Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family in Canada (Golden Jubilee

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Cinema of the Other Europe: The Industry and Artistry of East Central European Film is the first major study of the cinematic traditions of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia from 1945 to the present day. It explores the major schools of film-making and the main stages of development across the region during the period of state socialism up until the end of the Cold War as well as more recent transformations post-1989. The book examines how European cinema is still mostly synonymous with West European film and how the cinema of Eastern Europe is still largely excluded and under-explored. Including material on directors such as István Szabó ( Mephisto), Krzysztof Kieslowski ( Dekalog, Three Colors Trilogy) and Jan Sverák ( Kolya), this study of the 'other' European cinema thus constitutes a timely appraisal of film history and film studies debates.

The Cinema of Central Europe (24 Frames)

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The Cinema of Central Europe (24 Frames)
Peter Hames
Manufacturer: Wallflower Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1904764207

Book Description

This new volume in the Twenty-Four Frames series focuses on twenty-four key Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, and Polish films from the twenties to the present. Between the wars the cinemas of Hungary, Poland, and the former Czechoslovakia each claimed their pioneers of early cinema and attained significant levels of production. They first attracted international attention in the 1930s, confirming this status with a succession of politically and aesthetically challenging films from the 1950s to the present. The work of directors such as Andrzej Wajda, Miklós Jancsó, Jirí Menzel, István Szabó, Márta Mészáros, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Jan Ävankmajer, and Béla Tarr are discussed. There are in depth studies of films such as Ashes and Diamonds, The Round-Up, The Shop on Main Street, Closely Watched Trains, Alice, The Decalogue, and Satantango.

Past for the Eyes: East European Representations of Communism in Cinema and Museums after 1989

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Past for the Eyes: East European Representations of Communism in Cinema and Museums after 1989
Peter Apor , and Oksana Sarkisova
Manufacturer: Central European University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9639776033

Some Big Bourgeois Brothel: Europe's Culture Wars with Hollywood

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Great Franco-American cinema overview

Some Big Bourgeois Brothel: Europe's Culture Wars with Hollywood
Bill Grantham
Manufacturer: University Of Luton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1860205356

Book Description

Examining Franco-American cinema relations, this book details France's periodic attempts to curb Hollywood's access to the European market. It focuses on the French influence on-and the American reaction to-the European Union's Television Without Frontiers directive and the dramatic crisis-ridden talks during the Uruguay round of the final 1993 GATT negotiation. These climactic events, which nearly led to a breakdown in world trade in intellectual property, are set in the context of commercial and legal history and the two countries' competing concepts of art and commerce.

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Great Franco-American cinema overview.......2006-02-23

"Some Big Bourgois" comprehensively recounts the events and provides analysis/context for battles over audio/visual trade culminating with the 1990s battle over European TV quotas capping sales of Hollywood product. The book recounts how, amazingly for five years, the U.S. gov't didn't seem to realize that constant French lobbying for quotas was going to overcome internal European opposition. As the book notes, the protectionist quota had some unanticipated drawbacks for its main supporter by, for example, making it hard for French TV producers to latch on to international co-productions mostly made in English. I have 25 years experience covering TV/Film with articles in Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Los Angeles Times, so I my eyes usually glaze over when books get historical. However, I was fascinated by context of the US-French film history in the early 20th century including learning that MGM and Gaumont actually merged for a time in the 1920s. This is an academic paper expanded to a book and where the footnotes provide an interesting backgrounder clustered at end of chapters.

Western Civilization: A Critical Guide to Documentary Films

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Western Civilization: A Critical Guide to Documentary Films
Neil M. Heyman
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313284385

Book Description

Offering critical reviews of over 170 widely available documentaries, this book provides a unique guide for instructors teaching the History of Western Civilization and specialized European history courses. Coverage is from ancient times to the post World War II era. Selecting films that instructors would be likely to consider using, Heyman provides lengthy critical evaluations. Each evaluation includes a brief summary, a letter grade from A to D, a discussion of the film's technique, a consideration of its organization, and in most instances, a specific statement of its strong and weak points. Many evaluations include specific indications of how a film can be integrated into a course on Western Civilization. Information is also provided on length, release dates, and where films can be obtained. Arranged chronologically, chapters cover films on major time periods or topics such as the Renaissance or Fascism and Nazism, enabling instructors to choose films that will illustrate specific teaching topics in European history.

