FilmCraft: Editing by Justin Chang (a J!-ENT Book Review)

“FilmCraft: Editing” by Justin Chang is an excellent resource and is one of the best cinema books out there when it comes to interviews with editors for some of the greatest film ever made.  Educational, intriguing and overall, a wonderful book that is highly recommended!

 

TITLE: FilmCraft: Editing

BY: Justin Chang

PUBLISHER: Focal Press

PAGE COUNT: 194

RELEASED: November 17, 2011

The value of the editor’s craft to a finished film cannot be underestimated, and it’s no surprise that directors rely heavily on the same editor again and again. This book employs stills and screenshots to show how an editor created a scene with the filmmaker and explores the complex relationship between a director who has just shot a movie and the editor who must complete the director’s vision. Includes perspectives from Dylan Tichenor who has worked on Boogie Nights, Brokeback Mountain, There Will Be Blood and many others and Pietro Scalia, the great editor whose partners include Bertolucci, Van San, and Ridley Scott.

Each book in the FilmCraft Series focuses on a specific aspect of the filmmaking process, presenting a visually strunning look at the subject through the eyes of notable professionals in each field. Each book offers deep insight into the working practices of the world’s most distinguished professionals, covering their inspiration, collaboration, and work on set. Each professional has been interviewed exclusively, and goes into detail on specific scenes in their films to give concrete examples of their craft. The result is to provide readers with a fascinating inside look at the filmmaking art, and a wealth of knowledge that they can apply to their own work.

As a cinema fan and also a filmmaker, although I graduated from college, I did not major in film or attend a film school.

But despite not having majored in film, I do have a passion for cinema.

In fact, if one was to visit my personal library, you would see a plethora of film books. Books on theory, books on execution and books that focuses on various filmmakers. And also along with those books is a dedicated cinema shrine of DVD’s and Blu-ray’s featuring the work of the world’s talented filmmakers since the late 1890′s to present-time.

And having reviewed many films on Blu-ray and DVD and also cinema-related books, there is one area in filmmaking that is important is the editing process.

Filmmaking is a collaborative process and an editor is responsible for assembling the shots while the film is in production and through this, a director knows if an adjustments or additional shots need to be taken.  But of course, for an editor, it’s the post-production phase that is the primary role of an editor and works with the director (and producers) for the final cut.  A meaning of the film, the clarity of the film and enhancing the visuals of a cinematographer, it all comes down to the editing in post-production.

And for anyone who has watched a big budget action film, an artistic surreal film or cinema that required a good amount of editing that made us feel in awe of the film, in essence, we are seeing that collaboration involved in filmmaking but most importantly, cinema fans can notice how much editing plays a big part in a film.

“FilmCraft: Editing” by Justin Chang is a book which focuses on 21 editors from all over the world.

Featuring priceless interviews and article spotlights on the following editors:

• Walter Murch (USA) – Worked on “Apocalypse Now”, “Ghost” and “The Godfather” films.
• Anne Voase Coates (USA/UK) – Worked on “Lawrence of Arabia”, “The Golden Compass”, “Erin Brokovich”, “The Elephant Man”, etc.
• Richard Marks (US) – Worked on “The Godfather: Part II”, “As Good as It Gets”, “You’ve Got Mail”, etc.
• Peter Zinner (Austria/US) – Legacy spotlight on Peter Zinner’s career.  Zinner worked on “The Godfather” films, “The Deer Hunter”, etc.
• Stephen Mirrione (US) – Worked on “Ocean’s Eleven”, “Babel”, “Traffic”.
• Dylan Tichenor (US) – Worked on “There Will Be Blood”, “Magnolia”, “Brokeback Mountain”, “The Town”, etc.
• Tim Squyres (US) – Worked on “The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Sense and Sensibility”, “Syriana”, “Godford Park”, etc.
• Valdís Óskarsdóttir (Iceland/US) – Worked on “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “The Celebration”, “Finding Forrester”, etc.
• Dede Allen (US) – Legacy spotlight on Dede Allen’s career.  Allen worked on “Dog Day Afternoon”, “The Breakfast Club”, “Bonnie and Clyde”, “Wonder Boys”, etc.
• Virginia Katz (US) – Worked on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I”, “Dreamgirls”, “Gods and Monsters”, “Kinsey”, etc.
• Michael Kahn (US) – Worked on “Schindler’s List”, “Saving Private Ryan”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Jurassic Park”, “War Horse”, etc.
• Joel Cox (US) – Worked on “Gran Torino”, “Million Dollar Baby”, “Mystic River”, “Unforgiven”, “J. Edgar”,  etc.
• Ralphe E. Winters (Canada/US) – Legacy spotlight on Ralph E. Winters who worked on “Ben-Hur”, “The Pink Panther”, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”.
• William Chang Suk-ping (China) - Worked on “In the Mood for Love”, “2046″, “Chungkind Express”, “My Blueberry Nights”
  
• Liao Ching-sung (Taiwan) – Worked on “Three Times”, “Millennium Mambo”, “Cafe Lumiere”, etc.
• Hervé de Luze (France) – Worked on “The Pianist”, “The Ghost Writer”, “The Ninth Gate”, “Carnage”, etc.
• Barbara McLean (USO) – Legacy spotlight on Barbara McLean, McLean worked on “All About Eve”, “Twelve O’ Clock High”, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”.
• Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter (US & Australia/US) – The editing duo worked on “The Social Network”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “Zodiac”, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, etc.
• Lee Smith (Australia) – Worked on “The Truman Show”, “The Dark Knight”, “Inception”, “Batman Begins”, etc.
• Christopher Rouse (US) – Worked on the “Bourne” films, “The Italian Job”, “United 93″, etc.
• Sally Menke (US) – Legacy spotlight on Sally Menke who worked on “Pulp Fiction”, “Inglorious Basterds”, “Kill Bill: Vol. 1″, “Reservoir Dogs”, etc.

“FilmCraft: Editing” by Justin Chang is a book that shows us how these editor’s approached films that they were best known for.  Rules that the follow when editing and the editing methods used.

But most importantly, while these editors have communicated with many viewers around the world through the film that they have worked on, through “FilmCraft: Editing”, it gives these editors a chance to communicate through their own words.

When it comes to editing, there are books that explain the concept of editing and the technique of editing but when it comes to editors in general, especially those who have worked on well-known films, there have been a few.

From Gabriella Oldham’s 1995 “First Cut: Conversation with Film Editors” to the 2008 book “British Film Editors: The Heart of the Movie” and books featuring on a sole editor such as “An Evening with Film Editor Chistopher Tellefsen” by Manhattan Edit Workshop or “When the Shooting Stops…The Cutting Begins: A Film Editor’s Story” by Ralph Rosenblum, there really has not been many editing books featuring editors worldwide.

But fortunately, Justin Chang’s “FilmCraft: Editing” does just that.  While it does focus on mostly American cinema, there editors featured in this film who have worked on a variety of films ranging from big blockbusters with Steven Spielberg, those who worked on “The Godfather” films, those who worked on the visual Wong Kar-wai films, etc.  This book is a wonderful resource to anyone who are upcoming editors or even a curious cineaste.

But before I get into the good, let me talk about any negative aspects…trust me, there are not that many. Interviews and articles on a collective are typically subjective and when it comes to cinema, especially if you watch cinema worldwide, one thing that you want to see is a good representation of interviewees from around the world. As mentioned, the book does focus on a lot of American filmmakers, two in Asia, one in France, Australia, Iceland, UK, etc.  So, for those hoping for representation of editors who have worked on Italian cinema, Russian cinema, Japanese cinema, etc. You are not going to find them in this book.

With that being said, the representation of editors from many great films is quite appreciated and I also feel that for a book of this caliber, there is always room to feature more editors from other countries in hopefully a future volume.

But on this book alone, I found this book to be fantastic in many levels.  For example, Walter Murch goes into his personal take of the “Rule of Six” with percentage values, Anne Voase Coates wrote about working on “Lawrence of Arabia”, Richard Marks talks about working on “The Godfather” films, Stephen Mirrione on the challenges of working on “21 Grams” and “Babel”, Tim Squyres working on Ang Lee films and using Avid, Virginia Katz talks about working on a Chinese film, “Fearless” after working on “Dreamgirls” but also working on action sequences.  Michael Kahn talks about working on how he became an editor and began editing for Steven Spielberg, William Chang Suk-ing talks about working on Wong Kar-wai films, Liao Chung-sung talks about working on Hou Hsiao-hsien films, Christopher Rouse working on the “Bourne” films, Lee Smith on working on “Inception”, “The Dark Knight”, etc. and there are more interviews with talented editors that are featured throughout the book.  And you also get a few “legacy spotlights” on editors who have passed away.

I can continue to gush about this book about why I loved it but this is one of those books that those who are interested in editing, will want to own.  To learn from the best editor’s out there, their approach to film, how they took on challenges but most of all, just that opportunity to learn from these individuals.

The fact is that unless you spend a lot of money on Blu-ray or DVD’s which you can hope has an audio commentary track or interview with a editor, it really is awesome when you come across a book written by a writer who is passionate about cinema and really went out to gather considerable names for their book. And this is easily one of the best books on interviews with editors out there!

In fact, I recommend getting this book along with “FilmCraft: Cinematography” by Mike Goodridge & Tim Grierson which are similar in presentation but as Chang’s book focuses on editing, Goodridge and Grierson’s book focuses on the cinematographers.

Overall, “FilmCraft: Editing” by Justin Chang is an excellent resource for those who are considering a career in editing or just passionate about cinema and want to learn from those who worked on the editing of the film.  If you are a film student, an observer of cinematography or just a cineaste who are passionate about the films and the people who edit these films, make no doubt about it… “FilmCraft: Editing” is highly recommended!

This is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide to Flash Photography by Dustin Diaz (a J!-ENT Book Review)

Dustin Diaz has inspired thousands of people who followed his Project 365 on Flickr.  Through his experimentation with Strobist techniques and showing his followers of how he accomplished certain photos, many people wanted more.  And thus, Dustin’s book “This is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide to Flash Photography” accomplishes just that with over 100 shots with Strobist setup and information.  A wonderful resource for those interested in Strobist info. and Dustin’s work on printed format!  Definitely recommended!

