Movies Books

Every major film historian and scholar concurs that THE MOVIES IN THE AGE OF INNOCENCE is the greatest book ever written on silent films. None of us younger historians can ever hope to come close to the quality achieved by this great man. As far as I'm concerned, his word is law as far as movie history is concerned. Mr. Wagenknecht turns 99 this March on the 28th, and is recovering very nicely at his home from the bad spell he went through October through January. We owe a tremendous debt to this great man.

The first thing to strike the reader is the personal style of this book and the author's candid expression of opinions, made all the more valid and valuable because he grew up in `the age of innocence' and can give a firsthand or eyewitness account of those days. Published in 1962, the author reminisces his childhood days in the 1910s when cinemas large and small popped up all over the place and forever changed people's lives and way of thinking. A keen movie-goer as a young boy, he vividly recounts the films and stars which impressed him the most, at times going into detail about some of them, and always supporting his dialogue with well-researched facts. There are many footnotes with references and background information which would be quite helpful to the serious student of early cinema seeking such research material, but it is also a good introduction to silent films. Combined with personal fond memories and impressions, each page is full of film titles and names of cast and crew, from the most famous to the long-forgotten, with apologies that not all stars and movies could be mentioned. Writing in chronological order and devoting a chapter to the most influential people of the silent era, namely `the Father of Film, D.W. Griffith' and `America's Sweetheart', Mary Pickford and also Lillian Gish, the novice can already get an overview of who's who and which silent films are worth seeing - and fortunately many of those mentioned in this book are readily available on video these days. A relatively small book of 250 pages, it is both enjoyable and informative reading, although the language and style might sound a little complicated to young readers familiar with mostly contemporary writing styles. This becomes most evident in the appendix chapter of this book where the author has included his first published work of 1927, an essay on Lillian Gish and her acting style. This in itself is history in the making, namely the changing style of literature with each passing decade, just as motion pictures and music change with each decade or two, and perhaps herein lies the real value of this book: its direct link to the early 1900s through the personal memories and impressions of a keen moviegoer growing up with films as they matured through the 1920s and into the sound era. As such however, it is inevitable that the author's opinions on some films and stars are not shared by everyone, but this should not detract or confuse the reader who is seeking both general information on the silent era and who is curious to hear the author's personal reminiscences of that special era.

This book was great way to see what the early days of movie-making were like. It was a valuable tool for a history paper on which I received an A. Its richness of detail really helped me with the amount for research I needed to do for the class and it was an entirely enjoyable read to boot. I hope the publisher will reprint this book. I hate to think that people like the fabulous Miss Gish will be forgotten.

By today's standards, Lillian Gish's performances in silent film seem mannered--but during the 1910s and 1920s they were nothing short of revolutionary, for unlike most actors of the era Gish was determined to perform in as natural a manner as possible. In doing so, she literally pioneered screen acting technique as we now know it, and it would be extremely difficult to over-estimate her artistic impact.

Although Gish worked with numerous directors over the course of her extremely long career, she is most specifically remembered for her association with D.W. Griffith, whose pioneering silent films firmly established what Gish would describe as "the grammar" of modern cinema. As one might guess from its title, a good portion of THE MOVIES, MR. GRIFFITH, & ME is devoted to Griffith, and it offers a first-hand account of Griffith, the challenges he faced, and the evolution of film from extremely primitive one-reels into a sophistocated art form during the 1910s; those interested in film history will be particularly fascinated by Gish's accounts of the filming of two landmark silents, BIRTH OF A NATION and INTOLERANCE.

Other star autobiographies frequently turn into kiss and tell sagas, but Gish is extremely respectful of those she describes and discreet about her private life to a remarkable degree; consequently, THE MOVIES, MR. GRIFFITH, & ME is less the story of a life than it is the story of a career. But what a career it was! The tone of the book is at once lady-like but extremely readable, and even those who have little interest in the early days of the motion picture industry will find it fascinating stuff. This is an extremely readable book--but it is also an extremely important historical document as well, and the fact that it is out of print is appalling. If you have any interest in the history of motion pictures, you cannot afford to miss this book. Seek it out and keep it handy on the shelf, for it is strongly, strongly recommended.