The cinema of ambivalence: recent films from Central and Eastern Europe.: An article from: Cineaste

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The cinema of ambivalence: recent films from Central and Eastern Europe.: An article from: Cineaste
Katharine Cornell
Manufacturer: Cineaste Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B00093O89M
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Cineaste, published by Cineaste Publishers, Inc. on June 22, 1995. The length of the article is 2584 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: Filmmakers from east and central Europe are searching for more relevant topics in the wake of the end of communism in their region. recent popular films that have gained popularity include Wadislaw Paskowski's 'Pigs ' which is depicts the heroic exploits of former secret police. Social realism pervades the films made by Istvan Szabo's 'Sweet Emma, Dear Bobe' and Krzysztof Kieslowski's trilogy 'Red,' 'White,' and 'Blue.' Meanwhile, Mariusz Grzegorzek's 'Conversations with a Cupboard Man,' portrays the moral vacuum left by the political transition.

Citation Details
Title: The cinema of ambivalence: recent films from Central and Eastern Europe.
Author: Katharine Cornell
Publication: Cineaste (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 1995
Publisher: Cineaste Publishers, Inc.
Volume: v21 Issue: n3 Page: p28(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

American cultural diplomacy, the cinema, and the Cold War in Central Europe (CAS working papers in Austrian studies)

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American cultural diplomacy, the cinema, and the Cold War in Central Europe (CAS working papers in Austrian studies)
Reinhold Wagnleitner
Manufacturer: Center for Austrian Studies, University of Minnesota
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006P4ZIM

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No doubt Aristotle just rolled over in his grave. An essay called "Homer and Aristotle" would appear to be a treatise on two ancient Greek thinkers; in this case, it's a depiction of Homer Simpson's Aristotelian virtues. Raja Halwani's "Homeric" essay is amusing, though, and moreover, it actually ends up being enlightening, especially for those just learning Aristotle's ethics. Bart may be a Nietzschean without knowing it; Mr. Burns is a cipher for unhappiness (except when he eats "so-called iced-cream"); and Ned Flanders raises questions about neighborly love. The Simpsons and Philosophy has a lot to say about The Simpsons, and even more to say about philosophy.

The book collects 18 essays into an unpretentious, tongue-in-cheek, and surprisingly intelligent look at philosophy through the lens of Matt Groening's vaunted animated series. The editors are quick to point out that they don't think The Simpsons "is the equivalent of history's best works of literature ... but it nevertheless is just deep enough, and certainly funny enough, to warrant serious attention." The writers of the book are mostly professional philosophers, and they are appropriately erudite. But what is truly astonishing, even for a confessed Simpsons addict, is their breadth of Simpsons knowledge, spanning all 12 seasons of the show's history. The Simpsons and Philosophy is obviously not intended to be a turning point in modern thought, but it is an excellent introduction to some core elements of philosophy. --Eric de Place

Book Description

This unconventional and lighthearted introduction to the ideas of the major Western philosophers examines The Simpsons — TV’s favorite animated family. The authors look beyond the jokes, the crudeness, the attacks on society — and see a clever display of irony, social criticism, and philosophical thought. The writers begin with an examination of the characters. Does Homer actually display Aristotle’s virtues of character? In what way does Bart exemplify American pragmatism? The book also examines the ethics and themes of the show, and concludes with discussions of how the series reflects the work of Aristotle, Marx, Camus, Sartre, and other thinkers.