 

TITLE: This is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide to Flash Photography

BY: Dustin Diaz

PUBLISHER: Peachpit Press

PAGE COUNT: 123

RELEASED: December 25, 2011

 

In 2009, photographer Dustin Diaz began a “365 project,” the goal of which is to shoot and share one picture per day for a year. Not only did Diaz actually complete the project–an achievement in and of itself–he consistently shared both the final image and the behind-the-scenes setup shot for that image, allowing the viewer to see how the shot was arranged. He also included information about exposure, flash power, distance, and light modifiers. The project was a huge hit that attracted thousands of followers. This Is Strobist® Info recreates and expands upon this approach by featuring an image alongside a setup shot that helpfully explains how that image was created. By showing the finished pictures as well as the setup shots for 50 of Diaz’s images, you’ll gain tons of knowledge about the basics–and beyond–of flash photography, including everything from simple one-light shots to images created with five lights and numerous gels, clamps, umbrellas, softboxes, and grids. Additionally, This Is Strobist® Info includes two chapters that guide you through the basics of starting your own lighting kit and explain the important but often-misunderstood inverse square law.

A few years ago, I became very interested in Strobist techniques, primarily the use of off camera flash, the importance of lighting and learning on various positioning, the equipment used by other photographers and trying to learn as much as I can from them.

There is no denying that among the best resources out there for those wanting to learn Strobist techniques is through David Hobby’s strobist.com website and also the Strobist community forum on Flickr.

But where a lot of people are hardcore and invested in expensive Canon and Nikon cameras, people who spent hundreds on a single flash and other equipment, I knew that for myself… I’m not quite at that level where I am confident of spending as much as these individuals have.  As much as I would love to have had the top-of-the line lens, the best off camera flash and strobes, my mindset was not there yet.

Yes, I know that may put me in the side of being a budget-conscious, fiscally conservative (or to some, a “cheap-ass”) photographer who tends to buy speedlights from Asia for under a $100 and is always searching for the best deals on Craigslist for lenses but for now, it works for me and the more I become more confident with my photography and using off camera flash, I eventually will spend the money for a better flash.

So, I have spent months looking at Strobist website and Strobist techniques from photographers with similar equipment on Flickr and just trying to soak everything in.

But while perusing Flickr and looking at the work of the Strobist community, there was one person who’s work caught my attention.  A guy named Dustin Diaz who worked in social media as his main job but when he had the free time, each day as part of his “Project 365″ on Flickr, he would go out with his camera, his Nikon flash, portable stand(s), umbrella and puts them all on his backpack and take these pretty awesome photos and post one for the day.

And gradually overtime, seeing how his technique would improve while taking these pictures.

Bare in mind, this guy doesn’t toot his own horn that he’s a great photographer, nor does even come off as one.  He’s just a regular guy with a busy job, married but also is passionate about photography and like hundreds of people, he took part in a Project 365 on Flickr.   The goal is pretty much take a photo each day and upload one everyday for 365 days straight. But also for one to challenge themselves by trying to come up with something creative with each photo.

And sure enough, Dustin Diaz’ Project 365 inspired me.   And looking at the comments from everyone, I know I wasn’t the only one.

Each day, Dustin would post a photo but would also post a second photo (and sometimes video) of how he took the shot.  And I was pretty excited that he would take his time to show people how he accomplished these shots.

An example from Dustin’s Project 365 can be seen here:

Granted, Dustin had provided Strobist info. for several shots, not all and like myself and many others, we would ask him “how do you do that? Where did you position your flash?  How this?  How that?  You get the picture.

There are some photographers who are comfortable by answering people’s questions, some that are just too busy to reply or just don’t want to.  Dustin’s approach was to do more of the Strobist info. for his “Project 365″ and let people how he accomplished certain photos.  No egos, no promotion of he’s this awesome photographer… he was just a normal guy, who experimented and got the results, good and bad.  But each description was witty, fun and definitely not coming off as academic or egoist.

And sure enough, so many people followed his work and he eventually won “Best Flickr Photographer of the Year” by Mashable Web Awards.  A few of his photos would also be recommended by Flickr.

The more he got popular, more and more people would write “how did you that?”, “why did you do that?”, “you left your flash on the streets of San Francisco by itself, are you nuts?”.

But after his Project 365 was completed, just to see the gradual improvement by a man using off camera flash and just taking these creative photos was inspirational.  And sure, there are other professional photographers who are just as inspirational, but for me, Dustin Diaz was someone I can relate to because he was a normal guy trying to learn for himself and improve.

And when he announced that he was coming out with a book titled “This is Strobist Info”, I was excited by the news.  Previously, I would have to take my iPad to areas with Wi Fi and look at his photos and his Strobist info. but now, here’s a printed book that I can use as a resource.

“This is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide to Flash Photography” is literally an extension of his Strobist info. that Dustin had on his Project 365 on Flickr, not the same photos but with the printed format, you would get the actual photo on the left and on the right page, the setup shot.

The setup shot would often show his flash stand with an umbrella, the flash used and at one brightness and zoom and whether or not he used a CTO Gel to add color.  He would also include the ISO, aperture, the shutter speed and the lens he used and pretty much some of the pertinent settings one would find in the exif data of a photo.

For those familiar with Dustin’s Project 365 and are familiar with his witty and comical descriptions, you can expect the same type of humor in this book.  Dustin also goes into information about using speedlights, radio triggers, light stands, umbrella adapters, light modifiers, etc.  Also, a few technical pages on light and inverse square.

There are about a hundred shots with Strobist info. and once again, an extension of what he had done on Flickr.

“This is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide to Flash Photography” is a book that I have waited with high anticipation and for less than $15, I can easily say that it was worth every penny.  Being familiar with his work on his Flickr page, it was great to have that extension of his work and seeing the Strobist info. featured in printed format.

And I’m glad he kept things separate with newer photos for the book and past photos of his learning experience from the Project 365 on Flickr.

But with that being said, for those not familiar with his Flickr work or have read the descriptions and is looking for a “Strobist” book may be slightly disappointed in the fact that this is not an academic book (there are many books out there by career photography professionals), it is fairly quick to go through with 100 photos featured and last, I know that it’s going to satisfy everyone.

By no means is this book meant to be the end all to Strobist info.  For one, if you want the most detailed information, David Hobby’s website is perfectly excellent for that and also the Strobist community site on Flickr.

But who this book is for, is those who want to know how he accomplishes his photos.  Where he positions his light stands, how many Flash units, at what zoom and what setting.  Learning on what lens did he use.  Learning what shutter speed and aperture was used.

This is not a book that goes into detail of why he chose that shot and to explain why he took that shot.  This is not that kind of book.

This book is pretty much a Strobist resource for those who are wondering how Dustin Diaz accomplishes the photos he took and not asking why.  Nor is he the kind of guy (like many others from the Strobist community) to answer why he took the photo in such a manner.  It’s his creative shot done his way and I have no care of wondering about the decisions of why he took the shot that way.  There are career professionals who have books out there, who have websites and blogs that go into full detail of their photography.

So, if you are expecting that information, “This is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide to Flash Photography” is not that kind of book.

But for those who peruse Flickr, typing “Strobist setup” and seeing the experiments that people have done, the tools they use to take that shot, especially for those who have been to Dustin’s Flickr site, then this book is for you.  It’s an extensions of Dustin’s Project 365 project and for his first Strobist book, I enjoyed it a lot.

And yes, I wish there were more photos featured in the book, but considering it was only $15, I would have gladly paid more if there were 200 or more shots with Strobist info.

What would I have enjoyed to see in the book?  Possibly comments from Dustin about the photo. For example, one of the biggest questions that occur often on his comments section on Flickr are people wondering about the safety of the shot.  On Project 365, for one photo, he talked about losing a clamp and a flash because it was stolen.  But people wonder, are there people watching his equipment when he takes his photo in the streets somewhere in the Bay Area?   If anything, perhaps a bit more discussion on the challenges of certain shots would have been nice to see.

Granted, I know that the goal was to show a full page of the original shot and the Strobist setup shot, but perhaps having the full shot and a shot of the setup maybe smaller or cropped but with a paragraph of comments would have been nice.

So, If anything, the “Setup info.” was great to see, but it would be nice to have those comments that we are used to reading from his Project 365 included with each (or some) of the photos.  Just learning about the difficulties, the challenges and even mistakes learned, were among my favorites to read on Dustin’s Project 365.

That’s part of what I was drawn to Dustin’s photography and his Project 365 on Flickr.  He has a laid-back, cool perspective that doesn’t come off sounding too pretentious, doesn’t come off as egotistical, academic or erudite on photography.  Dustin is just a normal guy who is still learning, but yet sharing what he learned from his own personal experience and sharing it with the world and inspiring thousands of people.

The guy has style, wit (which may not be for everyone) but heck, it’s what makes this book so fresh because it’s not banal or traditional. And this may rub some people off the wrong way.  For me, I’m open to his style of wit, no matter how funny or not so funny his jokes tend to be.

Overall, Dustin Diaz’ first book on “This is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide to Flash Photography” was what I wanted and got.  Setup strobist info. nothing more and nothing less. And as mentioned, it is worth the money! And for a sales price at under $15, that’s darn cheap for a new photography book!

Is it meant to be the end all of “Strobist” books?  Of course not.  Will it help the noob?  My answer is that if your are new and you use Hobby’s Strobist website, learn from the Strobist community and then apply the Strobist setup techniques as seen in this book and apply it to your setup, then yes.

Do you have to do everything as exactly what is featured in the book?  Of course not. That’s part of the excitement of learning Strobist techniques, applying it to your work, your environment and trying to live within your financial means with the equipment that you have.

As mentioned, I’m not at that point where I’m confident on spending hundreds on a several Nikon or Canon flashes (I’m still trying to get used to saving money for better glass), so these Yonguo flashes are quite fine for me right now.  Do you need a top of the line camera?  If you can afford it, but I’m fine with my Canon T3i.  And do you have to buy Manfrotto light stands, as excellent as they are…I’m quite fine with my much cheaper Ravelli’s.  But what works for Dustin and other professionals out there is great, but definitely learn to use equipment that suits you and that is within your budget and to apply the techniques you see in Dustin’s book (and other sources) to your Strobist experiments and photo shoots.  If anything, learn from that experience.

With the Strobist website, the Strobist community forum on Flickr and other books from professionals out there are fantastic sources for information!  But if you are looking for a book with setup shots such as what was featured on Dustin Diaz’ Project 365 on Flickr, then you will enjoy “This is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide”.

I spent a lot of time perusing photos with a strobist setup and information with the finalized shot and Dustin Diaz has inspired a lot of us through his learning experience and sharing that Strobist experience with those who follow his work.  And I really do hope that Dustin Diaz continues this book with a “part 2″ because I found this first book to be a wonderful resource for a low price!

“This is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide to Flash Photography” by Dustin Diaz is recommended!

FilmCraft: Cinematography by Mike Goodridge & Tim Grierson (a J!-ENT Book Review)

“FilmCraft: Cinematography” by Mike Goodridge & Tim Grierson is one of the best cinema books out there when it comes to featuring famous cinematographers worldwide.  Highly recommended!

