Koncocoo

Best Individual Directors

The Wes Anderson Collection
Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: The Oliver Stone Experience , The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads , The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel. , and Mad Men Carousel . “In The Wes Anderson Collection , Seitz expands a series of video essays on Anderson’s influences, illuminating as much of Anderson’s process as possible in a massive, beautifully rendered volume. Although it looks (and sometimes reads) like a coffee table book, The Wes Anderson Collection brings together style and substance to provide a loving homage to Anderson’s films and moviemaking in general.”. ( FILTER ). “ The Wes Anderson Collection comes as close as a book can to reading like a Wes Anderson film.
Reviews
"I bought this for my boyfriend as we're both Wes Anderson fans and this book is lovely!"
"This book is like a beautiful, creative, inspiring story book for grown ups- it's full of images and interviews on every film that Wes Anderson has directed- storyboards, frames and screenshots from the films, screenshots from other films that inspired Anderson, plus tons of ephemera from all of the films."
"Essays and interviews by Mark Zoller Seitz, amazing illustrations by Max Dalton and endless fascinating stills from the films plus a potpourri of relevant items from old films, books, magazines, catalogs and advertisements that will have you intrigued and wanting to keep returning again and again to marvel at all this content."
"It's a cool book to page through in moments of time or fully immerse yourself in if you're interesting in making films."
"Not only all that but there are essays and interviews by Zoller, who has followed Anderson's career from the beginning, jam packed with details on his artistic process for the films, his thoughts on different circumstances surrounding his scripts and general Wes Anderson quotables."
"The production stills for Fantastic Mr. Fox are particularly stunning, but the on-set photos from The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic really give you a sense of the camaraderie between the actors."
"Anderson doesn't release many films....this book shows you why."
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Guillermo del Toro Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions
Over the last two decades, writer-director Guillermo del Toro has mapped out a territory in the popular imagination that is uniquely his own, astonishing audiences with Cronos , Hellboy , Pan's Labyrinth , and a host of other films and creative endeavors. An intimate look into one of the most imaginative minds of this century, Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities reproduces the notes, the drawings, the untold creatures, and ideas of things to come that fill del Toro's fabled illustrated notebooks. Sketches, notes, and inspirations for del Toro's movies Cronos , Blade 2 , Hellboy , Hellboy 2 , Pan's Labyrinth , and even his upcoming 2013 movie Pacific Rim will be included. This book includes diary entries and illustrations for the following del Toro movies, both green lit and not:
Reviews
"What cool book to have."
"Beautiful book filled with wonders and terrors."
"Once I saw a copy of Guillermo's book on TV, I had to have a copy."
"Tom cruise did a write up in this about working with Toro or almost working with him which I thought was surprising."
"The book really provides wonderful detailed background and artwork on several of the films and characters he created."
"I can tell you that she is happy and I am. very proud to say Thank you Amazon for such great service!"
"This is a fascinating look into the genius of Guillermo del Toro."
"The bigger part is dedicated to the sketchbooks divided into the different movies from Guillermo .There are sketchbook scans and photos from each movie."
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The Art of Princess Mononoke
The latest in the perennially popular line of Studio Ghibli artbooks, which include interviews, concept sketches, and finished animation cels from classics such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. Miyazaki's films include Spirited Away, winner of the 2002 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film, as well as Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo, all of which have received great acclaim in the U.S. Miyazaki's other achievements include the highly regarded manga series Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Starting Point: 1979-1996, a collection of essays, interviews, and memoirs that chronicle his early career and the development of his theories of animation.
Reviews
"This is a belated but welcome translation by publisher Viz Media of the original Japanese artbook The Art of The Princess Mononoke--もののけ姫. The concept art is a mixture of character designs, movie stills, environment art, storyboards and several computer animation screenshots. The environment art are by Kazuo Oga and some of his artworks have also appeared in 男鹿和雄画集II (Oga Kazuo Animation Artworks 2). Towards the back are three tutorials that look at how the film is made, such as the use of computers for compositing, colouring and backgrounds."
"It is such a beautiful book and cannot wait to give it to the person for Christmas!"
"The Art of Princess Mononoke is a great art book for any collection."
"Big fan of studio ghibli artbook and movie."
"I bought this book for my niece who is very much into anime."
"Amazing piece of art!"
"wonderful series of drawings from an animation master."
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Best British & Irish Horror

