Hollywood Frame by Frame by Karina Longworth. Princeton Architectural Press, 208 pages, $35.
There was a time when Hollywood studios maintained their own photo studios and staff to produce the necessary glamour images they needed to promote their movies. In the early years this meant separate photo sessions in full costume and makeup using large format cameras. As technology introduced smaller and more mobile cameras the type of studio image changed too. By the '60s the 35mm camera was now accepted along with 2 1/4 format for this work and more spontaneous photos became the norm.
Throughout this era of film cameras the contact sheet was the standard medium for viewing the images. This sheet allowed you to see the entire roll of film reproduced onto one page. It is this contact sheet that is the vehicle for the behind the scenes look offered in this book.
Movies dating back to The African Queen in 1951 all the way forward to The Crow in 1994 are presented in chronological order. Through the images on the contact sheets we see not just the publicity photos but also those pictures taken when the cast was relaxing together or those moments when the actors confer with the director. Accompanying the images is background information that fills in the blanks on the history of that production.
Whether it is Tippi Hedren talking about being terrorized by Alfred Hitchcock in the making of The Birds or a young Madonna on the set of Desperately Seeking Susan, we are witness to important moments in careers and filmmaking.
The insight into the 71 films that are featured makes for fascinating reading and is a terrific addition to the often-unguarded moments that are captured on film.
The Who The What and The When by Jenny Volvoski, Julia Rothman and Matt Lamothe, Chronicle Books, 168 pages, $29.95.
History is filled with famous people who would not have been so successful without the aid of another person, who generally remains in the shadows. These unsung supporters are given the spotlight in this entertaining historical revisit.
Some are obvious choices: parents, wives and partners whose role may not have been given much attention but nonetheless were instrumental in those breakthroughs. But there are many others who laboured tirelessly behind the scenes towards a common goal that brought fame to only one. Their unwavering support is fascinating reading and is presented in a condensed single page version. Accompanying each description is an illustration of them, with a different artist providing the artwork for all of the 65 featured profiles.
The famous subjects are drawn from all walks of life; Coco Chanel, Walt Disney, George Washington, Gertrude Stein, the Rolling Stones, and dozens more fill the pages as we discover who really were the ones who helped along the way.
The Grumpy Cat Guide to Life, Chronicle Books, 112 pages, $15.95.
Preaching from his Internet pulpit, Grumpy Cat has developed an enormous following. Sending out the opposite message of all the self-help gurus, Grumpy Cat wants you to embrace your inner grumpiness and tell the world to stop bothering you.
With daily grump posts, gift cards, puppets, books, calendars, Grumpy Cat is everywhere. Speaking out for everyone who has had enough sermons on happiness and better living this feline plants the seeds of discontent wherever possible.
Quotes like "Strangers are just enemies you haven't met yet" or "When writing your own life story, be the villain" clearly outline the Grumpy Cat view on life.
Even the weather is given a swipe with comments like "Snow is Nature's Way of saying 'go back inside and get in bed, you idiot."
Zombies Have Issues by Greg Stones, Chronicle Books, 64 pages, $11.95.
It's not all murder, mayhem and other fun stuff for the undead. Zombies have their own set of problems. In this follow up to his earlier book, Zombies Hate Stuff, Greg Stones has created a new set of colourful illustrations to show us why it can be a challenge to shuffle through the world coping with what used to be normal activities. Only a zombie will have to worry about losing an arm that's attached to helium balloons or getting literally tied up into knots doing yoga.
Stones does suggest some of the things that a modern zombie would enjoy, so it's not all about lost body parts. Filled with sympathetic humour for the walking dead, we are given a different perspective on the shuffling horde.