 

TITLE: FilmCraft: Cinematography

BY: Mike Goodridge & Tim Grierson

PUBLISHER: Focal Press

PAGE COUNT: 194

RELEASED: November 17, 2011

The book covers the complex craft of cinematography (motion picture photography) through interviews with well-known cinematographers, like Vittorio Storaro and Christopher Doyle. With photos and in-depth exploration of contemporary projects, such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Chicago, and Nine. Cinematography gives readers access to lauded professionals, providing them with the perspective to think like professionals and create a compelling visual story.

Discussions with the world’s most notable filmmakers, giving insights into professional practice, working relationships, and influences.  Sidebars featuring practical advice on topics that filmmakers can apply to their own work.  “Legacy Sections” focusing on the work of past filmmaking greats.

As a cinema fan and also a filmmaker, although I graduated from college, I did not major in film or attend a film school.

But despite not having majored in film, I do have a passion for cinema.

In fact, if one was to visit my personal library, you would see a plethora of film books.  Books on theory, books on execution and books that focuses on various filmmakers.    And also along with those books is a dedicated cinema shrine of DVD’s and Blu-ray’s featuring the work of the world’s talented filmmakers since the late 1890′s to present-time.

And having reviewed many films on Blu-ray and DVD and also cinema-related books, I tend to gravitate towards liking books from writers who acknowledge other filmmakers.  From books such as Francois Truffaut’s “Hitchcock”, “The Parade’s Gone By” by Kevin Brownlow, Sergei Eisenstein’s “Film Form: Essays in Film Theory”, Andre Bazin’s “What is Cinema?”, Peter Bogdanvoich’s “Who the Devil Made It: Conversations with Legendary Film Directors”, to name a few.

And there are many books that focus on the work of these famous directors with in-depth interviews but what about cinematographers?  I can think of three wonderful books and now, you can add a fourth.

“FilmCraft: Cinematography” by Mike Goodridge & Tim Grierson is a book which focuses on 18 cinematographers from all over the world.

Featuring priceless interviews and article spotlights on the following cinematographers:

• Vilmos Zsigmond (Hungary/US) – Known for his work on “The Deer Hunter”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Deliverance”, “Maverick” and more.
  
• Christopher Doyle (Australia/Hong Kong) – Known for his work on “Chungking Express”, “In the Mood for Love”, “Hero”, “2046″ and more.
• Michael Ballhaus (Germany/US) Known for his work on “The Departed”, “Goodfellas”, “Gangs of New York”, “Dracula” and more.
  
• James Wong Howe (China/US) – Known for his work on “Hud”, “The Thin Man”, “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, “Sweet Smell of Success” and more.
• Ed Lachman (US) – Known for his work on “Erin Brokovich”, “The Virgin Suicides”, “Far From Heaven”, “I’m Not There” and more.
• Rodrigo Prieto (Mexico) – Known for his work on “Brokeback Mountain”, “Babel”, “21 Grams”, “Amores Perros” and more.
• Caleb Deschanel (US) – Known for his work on “The Passion of the Christ”, “The Patriot”, “National Treasure”, “The Right Stuff”
• Raoul Coutard (France) – Known for his work on “Breathless”, “Jules and Jim”, “Pierrot le Fou”, “Z” and more.
• Vittorio Storaro (Italy) – Known for his work on “Apocalypse Now”, “The Last Emperor”, “Last Tango in Paris”, “Dick Tracy” and more.
• Chris Menges (UK/US) - Known for his work on “The Reader”, “Notes on a Scandal”, “The Killing Fields”, “The Mission” and more.
• Dion Beebe (Australia/US) – Known for his work on “Collateral”, “Chicago”, “Equilibrium”, “Green Lantern” and more.
• Jack Cardiff (UK) – Known for his work on “Rambo”, “The African Queen”, “The Red Shoes”, “Conan the Destroyer” and more.
• Owen Roizman (US) – Known for his work on “Network”, “The French Connection”, “Tootsie”, “The Exorcist” and more.
• Barry Ackroyd (UK) - Known for his work on “The Hurt Locker”, “United 93″, “Green Zone”, “The Wind that Shakes the Barley” and more.
  
• Ellen Kuras (US) – Known for her work on “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “Blow”, “Be Kind Rewind”, “Coffee and Cigarettes” and more.
• Sven Nykvist (Sweden) – Known for his work on “Sleepless in Seattle”, “Chaplin”, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”, “Crimes and Misdemeanors” and more.
  
• Peter Suschitzky (UK) – Known for his work on “Star Trek: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back”, “A History of Violence”, “Eastern Promises”, “Mars Attacks!” and more.
• Seamus McGarvey (Ireland/US) – Known for his work on “Atonement”, “Along Came Polly”, “High Fidelity”, “The Hours” and more.
• Javier Aguirresarobe (Spain) – Known for his work on “Twilight: New Moon”, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”, “The Others” and more.
• Matthew Libatique (US) – Known for his work on “Black Swan”, “Iron Man”, “Iron Man 2″, “Requiem for a Dream” and more.
• Freddie Young (UK) – Known for his work on “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Doctor Zhivago”, “Ryan’s Daughter”, “You Only Live Twice” and more.

“FilmCraft: Cinematography” by Mike Goodridge & Tim Grierson is a book that shows how each of these cinematographers have their own approach to cinema and working on their projects.  Featuring their various philosophies, personalities and the differences of these cinematographers but also as the writers wanted to clear up misconceptions about their craft, the types of lenses used and how each of these individuals came from different backgrounds.

But most importantly, while these cinematographers have communicated with many viewers around the world through images, through this book, it gives these individuals a chance to communicate through their own words.

There have been numerous books that have featured interviews with a variety of cinematographers, from those who worked during the golden years of cinema to those who worked in many films within the last century.  And while the directors are typically the people who are most vocal and mostly covered in many books on cinema, the major cinematographers is one thing you don’t usually find many books of.

There have been wonderful books such as David Ellis’ “Conversations with Cinematographers”, Peter Prescott Tonguette’s “Orson Welles Remembered: Interviews with his Actors, Cinematographers and Magicians” and Dennis Schaefer’s “Masters of Light: Conversations with Contemporary Cinematographers”…but unlike the directors, there really is not many books that focus on a collection of interviews with these cinematographers unless you have tapped into the Criterion Collection or Masters of Cinema collection Blu-ray or DVD’s which contain special features with interviews with these cinematographers for a particular film.

But I have to say that “FilmCraft: Cinematography” by Mike Goodridge & Tim Grierson is a wonderful addition to anyone who are upcoming cinematographers or even a curious cineaste.

But before I get into the good, let me talk about any negative aspects…trust me, there are not that many.  Interviews and articles on a collective are typically subjective and when it comes to cinema, especially if you watch cinema worldwide, one thing that you want to see is a good representation of interviewees from around the world.  There is a good representation of cinematographers from the UK, France, Italy, Australia, Ireland, Spain, etc.  But aside from Christopher Doyle, who has worked on many Asian cinema with director Wong Kar-wai, it would have been nice to see Asian cinematographers featured.

It would have been wonderful to have a Russian, Indian, Chinese, Swedish and other wonderful cinematographers featured.  But that is probably my own “trying to find a negative when there aren’t really any” with this book.

But I’m sure a lot of cinema fans probably would want more French, Italian, America, British cinematographers featured from the past and present and I suppose that it would definitely make the possibility of “FilmCraft: Cinematography vol. 2″ a good idea.

Which leads me to the good news and that “FilmCraft: Cinematography” is wonderful resource featuring interviews and article spotlights with a variety of cinematographers.  In fact, it’s a wonderful book and the selections of cinematographers is fantastic!

This book features names that shocked even me, that they got the opportunity to interview them for this book.  For example, James Wong Howe.  For anyone who has watched classic cinema such as William Powell and Myrna Loy’s “The Thin Man”, James Cagney’s “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis’ “Sweet Smell of Success”…I don’t know how many times I have watched these films and felt inspired seeing someone of Asian descent working in the film industry in classic Hollywood.

And of course, along with Howe…you have to include Nouvelle Vague’s Raoul Coutard who is known for working on Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut’s memorable French New Wave films.  So, it’s great to see Howe, Coutard and a few others have received the “Legacy”spotlight in this book.

I was definitely in glee when I read the interview with Christopher Doyle.  I can easily remember watching “Chungking Express” and watching the scene while Cop 663 (played by Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is standing in his area and Doyle employs the quick movements on this static character.  It was a scene that I would remember and he repeats another memorable scene over a decade later in “Hero” with vibrant colors and amazing camerawork.  Wong Kar-wai films are beautiful and thanks to the creative freedom that Christopher Doyle has with Kar-wai, these two have made fantastic films together and you get to read  about Doyle and his thoughts of working on various films.  It’s a wonderful chapter!

And of course, the book doesn’t focus on fantastic cinematographers from decades past, you also have cinematographers who have worked on modern films such as Barry Ackroyd who talks about working on “United 93″, “Land and Freedom”, “The Hurt Locker”.  You have Javier Aguirresarobe who worked with Woody Allen on “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” discussing his films, Matthew Libatique who worked on “Black Swan” and the recent “Iron Man” films.  And many more!

I can continue to gush about this book about why I loved it but if I had to sum it all up about what I loved about this book into one word, it would be “opportunity”.  The writers giving the opportunity to learn about these filmmakers through their book and these cinematographers for giving readers the opportunity to know more about their approach to their craft and their work on various films.

The fact is that unless you spend a lot of money on Blu-ray or DVD’s which you can hope has an audio commentary track or interview with a cinematographer, it really is awesome when you come across a book written by writers who are passionate about cinema and really went out to gather considerable names for their book. And when it comes to interview books with cinematographers, let’s just say that it ranks in my top two!  And I can only hope that Goodridge & Grierson continues this book with a vol. 2 in the near future.

Overall, “FilmCraft: Cinematography” by Mike Goodridge & Tim Grierson is one of the best books out there when it comes to featuring famous cinematographers worldwide within the last century.  The interviews are absolutely priceless, the book is well-written. and the potential of a continuing series of this book featuring more cinematographers worldwide would be wonderful.

If you are a film student, an observer of cinematography or just a cineaste who are passionate about the films and the people responsible on camera, make no doubt about it… “FilmCraft: Cinematography” is highly recommended!

You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner by Lilian Duval (a J!-ENT Book Review)

Fantastic! Lilian Duval’s “You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner” is well-written, well-researched and for the most part, inspirational and captivating.  Definitely one of  my favorite books that I have read in 2011!   Highly recommended!

