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Pedro Almodóvar

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Almodovar on Almodovar Hardcover – January 1, 1996

by Pedro Almodovar (Author), Frederic Strauss (Author, Editor), Yves Baigneres (Translator)

4.5 27 ratings

Part of: Directors on Directors (26 books)

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Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Spanish

Part of series

Directors on Directors
Print length

187 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Faber & Faber
Publication date

January 1, 1996
Dimensions

6.5 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

0571175449
ISBN-13

978-0571175444
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faber & Faber; First Edition (January 1, 1996)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 187 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0571175449
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0571175444
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,056,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,220 in Individual Directors
- #3,498 in Video Direction & Production (Books)
- #3,904 in Movie Direction & Production

Customer Reviews:
4.5 27 ratings

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AB

Excellent, Comprehensive Look into the Mind of a Genius.

Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2010

Verified Purchase

I have had this book for quite some time and I have read it twice. I have been fascinated by Almodovar's work when I first watched All About My Mother. I made sure I purchased or watched any of his movies I could and it's amazing to see the his work evolve from playful and kitsch to classy and brilliant. This book provides insight into his crazy little mind and you get the sense of his ideas and feelings towards specific subjects.
I haven't purchased any other book, so I can only recommend this one and I think it's good enough. Even if you are not a fan of his films you should get it to understand why/how/where everything comes together for him. Once you start reading you will not want to put it down--he's charismatic, funny, and smart. A very good read.

4 people found this helpful

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Rafael N T Piza

Strauss book on Almodóvar

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2019

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Great interview book by Frederic Strauss. Find out everything about Almodóvar.

One person found this helpful

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Alisia Taylor

Does not show all the words

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2023

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No matter what page I go to in the book I am never able to see the full sentence and am sometimes not able to understand what the sentence means.

One person found this helpful

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Claud E. Morris

Fortunate purchase

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2013

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For a film fan with my interests this is a reference book, and I'm glad to have it in my collection.

One person found this helpful

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Elaluf Calderwood

Excellent book

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2009

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If you are into Almodovar and film this is the book for you. I deep insight in the mind of a genius. In his own words and beautifully written. Great book.

2 people found this helpful

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Chris Leidig

Everything You Wanted to Know about Almodovar

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2000

Almodovar became the enfant terrible during the '80s for his outrageous actions on and off the film set. Frederic Strauss's collection of interviews helps to dispel many of the myths surrounding the Almodovar mystique. Almodovar burst on to the scene with "Pepi, Luci, Bom," a film renowned for a woman in it being urinated upon, and Almodovar's films have been doused in controversy ever since. Almodovar points out that he creates characters who live on the fringes of society and rebel against laws and regulations. Yet he does not pick up on the fact that as a homosexual director in the male world of Spanish cinema he works outside of the norms to create his films. Almodovar's comments on film making illuminate the artificial world he creates. Almodovar has refused to acknowledge the remnants of Franco's Spain and builds his narratives without societal contexts. "Law of Desire" takes place in a dizzying world of discos, beaches, and theatres while "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" breaks down the fourth wall by setting some of the action on the set of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." No other director has consistently played with film narrative and conventions as Almodovar does and I wonder if we really need to know the backstage gossip. The truth dispels the myths and I am not sure I want to relinquish the myths. Nonetheless, Almodovar's observations and revelations are fascinating, especially in regards to his actors. He comments that he treats Antonio Banderas like a child in order to get a workable performance out of him. He lectures Victoria Abril on how to say simple phrases like "I love you" and "Have a good day." He became so professionally entangled with Carmen Maura on the making of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" that their occupational divorce made headlines all over Europe. I wonder who this collection of interviews is intended for. As a connoisseur of his films, I relished his delineation of the creative process that goes into the making of his films even when they told many of his secrets. Yet I am in the minority, as many Americans do not even know Almodovar or his films. If they do, it's as a footnote in Antonio Banderas's film bibliography. Potential film directors will salivate over interviews that place a microscope upon the workings of a director. Actors will be fascinated by Almodovar's comments on acting such as when he criticizes Robert DeNiro for showing technique instead of building a character. He prefers the French method of acting where the actor IS the character. He believes that the performances of Antonio Banderas and Carmen Maura in "Law of Desire" are his greatest achievements as a director. Yet, he has been hailed as resurrecting the floundering Spanish film industry with such worldwide hits as "Matador," "Labyrinth of Passion," and "High
Heels." Almodovar has always maintained a love/hate relationship with the Spanish film industry. Almodovar was denied funding for "Matador" due to his critique of the machismo inherent in the world of bullfighting. He linked the violence of bullfighting with the practice of necrophillia infuriating much of the Spanish public although the film was a smashing success. He was again denied funding when the board rejected the homosexual themes that make up "Law of Desire." AIDS activists accused of failing to deal with the disease because he failed to mention it altogether. Almodovar points out that his movies do not exist in a real place and in his world, AIDS does not exist. As with his collection of stories, "Patti Diphusa and Other Stories," Almodovar's interviews have a care-free attitude that is infectious. He discusses all of his eleven films including last year's "The Flower of My Secret" which many critics compared favorably to the women's films of the early '40s. This collection of essays is a gentle kiss harking back to such a magical women.

10 people found this helpful

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Luis Hernandez

All About Almodovar

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2000

Known throughout the world for his unique directorial style and his often absurd characters, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar talks about his films, plots, actors, and other interesting facts that many of his fans knew little about. The book, which is part of series that spotlights many of the world's talented film directors, features Almodovar speaking about many of his films up from "Pepi, Luci, and Bom" to "The Flower of My Secret."
Providing interesting views, facts, and insight on many of his films and actors, there is no one who knows more about Almodovar than the man himself. His discussions are usually very open, especially when discussing several incidents that were high publicized in the European press, mainly his falling out with his most famous actress, Carmen Maura, after the completion of his masterpiece "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." Their professional divorce left Almodovar without a dependable leading lady (feature lead actresses Victoria Abril and Marisa Paredes never could capture Maura's persona) and it marked Maura's somewhat decline in Spanish film (she later went on to do several unsuccessful Spanish films and some television work before moving to France to break into French cinema.).
The book which is out of print is one of the best one-to-one interviews I've ever read. Almodovar's contributions to world cinema are so numerous that they can be all listed here, and his work has opened the door for many other Spanish and Latin American film directors such as Carlos Arau and Bruno Bareto in showing the world that foreign language films can be as professional and productive as any big budget film churned out by Hollywood.
"Almodovar on Almodovar," is a must have for any Almodovar fan and film studies student. An excellent book on one of the world's most gifted directors.

12 people found this helpful

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pioman@geocities.com

The Greatest Book To Get to Know Almodóvar!

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 1998

Frédéric Strauss brings us this amazing piece of work from the hand of Pedro Almodóvar, in which he describes the life: the beggining and the actual work, of the spanish director. He describes what he wants to inspire in his movies and if you have seen them you might get to understand them a little better. If you like this director's movies, you might want to get this book.

10 people found this helpful

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