The New Annotated Frankenstein
The daughter of a pioneering feminist and an Enlightenment philosopher, Shelley lived and wrote at the center of British Romanticism, the “exuberant, young movement” that rebelled against tradition and reason and "with a rebellious scream gave birth to a world of gods and monsters" (del Toro). Nearly 1,000 notes that provide information and historical context on every aspect of Frankenstein and of Mary Shelley’s life Over 200 illustrations, including original artwork from the 1831 edition and dozens of photographs of real-world locations that appear in the novel Extensive listings of films and theatrical adaptations An introduction by Guillermo del Toro and an afterword by Anne K. Mellor. Klinger does not presume to add to the comprehensive body of scholarship on Shelley’s novel; he wants to illuminate the original text itself and showcase how complex and engaging it was―and still is. “In annotating Mary Shelley's Frankenstein , Les Klinger has pulled off the nearly impossible trick of making the original novel as interesting as the phenomena (from the many incarnations of the monster to the field of science fiction) which it spawned. “With the mind of a mad scientist and the heart of a voluptuary, Leslie S. Klinger has been striding through Sherlock Holmes and masterpieces of Fantastica for years now, illuminating, enlightening, clarifying, and amusing as he went. Klinger's deep research and knowledge of his subject shines through this entertaining and fascinating insight into Mary Shelley, her life and times, and the themes and vast impact of her earth-shaking novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. “A stunning one-stop emporium of all things Frankenstein, a standout volume even in the limitless sea of editions of this book.”. - Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Monthly.
Reviews
"If you're reading this review, you only have one question. You already know this is the most original, and one of the best, and best-written horror stories in literature. So, your only question is, "Is this really the uncensored 1818 version?"
"That all changed once Walton rescued Victor Frankenstein from the icy sea near the North Pole. The overlying themes of love, friendship, loneliness and loss enrich this story and the question of whether Frankenstein has the right to create life makes you think about the larger responsibilities of man to his fellow man. The monster's shocking reaction and Frankenstein's horror, his mental collapses and the race against time make this story a true thriller. This style and the letter-writing format are the only things that make Frankenstein seem less modern, but they are minor points."
"Frankly, this is one heck of an enjoyable story, and, if you need some relief after finishing this mesmerizing tale, than watch 'Young Frankenstein', perhaps the funniest movie I have ever seen, but that is for another time... got the nerve...?"
"Contrary to popular belief, the story does not climax with Frankenstein's creation of his iconic monster."
"Read this book in high school years ago."
"I cannot possibly express how much I am for this book being one of the best renowned classics of all time."
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Best Dance

Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Animal Designs
• Features over 30 images, each one a single page so no bleed through • Heavyweight, artist-grade paper perfect for whatever you like to color with.
Reviews
"What a wonderful book , full of stunning, imaginative, very detailed, highly decorated, animal drawings, a couple are simply detailed, a couple more than diabolically detailed, most are just right, like the Cat I colored and I am attaching. (The COVER PICTURE is NOW included in the book, it is on line at the following site for you to print and color as an amazing FREE example of the other illustrations you will have when you purchase this unique coloring book. The details are so tiny that you should use Colored pencils, Gel Pens, or Ultra Fine markers for this book."
"I used gel pens for this picture but some of the drawings will have to be colored with pencils as some of the pictures have tiny, tiny areas."
"Lots of cool pictures to color, each page has a blank back which is great so that your markers do not bleed through onto another picture."
"I have bought a few other coloring books but this one is my favorite so far!"
"______________________________________________________________________. I work behind a computer all day and have a 2 year old so I wanted something to do when the day is over to help me unwind (that doesn't involve looking at a screen). The pages are one sided so you can use markers if you want. Note: The copy I received was missing the lion page like on the front cover but my understanding was this was due to a misprint and the seller is happy to replace if you email them."
"Amazing."
"I've purchased about 10 Coloring Books in the last few months and this one is by far my favorite (but I have 5 cats and 3 dogs so I may be a little biased :). This book is a great addition to your coloring book collection - a perfect gift for animal lovers and people that need a little stress relief in their lives :)."
"Very fun."
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Best Theater

Hamilton: The Revolution
Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages--"since before this was even a show," according to Miranda--traces its development from an improbable perfor­mance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. Lin-Manuel Miranda (Book, Music, and Lyrics/Alexander Hamilton) is the Tony and Grammy award-winning composer-lyricist-star of Broadway's In the Heights --winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Orchestrations, and Best Choreography with Miranda receiving the award for Best Score.
Reviews
"I've read the Chernow biography, listened to the cast recording non-stop (ha) since September, and been an avid follower of Lin's tweets, Facebook posts, interviews, #Ham4Ham shows, and Genius annotations. Among other delights, it includes: the full libretto of this sung-through (and rapped-through) show, with extensive annotations from LMM that give new insights, meaning, and historical context to the words that you might already know by heart; more than 30 essays about the cast members, the production team, the creative process, and the facts of Hamilton's life; copies of relevant historical documents referenced in the show; pages from LMM's notebooks with early drafts and outlines; and a stunningly beautiful array of production photographs, cast portraits, and backstage candids. There is the American Revolution that is brought to life in this show, and there is the revolution of the show itself - "a musical that changes the way that Broadway sounds, that alters who gets to tell the story of our founding, that lets us glimpse the new, more diverse America rushing our way.""
"Giddy with excitement, I pulled back the packaging tab and inside was this glorious tome. Looking forward to enveloping myself in this Hamilton word and pictures story, that is until I actually get to see the show... A girl can dream :-). Edited to add: and the dream is almost a reality... Used this gorgeous book to deliver surprise tickets to my niece who turned 18 today."
"It's not a love that's died down over the past few weeks - indeed, it's only continued to grow - so it's no surprise that I picked up Hamilton: A Revolution, which tells the story of the writing of the musical, as well as providing Miranda's annotations for all of the show's songs and lyrics. The fact that the book alternates between short essays and songs from the show allows the pictures to nicely complement the text at all times, giving the reader a sense of how the show might play out, and giving us the chance to pair images with the songs that so many of us already know by heart. More than that, though, they give you a sense of the care that went into the staging of the show; from the set to the costuming, from the insanely detailed props to the intricate stage layout, the book conveys the fact that the show is every bit as carefully crafted and intricately constructed as the album and the songs. Even with all the time I've spent on Genius reading the show's annotations can't replace the glee of reading the lyrics in a beautifully made book, and getting to savor all of Miranda's wonderful prose - the wordplay, the historical allusions, the shout-outs to old school rap and Broadway staples, all of it."
"It is not in Kindle format; it's just photocopies of double columned pages that doesn't fit the screen and is very hard to read."
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Best Magic & Illusion