 

TITLE: You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner

BY: Lilian Duval

PUBLISHER: Wheatmark

PAGE COUNT: 346

RELEASED: March 15, 2011

Tobias Hillyer had a promising future until a car accident claimed the lives of his parents. Abandoning his dreams, he dropped out of college to take care of his orphaned, brain-damaged younger brother. Now in his late thirties, Tobias must struggle to provide for his family, working dead-end jobs that fall far short of the academic career he had imagined.

Then he wins the lottery. His financial worries eliminated, Tobias anticipates nothing but smooth sailing ahead for himself and the people he loves. But he soon finds that his amazing stroke of luck may threaten everything he holds dear.

Over peaks and valleys, this uplifting journey will challenge everything we think we know about luck, life, and what we value most.

In life, we often are struck with unpredictable situations beyond our control.  You can be experiencing the greatest moment in your life and then see all that happiness taken away in an instant.

But for those who have took on the gravest of challenges, no matter how dark life may have been at one time, you know that there is hope.  When will it come?  Will it ever come?  At the time, you can only hope and pray that better times will come.

And reading Lilian Duval’s “You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner”, it’s an inspirational piece of fiction, a book that many of us can relate with.  It feels real, because the emotions and various situations throughout the book are easily felt and understood.

The book revolves around Tobias Hillyer, a student at Abington College in Maryland who is not only doing well in his studies, he has been given the opportunity of a lifetime to go to the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon  and the Yanomami territories of Brazil and Venezuela for his undergraduate anthropology.

But before he leaves out of the country, he decides to spend time with his family in Woodrock, New Jersey for the Christmas holiday.  But it’s a visit that he’s not sure if he will enjoy so much.  His mother is an alcoholic, his father constantly trying to watch over his mother, but if there was one reason to return back home, it’s to see his talented, artistic younger brother Simeon.

On December 23, 1989…the day seemed to go fine as he celebrated the holidays with his family.  Now an adult, with money, he decided to choose the restaurant where the family will eat.  Also choosing a restaurant that doesn’t serve alcohol.  But on the day they left the restaurant, it’s a moment in time that will change Tobias’ life forever.

While driving his family back home during the cold winter night, as he made a left turn, a car coming ahead was unable to completely stop during the red light due to the slick roads and plowed into the Hillyer vehicle.

Tobias’ parents were killed and his brother has suffered brain damage.

Feeling guilty about his parent’s death and what has happened to Simeon, Tobias being the only family that his younger brother has, decides to quit school and take care of him.

Life also changes for Tobias drastically as he now has to work a full-time job at the Book Trove while now having to take over his parent’s home while going back and forth to take care of Simeon and paying the bills.  With his professor reminding me that the opportunity to go out of the country for the fellowship is rare and that he is the best student in the department, despite how difficult it is for him, his mind has been made up.  He is quitting school, as his brother comes first.

But fortunately, Tobias has his college roommate Martin, helping to keep his spirits up.  Martin and Tobias were roommates and would have competitive tennis matches with each other and eventually both became good friends.

Also, Tobias can always count on Carmela, a nurse at the hospital who has been planning Simeon’s post-coma therapy and planning his schedule with a neurologist, physiatrist, psychologist and also physical, occupational and speech therapists.

No matter how difficult it is to see his brother in his current state, the fact that Carmela is there with Simeon and is able to help him puts Tobias’ mind at ease.  But also, the time spent with Carmela has been positive as it begins to bring both closely together and eventually, to the point in time where Tobias and Carmela begin to have a relationship.

“You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner” is a book that chronicles Tobias’ relationship with is brother and Carmela, as well as his friendship with Martin including his boss at the Book Trove – Elsebeth and eventually his two twin children Lowell and Roxanne.  A look into the life of Tobias from the day of the accident in 1989 through 2010.

From the economic challenge that he faces in order to take care of Simeon, to see his job at the Book Trove becoming bigger and bigger but seeing his friend Martin begin to have major financial success and eventually working at Lehman Brothers on Wall Street and to see how his relationship with Carmela changes as years pass by.  From the loving couple to the reality of having to worry about taking care of children and the financial burden that he fears.  From his best friend Martin offering him a position on the same day that Elsebeth has offered Tobias a position to manage her stores (which he had previously agreed to).

It’s a book that examines relationships, choices and but also hope.

From the Hillyer’s trying to survive financially, to another drastic change in his life when he accidentally becomes the big winner of the lottery making him a millionaire but also seeing how the lottery can change one’s life when everyone starts to ask for money.  Including the people he once was close to during the economic downturn in the U.S.

“You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner” is a realistic portrayal of a man who has faced major challenges in his life after tragedy, but to face challenges in his life once again because he has become a multimillionaire.  As Tobias is quick to learn, money does not always equate to happiness.

Lilian Duval’s “You Never Know” is a story that is realistic in its portrayal of covering an average American family trying to survive during the tough economy but also the pressures of everyday life.

Lilian Duval has crafted a captivating story of hope in her book “You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner”.

I found the book to be so captivating because Tobias and his family were just like any other family with problems that people can relate to.  But what Lilian was able to accomplish is capturing the human spirit in detail.  From the anguish and sadness of losing a family and seeing your surviving brother with a major brain injury and not knowing if he will ever talk, look at you or be a normal human being ever again.  The details of the intimate moments of his life with his girlfriend, and later wife, Carmela.

I was quite pleased with the amount of research done in order to make the reader understand the challenges that both Tobias and Simeon must go through during therapy and we see this family going through various stages of Simeon’s healing.  But the book also manages to capture the life changes of Tobias and the family after he wins the lottery, the trouble it brings because he is a well-known multi-millionaire but also, how money can lead to major problems and even creating a void between a couple who earlier in their relationship, had so much love and appreciation for one another.

If anything, the efficacy of this book was how it communicated with me and how real it seemed.  The character development was well-planned, each chapter was entertaining, captivating and for the most apart, Lilian does a wonderful job in connecting with the reader.  Many writers tend not to delve into explicit details of mannerisms and inner thoughts but Lilian Duval wants the reader to know what these characters are thinking, how they are feeling and making you feel as a third party watching as everything presents itself for the good and the bad.

One thing that I also enjoyed about the book is that Lilian Duval doesn’t fall into the recent banality of every relationship that goes wrong, will lead to divorce.  Because truthfully, I’m sick of hearing about divorces with no counseling or the parents not even trying to make things work.  With “You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner”, there are heated arguments between Tobias and his wife Carmela.  Heated exchanges which you can only think would lead to a breakup of their marriage but no matter if it’s days or weeks of not talking, the characters manage to make things work.  In this case, it may have a taken a near tragedy of one of Tobias’ children to make him realize the importance of family.

But Lilian has done a great job in capturing those emotions and communicating those emotional challenges with the reader.

“You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner” is a fantastic and inspirational book.  I am quite amazed of how well-written and how thorough the book when it came to the research that was done.    It’s a book that does feature the up’s and down’s that people encounter in life and how to make the best of things, when things don’t exactly go as planned.  You keep living and keep doing the best job possible.  If anything, this book is about “hope” and anyone needing some of that in their life right now, will find this book to be quite an inspiration.

Lilian Duval’s “You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner” is one of the best books I have read in 2011 and a book that is highly recommended!

A Caring Man by Akira Arai (a J!-ENT Book Review)

For those who enjoy psychological, suspenseful thrillers “A Caring Man” by Akira Arai is well-written, cerebral, dark, intense and an entertaining read from beginning to end.  Uncompromising and shocking, Akira Arai’s “A Caring Man” is recommended!

 

TITLE: A Caring Man

BY: Akira Arai, Translated by Marc Adler

PUBLISHER: Vertical Inc.

PAGE COUNT: 352

RELEASED: July 16, 2011

Tokyo, 2011. An unknown terrorist group has destroyed an iconic landmark in the Japanese capital, signaling the start of a series of attacks that the group’s enigmatic leader promises will culminate in a “Final Event” — a massacre of unprecedented proportions. With no leads to work with aside from the ingeniously devised detonators used in the first bombing, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police is forced to contemplate the grim possibility of international terrorists targeting Japan, but one detective has a hunch that the perpetrators are to be found much closer to home…

Part psychological thriller, part fantasy horror, A Caring Man is film producer and author Akira Arai’s richly imagined exploration of violence and social ennui — tale filled with compellingly drawn characters that offers a unique glimpse into the dark heart of modern Japanese society.

Akira Arai is known as a filmmaker and producer and the head of his studio, Kinetique.

But this time around, Arai made his debut with his first novel titled “A Caring Man”, a psychological thriller which has earned him a Golden Elephant Award.

In fact, even Kanjiro Sakura, producer of the film “Inception” was quite positive towards the book after the book received an award saying, “Everything about this book from its structure to its themes and execution is modern, making it a complete ‘entertainment story.’  It is the ideal thematic match for these times, deserving of a literary grand prize.”

And now “A Caring Man” receives its release in the U.S. courtesy of translations by Marc Adler and released by Vertical Inc.

“A Caring Man” begins with an prologue of how a baby was dropped off at a baby hatch at Jiiku Christian Hospital, a place where many unwanted newborns are dropped off before being transferred to orphanages and foster families.

But on this one night, this baby would shock the nurse and doctor who received it.  The baby was bloody and all over its body, its parent has carved the skin to make it look like a Gucci bag.

Bloody lacerations all over, the doctor and nurses went on to rescue the baby named Yoshio Iizuka.

Flashforward to Tokyo 2011.

The story begins with a freelance photographer named Mariko who is trying to make ends meet and is used to getting high-profile shots and getting paid nicely by major publications.  But one day, life for Mariko but also everyone in Japan would change when an explosion takes place on Tokyo Tower.

Mariko, a photographer can on only do one thing…take pictures of the casualties and the destruction as people try to jump out of Tokyo Tower to escape the fire but at the same time, killing themselves.  But more explosions take place on the tower legs and immediately people around the area know that these explosions are deliberate.

Tokyo Tower has been destroyed by a terrorist attack and many casualties from all around the vicinity.  And as for Mariko, she barely manages to escape the Tower falling on top of her, but yet because of the impact, was knocked unconscious.

While Mariko survived the ordeal, she is the only one who was able to grab photos of the explosion, the destruction and everything that took place from the beginning to the Tokyo Tower collapse, that includes pictures of parents, children leaping to their deaths.  People dying…

Immediately, Tokyo detectives and the police begin looking for the culprit who is responsible.  For Detective Tsuyoshi Isogai from the Atogayama Police Station, he will do all he can to look for whoever is responsible.

The story then begins to focus on the person responsible for this heinous act…

The baby who was mutilated by his mother, Yoshio Iizuka was seen as a person to have grown up healthy and strong-willed.  In fact, the charismatic man became quite adored by the Japanese public for fighting for the rights of abused children and eventually becomes a hero for human rights.

