Movies Books

Since I am a fan of military films and war movies, I grabbed this book right away. I was pleased to see that the author included many details of each film in addition to production notes and trivia on many of them as well. As a film collector, this book will be a great resource for researching military films and their history. It will be appreciated by anyone who has served in the military as well as film students or film enthusiasts.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST HK MOVIE GUIDE OF ITS KIND!!!
THE BIBLE OF KUNG FU MOVIES!

The movie descriptions in this book are very well done and truly accurate. The biographies that are included add to the enjoyment of the movies because they make us feel like we really know the stars. I highly recommend The Family Guide to help families find many hours of good entertainment for all ages!

This book was great. The stars in the book were very candid and insightful. I was encouraged by the way that everyone in the book made it seem so easy to get in shape and stay healthy. I would definently recommend this to anyone who is new to getting and staying in shape.

Maio, takes the movie review out of the common daily paper and into the thinking woman's world. Her vision of movies can be startling, unsettling but always eye and mind opening. A must read for feminists and other's who need to be feminists.

Take a gathering of classic movie posters from the Reel Poster Gallery collection, narrow the focus to film posters of the 1930s for maximum exposure, and cover films which helped alleviate the miseries of the Great Depression, then packaging it in an oversized paperback and you have Film Posters of the 1930s: The Essential Movies of the Decade, a work of art in and of itself. Over a hundred pages provide full-color reproductions of said posters, creating a book which excels in attractive presentation and reproductive quality.

Just think about it - what are the movies you enjoy watching over and over again? "Casablanca" will probably top most lists. Which movie does your family gather to watch each holiday season? The feel-good "It's A Wonderful Life," of course. "Citizen Kane" is probably in the running for one of your all-time favorites, as is "Gilda" with an unforgettable performance by Rita Hayworth.

As you may know, all of these films are from the 40s, often called the golden age of Hollywood. And now, in this collectible volume are found the stunning movie posters that served as advertisements in those days. There's "Key Largo" with Bogart and Bacall about to lock lips; "The Maltese Falcon" boasting the sinister stare of Peter Lorre, and what was steamier than "The Postman always Rings Twice" with Lana Turner and John Garfield?

"Film Posters of the 40s" holds 118 full color illustrations of these posters highlighting your favorite stars in their most memorable roles. It's a must-have for film and entertainment buffs.

- Gail Cooke

Veteran film critic Jay Boyar has written a bright and breezy book that will appeal to travelers and film buffs alike. The conceit, summed up in the subtitle "100 Memorable Movies for Travelers and Others," is devilishly clever.

Boyar has selected a very eclectic bunch of films and slotted them into 40 different categories. Part One is for broad, general categories like "Business Trips" and Travel with Friends," Part Two focuses on U.S. destinations, and Part Three goes on a whirlwind trip around the globe.

For each category, Boyar selects anywhere from one to four films that, in his estimation, reflect the essence of the theme or place. He makes the interesting choice to pick films that somehow capture the "soul" or the "idea" of the place rather than films that serve as travelogues.

So "The Maltese Falcon" (which, as Boyar notes, was shot on a backlot in Hollywood) typifies San Francisco, while "Sunset Boulevard" personifies Hollywood. And he's right on the money in both cases. Still, I was sorry to see that he omitted "Bullitt," with its thrilling, if somewhat discombobulating, San Francisco car chases.

I have quibbles about other choices as well. "Some Like It Hot" (one of my all-time faves) for South Florida? It might better exemplify Chicago. Or even train travel!

I was sorry that no foreign cities were included. ("Amalie" and "Breathless" for Paris?). And nothing says Japan to me like a Kurosawa film. I also thought the "The Snapper" (another fave) was a less than ideal choice for Ireland. What about "The Commitments," "The Field," "Into The West," or even "The Quiet Man"?

So if I have so many nits to pick, why did I give this book five stars? Because that's part of the fun of "Films To Go." This is a book to have a conversation with, a book to argue with, a book to inspire you to create your own list of favorite flicks for the categories Boyar provides.

I also enjoy Boyar's no-nonsense take on films. He used to be the movie critic for the "Orlando Sentinel" and on my frequent business trips there I always looked forward to his no b.s. opinions on the latest multiplex fare. Boyar is a fan, with none of the pretentiousness that big city movie reviewers too often fall prey to. Even if I quibbled with his choice of a film for a given category, I usually found his short review (another nice thing about the book) right on the money.

If you love films and like to travel, stick this one in your kit bag.

Barbara Mraz's book, 'Finding Faith at the Movies', is a practical guide for ministry with an important and influential aspect of the media. Movies have strong impact on the psyche of people in today's society - some films have enough influence to change public policy, change popular perception, or even create cultural change on a significant scale. How can this medium be used in service of the faith concerns of the community?

Mraz has written this book for both group leaders and those looking for individual insight and guidance. She addresses the concerns of many groups, which is that it is often too much of a time (and stamina) commitment to watch a 2-hour film and then have substantial discussion about it. She proposes concentrating on selected pieces or storylines, which can be shown in brief, and members of the group can (individually or severally) watch the film before or after the discussions.

Mraz provides guiding questions for conversation, suggested themes for consideration, background material on the films, relevant scriptural passages, as well as suggestions for further reflection. She includes DVD and VCR counter numbers to facilitate the scene-sequence process (and discusses the legal issues involved in showing films to groups and/or copying sequences of scenes onto other tapes).

Mraz has selected twelve films (for those who might want a monthly movie group, this would provide a year's worth of material). This centre around themes such as sacrifice, envy, forgiveness, repentance, temptation, disappointment, gratitude, and more. The films included in this series are the following:

Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Contact (1997)
A River Runs Through It (1992)
Quiz Show (1994)
The Music Box (1990)
Amadeus (1984)
Shadowlands (1993)
Smoke Signals (1998)
American Beauty (1999)
Dead Man Walking (1995)
The Prince of Tides (1991)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Many of these films are known well enough by many people that a good discussion can be held by people remembering the films and having refreshed insights based on the suggested film clips. Mraz' synopses and background information pieces are well written (not done as film reviews as much as essays written toward the spiritual focus of the book's purpose).

This is a very useful book. For those who like movies, this can give insight in a new way of viewing. For those who seek meaningful activities for youth and adults, this book gives good suggestions and practical guidelines.

A very worthwhile text.

Flashback by Gilian Rubinstein is a thrilling epic of a young man whose travels unintentionally lead the two into the world of filmmaking and mystery where good cannot be differed from evil, bringing the reader frantically through Flashback, searching for clues as the tale twists and turns leading to an unanticipated end. Very highly recommended, especially for school and community library audiobook collections for young listeners.