Movies Books

Very good book, one of the most important of the decade. Segments on DAUGHTER OF THE GODS (1916) and THE CASE OF LENA SMITH (1929) especially interesting. Did miss some key films - namely ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (1919) with Mary Miles Minter and HUMAN WRECKAGE (1923), Mrs. Wallace Reid's first production effort.

Frank Thompson does a good job of informing the reader about films that have disappeared and forgotten by history.The synopisis and stills from the lost films give the reader a good idea of these forgotten stories, but Thompson has an annoying habit of going on and on at the end of each synopsis about how sad it is that this film is lost, etc. You feel like saying "OKAY-WE GET THE POINT! LET'S MOVE ON!" Fortunately, since this book was published, one reel has been found of Annteete kellerman's "The Daughter of the Gods." Half of "The Flaming Frontier" has been found in France, and a couple of feet of Theda Bara's "Cleopatra" has been donated to the George Eastman archive. So all is NOT lost.

The best thing about this book, I find, is not just the telling of the plots of these lost films. It's the message that comes across to the reader to help preserve our film heritage. There is a sadness in seeing these important films lost, and yet there is also a ray of hope that someday they might become found.

There are many books about important films, but this book is unusual in that it discusses films that are now lost because of decay or intentional destruction by the studios. The focus in this book is on the silent era, where as many as 80 percent of the films made are now lost. Some of the important films discussed are THE PATRIOT, DAUGHTER OF THE GODS, CLEOPATRA (1916), DAMAGED GOODS, and THE MIRACLE MAN. Thompson focuses on key actors and filmmakers of the era, especially those whose work is mostly unavailable today including Theda Bara, Raymond Griffith, Thomas Meighan, George Loane Tucker, and J. Gordon Edwards.

I refer to this book again and again, as I am very interested in early Hollywood. As noted in the other reviews, this book is not complete, and a number of important films are not listed. However, this book is well-written and provides readers with a cautionary tale of how important it is that films be preserved.

This book is a good start, its has a lot of dialog so its an easy read. If your looking for a reference book so to speak, this is not the book for you. If you want an introduction to FCE, this is the book for you. Be sure to check the version number of your software against what the book was written for.

Although I am a highly technical person that works with computers and networks every day, I do not enjoy dry, technical books that bear a striking resemblance to user manuals.

From the moment I read:

"Why Work With Final Cut Express?
- Final Cut Express rocks."

on page xiii of the intro, I KNEW I was going to enjoy this author. This step by step guide with accompanying DVD of material for the lessons is simply outstanding.

It is far preferable to learn how to use FCE from a professional film editor than from a computer programmer than only offers an endless list of "...and it can do this and this and this and..." The author uses the material from the DVD that was specially selected to illustrate key elements of editing and how to use FCE to accomplish each task. You aren't going to get experience like this by taking your latest home movie and using a manual of features to edit it. You are going to both a better filmer and editor for learning these lessons.

I am bursting at the seams with enthusiasm for my first project in FCE now!

(And might I add my in my professional opinion: Macs rock too!)

I have been playing around with iMovie for about a year or so, I finally made the move up to Final Cut Express to have more control over my editing. So I got the program and found that it had a very complex interface and no written manual! After reading through a few books at a local bookstore I decided on this book. Not only is the book a good price but it includes a DVD with footage that the author walks you through to teach how things are done in Final Cut Express. The author has a very relaxed writing style that is easy to read and enjoyable. I really believe Apple should have this book as a bundle option with the purchase of Final Cut Express, this is the written manual that should be in the box.

I threw in the Final Cut Express add-on when I bought my new iMac G5 - I didn't think I really had that great a need for it, but figured what the heck. At first I was disappointed as it wasn't as intuitive as iMovie (silly me). However, the more I played with it I realized all I needed was a guide book to help me along. This book filled that role perfectly.

