Scandinavias foremost living auteur and the catalyst of the Dogme95 movement; Lars von Trier is arguably world cinemas most confrontational and polarizing figure. Willfully devastating audiences; he takes risks few filmmakers would conceive; mounting projects that somehow transcend the grand follies they narrowly miss becoming. Challenging conventional limitations and imposing his own rules; he restlessly reinvents the film language. The Danish director has therefore cultivated an insistently transnational cinema; taking inspiration from sources that range from the European avant-garde to American genre films.
#3387296 in eBooks 2014-03-27 2014-03-27File Name: B00MNEDN46
Review
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Theater Geek is FABULOUS!By David QuinnMickey so carefully captures the history of Stagedoor Manor that I actually had to put the book down at one point because I was crying. Its a carefully written; thoughtfully constructed love letter to Stagedoor Manor - the greatest performing arts camp in the world!From the playwright/performer Charles Busch to playwright Nicky Silver to composer Jeanine Tesori to actors Robert Downey Jr; Jon Cryer; and Natalie Portman -- Mickey carefully lays out the history of Stagedoors creation...and then gives us all an inside peek at a summer at Stagedoor Manor.I cant (and wont) hide how much I love this book! Its just beautiful!BUY IT for any kid who has ever loved theater!28 of 29 people found the following review helpful. We all threatened to "write the book"...By Michael D. Larsen...but Mickey Rapkin got the honor; and he got it right.As a key member of the staff at Stagedoor Manor for 24 years (1979-2002); I can tell you that the number of times I heard the phrase; "God; you could write a book about this place" was rivaled only by the number of lifelong relationships I found there. In "Theater Geek;" Mickey has found the true heart of the place I still think of as home. He wisely observes the welcoming warmth and generosity of spirit that makes Stagedoor Stagedoor. It would have been so easy to have made this book a collection of gossipy and bitchy anecdotes. Mickey mostly eschews these in favor of some insightful and very true observations on the homey; down-to-earth and all-embracing world that Stagedoor creates for its collection of misfits known as theater geeks. I mean; there are enough edgy anecdotes to keep you laughing; but Mickey understands that the place didnt and doesnt operate on cynicism and rivalry. It operates on people of a mutual quirk - love of theater - who come together for the summer each year; leaving behind their misunderstanding school; and sometimes; home lives. They come to a non-judgmental and loving place where everyone can find acceptance if they embrace it.If youve never heard of Stagedoor Manor; this book will bring you into a world of achievement; disappointment; soaring emotions; painful laughter; dreams realized and dreams unrequited. You will look at the process of creating theater with a whole new appreciation. You will also be delighted that someone has written something that sings the praises of young people eager to learn; possessed of an extraordinary work-ethic; supportive of each other; and strangely moral; despite plenty of the typical summer camp immoralities!If you are a Stagedoor veteran; you will find out things about the place and the people who made it tick that you likely never knew. You will roar with laughter as favorite anecdotes are finally immortalized in print; and you will shed tears of reminiscence remembering the thrills and emotions that only Stagedoor could evoke.Mickey Rapkin did what we all joked about doing - he "wrote the book". And boy; were all very grateful that he has written a hugely entertaining book that truly does justice to the long and colorful history of Stagedoor Manor.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Theater GeekBy Onyx ParrotThis is a good book -- were not alums of Stage Door Manor and after reading this book and seeing the accompanying documentary; Im not even sure I care to send my kids there. However; the book delivered exactly what I was looking for -- an inside look at what makes the camp tick along with its history. Thats what I wanted -- to know what we were getting into if we do send our children there -- not many summer camps have been written about to this extent.That said; I wouldnt exactly call it a page turner on its own. None of the stories included are overly compelling and this is after all; just a summer camp -- in the end not so terribly unlike other summer camps; except that talent scouts might attend your kids show. If my kids werent thinking about Stage Door manor as an option I probably wouldnt have stuck with it; but considering their interest; I figured it was worth giving it a go until the last page.I give it a true thumbs up for parents considering the camp and heck; Id even give it a moderate thumbs up if youve got the spare time to read it for no reason other than entertainment value.
