Discover Popular Authors Audiobooks in Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

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Title: This Is a Book About the Kids in the Hall

Author: John Semley

Narrator: Josh Hurley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-11-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

The first book to explore their history, legacy, and influence.

This is a book about the Kids in the Hall - the legendary Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in Toronto in 1984 and best known for the innovative, hilarious, zeitgeist-capturing sketch show The Kids in the Hall - told by the people who were there, namely the Kids themselves. John Semley's thoroughly researched book is rich with interviews with Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, and Scott Thompson as well as Lorne Michaels and comedians speaking to the Kids' legacy: Janeane Garofalo, Tim Heidecker, Nathan Fielder, and others. It also turns a critic's eye on that legacy, making a strong case for the massive influence the Kids have exerted, both on alternative comedy and on pop culture more broadly.

The Kids in the Hall were like a band: a group of weirdos brought together, united by a common sensibility. And, much like a band, they're always better when they're together. This is a book about friendship, collaboration, and comedy - and about clashing egos, lost opportunities, and one-upmanship. This is a book about the head-crushing, cross-dressing, inimitable Kids in the Hall.

Members Reviews:

An over-editorializied book

If you're interested in the story of The Kids in the Hall the odds are pretty good that you are familiar with their classic television show. The author of this book goes on at length about the sketches that make up the episodes but not the stories behind them. It is not necessary to describe in detail the premise, and sometimes dialogue, of sketches that KITH fans have watched numerous times. There are interesting anecdotes throughout but overall it was a struggle to get through. I wish that what the author had written in the final chapter had been put in the first chapter so that I would have known that his writing style would not be for me. I didn't listen to this entire book just to have the last chapter mainly consist of the author's opinions on what is acceptable in comedy and that "punching up" is the new standard. I await the day for an unbiased KITH-tory.

Impeccable

A great insight into an archetypal network of minds, as well as the nature of the work they do. Brilliantly read with accentual tones to distinguish the Kids and their quotes, this title defines impeccable quality in content, context and delivery.

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Title: The Birth of a Nation

Subtitle: Nat Turner and the Making of a Movement

Author: Nate Parker

Narrator: Nate Parker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-27-16

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 29 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

This official tie-in to the highly acclaimed film The Birth of a Nation surveys the history and legacy of Nat Turner, the leader of one of the most renowned slave rebellions on American soil, while also exploring Turner's relevance to contemporary dialogues on race relations.

The Birth of a Nation presents the philosophy and craft behind the making of the film, situating the film's relevance not only within cinematic history but also within the greater dialog of race, subjugation, and resistance. In addition to "My Journey with Nat Turner" by writer/director Nate Parker, the book will also feature "The Unbroken Chain of Enslaved African Resistance and Rebellion" by Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Daina Ramey Berry, "Slavery and (In)Justice During the Nat Turner Rebellion: History and Legacy of the 'Rule of Law' in America" by Alfred L. Brophy, "Nat Turner at the Crossroads: African Iconography and Cosmologies in The Birth of a Nation" by Kelley Fanto Deetz, PhD, and "Why Nat Turner Matters: The Importance of History in Contemporary Consciousness" by Brian Favors, MEd.

More than just a tie-in, this book seeks to educate the listener as to Nat Turner's legacy and influence. By bringing together an array of artists and intellectuals, this book speaks directly to Turner's importance throughout history and especially his relevance to contemporary social relations.

Members Reviews:

This guy Nate Parker is officially my new fave!!!!

This audible book journalizes the superb movie, Nate Parker's 'Birth of a Nation'. It's an excellent account of the behind the scenes road to accomplishment of this powerful story of the hero white Americans never want to acknowledge. (I wonder why.) Thanks Nate. Seriously: Thanks fam!!!!

Educational

during this narrative I learned a lot of details not taught in class at university

enlightening

Loved it. Watched the movie. The book just reinforced the whole issue for me and enabled me to gain more insight into the life of Nat Turner, and the context in which he lived.