It starts out explaining the basics of professional video editing, which cleared up about 50% of my confusion. It is easy to read and easy to jump around to pick and choose topics to explore. The text is structure as a start to finish tutorial, but I found it worked really well as a reference, too. I was able to quickly jump from the index to a topic when I got stuck or wanted to know how to do something.

Within half an hour, I was editing old footage of a Half Dome hike - not necessarily "like a pro". However, I was creating segments, adding text, importing Photoshop images (maps of Yosemite), and chopping out all the slow spots to put together a short "not quite as boring as before" video of the hike. =)

This book was perfect for me. I'd highly recommend it to anyone comfortable with iMovie who wants to move on to Final Cut - you won't need iMovie any more.

The Phantom of the Movies has been working the B-movie circuit in the NY Daily News since 1984. An urban Joe Bob Briggs, he was raised on a diet of sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and exploitation flicks from the late '50s, stale popcorn, too-sweet fountain sodas, and single-screen neighborhood bijous and second-run houses. A veteran of the notorious grind-houses of Forty-second Street from its '70s & '80s heyday, the Phantom (a.k.a. Joe Kane) was also once editor-in-chief of the '70s tabloid monster mag THE MONSTER TIMES. With these qualifications, the Phantom brings an experienced eye and a seasoned opinion to reviewing the 3,000 films in this book. There are also some great sidebars and interviews with genre personalities such as Jean-Claude Van Damme and Jose Mojica Marins (a.k.a. Brazil's "Coffin Joe"). For fans of Michael J. Weldon's PSYCHOTRONIC ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FILM and PSYCHOTRONIC VIDEO GUIDE, this book covers a lot of the same ground; but, whereas Weldon always tries to find SOMETHING positive to say about even the WORST clunkers, the Phantom isn't afraid to call a stinker a stinker! Required reading just before going out to rent the latest direct-to-video obscurity.

This latest edition of the Ultimate Guide continues from the highly successful first edition (no longer in print) in providing the reader with sharp, concise, reviews of every important (and a few not-so important) genre films. The Phantom's unique style and no nonsense approach are refreshing in this era of overblown hyperbole in movie reviews. His rating system is eminently simple and easy to use and while I don't always share his opinions on certain films, I do respect his point of view. The book is well organized with interesting contributions from major people in the genre. Apart from being a terrific resource, the book is entertaining as well. If you like his style, as I do you, should also check out his quarterly magazine- Videoscope - available on newstands everywhere - I think.

hey, if you want to read a film critic who reviews the masterpieces(john woo's HARD-BOILED), the good, the bad, the ugly(RE-ANIMATOR), the very ugly (like the disgusting I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE; he gave it 2 stars? roger ebert=ZERO!), the sleazy(abel ferrara's putrid MS. 45), the grade-z movies (MANOS! THE HANDS OF FATE + any Ed Wood movie), etc. etc., then The Phantom a.k.a. Joe Kane's VIDEOSCOPE is for you! it is must-read!

New York Daily News columnist Joe Kane has accumulated over fifteen years worth of reviews in his latest book. He examines over 3,000 videos, most of them of the sci-fi, horror, fantasy, action/adventure, martial arts, or lowbrow comedy schools. An admitted B-movie aficionado, Kane does have a good sense of what the seasoned moviegoer will enjoy. Like drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs, Kane forgives bad acting and clichéd dialog if the movie is well paced and offers sufficient stimulation, such as ambitious special effects, copious amounts of grue, or a bevy of undressed beauties. A micro-budgeted indie flick that shows a glimmer of talent or originality will bring raves over a bloat-budgeted, studio regurgitation that wastes the talents of everyone involved. Besides gutsy reviews of everything from Abbott & Costello Go to Mars to Zulu, Kane peppers the book with interviews with such genre favorites as Jackie Chan, Pam Grier, Wes Craven, John Waters, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Clive Barker, Stuart Gordon, José Mojica Marins, Abel Ferrara, Gary Oldman, and even the late Herk Harvey (Carnival of Souls). Kane kindly offers a chapter listing mail-order, specialty, and full-service video suppliers, for those rare and out-of-print tapes, laserdisc, and DVDs (including a list of defunct labels), as well as a section of on-line video sources and entertainment sites. Now that everybody and their second cousin has a video guide book out, most of them covering many of the same titles as Kane`s VideoScope, I guess the best recommendation for buying it over the other guides is that Kane has watched thousands of clunkers that make Glen or Glenda? look like a masterpiece, yet he can still enthusiastically endorse Peter Jackson`s Bad Taste. That`s the sign of someone who hasn`t become jaded or desensitized by forty-plus years of B-movie viewing.