Exellent & informative overview of various movies set in, around, or nearby Pearl Harbor (and of course, the infamous attack on December 7, 1941.)

However, the book does detail some movies that aren't necessarily tied into Pearl Harbor per se (such as the b-movie "Battle At Bloody Beach", which is set during the Pacific War in the Philippines, but makes no mention of the attack at Pearl.)

It also fails to detail other movies that do indeed directly deal with the attack at Pearl Harbor.

For instance, the film "Bridge To The Sun" (1961), which starred James Shigeta as a Japanese diplomat & Carol Baker as his white-American wife, who are caught up in the anger & fear following the December 7 attack, is conspicuously missing from the book! (This movie, which is very much tied into the legacy of Pearl is not detailed, while films such as "Radio Days" & "Swing Shift", which only mention Pearl in passing, are.)

Oh well...it's still a good read, with lots of information on films, tv shows (such as the Pearl Harbor episodes of "Time Tunnel", "Hawaii Five O", & "Hawaiian Eye"), and various documentaries.

There's even a mention of Elvis, and his 1961 benefit concert that helped raise funds for the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial.

I've seen "Tora Tora Tora", "How Shall We Remember Them" at the Arizona Memorial, "December 7th", and Disney's "Pearl Harbor." Still, I felt that I was missing other movies about this day in history.

By chance, I found this local book in Hawaii noticing the detail about the movies, tv series, and documentaries that were shot about or around Pearl Harbor. The book explains any errors in all movies (up to 2001's Pearl Harbor) but also including all Japanese movies since 1940. It gives intersting facts as well as information on the stars and their movie connections.

I've only read a few pages, but reading about each movies plot lines illustrates the history and stereotypes after the war. I knew this coffee table-style book is not too detailed, but a good synopsis of history through film. Included are a few side by side photos an actors pose to the historical photographs. The author briefly notes local appearing in the film and also where the film was actually shot.

Although there's a detailed account of the miniseries Pearl, there are only a few paragraphs on TV episodes of such as Hawaii 50, Baywatch, and Magunm PI. Now I did notice a cut off picture of Jane Russell and a few mislabeled captions (that's not Josh Hartnett it looks like Bay or Bruckheimer), the photos do complement the text along with behind the scenes and movie posters, although I wish there were more photos from the other less popular movies. Because of this book, I'm now interested on seeing "From Here to Eternity", "Final Countdown", and other hard-to-find movies only found on Amazon. (Yes, I too wish most of these movies in the book were on DVD.) A great guide to anyone interested on WWII (movie or military) and how directors portray their version of Pearl Harbor to fit their storyline.

Contact, Marvin's Room, Spitfire Grill, My Best Friend's Wedding, In and Out, Grease; Feature: Who Does Hollywood Say That I Am? (Jesus of Nazareth, The Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus, Godspell)

My husband and I have just recently began using the Reel to Real curriculum with our church's jr youth group and have been very impressed. The kids love wathcing the movies, and tying them to biblical characters, references, and principles heps the youth remember what you are teaching. The only thing I would change is that some of the movies are a little too mature for our group. While they might be fine for high school groups and great for college groups, our groups is younger (grades 3-8), so some of the subjects are too advanced. So I appredciate it even more when they include movies targeted to younger ages - such as Sleeping Beauty in this one.

Drags a little compared to "Sword of Samurai Cat", but still one of the funniest books to have come out in a long while. Makes fun of any and every self-important sf movie made in the last 10 years.

