Movies Books

My accidental encounter with an earlier edition of this book was the catalyst for my taking up film studies. The book is a clear, well written and systematically organized history of movies. It has a comprehensive and up to date bibliography and filmography. Chapters are chronological in sequence, but are organized around a particular theme. The authors introduce major influences in the cinema (whether directors, 'schools', actors or events), identify principal directors and films, and analyse major issues and advances. It is an excellent introduction to the history of movies and great jumping off point for further, more specialised study. It is refreshingly free from post-modernist jargon and abstractions. If you want a comprehensive introduction which is also a good read, I recommend this book most highly.

This was a required text for an Intro to Cinema class I took at college. To put it bluntly Gerald Mast is a bore. I've never met the guy so I'm not going to comment on what I haven't seen but I have attempted to read his writings and fell asleep before I could finish the first paragraph. I'm an avid reader and have no indications leading me to believe I have ADD or ADHD but this was simply put the worst text I have ever seen about film. The author's subject matter is not only unappealing but at times also irrelevant. For example, Mast dedicates numerous pages to many shallow commercial filmmakers and leaves one paragraph for Stanley Kubrick. I'm sorry but Stanley Kubrick's impression on the medium is worth more than a paragraph. All in all a very boring read.

My accidental encounter with an earlier edition of this book was the catalyst for my taking up film studies. The book is a clear, well written and systematically organized history of movies. It has a comprehensive and up to date bibliography and filmography. Chapters are chronological in sequence, but are organized around a particular theme. The authors introduce major influences in the cinema (whether directors, 'schools', actors or events), identify principal directors and films, and analyse major issues and advances. It is an excellent introduction to the history of movies and great jumping off point for further, more specialised study. It is refreshingly free from post-modernist jargon and abstractions. If you want a comprehensive introduction which is also a good read, I recommend this book most highly.

As a writer, Mast is without equal as a teacher, historian, and critic. The most readable, valuable film history text, in my opinion. Thank goodness it's still in print.

This book should only be read by master level film students highly interested in every single director, film and plot summary of every movie ever made. There are no summaries of the main points and this book should NEVER be used as a college core classroom book. I have never been so bored and overwhelmed by such trivial and useless information in my life!

This book is an excellent way to gain better vocabulary skills especially for the SAT and ACT. It prepares you for definitions, analogies, and context of words for Testing.

i would like to review the answers for vocabulary workshop level e enhanced edition by jerome shostak

The text is crammed into the small format book, making each page look very cluttered, and it is difficult to find where one lesson ends and another begins. The words being used are ok, but the exercises to help learn them are short and the stories for context are extrememly short and uninspiring. Learning vocab. should have SOME element of interest/fun to it...
The answers to the older series have been posted on various websites at one time or another by students hoping to skip the work so there is a newer edition (pub. 2002).

Unit 10

4) After all my high hopes, i utterly____________when the notice arrived that I failed the driver's test.

This book was pitiful. It didn't teach my kid a thing! It was sad. I feel that whoever created this monstrosity of a so-called "Vocabulary Book" needs to reconsider his writing skills and consult me. I'm going to write my own book "Vocab Wonders!" coming soon in late 2003. This is horrible. Bye Bye

Great book;
discussing why American cinema is among the greatest in the world, co-written by one of the greatest living American directors.
Scorsese knows his history, understands his country and loves his art, he is a keen observer and amusing spirit.
Recommended to beginners in classical cinema and to American directors and students of cinema... Yes, I forgive Marty his association with Di Caprio - he has done enough already so he can chase the Oscars as much as he wants...

This extraordinary book on the last hundred years American cinema is an exceptionally well written, edited and researched document of the film, without any of the usual scholarly classroom didactics or conceited Hollywood self-congratulatory posturing. Scorsese's humble voice is evident throughout, and it is one of self-confidence, clarity and enthusiasm. The book is a wonderful companion to the DVD.

I was reading it to find out some tips, yet it was a corny book. I didn't like it.