But behind-the-scenes, Iizuka is actually the ringleader of a group of people who have been abused or have had lived tough lives and their hearts are black. They live a facade of caring for people but in truth, they love hurting people, torturing them, killing them with no sense of remorse.

And as the “Caring Man” Yoshio Iizuka is thought to be a respectable man to the public, his goal is to kill off humanity and the Tokyo Tower explosions was just a test.  Now he wants more bloodshed in Tokyo at a grander scale.

Will Dective Isogai find out who is responsible for the string of murders throughout Tokyo and who is responsible for the Tokyo Tower explosions?  What happens to Mariko when she starts fall for the charismatic Yoshio?

“A Caring Man” is probably one of the most twisted, psychological thrillers I have read in a long time.

Methodically written with Arai’s attention to details, I was quite impressed but also a bit sickened as this is one intense novel that will no doubt shock readers.

I must admit that at first, I thought the novel was about police and a photographer trying to catch a terrorist but instead, it became a bit more deeper than that.  The novel is actually a psychological profile of one twisted individual.

From the prologue which begins with Yoshio Iizuka being dropped of with bloody lacerations all over his body and carved to look like a Gucci Bag, just to imagine the visualization of that alone is shocking!  But then as the novel continues, we start to learn how this man, considered as growing up healthy despite being abused as baby, has harbored evil thoughts towards society.

This is one man, who wishes he was not saved by doctors and now, he has nothing but sheer hatred towards them and everyone on the planet.  And he manages to recruit people who have been abused and also feel the same.

And because he is so suave and charismatic, he uses it to his advantage to get Japan to love him (as he champions human rights) but in the background, he and his followers are nothing but murderers and black-hearted individuals who want to inflict pain in society.

And that pain is detailed in the book.  For example, in one instance, a child abuser kills his young son.  Iizuka and his followers are just standing outside the door and have no intention of saving the boy who is being killed but instead, are waiting for the opportunity to get the abuser and torture him.

Akira Arai really goes into detail about the torture, in this case, chopping the abuser up in pieces while he is alive.  I was literally sickened to my stomach because there are quite a few situations throughout the novel where Iizuka’s followers just kill for the sake of what their leader tells them.

And there are several incidents in the book that were just hard to read as it shows how evil these people are.

And as you read and have nothing but hatred towards these evil individuals, your heart sinks even lower as other characters are caught by Iizuka’s charms and to see how he becomes a beloved hero because of the facade of being this humanitarian.  Sickening!

But that is the point that Arai wants to make in this novel that not everyone can be saved.  I’m not sure if Arai’s depiction of Iizuka is based on Japan’s leniency towards its criminals.  Where here in the West, those commit unspeakable crimes are either executed or locked up for the rest of their lives, in Japan, they believe in rehabilitation.

I’ve followed Japanese culture and would read the newspapers and would be incensed of reading stories of people who would kill (multiple people) and then be released later because they were deemed rehabilitated.

“A Caring Man” tries to showcase these individuals who have had major trauma in their life but found themselves a hero in Yoshio.  A hero that would lead them to create chaos in society.  Instead of keeping things within themselves and not breaking the rules, Iizuka…who is looked at as a hero to Japan, instills his teachings to his followers that it’s OK to let it out but do it in a grand fashion.

It’s a twisted logic but that is the focus of the story.

Where in most stories, we get to see how police do all they can to catch the sadistic individual(s), in this case, the focus is more on the evil and how they are able to outwit the police and everyone around them.

Overall, “A Caring Man” was a very well-written psychological thriller.  It’s one of the most dark, twisted but yet satisfying novels I have read.  And it is important to note that there are graphic descriptions of torture in this book.  And for those who can’t stomach it, this book may not be for you.  I don’t mind it but even the details of the horrific torture really made me uncomfortable.

But for those who enjoy psychological, suspenseful thrillers “A Caring Man” by Akira Arai is well-written, cerebral, dark, intense and an entertaining read from beginning to end.

Uncompromising and shocking, Akira Arai’s “A Caring Man” is recommended!

The Otaku Encyclopedia by Patrick W. Galbraith (a J!-ENT Book Review)

“The Otaku Encyclopedia” is a very enjoyable, well-researched and well-written encyclopedia crafted for the otaku in mind.  Definitely recommended!

TITLE: The Otaku Encyclopedia

BY: Patrick W. Galbraith

PUBLISHER: Kodansha

PAGE COUNT: 248

RELEASED: October 1, 2009

Otaku: Nerd; geek or fanboy. Originates from a polite second-person pronoun meaning “your home” in Japanese. Since the 1980s it’s been used to refer to people who are really into Japanese pop-culture, such as anime, manga, and videogames. A whole generation, previously marginalized with labels such as geek and nerd, are now calling themselves otaku with pride.

The Otaku Encyclopedia offers fascinating insight into the subculture of Cool Japan. With over 600 entries, including common expressions, people, places, and moments of otaku history, this is the essential A to Z of facts every Japanese pop-culture fan needs to know. Author Patrick W. Galbraith has spent several years researching deep into the otaku heartland and his intimate knowledge of the subject gives the reader an insider’s guide to words such as moé, doujinshi, cosplay and maid cafés. In-depth interviews with such key players as Takashi Murakami, otaku expert Okada Toshio, and J-pop idol Shoko Nakagawa are interspersed with the entries, offering an even more penetrating look into the often misunderstood world of otaku. Dozens of lively, colorful images–from portraits of the interview subjects to manga illustrations, film stills and photos of places mentioned in the text–pop up throughout the book, making The Otaku Encyclopedia as entertaining to read as it is informative.

Back in the ’90s, a lot of us would learn Japanese slang from Todd & Erika Geers “Making Out in Japanese” or purchasing Kodansha’s awesome Romanized Japanese-English Dictionary.

For those of us into Japanese culture, we had issues of “Mangajin” to help us learn Japanese and translating manga, anime and even Japanese music was a common thing for us into Japanese pop culture.

Fast forward to 2011 and times have changed a lot.  Manga and anime are easily available through legit and non-legit means, you can find Japanese translated lyrics quite easily and with the Internet, people are even more closely connected to Japan.  To the point where Akihabara and forums like 2Chan are easily integrating slang to not just otaku’s regular day lexicon but also many fans abroad.

Talk to fans today, may it be going to a convention and them saying I want to “glomp” that cosplayer or interviewing the Queen of Akihabara Haruko Momoi and she keeps dropping words like “moe” during the interview to a guy asking me if I like “tsundere” characters and I do remember a time when me and my staff member were asked to be in a picture and she jokingly said, do a “yaoi” pose.  Uh, excuse me?

There are just a lot of slang that people are using, especially for those engaged in otaku culture and you can go to a site like Danny Choo’s “Culture Japan” and he will be using a lot of wording that many fans will just understand with glee but for those of us who had to study formal Japanese, we are left scratching our head and wondering, “what the hell is everyone talking about?”.

Granted, in Japan, there is a lot of slang…from the people at Shibuya, to the yankii girl (gangster tough girls) of wherever, there are words from Japan’s subculture that you’re not going to find in “Making Out in Japanese” nor a Japanese dictionary.

Fortunately, Patrick W. Galbraith has written “The Otaku Encyclopedia”, an insider’s guide to the subculture of Cool Japan.

The book is very useful to the otaku who are interested in learning words, terms, companies, areas and more.

For example, on the first page alone, people can learn the word “akanbe”, a common thing that people see in anime or drama when a person makes a gesture by pulling down one lower eyelid and sticking out their tongue.  I for one have seen this many times but never had a word for it.  But now I know.

I have always wondered how the word “Moe” became to be used a lot in the past few years and sure enough, Galbraith goes to length on the term and where the word was derived from.

But let’s say that you want to know what a Vocaloid is?  You have heard people make comments about “hentai” and “eroge” and want to know what that is all about?  Want to know who this popular company known as “Good Smile Company” is all about?  Or heard from a person that he is investing on a Gundam garage kit?  You can find it on this book.

But for many people, encyclopedias with terms may not be for everyone, so Galbraith also adds another enticing factor to this book…interviews.

Throughout “The Otaku Encyclopedia”, you can find books with people who are knowledgeable about Akihabara, a few professionals who work in the anime industry, a professional who created Comiket, another professional who makes figures, cosplays professionally, a professional gamer, professional maid at a cafe, a true life otaku and an interview with a popular talent/singer.  There are a good number of cool interviews throughout this book and also gives us an idea of the concept of otaku.

The Otaku Encyclopedia” is a wonderful resource for otaku!

And reading this book, especially the foreword and what Galbraith learned while interviewing various individuals for this book, he got to see different perspectives towards otaku culture.

Bare in mind, while “otaku” may be used quite frequently outside of Japan, in Japan, it’s a different story as there are people who still frown upon it, while there are people like Galbraith and many others who celebrate otaku and their love for Japanese pop culture.  I’ve been featured in various publications in Japan as a Japanese music otaku and I don’t know if I’ve gotten used to the term.

But the fact is, the more friends and associates that I have in the anime industry, manga industry and various areas of Japanese pop culture, I have grown fond of them and their work and the people who appreciate their work and I noticed certain terminology often used in anime and manga but also with the fandom.

And there are a lot of things that have went on in Japanese pop culture in the past 25-years and more that are explored in Galbraith’s book and for me that is what I found intriguing.  This is not some guy who just popped out of nowhere and is writing a book, Patrick W. Galbraith is also a well-known journalist in Japan for English speakers through Metropolis magazine and runs the Otaku2.com website.  He has researched pop culture and otaku culture and this research is part of his life and what he enjoys covering.

I have no doubt in my mind that people can definitely learn a lot from this book and it definitely helps in learning the various otaku-based slang but also common terminology if you do participate in anime, manga, Japanese figures, etc. type forums or websites and talk with people at conventions and surely, know what everyone is talking about.

With that being said, for those who are new to Japanese culture and are learning to speak or write in Japanese, using these words are good with using among your peers but I still recommend learning Japanese through school, online training or software-based because even for myself, learning Japanese slang from dramas and anime, during the beginning of my career of interviewing Japanese celebrities, I have used slang accidentally with a well-known Japanese talent in the industry and it was taken as an insult but was quickly remedied when we had a conversation of where Americans were picking up these non-PC words. So, it’s good to know when to use polite words and slang words and I do recommend for those learning Japanese, to learn it the best way you can and if you could, interact with fluent Japanese speakers and also have Japanese friends to expand your appreciation of Japanese culture, including the pop culture.