Samurai Cat books are not for those who desire seriousness, dignity, or good taste. But if you enjoy bizzare humor, gore & self-parody to the max, and absolutely shameless & ruthless parody of everyone else (and some darned good illustrations - the author is a painter and does his own), this book is for you. The items Mr.Rogers chooses to victimize in this installment are: The Terminator & Silence of the Lambs (The Terminationer), The Wizard of Oz (The Yellow Brick Road Warrior), The Magnificent Seven (The Magnificent Seven Samurai Cats), Alien, Star Trek, and the Predator all at once (Alienated), and a last chapter after Terminator II (Its a Terminated Life). A sample of the dialogue might suggest the general style of this book - """ "He doesn't know we can see him, Uncle-san," Shiro whispered. Tomokato nodded. He could think of no other explaination for the alien hunter's behavior. Tippytoeing in plain sight, face concealed behind a white metal mask, the creature was sneaking toward them through the jungle clearing, clawed hands clutching a huge spear. Between his swinging dreadlocks and downright comic movements, he looked rather like a Rastafarian ballet dancer from Hell. "My sword must've shorted his invisibility device," Tomokato said. "Don't let him know we can see him." "Okay," Shiro said, then added, "Should I whistle nonchalantly?" "That would be good," Tomokato said. Taking out an emery board, he commenced filing his nails, every few seconds fetching a sidelong glance at the alien. Shiro was whistling "Shiny Happy People," a tune that Tomokato knew he detested; from somewhere the kitten had produced an Ed "Big Daddy" Roth Model kit, and was painting some finishing touches on Mr.Gasser. The alien drew quite close. Pausing, he drew himself up to his full height, staring at the felines. The metallice mask bobbed as if he were laughing silently to himself. Slowly he crouched, then tweaked Tomokato's nose. Tomokato did not react. The alien scratched the side of his head, obviously puzzled by his lack of response. He pinched the cat's nose again. Tomokato continued filing his nails. "I wonder where that alien is?" he asked Shiro. "So do I, Unc," Shiro replied. The alien picked up a bit of twig, and bounced it off Shiro's head. Shiro didn't blink an eye. The alien stood, staring down at them. Leaning his spear against his chest, he clapped loudly. The felines paid no attention. "WooWooWoo!" the alien shouted. Tomokato and Shiro yawned. The alien lit a cherry bomb and tossed it behind them. When the explosion failed to produce the slightest twitch, the alien took out a large bass drum, attached cymbals to his legs, and began marching up and back, blowing on a bugle, thumping the drum, and banging the cymbals, doing the damnedest imitation of Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. Unable to restrain himself any longer, Shiro looked at Tomokato, asking "Silly, isn't he?" The alien halted, knees knocking together with a clang. "Duh....SAY!" he cried oafishly, voice muted by the metal mask. Then, cymbals banging, he turned and raced back across the clearing, still beating the drum for reasons that remain murky, even for me.""" If you like this kind of humor, you will love the rest of his books.

Writing this book was such a wonderful idea. For those of you who do not have access to Sho.com or the time to watch the series this is the perfect remedy.

Through Thick and Thin is the first in the series and concerntrates on Kenny and Maxine. They are married with children and Maxine who happens to be a stay at home mom decides she wants to write. The class is once a week in the evening, during hers and Kenny's special time. What follows will have the reader anxious to get to the end, but sad it ended.

The actions and situations match each character from the series. I enjoyed the history Ms Banks furnished throughout Soul Food it afforded the reader the opportunity to get reacquainted with situations from the series, however if your new to the series reading the book will give you a feel for the characters and their issues.

The television series, Soul Food, is being captured in books by
Leslie E. Banks, and this second episode Through Thick and Thin
features some serious issues confronting our favorite couple Kenny
and Maxine. Readers are made aware of how easily a marriage can
become bland.

The stress begins when Maxine, after 13 years of living for her
family, realizes there is something she wants to do just for
herself. But when she approaches Kenny about attending a six-week
writing class, things hit the fan.

Maxine is wondering when or how their sacrifices became so one-sided?
But she's determined not to take this lying down. Kenny is the model
husband and father, a hardworking man who has provided for all of
his family's need. At least that's how he sees things, but Kenneth
has ghosts he needs to confront. When he becomes chauvinistic, Maxine
has had enough, and a standoff ensues. Kenny's position is further
endangered when her instructor sexy, single, renowned author, Paul
Gotier ignites a smoldering fire in Maxine.

