Britney Spears: Stages with DVD
by Sheryl Berk
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Book Summary Information
Author: Sheryl BerkEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-12
ISBN: 097245750X
Number of pages: 104
Publisher: NVU Editions/Team Power Publishing
Book Reviews of Britney Spears: Stages with DVD
Book Review: Desperately Needs More Text!
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me get my point across. This is a very good Britney Spears product. Coming from a die-hard Britney fan, maybe I am a little biased, but the truth of the matter is that this book is good...but that's as far as it goes. Living in the UK, this book was never officially released, so I had to order it from Amazon.co.uk, as it was the only place I knew that sold it. I was really looking forward to watching the DVD. What I didn't know is that this edition was obviously an American import, so the DVD only works on Region 1 (America/Canada) DVD's. I don't have a multi-region DVD player, and seeing as though I'm not going to buy one just for the sake of this DVD anytime soon, the DVD in this book will simply just sit there, collecting dust...
The first thing you'll notice about Stages is the sheer size and weight of the book. Measuring 28 cm x 35 cm, the book has a total of 101 pages printed on proper paper - the thick kind that's quite heavy.
Upon opening Stages, you'll discover some fantastic photographs by the superb photographer Sheryl Berk. Firstly, we have a cartoon image in an expressionist style of Britney walking down a street, getting into a taxi cab with the covers of her first three albums (Baby One More Time, Oops!...I Did It Again, Britney) in a shop window. This feature fills two pages, followed by another excellent cartoon style image of Britney with many other cartoon drawings and silhouettes of the icon in many different poses. Again, this is great. We then get a double page spread of a black background with thumbnail shots of Britney in most of her videos. Videos that are the subject of this feature include Baby One More Time, Sometimes, (You Drive Me) Crazy, Born To Make You Happy, From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart, Oops!...I Did It Again, Lucky, Stronger, Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know, I'm A Slave 4 U, Overprotected and I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman.
Over the next 100 pages, we have amazing pictures of Britney on stage at her groundbreaking Dream Within A Dream Tour. Some of the best pictures from this concert include one of Britney with her arms above her head in her I'm A Slave 4 U gear, flashing the flesh and looking the total sex symbol that she is, while another section shows her practising bungee-jumping for a scene in the show, before you turn the page to find her doing the actual thing on stage! In between all of these remarkable and colourful images, there are black and white pictures of Britney posing especially for the production of this book. The highlights include one of Britney sitting on a window ledge a few floors up, sitting on her bed yawning and just having a laugh. The title of the book is "Stages," and Berk captures this perfectly with almost identical pictures of Britney in the stages of which she cavorts on stage in either dance moves or hand gestures.
All these pictures are great, but the book really begins to fall apart when it comes to the text. There is simply not enough writing in this book to make it readable. As tradition goes with Spears books, we get the usually rant from Britney's family members about how amazing, talented, beautiful, down-to-earth and wonderful she is. While I don't doubt this for a second, the people who say these things must do, as they wouldn't feel the need to reinforce it. They probably only have to do so because of the unfair reputation Britney has by all her haters. For this fact, I feel deeply sorry for Britney; she seems like a decent and sorted girl who knows what she wants from life, and people just criticise her for everything she does because of her staggering success, immense wealth and international superstardom.
The writing sections of Stages are widely dispersed around the book, with contributions from Britney's younger sister Jamie-Lynn, Britney's best friend Laura Lynne, Britney's Auntie Sandra and Uncle Reggie Covington and finally, the most important people to Britney in the world; her mum (or mom) Lynne and her dad Jamie. The writing sections are OK as individuals, but the book on the whole needs far more information. Finally, we get a written section from Britney in which she tells it how it is, addresses her critics, and talks about this book and the experience of producing it with Sheryl Berk.
OVERALL GRADE: 8/10
When you first get this book, you'll be frantic as you search desperately for the DVD, but there's no need to fret; it's contained on the back pages, covered in a thin sheet of polystyrene to stop it from being damaged. I don't suppose it really matters to me...I'll never get to see it because my DVD player's only a Region 2...damn! Also on the final pages, we get a written description of how this book came about from Jim Forni, President and Publisher of NVU Productions; the guys who made this book. All in all, this is a good book, but only for real Britney fans.
Summary of Britney Spears: Stages with DVD
After years of intense scrutiny under the media's microscope, pop icon Britney Spears takes a step back to reflect. The result is a collectible book and DVD set, a personal gift from Britney to her millions of fans to mark her 21st birthday. Much more than a kid's keepsake, the set is a beautifully designed commemorative piece and an ideal gift for the holidays. The Book Four of the world's leading photographers [Jim Luning, Howard Rosenberg, Marc Serota, Jeff Sciortino] capture Britney in full colour and intimate black and white. Original photography of Britney onstage and backstage will be contrasted with images of her in her limited personal time, a view rarely seen and shared. Bestselling author Sheryl Berk compiles stories from Britney and the people who are closest to her. The DVD An unprecedented all-access glimpse of Britney, captured by legendary documentarian Albert Maysles [Gimme Shelter], shot during the final leg of her 2002 world tour and culminating in her dramatic experiences performing in Mexico City.Music Books
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