YOU WOULD THINK THE AUTHORS WOULD WRITE SOMETHING. THEY PROBABLY TALKED AND TRANSCRIBED WHAT SCORSESE SAID. YOU FIGURE WITH A GUY LIKE SCORSESE THAT HE WOULD HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT HIS FAVORITE MOVIES AND THE MOVIES THAT INFLUENCED HIM SO MUCH. HE DOES NOT DO THAT IN THIS BOOK. IT IS FULL OF NICE PICTURES, BUT NOT MUCH AS INFORMATION GOES. YOU EXPECT TO LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOVIES HE LOVES BUT HE DOESN'T GIVE ANY USEFUL INFORMATION. HE PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT IF IT HAD A LOT OF GLOSSY STILLS OF HIS FAVORITE MOVIES THE BOOK WOULD SELL. THE THING IS THIRTY DOLLARS AND NOT REALLY WORTH IT. HE SEEMS TO BE SAYING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER WHEREVER YOU READ ABOUT HIM OR SEE HIM ON TV. HE IS AN EXPERT BUT WHY DOESN'T HE SHOW THAT IN THIS BOOK. IT IS VERY VERY SKIMPY AND UNLIKE HIS MOVIES LACK CONTENT. IF HE SPENT MORE TIME WITH THE BOOK INSTEAD OF HAVING SOMEONE ELSE WRITE IT AND THEN CHECK AND OKAY THE BOOK, THE BOOK MAY HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE SOMETHING OF A GREAT BOOK ON FILM AND FILM HISTORY AS WELL AS THE FIRST GREAT FILM CRITICISM BOOK BY A WORKING FILM DIRECTOR SINCE THE BOOKS OF TRUFFAUT. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. WHAT HE SHOULD DO NOW IS REWRITE THE BOOK FOR THE PAPERBACK RELEASE. THIS BOOK IS NOT WORTH THE WEIGHT.

This book is more of a transcript of the 4½ hour long master piece of the documentary, but it's curtainly worth the money. Here you have all the still pictures from the hundreds of film Scorsese comments in his programme. A book for every filmbuffs bookself.

Sibling rivalry is a fascinating and intricate motivation for a story line. Replaced captures just the tip of the iceberg of potential stories in this journey into Sydney's emotionally handicapped family. I am looking forward to future scenarios from this author on the subject.

This is a great read. For everyone who reads all these definatly don't miss this one. It lacks none of the action you expect from an Alias novel. Sydeny is starting to find that she gets a little jealous and annoyed of Nadia. Its a great read and fills in a lot of the gaps. The author lets you in on how Sydney really feels about staying with Nadia.

Finally, the authors stopped writing the prequel series and starting filling in some of the gaps in between seasons. This book is one such novel. While the storyline is great, and the action is typical Alias action, I took issue with the fact that Sydney was made to be ALOT more immature in this book. By now, she's almost 30 years old, and is the older sister between her and Nadia, yet several times she's acting like a petulant child who doesn't get her way. She becomes socially and emotionally stunted for a while in this book. I love that the writers are giving more backstory on why she's hesitant to get back with Vaughan, but they are making her regress in age instead of progress and mature. Overall, an excellent read for Alias fans worldwide!

I really enjoy these books because I love anything Alias-related. I did enjoy this book BUT Sydney was just whiny and insecure. Nothing like she is on the show. Take out all the silly whiny parts and it would have been a lot more readable.

When the APO team goes to arrest Dr. Lance Bergin, things go from bad to worse. It ends with his escape and Weiss being infected by a deadly virus. With time running out, Sydney tracks the bad doc to South Africa, where she is sidelined. While she fumes, Vaughn and Nadia are called in to complete the mission. Only with this case, nothing is ever easy and the bad news just keeps coming in. Can the three agents stay alive long enough to find the cure for Weiss?

The Alias books seem to be hit or miss recently, and this one is no exception. The story starts out well, and I was enjoying it. As the book progressed, I got more and more frustrated. The plot relies on the agents making critical mistakes. While I found the first few believable, by the end I was rolling my eyes as they were doing things I knew better then to do. Sydney gets more and more annoying as the story progresses as well, snapping at everyone around her. And one final complaint, although this one is minor. The book keeps saying they need to find a vaccine for Weiss, when in reality they should have been looking for an antidote.

Making the Alias books longer has not been the best decision. I am about ready to stop reading them and just enjoy the series on TV when it comes back on the air.

I am a student at Ridgewood High School in West Lafayette, OH. These books has unique words in then, but we never use them because we never heard of them before. It's just a waste of time. Most people copy off another students, only few STUDENTS learn from them.

