major film

Major Human Body Systems (Skeletal, Respiratory, Muscular, Nervous, Ciruclatory) White Wood-Mounted Art Poster Print - 24" X 36"
$99.99
This poster says at the top "Major Human Body Systems". It shows labeled diagrams of five systems: Skeletal System, Respiratory System, Muscular System, Nervous System, and Circulatory System. This poster measures approx. 24" x 36" The skeletal system provides a strong, internal framework that supports the body. The respiratory system consists of the airways, the lungs, and the respiratory muscles. The muscular system is the biological system of an organism that allows it to move. The nervous system is a highly specialized tissue network. The circulatory system (or cardiovascular system) is an organ system that moves nutrients, gases, and wastes to and from cells.

The Official World Series Film Collection
$229.95
Over the past few years, A&E has released numerous collections of World Series films that have left a few of them out. Most notably, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1971, 1979 and 1995 were never rereleased on DVD. They are finally out in this Book/DVD combo. The book itself, while very short, is a great coffee table book. The 20 discs sit comfortably inside the book. Another huge improvement, especially for those that had the previous World Series film DVDs is that all of the films themselves have chapters so it is easy to navigate between the different games. These are all of the films that were originally released immediately after each World Series, so the 1946 film is in black and white with very little graphics and no interviews while the 2008 film is much longer with interviews, extensive highlights, etc. I would highly recommend this set, even though it is rather pricey.

Introduction to Film Criticism: Major Critical Approaches to Narrative Film
$134.60
This is perhaps the best writing guide to film criticism presently available, but at $130.00 list I'd only recommend buying a used copy.

I wish this book were available at a reasonable price, but like most Longman titles it's ridiculously expensive. If it were cheaper, I'd require this for my own film classes. The only serious competitor, to my mind, is Timothy Corrigan's "A Short Guide to Writing about Film" (also an over-priced Longman title).

"An Introduction to Film Criticism" is divided into 7 chapters (each devoted to a different critical approach--including journalistic, humanist, auteurist, genre, social science, historical, and ideological/theoretical approaches) and an appendix with sample essays. Each chapter begins with a "capsule" summary identifying the audience, subject, function, writers, and publications typical of each approach. Every chapter proceeds to provide a short history/overview of each approach as well as guidelines and examples of writing within each area and varied discussions of each approach's aims and merits. The book concludes with an appendix containing samples of actual reviews and essays from each approach, a short chronology of film reviewing, criticism and theory, a bibliography and a glossary.

In short, this is an excellent book that covers virtually every topic an introduction to writing about film should contain--and then some. The only possible faults I could find with the text per se are that it contains very few illustrations and it is not as lively as it could be. But those minor criticisms aside, were it not priced at $130.00 I would heartily recommend it without reservation. As is, I can only recommend buying a used copy--of which, thankfully, there are many available (at this writing).

Major Dundee
$9.98
This is a highly romantic soundtrack. It captures the essence of director Sam Peckinpah's Westerns very intuitively. The best of Peckinpah's Westerns were concerned with characters that outlived their time and era and were trapped in new surroundings in which they did not fit and could not escape except by some extraordinary act of catharsis. Daniele Amfitheatrof's score for MAJOR DUNDEE truly reflected Peckinpah's sentiments. On one hand you have the traditional and sentimental DUNDEE MARCH that immortalizes and evokes images of a grand cavalry brigade. Many of the instrumental tracks on this soundtrack counter this grand image with elegiac passages and fleeting moments of melancholy for lost glory and for changing times. For the Confederacy, Captain Benjamin Tyreen's act of bravery, heroism and sacrifice is perhaps one of the South's last gasps at a gallantry to be lost forever. Amfitheatrof's soundtrack captures these moments so endearingly here.