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Title: Reading the Silver Screen

Subtitle: A Film Lover's Guide to Decoding the Art Form That Moves

Author: Thomas C. Foster

Narrator: Sean Pratt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-13-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

From the New York Times best-selling author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor comes an indispensable analysis of our most celebrated medium: film.

No art form is as instantly and continuously gratifying as film. When the houselights go down and the lion roars, we settle in to be shocked, frightened, elated, moved, and thrilled. We expect magic. While we're being exhilarated and terrified, our minds are also processing data of all sorts - visual, linguistic, auditory, spatial - to collaborate in the construction of meaning.

Thomas C. Foster's Reading the Silver Screen will show movie buffs, students of film, and even aspiring screenwriters and directors how to transition from merely being viewers to becoming accomplished readers of this great medium. Beginning with the grammar of film, Foster demonstrates how every art form has a grammar, a set of practices and if-then propositions that amount to rules. He goes on to explain how the language of film enables movies to communicate the purpose behind their stories and the messages they are striving to convey to audiences by following and occasionally breaking these rules.

Using the investigative approach listeners loved in How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster examines this grammar of film through various classic and current movies both foreign and domestic, with special recourse to the "AFI 100 Years...100 Movies" lists. The categories are idiosyncratic yet revealing.

In Reading the Silver Screen, listeners will gain the expertise and confidence to glean all they can from the movies they love.

Members Reviews:

Movies 101

If it were titled as such, I would give this 5 stars across the board. Alas, it's subtitled as a book for film lovers. It's not. Almost everything that is in it, I already knew. This is a book for beginners. In that regard, it's an excellent introduction to the subject.

A little OT, but I highly recommend the author's books on literature. They did provide me with a new way of looking at the classics.

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Title: Framework

Subtitle: A History of Screenwriting in the American Film, Third Edition

Author: Tom Stempel

Narrator: Paul Bright

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-07-16

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

Updated and expanded for the third edition, this volume combines scholarship with movie lore to present a comprehensive account of the development and influence of the American screenwriter. The text is written in an informal style and includes anecdotes and stories that spotlight the writers' creative work and their struggle to achieve recognition.

Critic Reviews:

"Combining scholarship with movie lore, Stempel has produced an informative and readable work." (Library Journal)

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Title: TV (the Book)

Subtitle: Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time

Author: Alan Sepinwall, Matt Zoller Seitz

Narrator: Alan Sepinwall, Matt Zoller Seitz

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-06-16

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 147 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

Is The Wire better than Breaking Bad? Is Cheers better than Seinfeld? What's the best high school show ever made? Why did Moonlighting really fall apart? Was the Arrested Development Netflix season brilliant or terrible?

For 20 years - since they shared a TV column at Tony Soprano's hometown newspaper - critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz have been debating these questions and many more, but it all ultimately boils down to this:

What's the greatest TV show ever?

That debate reaches an epic conclusion in TV (the Book). Sepinwall and Seitz have identified and ranked the 100 greatest scripted shows in American TV history. Using a complex, obsessively all-encompassing scoring system, they've created a pantheon of top TV shows, each accompanied by essays delving into what made these shows great. From vintage classics like The Twilight Zone and I Love Lucy to modern masterpieces like Mad Men and Friday Night Lights, from huge hits like All in the Family and ER to short-lived favorites like Firefly and Freaks and Geeks, TV (the Book) brings the triumphs of the small screen together in one amazing compendium.

Sepinwall and Seitz's argument has ended. Now it's time for yours to begin!