“The Otaku Encyclopedia” is a very enjoyable, well-written and well-researched encyclopedia crafted for the otaku in mind.  Does it have everything?  I guess that would be subjective to the reader but for me, there is a lot of terminology and things that easily are well-selected for the anime, manga, video game and hobbyist.  It’s really well-done!

I can only hope that Galbraith continues to update this encyclopedia with the latest slang (even removing slang that has gone out of style) but if you are an anime fan, manga fan, Japanese video game fan or happen to be a person who has nendoroids, dollfies or Japanese figures in your room, etc.  This one is for you!

Definitely recommended!

Otacool Three: Worldwide Workspaces (A J!-ENT Book Review)

If you want to see the workspaces of professionals (who are otaku) in Japan and all over the world, you’ll definitely want to check out “Otacool Three: Worldwide Workspaces”.  Definitely recommended!

TITLE: Otacool Three: Worldwide Workspaces

BY: Kotobukiya

PUBLISHER: Kotobukiya

PAGE COUNT: 128

RELEASED: August 25, 2010

Created in collaboration with Danny Choo, Tokyo’s dancing stormtrooper, OTACOOL 3 is the third in a series of otaku themed photo-books. Featuring 128 pages of images of otaku “workspaces” submitted by Japanese pop-culture fans from around the world.

Danny Choo, not only is he the son of the popular shoe designer but he has also done a lot in promoting “otaku” (geek) culture from Japan.

From cosplaying as a Star Wars stormtrooper (which his YouTube videos are highly watched), being the person who has created a lot of the websites for major Japanese pop culture companies and of course, seeing his website “dannychoo.com” grow significantly to the point where he has viewers all over the world who share their passion about otaku culture and their love for Japan, may it be cosplay, video games, action figures, dollfies, you name it…his website has become the community for otaku.

And while “otaku” culture can be seen as negative to some people (a bit extreme), Danny Choo has worked to bring a global understanding of how in Japan…being otaku can also be cool.

In fact, both Danny Choo and I have graced a page of Japan’s Windows 100 Magazine for their “otaku spotlight” for our contributions to otaku pop culture.  In my case, moreso for my passion towards Japanese music, but having covered Japanese pop culture for so long and seeing how people outside of Japan have gravitated towards the pop culture (and for some, being part of their own lifestyle), it made me wonder how other otaku professionals have their office workspace setup.  Were they full of action figures?  Were their offices cluttered?  Were some of them using older hardware because they put a lot of money into their anime, video game, action figure or doll obsession?

Will, I can say that “Otacool Three: Worldwide Workspaces” was much better than I was expecting and when I was done reading it, I found myself going back to the book quite a bit.  It’s that enjoyable and insightful!

I tend to post a daily workspace photo on my Facebook from time-to-time and with my desk of monitors and computers and hardware devices, you will occasionally find an MS Gundam or Gatchaman-related figure but the people on Otacool go even farther.

The book features photos of the workspaces of  Japanese industry professionals and user submissions from Danny Choo’s website.  Here are a few examples.

The book (which is in western format so opening from the right than the left) begins with  Hibiki Tokiwa, a photographer and graphic designer who works on music CD jacket designs for artists.  We see him and his workspace with main machine spec and OS.

For Hibiki and other professionals featured in the book, we get to learn the hardware used in their work but also multiple photos from their office with explanations of why are things organized in a certain way or what they want to accomplish with their office and more.  These details provide insight to these professionals which were quite enjoyable to read.

Another page features EYE-COM chief editor Toshihiro Hukuoka’s workspace with his various Mac products but also with action figures all around him.

Go to the next page and you will see “Afro Samurai” creator Takeshi Okazaki’s workspace with his workspace, light table, pens, etc. with books and “Star Wars” figures all around him.

Then you can find a page with Hiromoto-SIN-Ichi who is the only Japanese artist authorized by George Lucas and his workspace is full of Transformers and Star Wars figures all around him.

There are a good number of professionals from Japan and also all over the world featured in “Otacool Three” and as mentioned, really good insight to why they have their office laid out in a certain way, as well as comments on the smart planning and organizing of a workspace.

 

And the book does a great job of showcasing various professionals in Japan who work in various industries and their workspace and then you have the worldwide workspace featuring 164 people from 33 countries.

And while we get to see a variety of workspaces (examples can be found here), those that didn’t get the two-pagers are featured in smaller photos.  This is probably the only time where I wished that the book was 8.5 x 11, so we can see the pictures in a slightly bigger format.  But that is me being a bit nitpicky.

But for the most part, if you want to see how professionals who are otaku in Japan and all over the world have their offices set up, this is a book that is definitely worth checking out.

Otacool Three. Images courtesy of dannychoo.com.

What I enjoyed about this book aside having full color photos and featuring industry professionals is that people can see how other professionals (possibly in industries that they are wanting to get into) have their offices set up.   For me, I have seen counterparts who work for the animation and music industry have figures on their desks or office and even for my business, walking into the office, you will notice something similar.  But also for me, it’s good to see the hardware that is being used.

I guess for some, you may think that these individuals spend too much on their hobby that they probably don’t have good hardware.  But it’s good to see that the folks at Kotobukiya Inc. showcase professionals who care about their work and are investing in very good hardware and accessories for their work.

Also, it’s good to have people who make the comment of knowing the balance of having a professional workspace and having their hobby around them and also having things organized.  And I’m glad to see that the submissions featured are those who are professionals, freelancers, etc. than just otaku students with their computers and their dolls and action figures.  You’ll notice that a lot of the submissions are from people who work in multimedia and design.  But occasionally you will find those who are in political science, those who run a film festival, those who are programmers, those who are editors, etc.

Overall, I really enjoyed the third book in the “Otacool” series.  The first focused on worldwide otaku rooms, the second on worldwide cosplayers but this is one that caught my eye and overall, it’s a pretty fun book.  Granted, you can find some of these photos and user submissions on Danny Choo’s website but for the professionals featured, you’ll need to check out “Otacool Three: Worldwide Workspaces”.

Definitely recommended!

Remote Control by Kotaro Isaka (a J!-ENT Book Review)

A riveting mystery about an innocent man who is wanted for the assassination of a prime minister.  Who can he trust?  Can he prove his innocence?  Wonderfully written and an entertaining, exciting book from the award winning author, Kotaro Isaka!

TITLE: Remote Control

BY: Kotaro Isaka

PUBLISHER: Kodansha International

PAGE COUNT: 348

RELEASED: March 1, 2011

From acclaimed mystery writer Kotaro Isaka comes an exhilarating political thriller that has mesmerized readers internationally with its likable characters, unforgettable dialogue, and riveting plot.Masaharu Aoyagi, a former delivery-truck driver in the city of Sendai, is unemployed. Two years ago he achieved brief notoriety for rescuing a local actress from a robbery attempt while making a delivery to her apartment. Now he is back in the spotlight—this time as the main suspect in the assassination of a newly elected prime minister who had come to Sendai for a hometown victory parade.

Set in a near-future Japan modeled on the United States, Remote Control follows Aoyagi on a forty-eight-hour chase, in a dramatic retelling of the Kennedy killing with Aoyagi in the role of a framed Lee Harvey Oswald. A massive manhunt is underway. As Aoyagi runs, he must negotiate trigger-happy law enforcement and Security Pods set up throughout the city to monitor cell-phone and email transmissions and keep a photo record of street traffic. Can he discover why he has been set up and who is responsible? Can he find the real assassin and prove to the world his innocence—amidst media pronouncements of his guilt—before the conspirators take him out?

Isaka’s style and worldview are such that he is often compared to Haruki Murakami; but he defies an easy label as a writer, with a voice, a sense of humor, and an imagination that are truly unique. Now, with this excellent translation by Stephen Snyder, readers everywhere can enjoy one of Japan’s finest literary talents.

Kotaro Isaka, the popular author known for his detective/mystery fiction stories.

The author won the “Shinchou Mystery Club Prize” for his debut “Audubon’s Prayer” and since then,  Isaka has continued to create amazing work which includes “Gravity Clown” (2003), “Children and Grasshopper” (2004), “Accuracy of Death” (2005) and “Desert” (2006) each being nominated for a Naoki Prize, becoming the only author to be nominated in the first 4 years of the Honya Taisho and  in 2008, winning a “Naoki Prize” and the “21st Yamamoto Shuguro Prize” with “Golden Slumber”.

And now, Kodansha International is releasing Isaka’s award-winning work “Golden Slumber” outside of Japan with the title “Remote Control”, translated in English by acclaimed translator Stephen Snyder (Natsuo Kirino’s “Out”, Ryu Murakami’s “Coin Locker Babies” and Yoko Ogawa’s “The Diving Pool, The Housekeeper and the Professor”).

“Remote Control” begins with a woman named Haruko Higuchi who is having lunch at a soba shop with Akira Hirano in Sendai, Japan.  Both have not seen each other for four years and are catching up on old times.

While at the shop, the news was on and focused on the popular Prime Minister Kaneda who was traveling to Sendai.

While the two talked about their married life, Haruko talked about her husband Masakado who services “Security Pods” that are installed all over the city.  The security pods were touted as a way to promote public safety but these pods also take pictures in the area around them but also records cell phone transmissions.  How Japan lives in a surveillance society.

But then the discussion between Haruko and Akira talked about Masaharu Aoyagi, a former boyfriend of Haruko when she was younger and a man who was on television for saving the life of a pop singer named Rinka.  Aoyagi who worked for a delivery company happened to be delivering a package in the same building where Rinka was being attacked and Aoyagi saved the pop star’s life and ended up becoming a celebrity (despite not knowing who Rinka was).

As both watched the television and began discussing politics and Prime Minister Kaneda, a toy helicopter possible controlled by a remote control is shown and hovering above Prime Minister Kaneda’s car and then immediately an explosion.

Prime Minister Kaneda has been assassinated.

The storyline would then feature those who watched the accident on television coming up with ideas of why Prime Minister Kaneda was killed, the investigation led by the assistant division chief for General Intelligence in the Security Bureau, Ichitaro Sasaki on who was responsible for the assassination of the Prime Minister.

But we learn about why the security pods were installed all over Japan and it had to do with a serial killer in the area.  As the city of Sendai was terrified by the serial killer, a bill was proposed to restore peace and security by the introduction of mechanical means, and thus the Security Pods were created.   For the purpose of crime prevention and investigation.

By the next day, Sasaki has announced a suspect in the assassination, the man is Masaharu Aoyagi.  A regular man who was known for his heroic deeds several years ago for saving the pop star Rinka.

According to the police, a surveillance camera at a shop selling remote-controlled helicopters shows a Masaharu Aoyagi and also that Aoyagi had worked a part-time job at Todoroki Pyrotechnics Factory in Sendai.