Customer Reviews:

Terrible ... save your money.......2007-07-29

After all the good reviews, including from Publisher's Weekly, I was expecting a thought-provoking and interesting read. Instead, "The Simpsons and Philosophy" is an uneven, but mostly poor, collection of essays that do not do the television show or the Popular Culture and Philosophy book series justice. Some of the more bizarre entries:

In the essay "Thus Spake Bart: On Nietzsche and the Virtues of Being Bad," the author spends many pages describing the Nietzchean hero only to conclude at the end that Bart does NOT represent the Nietzchean ideal since he is merely defined in opposition to authority. For a book about the Simpsons, it would have made more sense to spend a couple of pages explaining what Bart is not, and the majority of the essay explaining what he philosophically DOES represent.

The essays on allusions and parodies are what one would expect to find in a basic literary commentary, not a philosophy book.

"Simpsonian Sexual Politics" makes several claims that I, as a feminist, found astonishingly off-base. The authors' believe that Marge is merely the descendant of many domesticated sitcom mothers, completely missing how that representation is used to undercut and subvert that traditional image. Among their claims is that the Simpson home is a bastion of "moral serenity" except when challenged by the public moral decay of Springfield -- to anyone familiar with the character of Homer Simpson and his antics (lying, cheating, hypocrisy, etc.) that claim is utterly laughable. The authors also describe Marge as "asexual" though they admit she has a "satisfying sex life" -- one can only assume that since Homer's and Marge's active and imaginative sex life is one of the shows' ongoing jokes, that the authors describe her as asexual because her sexual assets are not on display for general consumption. A curious contradiction in a feminist essay.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the Buffy The Vampire Slayer book in the same series, I expected the same caliber of analysis for The Simpsons but was sadly disappointed. Ironically, one of the essays in this book refers to Buffy with the shockingly false claim (typical of this book in general) that BTVS is "strongly committed to a black and white distinction between right and wrong as only teenagers can be." In fact that show is well-known for dealing with moral ambiguity -- and the far superior Buffy and Philosophy book has the insightful and edifying essays that this book fails to provide. In the future, I'll be far more cautious about spending money on books in this series!

Great for lovers of both the Simpsons and philosophy!!.......2007-06-08

I am a huge fan of the Simpsons but found this book to be slightly boring and some chapters read more like a text book for a college class. I LOVED the book "The Gospel According to the Simpsons" which I read straight through without putting down. I guess religion just interests me more (hence why I gave this book only three stars). If you love the Simpsons, philosophy, and can follow what the authors are talking about you will love this book.

A Brainwave On Cable T.V........2007-03-03

It's been said by many great men that everything everywhere has the capacity to teach us something. Even fools can be instructive. We may not like the teacher, but that doesn't devalue the lesson.

Well, The Simpsons is a teacher that virtually anyone could love. One of America's most subversive and enduring shows, it has long been recognized that The Simpsons is much more than a child's playground of primary colors. This is a show that marries incisive wit with low-brow sight gags, obscure cultural allusions with puerile puns. It's a mine of meaning, dressed in a Just A Cartoon coat.

"The Simpsons and Philosophy" takes the extended exploits of Homer and company (up to the 12th season) and digs out as many nuggets of intellectual gold as there are to find, and it turns out there are a lot. Maggie's silence, Bart's bad-boy-ness, sexual politics, hyper-irony, the nuclear family, and what little Aristotealian virtues (if any) there are to be found in Homer himself: they all spark insightful and shrewd debate.

The book, however, should've been called "Philosophy and The Simpsons." There are a few essays where the show is the foreground of the philosophical thought that is dissected and analyzed (such as Irwin and Lombardo's brief treatise on allusions, or Wallace's Marxist evaluation of the show's almost unclassifiable sense of humor), but most of the essays treat the show as a source of convenient syllogisms to help bolster ideas that seem almost beside the point (among these, most acutely, is Jolley's closing essay on the nature of thought -- a dry, thoroughly technical affair that has almost nothing to do whatsoever with Groening's funny, yellow family).

Because this is philosophy (and philosophers) we're talking about, don't expect the sort of amusement to be found in a half-hour block of the Fox television show. It might even be worth pointing out that "a-muse," defined by its roots, means "un-thinking." Although The Simpsons has the versatility to appeal to a broad spectrum of brainiacs and boobs (although not in equal measure, I'd argue), this is certainly a thinking person's book, and to those with patience, an appetite for profundity, and the understanding that wisdom can even come from fools like Homer, well, it's bound to inspire thought of your own.

