one of America's most successful directors was forced into retirement. What followed was a long, sad decline into alcoholic obscurity. By temperament, Browning was a very private man, destroying papers, refusing interviews, and much of his biography is simply speculation: Did his dark vision, for example, spring from some searing childhood trauma? Skal (The Monster Show, 1993, etc.) and film historian Savada have done an admirable job with what is available, teasing out meaning from the slenderest of sources and filling in the gaps with plausible hypotheses. They have also produced a first-rate filmography, chronicling all of Browning's films, a remarkable achievement considering that some simply no longer exist. However, Skal and Savada are less adept in their analysis of Browning's directorial style. His work with actors, shot design, and editing are mentioned only in passinga shame considering that Browning's films are his best biography. Still, this is as thorough a recounting as we can probably hope for of this extraordinary but neglected talent. (50 b&w photos, not seen)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-385-47406-7
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Anchor
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1995
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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