Fans of the stories will undoubtedly embrace these books with the
same eagerness afforded the television series. And with good
reason, because Ms. Banks writes a strong mature story with a
good measure of realism. There are lessons to be learned from
the insightful emotions she presents as she showcases the obstacles
and benefits of sharing a marriage. This story will entertain,
enlighten and refresh. The light at the end of the tunnel never
looked so good. Pick up a copy and savor a taste that will please
the palate.

Reviewed by aNN Brown
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This book was essential for my short attention span. My father got it for me in sixth grade and it made my way through the otherwise laborious path through Texas history not only bearable but a really fun adventure.

I received a free copy of this book in grade school, circa 1946. I was surprised to find it still in print. An invaluable aid in the study of Texas history.

Its Texas history in the form of strip cartoons. It's quite entertaining and reasonably accurate.

2001 boxed-set includes all three: book, VHS and DVD. Lavishly illustrated book with over 300 rare photos! One hour documentary with over 30 rare clips in both VHS videotape and DVD formats.

THEIR FIRST TIME IN THE MOVIES takes a look at movie stars from 1900-mid 1980s and examines the first time they acted in the movies. Stars discussed include Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Gary Cooper, Greta Garbo, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Dustin Hoffman, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Jack Lemmon, Robert DeNiro, and John Travolta among many others. Most of the actors in the book have one page devoted to their lives and their first time in the movies. The book is a solid hard-cover book and includes some interesting pieces of cinematic trivia.

This book also includes a video and DVD. The video and DVD contain somewhat different material than the book, but the two forms of media themselves are identical in content. Basically, the video/DVD is a documentary of several famous stars from the 1900s-the late 1970s. It briefly discusses each star and shows clips from their first motion pictures.

This is a great gift for any average movie fan. Granted much of the material can be found in other sources, but this set brings a lot of that stuff together fairly nicely.

It took a while for it to arrive...other than that...everything was great!

As a foreign student who just started learning English 5 years ago, the verbal section is definitely my major obstacle to mastering the SAT. When I first took the PSAT, my verbal percentile was only a 49, but after working through all eight levels of Vocabulary Workshop (A through H) it has increased to a 99 (that was a year ago). Therefore I highly recommend this book to you (sincerely).

This book is a highly successful tool for guiding and stimulating systematic vocabulary growth for students. It has also been extremely valuable for preparing students to take the types of standardized vocabulary tests commonly used to assess grade placement, competence for graduation, and/or college readiness.

This book contains approximately 300 basic words, selected on the basis of currency in present-day usage, frequency on recognized vocabulary lists, applicability to standardized tests, and current grade-placement research.

The words in the book are organized into 15 short, stimulating units featuring pronunciation, parts of speech, definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and usage.

5 reviews (1 review for every 3 lessons) highlight and reinforce the work of the units through challenging exercises involving SAT-type critical-thinking exercises, definitions, synonyms, antonyms, analogies, sentence completions, word families...

4 accumulative reviews utilize standardized testing techniques to provide ongoing assessment of word mastery, all involving SAT-type critical-thinking.

Other features in this book include: a diagnostic test (which provides ready assessment of student needs at the outset of the term), a final mastery test (which provides end-of-term assessment of student achievement), word roots (which introduces the study of etymology)...

I watched the movie of this book before I read the book itself, and I have to say that the movie has taken some liberties with the story and the book is still better than the movie despite its great storm special effects. Nobody can say exactly what happened to the swordboat Andrea Gail but this book does a credible job of describing what probably happened based on knowledge of swordfish fishermen, the fishing industry, the ocean, storm behaviour and the rescue services involved.

