Movies Books

After reading and being fascinated by Bengston's Chaplin book (Silent Traces), I really want a brand new copy of the Keaton book. I hope it gets published again. I don't want a used copy for $50. I heard him speak at the Academy last week and he is really interesting.

This book is a necessity for any Buster Keaton fan or any fan of Hollywood history. It is well researched and absolutely fascinating.

This is a great book. I love to watch Keaton's movies with this to hand, it gives a whole new insight to the films. It is easy to read and it is interesting to see the sights of LA from the 20's. Sometimes it is sad to see that some of these locations are gone, where the building of freeways have necessitated the removal of whole city blocks. If I ever get to visit LA I know that this book will be going with me.

Years ago I purchased Civil War historian William A. Frassanito's excellent books "Gettysburg: A Journey in Time" and "Antietam: The Photographic Legacy of America's Bloodiest Day," which examine and compare historic and modern photographs of these famous battle sites. John Bengtson has done essentially the same thing for Hollywood using Keaton's films, and the result is nothing short of miraculous. Here are scenes of what used to be but are no more, resurrected with the benefit of Bengtson's keen eye, detective-like mind, and obsessive attention to detail. This is one heck of a fun book, and you'll spend many hours going over the photographs.

Amazingly, many of the scenic backdrops that Keaton used in his films still exist, and they serve today as nostalgic reminders of a relatively primitive and innocent time that has all but disappeared.

This is a truly different kind of book. We get to see the locations that Buster made his films, and how they have changed through time. We also get to see how the author went about finding these places, a kind of historical research that takes a tremendous amount of time and effort.

This book is one that I automatically pick up when I'm not sure what I want to read, but want something interesting.

If there was a complaint, it would be that many of the pictures and some of the text is really too small. I have great eyesight, some of this is too hard for even me to see, and I know many people have a harder time with small text and pictures. Lay off of our eyesight, eh?


Still, a totally fascinating book. I can't get enough.

As the other reviewers, I was given the book, by an aunt, back in the 60's when I was in seventh grade. She said she had been searching for a copy for me to read because she had loved it. I remember doing a book report on it for my 7th grade English class (I got an A)--and it was one book I never forgot. I thought it was out of print & had been looking for it for years at garage sales and used book stores. Now I will have a copy to pass on to my new grandson. It is a special treasure of a book!

This book is just awesome....one can read it over and over and it has such a simple , sweet ending that you're left satisfied and happy....

the characterization is just apt and there are not to many characters to confuse the readers... the best part is David himself...

this is a must read.. hope u all njoy

My mother told me about this book shortly after I began my studies to become a school teacher. It had been one of her favorite books and she had loved reading it to my older brother and sister when they were children. She tried to find a copy in local book stores but had no luck. My sister, upon hearing about Mama's search, got caught up in the nostalgia and located two copies of the book from the original printing in good condition and had them shipped right away. It turned out to be money very well spent.

David is a most unusually happy, contented, naive, talented and loving boy. Almost everyone tries to change him, but the only one to stay the same is 'Just David'. Not as famous as her great 'Pollyanna' but nothing more perfectly typifies this wonderful author's warm and tender work. Eleonar Porter writes characters that do not exist - but should.

When I was young my mother told me that I was named after the boy in the title of this book. My mother loved this book and wanted her only son to be like its title character, whom she admired greatly. It pleased me to be named after someone who was the subject of a book but, for some reason, I never bothered to ask my mother for details about either the book or its principal character, although she often spoke glowingly about the David for whom I was named. After my mother's death I regretted not having queried her for more details about Just David and its hero whom she so admired. When I found that Just David was available from Amazon.com I immediately ordered a copy and read it as soon as it arrived. To my pleasant surprise I found that I shared my mother's love both for the book and for its hero. I also understood for the first time why my mother had raised me as she had. I won't pretend to have all of the virtues possessed by the hero of this wonderful book, but I believe that I have more virtues than I would have if my mother hadn't used Just David's hero as a template for rearing me. I'm deeply grateful to my mother and to this special book which I recommend highly to others. I'm also grateful that in my career as a NASA scientist I had occasion to edit a book, Heterogeneous Atmospheric Chemistry, which is also available from Amazon.com. Although my mother was not alive when this book was published I like to think that she knows of its existence and is pleased by it.

MARLEY A DOG LIKE NO OTHER is a great book. I'm a teen, and almost anybody will love it. It's exciting but be sure to have a bunch of kleenex's with you too. I got it from my local library, and I liked it alot. I can't wait to see the movie coming out Christmas this year too.
It will have you crying and it will have you wanting to have your own puppy. It's a very well written book, and caps off to John Grogan for writing it. I recomend it to any age, but if you are a little emotional you may want to skip it though. 5 stars!

The Marley books are just wonderful. I really enjoy reading about Marley. Cute, funny, & lively, this book is a page turner. Wonderful for all ages & a perfect gift for a dog lover! You can't go wrong with this book-great choice, lots of laughs!

Reviewed by Avery Largent (age 9) for Reader Views (11/08)

"Marley: A Dog Like No Other" by John Grogan is a true story about a very wild dog that does many insane and odd things. This book is very enjoyable; it's funny and a quick-read. I felt like I really got to see Marley's personality, and by the end, I felt like I had really gotten attached to him.