Joshua Jay's Amazing Book of Cards: Tricks, Shuffles, Stunts & Hustles Plus Bets You Can't Lose
Finally, here's how to do all those showy tricks and flourishes that card players are dying to know: how to send a deck cascading from one hand to the other. Written by Joshua Jay, the award-winning close-up magician and card-obsessed author of Magic: The Complete Course , The Amazing Book of Cards combines friendly, concise text and full-color photos with a full-length DVD that teaches the lessons and shows the subtleties of performance. Joshua Jay, “one of America’s finest young magicians” ( Genii , The Conjurors’ Magazine ), has headlined at the prestigious Magic Castle in Hollywood, is a magic consultant for several multinational toy manufacturers, and has served as the monthly columnist for Magic magazine for 12 years.
Reviews
"My son loves this book, though some of the tricks are hard for him to do."
"Lotsa fun & background, with a few really good tricks."
"a must have for who want to start become a card magician, highly recommend!"
"Love It!"
"Thank you, this was a great purchase!"
"I got this for my boyfriend as part of his birthday present, and it seems great!"
"Bought this for my 13 year old grandson for Christmas and he loved it."
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Best Performing Arts Reference

The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film
Using his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its trove of never-before-published “lost” interviews, photos, production notes, factoids, and anecdotes, Star Wars scholar J. W. Rinzler hurtles readers back in time for a one-of-a-kind behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the “little” movie that became a phenomenon. • the evolution of the now-classic story and characters–including “Annikin Starkiller” and “a huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills” named Han Solo. • excerpts from George Lucas’s numerous, ever-morphing script drafts. • the birth of Industrial Light & Magic, the special-effects company that revolutionized Hollywood filmmaking. • the studio-hopping and budget battles that nearly scuttled the entire project. • the director’s early casting saga, which might have led to a film spoken mostly in Japanese–including the intensive auditions that won the cast members their roles and made them legends. • the grueling, nearly catastrophic location shoot in Tunisia and the subsequent breakneck dash at Elstree Studios in London. • the who’s who of young film rebels who pitched in to help–including Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Brian DePalma. J. W. Rinzler, former executive editor at Lucasfilm Ltd., is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Making of Star Wars and London Times bestseller The Complete Making of Indiana Jones , as well as the #1 NY Times Bestselling graphic novel, adapted from George Lucas's original rough draft, "The Star Wars."
Reviews
"So with all that in mind, I come across this book which had even more production photos I've never seen before, along with countless stories from all the key production people, plus details down to what order the scenes were shot, etc."
"The images, including artist sketches/paintings, storyboards, and actual production photographs are comprehensive and I was amazed that it was all able to fit into the 100 MB it is taking up in my kindle's memory. I know that this enhanced edition is supposed to include audio and video that I cannot view on my monochrome kindle, but at least they are not occupying my memory space."
"Devices read on: * iPad (retina). * Nexus 7 (2013). * iPhone 5. Con: *The pictures*. Still pretty, and many are illuminating, but by default they're never full page -- always a ton of white space around 1-3 zoomable pictures -- so you lose the ease of flipping through pages and just landing on something pretty. *Audio and Video only playable on some devices*. If you have an iPad or Kindle Fire, you're golden. Nothing plays, which is too bad considering the Nexus 7 was my favorite device for actually reading the book."
"Rinzler's book on the original "Star Wars" film (a.k.a."
"The Enhanced Edition eBook is much more approachable to read. Having owned the original hard cover edition, I questioned whether the enhanced edition content would be worth the additional buy."
"I have loved Star Wars my entire life. I loved reading this book."
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