Having read this book I now feel I know a lot more about swordfish and the fishing industry than I ever believed I would. I also feel I've been given a reasonable education in storm and wave behaviour around the Grand Banks and northern fishing waters. You have to have some patience with this book as the Storm of the title doesn't really start to play a part in its story till half way through the book. Up till then everything is mostly background material about the fishing industry. However, even if you know nothing about the sea, this book covers so many topics in so much depth that it keeps you moving along till the tragedies and triumphs of the storm and its human costs are played out. A recommended read if you like your stories factually based but not debased to the point of being "based on a true story".

Well that is what I thought too, but decided to read this on a trip and found it hard to put down. First, much of the movie and book (the part about what happened on the boat) is pure speculation, but it is the other parts of the book (not in the movie) that made the book so good.

Mr. Junger did a great job educating the lay person on the rigors of being a swordsmen, the rigors of working in the northern Atlantic and (the part I found most interesting in the book) the challenges faced by the rescue personnel put out to sea during conditions that make up the "perfect storm". He also writes about the steps to taken to become, not just a north Atlantic fisherman, but also the rescue personnel who go after them and others when in trouble.

Where the movie ended, I found the book got the most interesting, because for me that part was based on fact. The whole book was good, but it is rare that you find a book that really finishes stronger than it started and with this subject and story you would think it was even harder. Well Mr. Junger did it and it is worth reading.

well researched, beautifully written true story of a huge storm and the swordfishing boat that didn't make it through. Shows you the dangerous job of fishing, explains how many ways the sea can sink a ship, and gives you a feeling of what it means to drown. I found it all interesting, especially learning about waves and the details of the rescue swimmers and their incredible training. Dense with details but gripping and ultimately frightening. Gives you new respect for the ocean and the rogue waves that are out there.

This book was extremely well researched and very detailed and descriptive...I couldn't put it down, and quite frankly learned so many things from it that I was not aware of regarding the risks taken every day by commercial fisherman everywhere, nautical terms, all about charts, weather tracking and patterns, rescue protocall...just sooo many new things. If you are looking for a romanticised version such as the movie portrays, this is not it....this is the hardcore truth that places it in a non fictionary way. No overblown speculated plot, no bull (don't get me wrong, I adore the movie too!) ...just the truth and actual accounts given by all the writers sources...the 'real' words from the 'real' folks that actually lived through this devistating storm of the century. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and was quite sad when it was done. It left me wanting to know more about these hearty, brave and strong people. They look death in the face everyday without fear, never knowing if they will return to port or not, while those who love them wait on shore never knowing if that goodbye exchanged at the dockside may have been the last time they would ever see them. For those who like a good read with all the technical terms in place to better explain, you will love this book.

*I recently got this book while on vacation to have for a good summer read. While not completely disappointed, I would have to say I am not at all a fan of this book either. A mistake I made was that I saw the movie before I read the book and while reading it felt unaffected by what I read due to the over the top action and tear jerking in the movie. I expected the same in the book and just didn't get it. Also, while interested in fishing and the ocean in general this book failed to keep my attention. The random explanations of weather patterns and useless historic journal writings of seventeenth and eighteenth century ship captains and seamen interrupted the story for me. I felt that the only times the book got good was when the author told the story about the men on the Andrea Gale, which was limited and rare. Of course, the writing is speculative and journalistic but there wasn't much other than that that really stuck with what I thought the book was about. There was no in-depth biography of the six seamen lost (who really am I reading about), the story jumped around too much from weather to a fish boat captain in Florida to one in Massachusetts, back to weather and a little smidgen of the Andrea Gale thrown in and then back to the 1800s, it was also just too technically exhausting, no pictures of the seamen and/or the Andrea Gale and once I began understanding what was being said about storms and currents Junger either ended the chapter or jumped to something else to discuss. I really wanted this book to be good and I did begin reading it with an open mind, however by somewhere in the middle it lost me and I felt the potential for something great had sunk. Maybe if it had been written by someone else it could have been more but unfortunately for me it wasn't. For an example of how the story of the Andrea Gale and the six seamen who went down with her should and could have been told, while not along the same subject but still telling a story it has to tell like it should, check out Richard G. Fernicola's Twelve Days of Terror.

*This review is based on the Harper Torch paperback edition.