We use this book in assisting students to improve their vocabulary skills. This book is part of a series which is an excellent aide in for teachers and a tremendous resource for students. It uses different ways of learning the vocabulary. Each unit helps a student to pronounce the word properly and shows the proper usage of the word as verb, noun or adjective. The unit helps the student to recognize the word within the sentence structure, as well as, using it in relation to synonyms, antonyms and homonyms. There is a review of the parts of a word (prefixes, suffixes and roots). There is a review of Denotation and Connotation in the literal and figurative usage. One of the most helpful aspects is the analogy section of the unit which prepares the student for standardize testing. The book is an excellent tool for both educators and students.

This book is great, but I think it is really boring and sometimes can really make you fall asleep.

I am a student and have been using Vocabulary Workshop for two years. I find it very boring doing the same thing over and over again. Most of the words I don't remember and have to look back at definitions for the tests and the review sections.

A friend (an MA in English) showed me those books recently, who homeschooled her son with them. Her son gotten nearly full scores on his entry exams in the vocabulary section!
The books are great to build up new vocabulary words and enable you to actually use them.

A very fascinating perspective on the American mind. WARNING: If you attribute all things good in the universe to America the beautiful, then you may be offended. If you believe that America can do no wrong, then, yes, you will likely be offended. Gomer Pyle reruns are a safer option for you.

If you think the world can use a little improving and you're not too afraid to take a closer look, then, by all means, read the book.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the authors' previous book, Why Do People Hate America?, I started reading this with two expectations in mind: either a) I would enjoy this book as much as the last one, or b) this book would be a rehashing of the last book and thus annoying. What I found in this book is some of the same tightly-argued points about American global empire in addition to a discussion of how the American entertainment industry is used to create and perpetuate American domination of other cultures.
The authors begin by stating that Americans live by ten laws of mythology: fear is essential; escape is the reason for being; ignorance is bliss; America is the idea of nation; democratization of everything is the essence of America; American democracy has the right to be imperial and express itself through empire; cinema is the engine of empire; celebrity is the currency of empire; war is a necessity; and all of American tradition and history are universal narratives applicable across time and space. After stating these laws they go on to analyze one American film per law, explaining how it demonstrates that law. As a person who enjoys watching movies I liked how they deconstructed each one and applied it to the law being discussed, and I even read about some older movies that I hadn't seen or heard of. Appreciating that aside, I do have to say that I disagree with some of their points about the "laws" and that the authors tended to stray from the subject often in order to bring in information that had little applicability to the current topic but that reinforced the themes of the book which were that most Americans seem very insular and narcissistic to non-Americans, have very little idea what their government is doing internationally, and don't understand what the repercussions of their government's actions will be.
I definitely suggest that others read this but my caution is "don't judge a book by its cover" - there's very little discussion of Arnold Schwarzenegger to be found and the title seems to indicate more of a discussion of him and what it says about America that a foreign-born actor is the governor of California.

British writers Sardar and Davies have written a fascinating study of US culture, especially of the belief that because they are a good people, they are a force for good in the world. Why then do US interventions abroad produce bad results?

The authors explore ten themes: the promotion of fear - `be afraid, be very afraid'; escape (emigration, running away); exceptionalism - believing themselves different from and better than other nations, there is no need to know anything about them; the USA as the idea of nation is everybody's future; everything should be democratically accessible - guns, other people's oil, etc.; the right to be imperial; cinema as empire's engine (not profit then?!); worldwide celebrity as empire's currency; war as needed for origin, identity, consolidation, expansion and hegemony; and the USA's way as universal.

The authors explore how Hollywood has given America its idealised image of itself. John Ford's classic Western Drums along the Mohawk (1939) explored the themes of civilising the wilderness by pushing back the frontier, building a new life and a new land by wiping out Native Americans.

Frank Capra's Mr Smith goes to Washington (also 1939) presented the USA as the idea of nation, sanctifying the US Constitution, an 18th century document which endorses `the right of property in a slave', does not guarantee the right to vote and does not allow a direct vote for the head of government.

Howard Hawks' To have and have not (1944), like Casablanca (1942), gave us Humphrey Bogart as the reluctant hero, symbolising the USA as reluctant superpower. Robert Altman's The player (1992) examined Hollywood, empire and celebrity. Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), starring John Wayne, presented war's psychosis. Universal soldier (1992) portrayed the USA as the global narrative.

The authors impute a single culture to the USA, ignoring its working class culture of trade unions, workers' nationalism and opposition to empire. Like the hero of Groundhog Day (1993), the USA is trapped in repeats, of exploitation and war. American workers must reject idealism, take responsibility for running America and throw out their rulers.