This great book not only does give you insight and complete (though short) history of how the Original Trilogy came to be. From early inceptions to the new Special Editions (1997). The book leaves off just weeks to the release of Episode I but has some chilling insight when refering to the future of the Saga. For instance, when they comment on the burp jokes on Return of the Jedi the authors write "whats next? Bodily function humor? Maybe we'll see that on the next movies" Well, they got it right, didn't they. This books makes a complete recollection of all things Star wars since from 1977 to 1997. From an extensive detail of all the books so far published, to the comics and radio dramas. Especially amusing is the sections 50 reasons why Return of the Jedi sucks. Never had I laughed so hard at any form of Star Wars humor. You will see ROTJ with different eyes after reading this. If you are a SW fans, don't let this one pass.

My first impression on the book was how it contrasted to all of the works authorized by Lucasfilm: it is very refreshing to get another point of view on the whole Star Wars phenomenon. I agree with the authors honest criticism of the Special Editions. For example, was it really necessary to see the wampa monster having a bloody lunch in the Empire Strikes Back? I guess that I am one of the few who thought the original scene was more suspensful because we hardly saw anything on the monster. The authors obvious despise of the ewoks of Return of the Jedi gets tiring after a while but other than that this is an excellent read. Before reading this book I did not realize that the word "ewok" was never mentioned in the film! I would recommend it to any Star Wars fan who has grown tired of only reading the Lucasfilm version (hype) of things.

This Unauthorized Star Wars Compendium was published just four months before the highly anticipated Star Wars Episode I movie was released. Therefore, the book could only speculate as to the quality of the third Star Wars sequel. But this is the only dated aspect of the book; otherwise, it's a valuable (and very readable) compact version of the legend that is Star Wars.

The book re-tells the familiar anecdotes about the movie's creation--how writer-director George Lucas shopped his script around 20th Century-Fox took a chance on it, and so on. Once the groundwork is laid, the book gives in-depth insight into the groundbreaking technical work and mythical story that fills Star Wars and its sequels. The book also offers incisive critiques of the myriad Star Wars spin-offs, such as novels, comic books, and a late-1980's National Public Radio version of the movies' stories.

My only complaint is that the book offers a smidgeon too much sugarcoating of how happy everyone was with the saga. (For example, the book offers only the most positive quotes from Sir Alec Guinness, who loudly commented in his autobiography about how he did not wish to be remembered solely as Obi-Wan Kenobi.) As a partial remedy to this, however, the book closes with an insightful and hilarious essay titled "Fifty Reasons Why Return of the Jedi Sucks." All in all, an enjoyable account of a movie legend.

This book is very interesting, since it brings together the movies, the comics and the novels into one book. It goes over how the trilogy was conceived, and why it became so popular. It gives the reader an insight to the thoughts behind the creative process. The book also puts together many of the major novels and short stories in chronological order, and give a short synopsis/review of the titles, complete with rating. It also goes over the special additions, the comics by Marvel and Dark Horse, and the upcoming prequel. It ends on a humorous note, with 50 reasons why Return of the Jedi Stinks. Since this is an unauthorized book, it is honest and to the point. I would recommend this to any serious fan of the Star Wars universe.

