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233 results for “book”
Method Acting Books (Strasberg + Chekhov Collection)
My personal copies of Strasberg's Dream of Passion and Chekhov's To the Actor. Annotated in my handwriting. These are the two books that made me a real actress instead of just a movie star. Read both -- they contradict each other and that's the point.
Autobiography Collection (The Measure of a Man + This Life)
Both my memoirs. The Measure of a Man won the Grammy for spoken word. This Life tells the full story -- Cat Island, the tomato fields, dishwashing in Harlem, and every role that mattered. Read them in order.
Public Speaking Masterclass -- The Voice That Cannot Be Ignored
Whether you're addressing a boardroom or a protest march, your voice must carry conviction. I'll teach you pacing, breath control, and how to land a sentence so it stays in the room after you've left. Harry and I spoke at the March on Washington. The microphone helps, but the message does the work.
Samurai Screen Combat Workshop -- The Way of the Blade
Katana work for film. Proper draw, strike, and resheath. We use bokken (wooden swords) first, then move to iaito (blunt steel). I'll teach you the difference between real kenjutsu and what looks good on camera. Kurosawa insisted on realism -- the audience can feel a fake swing. Tip: Speed comes from relaxation, not tension.
Bokken Set (Oak Practice Swords, Pair)
Two red oak bokken -- standard katana length. These are the training weapons I used before every Kurosawa film. They teach you distance, timing, and respect for the blade. Tip: If you're gripping too tight, you're already losing.
Physical Acting Masterclass -- The Body Tells the Story
I never went to acting school. I learned by doing. My body was my instrument -- the way I scratched, squatted, spat, laughed. Kurosawa once told me to watch how animals move. A tiger doesn't announce itself. It moves, and you KNOW it's a tiger. We work on physicality, gesture, and primal energy.
Samurai Armor Set (Reproduction Do, Kabuto, Menpo)
Full reproduction samurai armor: chest plate (do), helmet (kabuto), and face guard (menpo). I wore gear like this in Throne of Blood and Samurai Trilogy. It changes how you stand, walk, and breathe. Tip: Wear it for an hour before filming -- let your body adapt so the armor disappears.
Watercolor & Ink Set (Kurosawa's Storyboard Kit)
Professional watercolor set, sumi ink, and 50 sheets of storyboard paper with the frame templates I used. This is the exact setup for the Ran storyboards now in museums. Tip: Use big brushes. Small brushes make you fussy. Cinema is bold.
Kurosawa Film Library (Criterion Collection Box Set)
Twenty-five films on Blu-ray. Rashomon through Madadayo. Every film has commentary tracks and my own notes. Watch them in order and you'll see an artist evolve over fifty years. Start with Stray Dog if you want noir. Start with Ikiru if you want to cry.
Suspense Filmmaking Masterclass -- The Bomb Under the Table
I'll teach you to terrify an audience without showing them anything. We study the shower scene in Psycho (70 cuts, no knife-on-skin contact), the crop duster in North by Northwest (silence is scarier than music), and the dinner party in Rope (one continuous take). Tip: Always give the audience more information than the characters have. That's where suspense lives.
Hitchcock/Truffaut (First Edition, Hardcover)
The definitive book on filmmaking. Truffaut asked me 500 questions over five days. Every answer is a masterclass. This is the first American edition, 1967. Dog-eared at the Vertigo chapter because everyone always goes there first.
Photography Fundamentals -- Seeing Before Shooting
I was a Look Magazine photographer before I was a filmmaker. Still photography teaches you composition in ways no film school can. One frame. One moment. No second chances. We shoot on the street with 35mm cameras. Tip: The subject is never the subject. The LIGHT on the subject is the subject.
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