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Critic Reviews:

"I hate Top Ten lists and am existentially opposed to numerically rating television shows, so this book is my worst nightmare! You should buy it anyway, because Alan and Matt are shrewd, witty, and insightful critics, even if they are wrong about Cheers being better than 30 Rock." (Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker )

"In the same way so many of us made Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide or Pauline Kael's or David Thomson's review collections our film bibles, readers will be poring over this magnificent volume for years to come." (Megan Abbott, best-selling author of The Fever and You Will Know Me)

"What fun to dive into a book that not only inspires but invites debate over your favorite TV shows. Which ones truly deserve to be in the Pantheon? Which ones did or didn't make the cut? Any book that celebrates everything from The Sopranos to Rocky and Bullwinkle gets my attention...and deserves yours." (Leonard Maltin, film critic/historian)

Members Reviews:

Ambitious work

I admire these guys for tackling this subject and having the gumption to rank them. If you haven't seen some of the shows in the top 5 of their list, their initial debate over which deserves to be crowned king gets tedious. But then the fun begins.

I enjoyed the essays for helping me recall forgotten shows, learning why some must-see shows were great, reinforcing why I loved other series, and viewing some from a different angle.

They make the disclaimer from the beginning that this list was hardly definitive. It's a jumping off point for more discussion. They encourage people to bring up the shows they didn't mention. Ahem... Avatar the Last Airbender, and leaving Shogun and V out of their list of great mini-series. I remember those series taking over lunchroom and family conversations.

The lists of best/worse TV bosses to work for, best TV houses, best cliffhangers are the cherries in the fruit cup.

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Title: Game of Thrones

Subtitle: A Family History, Volume I

Author: History of Thrones

Narrator: Phillip J. Mather

Format: Unabridged

Length: 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-22-16

Publisher: Brian Green

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

A Game of Thrones is one of the most popular and successful fantasy fiction series in the world to date. With the success of the novels came a widely-loved television series. While you might be a loyal fan of the books, the show, or both - do you know all about the history of the leading families? This book aims to thoroughly detail the early history of the houses Targaryen, Stark, and Lannister, including how they first rose to power, and what happened in the years leading up to the beginning of the Game of Thrones story. Of the houses of the Seven Kingdoms, the great houses have the most power. In the past, they were largely royalty, but have sworn to the Iron Throne since then. Do you know how the Targaryens first took control of the land of the Seven Kingdoms? Follow the tale of Aegon the Conqueror, and learn how he used his peoples' might to force a union of the kingdoms. You will follow the story of the dragons, and find out how they came to be killed off, leaving the Targaryens vying for power with the other houses. Despite their great conquests, they too are among the houses who play the game of thrones, attempting to restore their name to glory. And what of the Starks, who were once the Kings of Winter, ruling over the North. They fought off advances from invaders and remained in power for thousands of years. How did they come to lose their hold over their kingdom, to become only wards? And what happened to turn Lord Eddard away from his caring of the throne? The Lannisters of Casterly Rock were the Kings of the Rock at one time. Ever since the legendary Lann the Clever took it for himself through trickery, they have been rich and powerful. These people of the First Men used marriage and alliances to strengthen their hold over their neighbors. But their insidious tactics worked to bring an Andal to be the ruling Lannister. Learn more in this book!

Members Reviews:

Don't Waste Your Time or Money

This is a fairly brief and basic overview of several major houses. I was expecting something a bit more in depth. It is slightly informative, but call me a grammar nazi, it has quite a bit of grammatical and spelling errors. Proofread much? It is also deceiving. The Game of Thrones content ends halfway through the book. Then some other content about the Dalai Llama that is not advertised begins. I feel like I wasted $3 and was rather unimpressed with this material.

Waste of Time!

52 percent poorly written and no research on GoT. The remaining is off topic 100 percent! Complete waste of time!

Not for Readers of the Novels

Not much new in this "book"! If you've read the novels, don't buy this very short book.

False advertising loaded with fake reviews

Utter hogwash concerning George R. R. Martin's seminal work, GOT/ASOIF with info clearly scraped from the Internet (freely availble) and of poor quality to boot. To add insult to injury, in the past three days the book has received no less than 17 beaming reviews (many appearing to come from non-native English speakers) vaguely applauding the book's merits while failing, oddly enough, to mention that half of the book's content is a pamphlet concerning the Dalai Lama.