It is business as usual for the Angel team. First, take out a Krinj demon living in a homeless shelter. Make a quick stop to help out at a traffic accident. Drop in at the office and get a job offer from Wolfram & Hart. That's right, Lilah Morgan, VP in charge of dirty business, shows up at the Hyperion hotel to offer Angel a job that even the world's nastiest lawyers can't handle. Lilah wants Angel to retrieve an artifact so evil that its user could destroy the human race. Apparently, even Wolfram & Hart know that is bad for business.

The artifact is the Serpent's Hand. This gruesome relic rumored to be one of the limbs the Snake lost in the Garden of Eden. It is capable of totally corrupting its wearer. In this case, the wielder is Lilith (Adam's other wife). Working under the name of Lily Pierce, Lilith is using the guise of a motivational speaker to assemble a huge following.

Angel's job is simple, snatch the Hand (and turn it over to Ms. Morgan, of course). Well it would be simple if it wasn't for the fact that the immortal Lilith is a powerful sorceress, protected by a horde of antediluvian demons. Right away you know this is not going to be fun. When the team makes their move they unleash a series of events that leaves none of them untouched. Angel tries to kill every demon in Los Angeles, Lilith tries to wipe out the entire human race, and everyone else limps to cover.

I only have two minor complaints about the novel, neither enough to effect the over effect. The first is that this is an extremely violent novel. Even if most of the victims are demons, it still gets a bit out of hand. The other issue is that a very different Lilith has already appeared in 'Dust Waltz' an original graphic novel in the BTVS series. In that story, it is clear that Angel had known Lilith even earlier, but this is never mentioned in 'Vengeance'. For those readers who like consistency, this may be a bit irritating. In spite of these qualms, this may still be the best Angel novel of 2002.

Scott Ciencin and Dan Jolley have created an extraordinarily intense story, far darker than the norm, even for the Angel series. Each of the characters must deal with changes and make decisions that stretch their ability to cope. Cordelia is a particular focus, as she shows surprising maturity during the crisis and in her developing (?) relationship with millionaire David Nabbit. In many ways, this is an imaginative and thoughtful story masquerading as blood bath.

I mainly enjoyed this novel because it featured my favorite character, Angel. I loved the tortured Angel when he tried to keep control of his conscience, defying "the hand". Such emotion. The action was really good, along with some weird yet exciting fighting. It was hard getting my imagination to conjure up the fighting and the creatures, but I enjoyed nonetheless. Looking forward to the next novel.

I really liked how this book was mainly centered about Angel(of course my favorite character). Through out the story it made a point to show Angel's purpose on earth, why he truly is a champion, and his deep thoughts. Besides that it was filled with lots of action and fight scenes. I don't think this was the best of the ANGEL books, but it was definately a great read which i finished in 2 days.

This was one of my favorite Angel books, and I've read them all. The best part that it actually WAS about Angel, although everyone else was in it. Very easy to visualize this book on screen. Lots of good fighting, and insight into Angel's thoughts.

Emmett James's Admit One is an absolutely delightful read.

Emmett starts with his youth in Croydon, South London. Each chapter is wrapped in the context of a movie that in some way impacted his life. Thinking at once of all the ways in which this could become a too-cute and ultimately annoying trick, I was delighted when the book deviated immediately from the expected. When Emmett saw the first movie he used to frame a chapter, Disney's The Jungle Book, he was so young that he fell asleep within minutes, and saw only the beginning and end credits. Yet the experience of going to the movies with his family, and the effects it had on his mother and brother, profoundly affected him.

When I finished Admit One I was surprised to note that it was put out by a publisher I'd never heard of before. It had been such a fun read, so filled with quotable quotes, that I fully expected it to be an offering from a big-name group. Well, their loss. Emmett writes with a tone that can shift from wryly humorous to childlike delight, self-deprecation to sly jabs in an instant. I was hard put to keep from constantly laughing out loud and reading selections to everyone around me.

At a time when folks are getting burned out on tragic memoirs, Emmett takes both the good and the bad in his life and mines them for sharp, witty humor instead. It's exactly the breath of fresh air we need.