His motive, as a delivery driver, there was a campaign that Kaneda supported that would relieve congestion in urban areas by prohibiting on-street parking and that Aoyagi saw him as an enemy to delivery drivers.

By day three, it was announced that Aoyagi would be surrendering to police.

“Remote Control” would then focus on what transpired 20-years after the assassination but also focus on what transpired in the three days of Masaharu Aoyagi’s life.

On the day of the incident, Masaharu Aoyagi would meet up with his good friend Shingo Morita, who called a week earlier to meet up.  The two have not seen each other for years and while they were together, Morita would have information on things that have taken place in Aoyagi’s life recently.

From a woman who accused him of groping her, Morita talked about how it was a set-up.  Of course, Aoyagi has no idea of why would anyone set him up but then Morita would explain to him about Lee Harvey Oswald and how he was a patsy in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and now Aoyagi is Lee Harvey Oswald.

Morita explains to him that one day he received a strange call, a call that would cancel his wife’s debt if he helps out on a special project.  To make sure that Aoyagi was at a certain place, at a certain time and to drive Aoyagi in his car and keep him knocked out until 12:30 by using sleeping pills.   But since he woke up early, Morita wants to help him.

Morita tells Aoyagi to be careful, to not trust anyone or else, he will end up like Oswald.  Morita then tells Aoyagi that the people who hired him said if the pills did not knock out Aoyagi, to kill him with a gun.

Morita tells him that under the car, there is a bomb that will go off.  And now, Morita wants his friend, Aoyagi to get out of the car and run for his life.    Aoyagi tells his friend to leave with him but Morita tells him that he can not because of his wife and child.  Together both men, both good friends shared an adoration for the Beatles and Morita began to sing the Beatles song “Golden Slumbers”.  But Aoyagi did what his friend has asked and he left…

The police then came and aimed their guns at Aoyagi and all he can hear in his head is Morita telling him that he’ll end up like Oswald.

Next thing you know….Morita’s car has blown up.  Aoyagi has no understanding of what is going on until he eventually finds out that he is wanted for the death of Prime Minister Kaneda.

Can Aoyagi prove his innocence?  Can Aoyagi go to his friends for help?   Who is responsible for framing Aoyagi and why?

“Remote Control” by Kotaro Isaka is an exciting, riveting mystery, suspense, cat vs. mouse story about a man who was framed for the assassination of the Prime Minister of Japan.

What makes this book so different and avoiding the banality of  other mystery, cat vs. mouse, fugitive type of storyline is Isaka’s style of going from two different viewpoints.  Although Aoyagi is the primary character of the book, we also get to see the perspective of Haruko, the former girlfriend of Aoyagi, long ago.  In fact, throughout the book, it’s more of flashbacks of their past and Haruko knowing that Aoyagi is incapable of harming anyone, let alone assassinating a Prime Minister.

But you can tell through Isaka’s book that there is a fear and distrust of government’s surveillance on society.  From the security pods of Japan, this has been highly debated in other countries, especially in the United States after 9/11 as video surveillance have been installed around the country.  While the goal is for the safety of its citizens, it is also a loss of privacy.

While surveillance in today’s technology is video-based, in “Remote Control”, these cameras not only capture photo and videos, they (the police or security agencies) can listen in on cell phone conversations.  But Isaka goes further into showcasing that those in power are abusing this technology.

But interesting in this story is who are those abusing the technology and it’s the people who are hired to protect the citizens, the police.  In this book, the police want Aoyagi dead and they will do whatever is necessary to capture him, even if it means hurting his friends.

The book shows a distrust towards these surveillance devices but also towards the police and while I know there are such things as corrupted cops, it was a bit interesting to read how the cops were corrupted to the point where they just wanted to catch a criminal, pin him for the murder and make it disappear.  In some ways, for Western readers, this type of mentality is very pre-1960′s where police would bust anyone on circumstantial evidence and close the case without further investigation and many innocent people went to jail for a crime they never committed.

While it was very exciting to read how Aoyagi was able to hide from the police and see how those who try to help him, end up in some type of trouble, there are two things that I felt that the book may confuse readers.  For one, the timeline.  After the assassination, the book goes into non-integral characters who discuss the assassination and then what transpires from the audience point-of-view in the three days that the police are hunting after Aoyagi.  Then all of a sudden, the story fast forward to 20-years-later and tries to talk about the assassination and what has happened to various characters.

This was very unusual because the characters at that point in the story aren’t even introduced or developed yet.  In fact, it’s a chapter which one would want to go to, after you read the story not before you get into Aoyagi’s storyline.  So, I felt that having this storyline of what happened 20-years-later so early in the book was confusing and misplaced.

It was quite interesting because I was thinking about the television show “LOST” and how the series would go through past, the present and the future and in some way, I felt that Isaka was trying to accomplish that for the book and give us an idea of how things were in the past, how things are in the present and in the future but visually, the pacing works on television.  Sure, many people were confused with the TV series of “LOST”, there was a certain payoff at the end for your patience.

With “Remote Control”, while it ended with a pretty good ending, I had to go back and re-read “Part Three- Twenty Years Later”.  Again, my opinion that it was misplaced and took you out of the book in terms of pacing and in some way, I would recommend skipping part three and go from part two to part four and after reading the book, then read part three.  It makes better sense that way.

Overall, “Remote Control” is fascinating, entertaining and riveting mystery book and aside from the pacing issues that I had with the book, when it gets to the incident especially from Aoyagi’s perspective, it was well-written and well-developed.  The characters were fun to read and to see how Isaka put a lot of thought into the storyline but also its character’s nuance.  He didn’t try to make Aoyagi some type of Hollywood type of hero or fugitive, this was a guy that tries to climb out of a window and ends up getting hurt.  He’s a regular man with no special abilities and he gets fatigued, hurt and confused throughout the book.  And I actually enjoyed that portrayal of the protagonist.

So, if you are looking for a well-written mystery book, I do recommend “Remote Control” as it is definitely a wonderful written work by Kotaro Isaka.  Recommended!

The Words That Shaped Me by Aliza Davidovit (a J!-ENT Book Review)

Aliza Davidovit’s “The Words That Shaped Me” gives the reader wonderful insight to the life and career of the journalist and producer.  A brilliantly written, touching, hilarious and entertaining book!   Highly recommended!

TITLE: The Words That Shaped Me

BY: Aliza Davidovit

PUBLISHER: WritEffect Productions, Ltd.

PAGE COUNT: 294

RELEASED: 2010

In The Words That Shaped Me, journalist Aliza Davidovit takes the reader through the dictionary and a journey of words while also unfolding her own unusual life as an interviewer of the who’s who, as the too sexy ex-wife of a clergyman, and as a colorful character who somehow cannot have a simple encounter with anyone she meets.

Jackie Mason once said about journalist and TV producer Aliza Davidovit, “Aliza has the brains of Henry Kissinger and the body of Marilyn Monroe”.

And that is possibly an understatement as Aliza Davidovit can be seen on television from her on-air appearances on Fox News “Strategy Room” as a pundit, she worked at 20/20 with Connie Chung, at the ABC News Terrorism/Investigations Unit with John Miller, a producer and booker at Fox News.  Aliza is also a contributing editor to Lifestyles Magazine International and Mann About Town magazine, as well as a columnist for World Net Daily and has contributed to many popular magazines such as Lifestyles, Celebrate, Wine and Dine and many more.

A well-known and well-respected journalist, Davidovit often is written about her work ethic as well as her body.

Yes, she has participated in a bikini pageant, yes, she’s not afraid to talk about her bust but whatever you do, don’t let the blonde hair even fool you into thinking that she’s gauche.

Aliza Davidovit is an intelligent, passionate and vibrant woman who worked hard to get where she is today.

But when she was younger, it all started with her passion.  Words.

That is right, Aliza Davidovit is a logophile, a person who loves words and in her book “The Words That Shaped Me”, Aliza Davidovit goes through various words from A-Z, to talk about how words have shaped her life.

Here are a few examples of words featured in “The Words That Shaped Me”:

Coup d’oeil – To Take an Eyeful at a quick glance.  The best definition is to catch someone in the act of doing something.  You know, when you watch football and the camera quickly catches that pro athlete picking his nose or doing a snot rocket, or perhaps a friend catching another friend messing around and cheating behind his wife’s back.  Or in Aliza Davidovit’s case, having to interview a a high level Israeli official in his hotel room and when she came out of the bathroom, she found him with his clothes off, sitting down with his bathrobe and legs open.

Davidovit would say about that coup d’oeil, “His was hardly a weapon of mass destruction and not worth the risk of contracting a Middle Yeast Infection.”

Grefanburg Spot – Davidovit writes, “Don’t you think its odd that only 12 men have ever walked on the moon yet they have been able to find water there, while billions of men have explored vaginas and they still haven’t found the G-spot?”.

Platitude - A trite or banal remark or statement, especially one expressed as if it were original or significant.  An example is when people say, “When one door closes another door opens.”

When it comes to the platitude, “If it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger”.  And Aliza is blunt on how she feels about platitudes. Aliza says, “This trite expression is not true.  If cancer doesn’t kill you, does it make you stronger?  Are you ready for the marathon after a good does of chemo?  All these things that nearly but don’t kill us, eat away at us like ants at a soggy wood house.  Have you really been empowered by your pain?”

Surprises - Aliza is quick to say, “For me surprises are just like hellos.  I never met one that I liked.”

These are just a few examples of the many words featured in “The Words That Shaped Me”.  Of course, Aliza goes more into detail about the words that are featured in this book.

But it’s important to let the reader know that while the book focuses on words and that Aliza Davidovit is a logophile, this is not a cultural literacy book, if you are looking for new words to utilize in your everyday conversations.  Although, it may introduce you to words that you may have never heard of.

But the book is literally the life of Aliza Davidovit.  As many journalists have written memoirs of their journey from their personal life and professional careers, “The Words That Shaped Me” can be thought of the same way.

While the book may have some humorous comments at times, you learn more about the experiences in life that helped made her what she is today.  The people who have influenced her and I would suspect from the personal topics that she writes about, I imagine that the experience was therapeutic, happy, sad and brought a lot experiences that some people may want to forget forever out into this book and Aliza Davidovit does it with class, humor, cleverness and with great fervor.

Aliza is very dedicated to her Jewish upbringing, grateful for the moments she shared with her father David, which she goes into great deal of talking about memories of him and the terrible life he had as a child but made sure that things were different when he got older.  His final days of life.  How the family was at the time during his death.  Aliza talks about her mother who is playful, loves to joke around but also was a mother who made Aliza know her place while growing up.  And of course, life with her brother and her feelings towards him.  Her working relationship and her feelings about those she interviewed and worked with.