False advertising on Amazon.

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Title: Kubrick's Code

Subtitle: An Examination of Illuminati & Occult Symbolism in Stanley Kubrick's Films

Author: Isaac Weishaupt

Narrator: Isaac Weishaupt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 08-04-16

Publisher: Isaac Weishaupt

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

In this book, author and independent researcher Isaac Weishaupt presents conspiracy theories and analysis from Stanley Kubrick's most popular films - 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut. Learn all about the conspiracy theory of the secret message Kubrick tried to convey about the occult and the Illuminati before his untimely passing. This book lays out examples of scenes and covertly placed messages and themes within Kubrick's films that support the idea that he was privy to the Illuminati secret agenda. From MKULTRA mind-control programming to NASA faking the moon landing to occult and Illuminati goddess worship, this book will forever change the way Kubrick's films are viewed.

Members Reviews:

Becoming a huge fan of his work

Love his work. I have been absorbing all of his YouTubeChannel and now his books

Just conspiracy theories

The theories they explain are vague and require a great deal of faith in their research. Undoubtedly some notes are true but the few true ones are seriously outweighed by the ones with no cohesive structure or the ones with improper timetables or the ones with massive speculative leaps or the ones that just don't make sense.

I find it ironic that conspiracy theories often require blind trust

I hoped for much more.

kubrick did not fake the moon landing. All time spent on that topic was wasted.

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Title: Ink Spots

Author: Brian McDonald

Narrator: Matt Armstrong

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-20-16

Publisher: Open Book Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

Ink Spots is a collection of brief but powerful essays on writing, story structure and filmmaking by award-winning writer/director/producer Brian McDonald. With inspiring wit and wisdom, he will not only teach you how to be a better writer, but a more observant person and a better student in any field. You'll find yourself uncontrollably thinking deep thoughts about writing, film or anything else you are passionate about in life. Foreword by Glen Keane.

Members Reviews:

THE BEST OF THE BEST

I never review my purchases but Brian Mc Donald deserves it. Ive read tons of books on screenwriting and writing over the past 10 years and this guy is one of the rare few who knows what he's talking about.

His other books, The Golden Theme and Invisible Ink are stellar and this is right up there. Brians focus is "storytelling" not just writing and thats what separates him from the rest. The book is a collection of blog posts about the craft of storytelling and is meant to be used as more of a guide rather than a dogmatic formula that the other guru's teach. In fact there is no formula at all, just the substance of story and how to make one.

Usual Brian McDonald Insight and Brilliance

Just about anything Brian McDonald writes is worth reading and this book is no exception. If you've already readInvisible InkandThe Golden Themeand you're hungry for more, this is the perfect follow-up. If you haven't read those books, yet, I'd recommend starting there and moving onto this volume.

Of course, to be fair and to be clear, these essays are a compilation of posts from Brian's Invisible Ink blog, so there's a chance you may have already read some of this material if you've been following him for a while. Keep that in mind if it's something that'll bother you. Then again, most of Brian's stuff stands up to repeated readings and there's plenty of good stuff here that you may have missed the first time around, so it really shouldn't bother you.

Bottom Line: If you're a fan of Brian McDonald, this is a book worth getting.

Fascinating, and not just for film buffs

This was my first exposure to McDonald's work, but I really liked what he has to say. He really puts his finger on what's wrong with today's movies: too many of them don't bother to tell a story. Again and again, he makes the case for STORY, but somehow he never gets strident or preachy. In short essays (excuse me, blog posts), he shows what we get with the great films and don't get with the CGI-heavy blockbusters: a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. I never understood the three-act structure before, but he makes it crystal clear.

There's also a terrific life lesson in stories he tells: if you want to be good at something, learn everything you can from the people who came before you. That's not just screenwriting, obviously.

My own rating system assigns 4 stars to a book that I'll want to read again, and this one qualifies. McDonald's style is clear and engaging, he says what he has to say without wasting words, and what he has to say is worth hearing.