Emmett James was born in 1972 in South London, where he grew up watching a lot of movies with his family at the local theater. He was seduced by the cinema, eventually studied acting, and moved to Hollywood in the early 90's to try to make it as an actor. He did make it, finally, becoming a successful working actor if not a household name, most significantly landing a small part in the biggest movie of all time, Titanic. James tells the story of his life in Admit One in chapters that are named after and loosely organized around movies--films that influenced him during the period described or whose plots mirrored his own experiences, or films he appeared in. But while the pictures he selects for each chapter heading provide a framework for James's book, it's not really about the movies.

Nor is Admit One, as the above summary might suggest, an insipid story about a boy who pursued and finally achieved his dream. The author is too acerbic to have written such a book. Here he is early on, for example, describing Croydon, the borough of London in which he grew up:

"The streets were lined with filth, the people were bitter and miserable and a fantastic night out meant a large kebab rather than the regular size, which of course went hand-in-hand proportionally with the amount you would subsequently vomit later that evening."

And again:

"Unfortunately, it was that type of town, inhabited by those types of people, living that type of crap life."

James's familial relationships meet with similar criticisms. His mother had a "permanent melancholy demeanor." His maternal grandparents were an overbearing couple whose home "was always rich with the smell of old people," a smell that "left a thick, pungent coating in the fibers of your clothes.... They were," he says, "much less benign in the days of my mother's childhood." Of his brother he writes:

"My older brother was a weaselly boy named Cymon (pronounced Simon, just spelled wanky to give him some added torment in school), and for as long as memory serves we have loathed one another."

It's unfortunate that the author's experiences weren't more positive--though this is not the sort of book that leaves you feeling sorry for him. On the other hand, it's quite refreshing to see such candor on the page.

Admit One is divided into two parts. The first concerns the author's childhood in England. It has universal appeal but will probably be enjoyed particularly by readers who grew up around the same time, and who will remember BMX bikes and Star Wars tie-in merchandise as fondly as does the author. In the second half James moves to America to make his way in Hollywood. This part of the book is less personal, yet it's interesting for its depiction of the life of a struggling actor. Also fascinating is the behind-the-scenes story of his work on Titanic: whatever you're thinking that might entail, you're wrong.

Coming away from the book I'm not entirely sure that I like the author. But that's a testament to his honesty. He's not only not afraid to look stupid, but he reveals some quite unflattering truths about himself--from an ill-conceived instance of, well, something approaching stalking (in tights!), to his willingness to participate in activities both legally and morally sketchy. (He's also due for a whomping from Steven Seagal, whom he sucker punches in an open letter at the beginning of the book.)

If nothing else, James is by no means a run-of-the-mill guy. Having been given this glimpse into his history and character, it will be interesting to watch his career unfold on screen.

-- Debra Hamel

British actor Emmett James has written a hilarious memoir about breaking into the film industry after a lackluster South London childhood. Beneath his witty portrayal of starting out in a dingy room at a Los Angeles YMCA -- surviving by working in porn films and C-movies nobody has ever heard of (or seen) -- is a frank, honest voice. James doesn't hide the con artists, the sleaze and the hopefulness that much of the population in L.A. has toward getting their big break. And though he doesn't touch upon the bleakness he must have felt at times trying to get a real acting job, we sense it.... along with his passionate, unashamed love for cinema.

This is a great, easy, summer read. The characters are fun, quirky and surprisingly easy to relate to.

This volume is a collection of three novels by Anne Tyler: "A Patchwork Planet" of 1998, "Ladder of Years" of 1995, and "Saint Maybe" of 1991. Hardbound and durable, this volume is a better option for a reader who has started reading Anne Tyler, and even for the reader who already owns one or two paperbacks with novels contained in this volume. This volume is simply beautiful. Pleasant serif typeface, good, bright paper, nice cover artwork, and finally, amazingly low cost. You get three hardbound novels for a price of one paperback. In addition, all three novels of Anne Tyler belong to the more interesting subset of her literary heritage, so there is really nothing to be suspicious about here. Psst, do not tell anyone I have said that, but such bargains are possible only in North America. Nowhere else I would be able to get hold of three interesting novels combined in one hardbound volume for almost nothing. Do not hesitate, dear reader, and rush to purchase this collection. Now!

