In the latest edition of Projections — 13 — (€16.99. Faber) 000. you'll find interviews and conversations wrth film critics (the late Pauline Kael on Jean Reno”). With filmmakers (Alison Anders. Lisa Cholodenko) and with actresses. including Frances McDormand and Anna Karina. In this edition devoted to women. editor Isabella Wibrecht asks ‘how we regard an achievement by wornen‘. Projections I 3 tries to answer that queshon.
Another interview book, Kristine McKenna's Talk to Her (816.95. Fantagraphic Books) 000 contains interviews with the recently deceased deconstructionist philos0pher Jacques Derrida. Joey Ramone. Robert Altman and Russ Meyer. The book's pleasure lies in its eclecticism and the occas‘ionally well- phrased question.
Daniel O'Brien's efficient bio on Paul Newman (£17.99. Faber) 000 may nevertheless leave you wondering where the writer got his enthusiasm to do the book in the first place. Not exactly hagiographic. O'Brien suggests Newman too Often avoided working with auteurs. and too frequently worked with journeymen. Hence relatively few great films
Paul ' Newr “ran
in this very fine actors canon.
Edward McPherson's Buster Keaton: Tempest in a Flat Hat ($20.00. Faber).
0.. on the other hand. obViOusly created a handful of films that are now thoroughly loved and respected. McPherson details just how precarious Buster’s
stunts were. and in one instance wonders whether a gag in Steamboat Bill, Jnr, where a house facade falls on top of Keaton. wasn't pretty close to a suicidal gesture.
Occasionally there are filmmakers who are as readily wordsmiths as image makers. and Paul Schrader might fruitfully fall into that category. ln this revised edition of Schrader on Schrader (ed Kevin Jackson €16.99. Faber) 0000 there are many acute observations about life. religion, film and philosophy and it remains one of the best in the series.
Alexander Mackendrick also has useful things to say about the craft of film. At one stage in his book. Alexander Mackendrick 0n Filmmaking (ed Paul Cronin $225.00. Faber) 0000 he talks about his problems with sub- plots. 'I felt it weakened the drive of the narrative rather
" “ xander .‘v ..
than strengthened it‘. Later in the book he gives a detailed master class on point of view. and also dlSCUSSGS how filmmakers can invisiny contract time. Very useful.
The sub—heading of Kevin Jackson's biography. Humphrey Jennings (£30.00)
.00 . says it's ‘the definitive biography of one of Britain‘s most important filmmakers'. This may well be true. but documentarist Jennings' work remains more revered than actually watched. though maybe Jackson's bio will help films like Listen to Britain and Fires Were Started to gain in popularity.
Last and least we come to The Producers (Tim Adler £16.99. Methuen)
O. . Here the writer looks at half a dozen producers (including Dino de Laurentiis. Jeremy Thomas and Marin Karmitz) but too often gets bogged down in the irrelevantly anecdotal or the details of a production history. This often tells us more about the director. say Kieslowski and the Three Colours trilogy. than it does about these fascinating producers (especially Karmitz). A wasted opponunity.
(Tony McKibbin)
54 THE LIST to Dec goon—e Ja".
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