Ever wonder what really goes on behind the scenes of the Oscars? Want to know which actors are funny and which ones are just plain boring? What is it like to interview Madonna, Robin Williams, and Pierce Brosnan? All of these questions (and many more) are answered by veteran entertainment journalist Francine Brokaw. With a delightful mixture of wit and honesty, Francine gives readers an uncensored view of life as an entertainment journalist. In addition to her own perspective, Francine’s colleagues across the country weigh in on questions like . . . • What is the best swag you’ve ever received? • What is the most memorable interview you’ve ever conducted? • Have you ever had to interview someone rude? Perfect for a weekend read or as a companion text to an introductory course in mass media, Beyond the Red Carpet is an informative and entertaining book that covers every aspect of the business of entertainment journalism. Francine Brokaw has been a professional writer for over twenty years, focusing on entertainment and political journalism. Her work has appeared in numerous national and international magazines. She frequently interviews A-list celebrities such as Tom Hanks, Blake Lively, Julie Andrews, and Johnny Depp, but her favorite time period to write about is the studio days of Old Hollywood.

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In Beyond the Red Carpet: Intimate Portraits of Iconic Celebrities, Leonard Crimson offers a captivating exploration of the intersection between celebrity and personal identity through the lens of iconic photography. The book delves into how legends like Marilyn Monroe, Jack Nicholson, and Audrey Hepburn transcend their on-screen personas to reveal their authentic selves. Crimson argues that while film and television create a voyeuristic experience, photography allows for a more profound emotional connection by showcasing the individual behind the character. Each portrait in this collection reveals the unadorned essence of these icons, inviting readers to see beyond the superficial allure and engage with the true humanity of their subjects. This visually striking book offers a fresh perspective on the nature of celebrity, illustrating that the most compelling images capture not just a moment in time but a deep, intrinsic connection with the viewer. Beyond the Red Carpet is a must-have for fans of classic cinema, photography enthusiasts, and anyone intrigued by the art of revealing the person behind the fame.

The Illinois-based author relates his almost two decades of experiences travelling across the United States attending Hollywood red carpet events and award ceremonies and other celebrity-studded occasions.

Film festivals have had varied and complex histories starting with Benito Mussolini's invention of the form in Venice in 1932. Since then (and too often) festivals are thought of only in terms of the Hollywood film industry. This text is a celebration of all things un-dependently cinematic. The essays contained in this volume explore the cultural value of alternative film festivals from a wide range of perspectives and experiences. Contributors to this book include Gene Youngblood, Sasha Waters Freyer, Roger Beebe, Michael Betancourt, Charles Lum, Caryn Cline, Alexie Dmitriev, Clint Enns, Leslie Supnet, Chip Lord, Ben Popp, Kristen Lauth Shaeffer, Tina Wasserman, Gerry Fialka, Kamila Kuc, Steve Polta, Bryan Konefsky, Caroline Koebel, and Bart Weiss.

"This is a fascinating book. It will educate you. Schwartzel has done some extraordinary reporting." — The New York Times Book Review “In this highly entertaining but deeply disturbing book, Erich Schwartzel demonstrates the extent of our cultural thrall to China. His depiction of the craven characters, American and Chinese, who have enabled this situation represents a significant feat of investigative journalism. His narrative is about not merely the movie business, but the new world order.” —Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree and The Noonday Demon An eye-opening and deeply reported narrative that details the surprising role of the movie business in the high-stakes contest between the U.S. and China From trade to technology to military might, competition between the United States and China dominates the foreign policy landscape. But this battle for global influence is also playing out in a strange and unexpected arena: the movies. The film industry, Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel explains, is the latest battleground in the tense and complex rivalry between these two world powers. In recent decades, as China has grown into a giant of the international economy, it has become a crucial source of revenue for the American film industry. Hollywood studios are now bending over backward to make movies that will appeal to China’s citizens—and gain approval from severe Communist Party censors. At the same time, and with America’s unwitting help, China has built its own film industry into an essential arm of its plan to export its national agenda to the rest of the world. The competition between these two movie businesses is a Cold War for this century, a clash that determines whether democratic or authoritarian values will be broadcast most powerfully around the world. Red Carpet is packed with memorable characters who have—knowingly or otherwise—played key roles in this tangled industry web: not only A-list stars like Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, and Richard Gere but also eccentric Chinese billionaires, zany expatriate filmmakers, and starlets who disappear from public life without explanation or trace. Schwartzel combines original reporting, political history, and show-biz intrigue in an exhilarating tour of global entertainment, from propaganda film sets in Beijing to the boardrooms of Hollywood studios to the living rooms in Kenya where families decide whether to watch an American or Chinese movie. Alarming, occasionally absurd, and wildly entertaining, Red Carpet will not only alter the way we watch movies but also offer essential new perspective on the power struggle of this century.

Tailfins is a true Christmas story which takes place in Kirkland Lake, Ont., Canada. The setting is 1958-1961 and shares the story of a young boy receiving his first train set. Tailfins shares a peek inside the life and times of a U.S. Military family away form their native America. The late 1950's where a very neat time with cars and their fins. The 1959 Buick on the front cover was my mother's favorite car. Inside you'll learn how train travel was still very much a part of our culture with a surprise visit by my Grandmother to Kirkland Lake. Enjoy!