This was the first book of A. Tyler's that I read. I thought the most beautifully written. Somehow the title suits the book and a beautifully crafted work. The characters are human, a bit sad and you find yourself cheering them on. This book enticed me to read her others. I also liked Ladder of Years, but not as much. Breathing Lessons for which she won the Pulitzer I felt was not as good as her later works.

Dug the Austin Star Map Tour. Filming locations in Austin for Office Space, and Dazed and Confused--two of the funniest movies to come out of this town--are well represented. Gotta recommend taking the tour with a bud so that there's someone to navigate and someone to drive. Perhaps version 2.0 will be available for the iPod! Austin Star Map

This was pretty cool. I'm not a big celebrity person, but I liked it a lot. The map has written driving directions to get you from one place to the next - things like "turn right on Mopac and go for 0.4 miles", etc.

Robert Rodgriguez and Ben Crenshaw's houses were the best. The locations of where they filmed Office Space were pretty neat too. I've seen that movie too many times :-).

The number of cool houses, churches and parks that you see while on this tour needs equal credit. Austin has some beautiful scenery.

This was an awesome tour! Besides all the cool celebrity homes and hang-outs, the driving tour through the Austin hill country is gorgeous, and you get to visit pretty much all of the city in a few hours. My favorite part was gawking at Robert Rodriguez's house, and stopping in at the Dry Creek Saloon to sneak a peak at Andy Roddick's house. Some friends actually saw Sandra Bullock at her restaurant a few weeks ago.

A Catholic anti-semite, Joseph Breen, and a Catholic extorionist, Martin Quigley, combined forces with a racist St. Louis Jesuit, Rev. Daniel Lord,SJ, to control the entire United States Movie Industry from 1934 until 1954, via boycotts, ignorant prelate pronouncements, and studio cowardice. Gregory Black details the whole sordid story with archival evidence. Curiously, Black does not highlight the startling evidence that Lord had used the racial theories of the 1920s as a weapon against the Jewish producers of motion pictures. He also downplays the antitrust suits which abolished the vertical integration -- ownership of exhibitors by the studios-- and block booking --requiring the captive exhibitors to take all of the films that a studio produced -- that enabled the movie producers to become victims of a Catholic pressure group, the Legion of Decency. Fr. Lord created a code of conduct for the studios which would protect the "moral ideals of the race." The word "race" which was code for white supremacy in 1930, was used over and over in the Lord-Quigley Proposal for a Motion Picture Code. The code as adopted, reflected American Catholic marriage practices which prohibited miscegnation. The Legion of Decency labeled the mixing of races as part of the Communist conspiracy, in accord with the personal views of Cardinals McIntyre and Spellman; Spellman, like Sen. McCarthy, a closet homosexual. Quite simply the Catholic orgranization agreed to boycott any picture that did not have a Motion Picture Seal and any theatre that dared to show a picture that was "Condemned". The Production Administration agreed to not issue a seal if the Legion objected. Both entities condemned and prohibited foreign and independent productions which threatened the economic dominance of the six major Hollywood studios. Most grotesque was the banning by the Legion of a biography of Martin Luther because Luther's theology was morally unacceptable. Black does not emphasize the American Chruch's misleading pastoral parish level teaching during this period that civil divorce was forbidden. The correct teaching is that remarriage after a civil divorce was and is forbidden. Any picture which "condoned" divorce or miscegnation was malum prohibitum. One enjoys accurate non-polemic social history, and this volume is definitely a must for movie buffs, American Catholic History buffs, and for those political scientists interested in unchecked power. One also notes that during this period, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Soviet Russia, all employed massive censorship to protect the masses from degenerate entertainment. The Legion of Decency was not a unique phenomenon in forbidding any depiction of homosexuality and other "depravities." "[T]he history of filmmaking in Hollywood during the era of censorship []is not a matter of how a few filmmakers got away with something, but that thousands upon thousands of films were refashioned to fit into the [lay Catholic] worldview of the censors. . .What the [censors] did not want, and successfully squelched, was the overt visualization and discussion of controversial issues. . .For more than three decades the Hollywood film industry allowed religious clerics to determine what was moral and immoral, what was socially acceptable political comment and what was not." This was achieved through the "Production Code Administration [Breen]and its alter ego, the Catholic Legion of Decency [Quigley]. This reviewer horrified his fiance in 1955, when he sat when the "voluntary" pledge was offered in her parish church. "Was this man going to be the father of [her] children?" (The reviewer was responsible for 12 pregnancies and seven chilren and 23 years of Catholic sacramental marriage, despite being corrupted by viewing "The Moon is Blue.")