Story Telling Insights

Brian McDonald's approach to writing made sense. His encouragement to go ahead and write, expect it to be bad, and write a lot of bad things knowing that an artist does a lot of less than perfect work before he creates anything others can enjoy.

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Title: The Walking Dead: Complete Summary

Author: Nicholas Voth

Narrator: Kevin Theis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-18-16

Publisher: Smartbios

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

Would you like to listen to the entire Walking Dead series, instead of watching it? Now you can. I have compiled every important detail, every event, and every twist into this clear and concise book. I hope you enjoy my work. Thank you for your support.

Members Reviews:

Sloppy

I heard at least one incorrect description of event where Dale was killed when trying to warn others of several walkers. Also, narrator made verbal mistake and instead of redoing this part it went ... "he was trying to kill him" then noise made to indicate error were made then fingers snapping and added after that "he was trying to kill her" I found it to show very little experienced narrator, something I would expect on YouTube not Audibles.

Also, the title is, "The Walking Dead Complete Summary" this leads me to believe just that, the entire summary. This audible was released late 2016 so I would expect at least season 7 to be included and it is not. I did not see in the description any information in which any seasons are listed so I was lead to believe COMPLETE SUMMARY.. although some information was good to refresh me, a lot of key highlights were missing and overall I was disappointed and would not purchase another one from this narrator in the future

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Title: Seinfeldia

Subtitle: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything

Author: Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

Narrator: Christina Delaine

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-05-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 406 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, TV & Film

Publisher's Summary:

Comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld never thought anyone would watch their silly little sitcom about a New York comedian sitting around talking to his friends. NBC executives didn't think anyone would watch either, but they bought it anyway, hiding it away in the TV dead zone of summer. But against all odds, viewers began to watch, first a few and then many, until nine years later nearly 40 million Americans were tuning in weekly.

In Seinfeldia, acclaimed TV historian and entertainment writer Jennifer Keishin Armstrong celebrates the creators and fans of this American television phenomenon. She brings listeners behind the scenes of the show while it was on the air and into the world of devotees for whom it never stopped being relevant, a world where the Soup Nazi still spends his days saying, "No soup for you!", Joe Davola gets questioned every day about his sanity, Kenny Kramer makes his living giving tours of New York sights from the show, and fans dress up in Jerry's famous puffy shirt, dance like Elaine, and imagine plotlines for Seinfeld if it were still on TV.

Critic Reviews:

"Armstrong offers a masterly look at one of the greatest shows." (

Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

This bad narration is making me thirsty...

Before buying this audiobook I read the reviews and noticed a lot of negative comments about the narration. So as I began listening, I was scratching my head trying to work out what people could be so annoyed by as the narration seemed fine to me. It wasn't until the narrator begins to quote people or, even worse re-enact scenes from Seinfeld that I got the full force of some very bad narration. Every male voice by this female narrator comes across as a fat neanderthal buffoon, while her impersonation of Julia Louis Dreyfus / Elaine is cringeworthy.

If you can get past this, there is some interesting trivia about the creation of the show, the writers, and of course the actors (major and minor) and Seinfeld and Larry David. Probably a little too much importance is attached to some bizarre Seinfeld related crazes that have sprung up in the years since the show ended, including a completely unnecessary and boring account of a few faux Seinfeld twitter accounts that I doubt anyone has ever heard of. The last half an hour or so of the audiobook can be skipped and you won't miss anything except for a brief mention of the Jerry / George Super Bowl ad right in the final few minutes of the audiobook.

If you really liked Seinfeld and are interested in a peek behind the scenes, this is a mostly interesting book and has a few nice moments of reminiscence, and for that its worth the listen - if you can get past the terrible narration.

Pretty Decent

I really liked the content, narration was great, but it could have ended about 2 hours earlier....too much post show discussion.

great story wrong voice.

just had a hard time listening to the narrator trying to do male voices. ouch.

great rehashing of show

loved it. the reader is unfairly treated in reviews.