Saturday, January 30, 2010

Author Appearance: February 23

On Tuesday, February 23 at 2:00pm, Mark Griffin will introduce a screening of Vincente Minnelli's film Gigi at the Auburn Public Library. The library is located at 49 Spring St. in Auburn, Maine.

Mark is a resident of Lewiston, Maine and is the author of the new book A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli. He will provide insight into Minnelli and his films and be on hand after the screening to answer questions about the director.

This screening is part of the library's "Prime Time" initiative. A classic 1950s musical will be featured each Tuesday in February:

February 2 -- An American in Paris
February 9 -- Singin' in the Rain
February 16 -- Brigadoon
February 23 -- Gigi

Reference librarian Steve Bouchard will be at each screening to provide historical context.

Admission: 50 cents
Popcorn and soft drinks will be available.

For more information, call 207-333-6640 extension 5.

Turner Classic Movies features Mark Griffin's new book

Click HERE to go to story.








A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli

Vincente Minnelli’s genius as a film maker is undisputed. The Oscar®-winning director of such cinematic classics as Meet Me in St. Louis, An American in Paris, and Gigi, Minnelli infused his films and their characters with depth and complexity. That Minnelli was also married to Judy Garland (among others) and was Liza Minnelli’s father only added to his notoriety and mystique. Minnelli’s intense privacy regarding his personal life, including his sexuality, has long intrigued film aficionados. Hollywood historians and devotees of his work have interpreted Minnelli’s themes to be at least partly autobiographical, but until now the extent to which Minnelli’s life both shaped and is reflected in his films has remained unsatisfactorily explored.

Mark Griffin became fascinated with Vincente Minnelli and his work in 1984 when he discovered Minnelli’s second to last achievement, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Calling the incident “life-altering,” Griffin committed to piecing together every facet of Minnelli’s life in an effort to understand how his experiences were captured in his richly layered movies. As part of his research, Griffin interviewed over a hundred of the people closest to Minnelli — people whose relationships with him spanned decades and different areas of his life — including actors Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Lauren Bacall, and Angela Lansbury. A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli (Da Capo Press) is the culmination of Griffin’s work — a comprehensive biography that illuminates Minnelli’s subtle, but unmistakable, autobiographical revelations.

Mark Griffin’s essays, film reviews, and reporting have appeared in the Boston Globe, Out, Genre, and in several anthologies. He lives in Lewiston, Maine.

A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli will be available March 1 from bookstores everywhere.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Check out the book jacket for Mark Griffin's new Vincente Minnelli biography

Click on image to enlarge and read back jacket.



“Finally, the definitive biography of Vincente Minnelli. A Hundred or More Hidden Things is much more than an analysis of the director’s work. It is a full-bodied portrait of a most fascinating and complex artist.” ~ Robert Hofler, author of Party Animals and The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson

Pre-order: A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli

Follow this link to pre-order Mark Griffin's new book A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli.

“[A] sharp, forthright, swiftly paced critical biography….Deftly drawing connections between the director’s life and his films, Griffin maintains a difficult balance: he is a fervent but objective critic.” ~ Foster Hirsch, author of Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would Be King

Monday, January 11, 2010

Author Appearance: March 3









WHAT: Mark Griffin will be at The Museum of Modern Art to introduce the screening of Vincente Minnelli's acclaimed adaptation of Madame Bovary. Mark is the author of A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli. Published by Da Capo Press -- Coming March 1.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 3
5:00pm -- Booksigning
6:00pm -- Film Screening

WHERE:
The Museum of Modern Art
The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
11 West 53rd St.
New York, NY

WHY:
Madame Bovary. 1949. USA. Directed by Vincente Minnelli. Screenplay by Robert Ardrey. With Jennifer Jones, James Mason, Van Heflin, Louis Jourdan. Flaubert’s tale of a woman who sacrifices everything for love was filmed earlier by Jean Renoir and later by Claude Chabrol. 115 min.

FMI:
Tickets for film are available at the Museum lobby information desk and at the film desk. More information at this link.