Please ignore the anti-Catholic reviewer who thrashed all the facts to death. After all, he is from Berkeley, a breeding ground of socialism. Cardinal Spellman and Joe McCarthy never were homosexuals (this book never mentions it), nor was Breen quite the anti-Semite he is always made out to be. When will we ever see a positive book about Joe Breen, Martin Quigley, Fr. Daniel Lord? I am a devout Catholic just like they were. The reason I gave the book 3 stars because it is a good insight to those who want to read how the Legion of Decency censored Duel in the Sun, Forever Amber and A Streetcar Named Desire, and were able to get films like The Moon is Blue, The French Line and Baby Doll out of theaters. The other 2 was due to its slightly anti-Legion angle, but its not as extreme as some books (like LaSalle's Complicated Women), and Gregory Black failed to mention all the films that the Legion had condemned and then changed. Please ignore the man from Berkeley who trashed the Catholic Church to death.

THE book to start with if you are looking for something that will cover the important facts, and key personalities in the history of American film censorship. Black writes authoritatively, as he has accomplished extensive research, has had access to actual historical documents, and is a Professor on the subject. But don't let THAT scare you away...this is by far NOT a textbook. It is an easy read. I especially liked the plot summaries of key controversial films.

A dentist by profession, Dr. Bob Basalla fills in a huge gap for fans in this 400-plus-page review of chess in cinema and on TV.

It is essential reference material which focuses on text for the nearly 2000 movies and TV shows. Though also done to keep the cost of the book reasonable, I feel it is successful, since Dr. Basalla writes with a conciseness that needed a good number of pages to convey his impressive research.

This is a very unique topic and Dr. Basalla provides the readers with what is ultimately a winning gambit through his obvious enthusiasm on the subject.

While admittedly for a narrow audience (readers who are both film buffs and chess players, and are obsessive to boot), if you are in that audience, I would recommend you buy this book. At 400+ pages, it is very extensive and enjoyable to dip into. Longer entries on films like The Seventh Seal and Searching for Bobby Fischer overcome the flaw of not having any photographs from the films discussed (frustrating when he describes a set as looking "unusual").

This book reviews about 2,000 films which contain scenes with chess games or chess references. Dr. Basalla, former editor of the Cleveland Chess Bulletin, provides critical reviews of each film, and often offers an insightful commentary on the role chess plays in the film. Where the chessboard could be clearly seen, an illustration of the layout of the position of the pieces is provided, along with analysis of the game as it stands and any insight it provides to the action on the stage.

Any collector of books on chess or cinematography would find this comprehensive, 422 page book invaluable. The entries are arranged by film title, but are cross indexed by actor / actress / director, film genre, and even by location of play. My son, who is not a chessplayer, spent hours with this book reading the film reviews.

One caveat to the prospective buyer: there are no movie stills. The author (a personal friend) says that a goal in publication was to keep the price of this limited-edition book as low as possible. At under $35, the average chess or film enthusiast can afford a copy. As a bonus, inside the book the author has provided personal contact information, so that the purchaser can have a dialog with an expert regarding Chess In The Movies.