She talks about the experiences with those she interviewed.  From the time she arrived to Michael Bolton’s home and thought the young woman who opened the door was an employee or perhaps a girlfriend (it turned out to be his daughter), her dreams that she kept having as a child and eventually meeting Benjamin Nettanyahu and how it may be related to that recurring dream.

And while she discusses her personal family and her entertainment career, she also talks about her pride of being Jewish and that moment in time where she ripped up her Masters Degree diploma at Columbia University during a press conference to speak out against her Alma mater for them wanting to bring Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a speaker.   Iran’s president has denied the Holocaust and called for the destruction of the state of Israel and angered many people when was given a prestigious forum to espouse his beliefs.

And she also discusses her divorce to a rabbi including personal details such as when her ex-boyfriend who slipped a “Mickey Finn” (a drink laced with a drug) and tried to have sex with her (despite her becoming religious and would not have sex before marriage).

So, there are plenty of topics covered in this book within the words from A-Z.

“The Words That Shaped Me” was intriguing for me because like Davidovit, I am a logophile and grew up reading the dictionary and reading words and using them from childhood to my teenage and into my adult years.  Granted, I’m no erudite nor am I a compleat writer but it’s intriguing to take a peek into the head of a person that is passionate, vibrant, intelligent and also has an ethic of working hard and possibly playing hard.  Aliza has had a wonderful career thus far and this latest book evokes memories of reading memoirs by other journalists but made more fun and interesting by using the words that shaped her life.

The efficacy of how this book was written was partly due to Aliza’s wit, her experience but also giving the reader an idea of how far this young woman has come from reading the dictionary as a child to where she is today.

Even if you are not familiar of Aliza Davidovit’s work, if you are a person who is intrigued by words, well, the book is well-written, must I say very clever, entertaining and possibly blunt.  I don’t know if Aliza Davidovit is blunt as she is in her book but  you can’t help but enjoy Aliza Davidovit confront various topics in a no-nonsense way.  She has seen a lot of BS in her life that she’s not afraid to call it out.

Is she opinionated? Yes, she is …but it’s not so bad that you feel invidious towards what she has to say.

And while I praise this book (because it is worth reading!), as many of my readers know that there has to be something negative right?  Well, everyone has their opinion and their own personal life experiences but for the most part, I enjoyed everything in the book but there was one that I found quite intriguing and that is the word “nice”.

Aliza writes, “I’ve decided that I’m no longer going to be nice.  Enough is enough.  I’ve taken down the sign over my head that reads “Suckers ‘R Us.” The words please and thank you are so ineffectual in today’s times where ass-kickings are evermore effective.  From now on I’m going to let everyone have it.  I have such a way with words that if I launched a full assault on people of what I think of them and pointed out with the full wit and whack of my pen how base and insipid they are, I certainly could make them cry and send them into therapeutic retreat for a long time.  They have it coming.  That’s it.”.

Similar to being the kid who read dictionaries as a child and as a journalist who also interviewed celebrities and politicians, I can see where Aliza is coming from.  And in this business, there are so many people and companies that will try to break you down for your kindness and hardwork.  And in one point in my life, I did transform myself willingly to let people have it.  There are a lot of people who do transform from when they leave college to working for a major publication or TV news company which Aliza writes about, but I’ve learned that if you were nice to begin with, there’s nothing wrong with it.  You learn from experiences and you know not to be screwed with again.

While I reading this, I often thought, perhaps this is the “urbanicity” that Aliza writes about.  The temperament that is required in Manhattan and doing business in New York and even in my case, working with entertainment PR and marketing business owners in New York, I’m often told, “wow, you are very nice man!  I’m not use to doing business with people like you because in New York, it’s different!”. I often wondered if Aliza meant what she wrote, because I’m sure that certain BS’ers would require that, but definitely one of the few words that I found evocative.  But hoping what she wrote is more specious than anything.

But that is probably the only time in the book where I paused and actually took a breather after reading so much in her book and thinking of how passionate this woman is to her work, her career and her loved ones, Aliza has also been in unfortunate predicaments, men you couldn’t trust, bosses and the peers who have looked over her 3D’s “sexy, soulful and smart”and have focused more on her double D’s (which she does write about under the word “dichotomy”) and its unfortunate too know that in that urban jungle, she has met too many troglogdytes than real men.

Even when I read written articles “The Words That Shaped Me”, I find it a bit too gauche that fellow male writers even need to focus on her cleavage and her body in their article.

What I loved about “The Words That Shaped Me” has nothing to do with the woman on the outside, it’s the woman within.  The passionate and intelligent Aliza Davidovit that manages to capture your attentiveness because she has experienced so much in her personal life and career.    The young girl who would study these words as a child and use them throughout her life.  Brilliant, entertaining and touching…

Aliza Davidovit, those words that you have written in your book have shaped you throughout your life and career but after reading your book, your words have touched, entertained and also even inspired me.  And I’m confident that it will do the same for many other readers.

“The Words That Shaped Me” is highly recommended!

Vintage Wristwatches by Reyne Haines (a J!-ENT Book Review)

If you are a watch collector, especially one who collects vintage watches, “Vintage Wristwatches” by Reyne Haines is an excellent resource for information on older wristwatch companies. And for its current low price online, it’s a book worth having in your collection if you are a wristwatch collector.  Recommended!

TITLE: Vintage Wristwatches

BY: Reyne Haines

PUBLISHER: Krause Publications Inc.

PAGE COUNT: 260

RELEASED: 2010

Fashion with Function

Step into the fascinating world of watches with this stunning book which features everything from World War I-era “trench watches” to diamond-studded timepieces of today.

Written by Reyne Haines, noted appraiser and reoccurring antiques expert on “The Early Show,” Vintage Wristwatches features intriguing (alphabetically arranged) histories about American and European watch manufacturers of the past and present, along with more than 1,200 photographs of collectible wristwatches. Each watch is accompanied by a short description, including values paid at auction. In addition to identifying facts and photographs, this book also contains an extensive glossary of common watch terminology, expert tips for identifying wristwatches, and accepted factors considered when determining the value of a watch.

Add this beautiful and valuable wristwatch reference to your library, and it will be money and time well spent.

Are you a watch fanatic (or the term which many tend to use now these days – WIS – Watch Idiot Savant)?  Are you into vintage wristwatches?

What best than to learn from Reyne Haines, an appraiser, dealer and watch collector who has been called upon to appraise collectibles ranging from antique watches to $20 million dollar paintings.  Haines also spent years moderating for the watch discussion group TIAS (The Internet Antique Shop) and has appeared on television as a recurring special guest, has wrote and contributed to many books including “Antique Roadshow Collectibles” by Leslie Hindman.

Needless to say, Reyne Haines knows her wristwatches and it was a primary reason why I wanted to read this book.

As a watch collecting enthusiast, although I have spent a lot of my time looking towards the latest models of wristwatches, I have suddenly taken interest in vintage watches.  I can easily remember the wristwatches my father would wear and in fact, during Thanksgiving 2010, he amazed me by showing me his wristwatch collection and then my mother showed me hers.  It’s funny because inside, I knew they were watch collectors and for the life of me, if you told me ten years ago that I would be collecting or caring about wristwatches, I would probably raise my eyebrow because although I had interest, I felt that maybe I would be to young to care.

But of course, I’m wrong.  As I participate in many watch forums, I’m meeting young men and women who are watch collectors and I think Al Bandiero said it right, when he wrote in the foreword for “Vintage Wristwatches”, “You can tell a man by his shoes and his watch”.

It’s hard to talk about this to non-collector’s or people who don’t need a watch and feel their cell phone is all they need in telling the time but really, when I wear wristwatch, it’s part of my lifestyle.  It’s something that I feel needs to be coordinated with my dress attire and my mood.  In many ways, I look at wristwatches like a piece of art.  Each constructed differently and a history that goes behind these wristwatches.

And as a collector, sure…you may have heard of “Rolex”, “Omega”, “Seiko”, “Breitling” but the more you delve into watches, especially learning of where watches are built, what makes them so special and so historic, you start to care about their history.

Sure, you can easily look on Wikipedia for information about wristwatches but what I enjoy about “Vintage Wristwatches”, I can find it immediately and also get a good idea of various watches the company had made many years ago.

You can find information on older companies listed in alphabetical order.  For example, you look for “Audemars Piguet” and you learn about the history including photos of both Jules Louis Audemars and Edward August Piguet and you also get photos of many wristwatches made by that company.

You get hi-res photos of the dial and occasionally the case-back, information (unfortunately many of them do not have a model # or year) for the watch and its value.

I own several wristwatch books but “Vintage Watches” is for those who want to know the history of the companies that have made wristwatches.  You will find many of the companies that have created wristwatches since the 1800′s and while this book does cater to the collectors of the upper class bourgeoisie that tend to spend over several thousand dollars for a watch, you will not find companies that cater to the affordable watch collectors (under $500).  But you will find some companies such as Jules Jurgensen who is one of the oldest watch making companies but since these companies like Jules Jurgensen are sold to another company (like a watch distributor) while their older productions are more expensive, their current line may be very cheap and affordable today.  Interesting was that there is a page on Croton but a focus on more expensive watches from the company and how celebrities (like Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Josh Groban, etc.) have sported Croton wristwatches.

And you will also find Seiko watches featured but unfortunately since Grand Seiko’s (the very expensive line for Seiko) were just made available for American consumers, you’re not going to find information on it in this book, nor are you going to see many Seiko watches being featured (in fact, only one page and one watch is designated for Seiko).  But it would have been great since I do look for older Seiko wristwatches but I suppose Seiko is considered by many as very affordable.

While some companies get featured with more pages than others, there are some companies that are popular among current watch collectors such as Tag Heuer fans who may be disappointed to know that there is no Tag Heuer section, but their is a Heuer section.

But you can definitely expect multi-pages of information on Gruen, Omega, Rolex, Patek Philippe, IWC, Cartier, Longines, Jaeger-Lecoultre, Hamilton and Bulova. Other companies such as Mido, Chopard, Breitling, Blancpain and many others do get a page or two.  But also watch companies that are not around anymore but their wristwatches are still highly collectible get a single page.

But still, “Vintage Wristwatches” may not be for the affordable but for those who are looking for highly collectible and expensive wristwatches from yesterday, this may not be the book that will feature the watch you are looking for, but it is good as a reference for older watch companies and their history.

Also, although this book has been released in 2010, you can find a hardcover for under $20 these day on Amazon.  I have found it as an excellent resource and each time I feel like I will be putting it into my bookshelf, I end up removing it because I refer to it so many times.

A lot of good information for this book and for its price today, if you are a watch collector especially vintage watch collector interested in older and expensive wristwatches, “Vintage Wristwatches” by Reyne Haines is definitely worth checking out!

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