I find AMERICAN TERMINATOR to be an extremely offensive book. Let's, for a moment, examine the country from which the authors hail. Great Britain's foreign policy has been key in developing two world wars both of which required the U.S. to bail her out of. In the case of WWII if it weren't for the U.S. they would have eventually fallen to the Germans or Russians. If it weren't for the U.S. having projected it's military umbrella over Great Britain and most of western Europe for the last 50 years they would all be speaking Russian by now. In spite of the hundreds of trillions the U.S. has spent militarily to protect them they have all managed to allow their internal politics to move them partially or fully to socialism. None of these countries that the authors say we should listen to enjoy the standard of living or individual freedoms taken for granted in the U.S - far from it! Further, in the face of the fact that Britain supports a huge, useless, parasitic Royal Family, for Brit's to criticize the manner in which Americans regard our celebrities and allow them to influence our politics is ludicrous. This book is just another attempt to criticize and undermine the things that set us apart from the far less free and affluent nations. To suggest that we have some kind of obligation to heed the input from these sources is, once again, ludicrous. As long as we ignore what this book suggests we will continue to be the most free and successful nation on earth.

This book is nice to have but It just pisses me off. He blantaly does not know what he is talking about. The proof is the pictures. He has a picture of Lundgren and says its from the punisher It is not. He also has a picture of Van Damme and says its from Legionnaire buts it from street fighter lol that just gets me.

For all you fans of Bruce, Mel, Arnold, Clint, et al, this is the book you've been waiting. Douglas Brode's book is a handy, enjoyable, comprehensive look at those often brain-dead but enjoyable flicks featuring lots of explosions, countless deaths, hot babes galore, bullets by the bucket-load, memorable fight scenes, edge-of-your-seat car chases and snappy one liners. And, oh yeah, lots of explosions!

While action-adventure flicks have been a long-time Hollywood staple, Brode's book concentrates on the genre from the 1950s on. Chapters are devoted to the essential action-adventure films of the fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties and beyond; A-list and B-list action stars; legendary one-liners; disaster films; classic fight flicks; memorable action babes; the Vietnam War on film; and so on. Brode casts a pretty wide net; there's something here for everyone!

There have been some classic action-adventure films and Brode gives them their due. And the not-so-classic action films get their share of well-deserved brick-bats as well.

In short, it's a fun read and informative too.

Simply stated, this is a ride on the testosterone roller coaster known as the action film. Brode reintroduces us to all of our favorite action heros, from John McClain ("Yippee-ki-yay, M-f'er") to William Wallace and everyone in between. A must for every action film fan.

This book is laid out like a university textbook but contains nothing of substance to even attract a backward university film studies course to add it to the curriculum. No in depth analyses of the stars or movies are in here although there are a few paragraphs on a select few. How is George Clooney an action star? It seems the author is gong for increased sales by including a popular star and favourite of many women but to say he is an action star, please. Why this book is laid out like a textbook is anyone's guess. I guess the publishers took one look at the substance and said there are better similar books out there in the entertainment category, such as 1000 Movies to Watch Before You Die, so we'll try something different and try for education but they failed. Give this a miss.

Every once in a while I am allowed to go out and pick a movie at the nearest Blockbuster by myself - without running all contenders in the new release section by my wife. Usually it's evenings that require drives through rain and / or snowstorms, and the last thing you want to do is getting lost in aisle seven while dinner is waiting at home. Since I've resorted to bringing "He rents She rents" with me to the store, you can find me studying especially talented author Laurie Viera's femme fatale section that has managed to make innocent me an expert on forgotten gems like "Mildred Pierce" and "Mrs.Miniver" - leaving my devoted wife speechless on more than one occasion. I've also dabbled in the delightul Viera's hilarious "romantic recipe - sidebars" where she's sparring it out with co-author Richard Roeper. Since viewing "All About Eve" and "The Goodbye Girl" with tears in my eyes all in one evening, there's no limit to what I'm capable of in the future. Looking ahead, I've already renamed my very own assistant Eve Harrington.