Mmmmmm.......Philosophy.......2006-09-20

The Simpsons have endured as one of the most popular TV families in the world, despite some of the most vociferous criticisms that you could level at a programme. As much as some hate it, there are those love it to the same degree. Finally, a bunch of philosophers have taken "The Simpsons" seriously enough to write a book about it.

The 18 essays contained in "The Simpsons and Philosophy" cover a broad range of topics. Everything from Kant, Aristotle, Neitzsche to semiotics, (I didn't even know what that was until this book!), get mentioned. Although a couple of essays deal with the same philosophical bent, (Aristotle pops up a couple of times), there isn't the overload that has appeared in other volumes in this series, (such as Plato's cave in "The Matrix and Philosophy").

I am no great fan of the Simpsons, but I do rather enjoy the quirky humour. However, even for the non-fan, this book really highlights the complexity of the Simpsons and what the programme has to say, (or not say, as the case may be). In a programme that could be easily dismissed as innane, there is a suprising smorgasboard of philoshical ideas that would keep even Homer in the middle of a feeding frenzy happy.

Philosophy for all.......2006-07-13

Sometimes the most difficult matters can be presented in a funny way. It's good to reflect about philosophy in our daily life. So, if you like philosophy, if you like to think, if you see the Simpsons, and if you don't have enough time to take seriously Kant (to read Kritik der reinen Vernunft), that's your book.

SIMPSONS AND PHILOSOPHY : THE D'OH! OF HOMER

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SIMPSONS AND PHILOSOPHY : THE D'OH! OF HOMER
WILLIAM (EDT)/ CONARD, MARK T. (EDT)/ SKOBLE, AEON J. (EDT) IRWIN
Manufacturer: Open Court Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KEM44Q

Simpsons and Philosophy, The: The D'Oh! of Homer

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Simpsons and Philosophy, The: The D'Oh! of Homer
William, Mark T. Conard and Aeon J. Skoble Irwin
Manufacturer: Open Court
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KXXT7S

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He's the best!.......2003-02-03

Robert Bellin is one of the best chess writers there is. Everything he has done (Test Your Positional Play, the "Mastering" opening series, etc.) is of the utmost instructional content. He never forgets that he is teaching you. This book on the Dutch is as good as his other stuff. He guides you along so that you can play the opening with confidence and understanding, cognizant of the risks, the rewards, the plans for bothe sides, and everything else you need to play an opening. The Dutch is a great, exciting opening. It was what Morphy played most against 1. d4. Get this book.

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Winning With the Dutch
Robert Bellin
Manufacturer: Collier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8OUHM

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Winning with the Lenigrad Dutch 7...Qe8
Andrew Soltis
Manufacturer: Chess Digest, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0875682219

Book Description

Presenting the best practices of the best manufacturing companies in the world, this book presents proven models for achieving world-class performance. Using a case study of a fictional company called Beta International, Moore illustrates how to increase uptime, lower costs, increase market share, maximize asset utilization, apply benchmarks and best practices, and improve many other aspects that ultimately raise your company's performance to the level of world-class. 'Making Common Sense Common Practice' takes a good, hard look at plant design, procurement, parts management, installation and maintenance, training, and implementing a computerized maintenance management system. In discussing the successes and failures of the world's premier manufacturers, Moore outlines a stable path of growth for almost any manufacturing company. In today's tough competitive markets, 'Making Common Sense Common Practice' greatly enhances your company's chance to succeed - and profit.

* Third edition features updating plus new sections on innovation, change management, and leadership
* Presents proven models for achieving world-class performance based on real-life case histories
* Highly readable, concrete style brings the key points to life through a case study of a fictitious organization, Beta International, which runs throughout the book, based on real case histories

Customer Reviews:

Great career development material.......2007-01-11

Ron Moore's knowledge and passion for business comes out in his book "Making Common Sense, Common Practice". I give this book to supervisors as required reading material when they are preparing for the Society of Maintenance & Reliability Society's - Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional Exam.

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