The book was otherwise enjoyable but Roeper's classification of Monty Python and the Holy Grail as a guy flick was so dreadfully wrong that now I'm not sure his advice about any movie can be trusted. Roeper says that he has never met a female Pythonite in America. I have to wonder what sort of women he associates with. Either he or they don't get out enough. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a PARODY of a guy flick. This is an important distinction and one a competent movie reviewer should be able to make. It was fake blood, it was fake violence, it was in-your-dreams seductiveness. One of the knights didn't even have a proper horse. He had coconuts! That's funny! When guys do graphic sex, violence and blood and take it seriously it's a guy flick. Big difference.
The rest of the book had some interesting, informative and useful content but this misclassification of one of the all time great sidesplitters is just too egregious to be overlooked.

Mr. Roeper has said that he "doesn't get" the fuss about Charlie Chaplin, and he gave a "thumbs up" to JACKASS: THE MOVIE.

Why anybody would pay good money to read a movie book he has written is beyond me.

We love this book - it is a humorous book not to be shelved within the confines of "video directories." Ever since Adam and Eve have the sexes disagreed over almost everything but one of the biggest issues men and women (at least the men I date never agree upon are films to watch -- but often times we are too afraid to say what we really think. This amazing book touches upon all of the thoughts and feelings men feel on womens films and vice-verse, however derivitive they may be, of the constant battle in the video store. Instead of saying "i disagree with you" you can now say "um, turn to Richard's comments. page 28..." It gets one's point accross and no one's feelings are as hurt.

Video didn't kill the radio star...it may have broken up a few marriages but kill? Never.

Although the premise was excellent the execution of this novel was disappointing, some things weren't explained well and parts of the book were a little rushed.

With the TV Buffy-verse in turmoil, and plots getting more and more complicated, it is almost a relief to pick up an Angel novel set in what now feel like calmer times. 'Impressions' is set in from the post-Darla period, with everyone moved back into the Hyperion Hotel. The group hasn't quite come together yet, but working relationships are calm. Even if Gunn jumps every time Angel moves too quickly around him.

In a far off pocket dimension an apprentice demon sneezes - really sneezes - and precipitates an artifact into Los Angeles that could cause the great demon riots of 2002 and end the world. Naturally the stone falls into the wrong hands, a group of demon priests appear to recapture the stone, and the Angel team gets caught between demons, bad guys, and a rock that threatens to change Angel back into Angelus.

The result is an extended chase scene with distractions like an Angel imitator and the occupation of Caritas but a large number of terrified demons to break up the pace. Angel struggles against the influence of the stone, Gunn worries about the new neighborhood defense force he is training, and Cordelia starts having a vision an hour. There is a lot going on here, both in the Los Angeles and inside the members of the team.

As you can see Doranna Durgin is a writer who likes to keep the readers attention, and she does a very good job of it. Durgin very much captures the personalities of the players and lets them unfold a but as we read. Even if Angel is really formula fiction, she shakes out the cobwebs a bit and creates something that feels a bit new. I hope she gets an opportunity to write more about Angel before the sun finally rises on my favorite vampire horse opera.

Durgin knows these characters inside and out -- you can tell from the moment you start reading. Every move, every voice is perfect. Add a fast, exciting plot, a nice touch of mystery (with delightfully gruesome demons), and wonderful moments of humor to the mix and you have a book I highly recommend to every Angel fan.

I hope she writes more!

Not the best of the Angel novels, but it held my interest. Anytime I get to read about Angel fighting to keep his evil alter-ego at bay, makes for an interesting story. Not that the story was gripping, but I always enjoy the camaraderie between Angel and friends. Especially when it's tense and strained as displayed in this novel.

This book is out of date, and the "famous director tales" are only a few pages in length each. Not worth the money. Would be interesting to see how this book would look if were written today, with the impact of DV.

Think this book is boring, cry me a freaking river losers. Making movies is not exciting, it's long hours and too soon deadlines and ego, ego, ego. This is how you do it. This is how The Blair Witch Project and dozens of other low/no budget videos are able to be made. I found the book to be priceless.

A general overview of the low budget filmmaking process loaded with pertinent information and technical advice. Areas of interest: starting your own production company and an appendix containing several sample contracts. Includes interviews with the likes of George A. Romero, Tobe Hooper, Sam Raimi, Lizzie Borden, Tom Savini and Oliver Stone. It cries out for an update(its eight years old)but its an excellant exploration into the world of filmmaking nonetheless. Worth the dough.

This is not a fun book to read. It's like an old textbook in a community college. It's okay, and it's worth reading, but it's not worth the money. You won't gain 15 bucks of information in this book. If you want to know about independent filmmaking buy Rick Schmidt's Feautre Filmmaking at Used-car prices. This is well worth the read and the money.