This book was funny and mostly easy to read. There are jokes at the dog's crazy antics, insane things the dog does that you couldn't help but laugh at. At one point, it showed something funny the dog had learned. If the owner shouted "INCOMING!," the dog would throw itself on the ground, legs widely splayed! Also there was a story told about him going to Dog Beach, and what trouble he got into there! I had a fit of laughter as I read that one. However, at a few points, it was harder to read because the scenes would become a blur. I think this was caused because each chapter is a story, and sometimes the scenes would switch so fast you would be left confused.

Through these hilarious stories, this book really lets you see the dog's personality. After reading it, I knew what would happen if Marley moved into our house and how he would react to our family. I even know what would happen if a thunderstorm came and what types of dogs he liked. Also, there are pictures in the middle of the book that are not only funny, but let you know the dog a little better. One showed him darting around the house as a puppy after grabbing his water bowl and splashing all over the house. Others showed when he dove into the pool and when he was at the beach, all showing a bit his personality and funny things he would do. I also got to know the owner pretty well; I could see he had faith in the dog. Even when Marley did crazy things, even when it seemed the rest of his family might be ready to get rid of him, he kept him.

All in all, "Marley: A Dog Like No Other" by John Grogan is a very good book. It is humorous and easy to read, despite a few scenes that switch rather fast. I really liked how much you got to see the dog's personality and the owner's faith in the dog. I would recommend this book to my friends, and hope they enjoy it just as much as I did.

While my 11 year old daughter would have been able to read the original book Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog, some parts were not age appropriate for her. Luckily this version was written for kids to read on their own and retains all the humor of the original. It is a fun read for any kid who loves dogs and loves to laugh! This book is guaranteed to leave you laughing out loud, and reading passages to everyone nearby.

My 13 yr old son really enjoyed this book, and I am glad this version is available. Unfortunately they have not included all the footnotes that were in the adult version, I felt they added closure to the story.

I first read this book when I was in college. At the time, this beautiful, tear-jerking story became one of my favorites. Almost 18 years later, I feel the same way. This story of grief, loss, love, and healing holds even deeper meaning for me now. This is a book I will keep in my collection -- to read over and over.

I loved this book it is a great book to help with the lose of the loved one.

I really enjoyed this book. Terry Kay has a smooth, fresh writing style, and his story of Sam Peek and his White Dog is truly moving. I have just begun Valley of Light and I am already loving this one too. I recommend them both!

This is one of my favorite books of all time. It at first seems like a simple story of a man growing older. It mixes the touching and often amusing story of his frustration with the constant worrying of his adult children, about whether his mind is slipping, with one of the sweetest love stories I've ever read. When you think that you have finished, the author then tells the origin of the story and you are utterly amazed. It quite literally took my breath away. I immediately went out and bought copies of the book to share with family and friends who were equally touched. It is definitely a classic.

This was a nice book to read. Not my all time favorite but very enjoyable. It was easy to read and just told a man's journey with becoming old and alone. Sam Peek seemed like a "real" old man. I now see Sam Peek in every old man I pass on the street, in the store or at church. Made me want to reach out and be their friend. If someone you love is growing old you need to read this book.

This book is an indispensable companion for huge fans of the ALIEN series, especially those who, like me, think that ALIENS is the pinnacle of the franchise. But even if you're just a casual fan of the series but a major lover of science fiction, this is a great book to have.

The most amazing part of the book is the long essay on combat between capital ships in space. The essay is a very hard-science fiction oriented piece that addresses a lot of the issues with ship to ship combat that are taken for granted in works like Star Trek and Star Wars. It addresses issues like combat between two ships in orbit around a planet, cloaking against a starfield, space mine arrays, directed energy weapons, railguns, and the use of decoys in space combat.

The rest of the book is equally believable in its portrayal of futuristic warfare, and it does an excellent job of giving background information on the world of ALIEN without holding the reader's hand or revealing everything. The pictures, drawings, and schematics are nothing short of amazing.

The book delivered exactly what it was supposed to. The equipment described were mostly from the second movie, which was expected since the colonial marines only made an appearance in that one. I was expecting a few more vehicles and weapons that were not shown in the movie. The arsenal of the marines appeared to be very limited. Whatever the case, this is a good book for fans of the movies and sci-fi fans who like big weapons. The section on the aliens themselves was kind of brief, being mostly accounts from Ripley.

I loved the quotes between the sections. The ones where other Marines are "telling what they heard". You get bits and pieces and everything gets exaggerated and blamed on the Company. It's funny "because we know better." And the descriptions of the APC and dropship are great. Too bad we don't get to see them more in the movie.

Not much more I can add that others haven't other than to push the point home. This book is a technical sci-fi fan's dream come true. The level of detail and realism put into this book rivals that of the Star Trek technical books, and even surpasses them on some levels. This book is painstakingly researched and is an official and authorized explanation of the weapons, ships, tech and much more are covered in this book.

Just about everything you could want to know about the technical aspects of the Alien and Aliens universe are here. You can know exactly how a pulse rifle or a power loader works. You can see the inner workings of a dropship. You can see the full capabilities of the Sulaco. You name it, and it's there. You even get entries for military equipment that was not in the movie, but still part of the Alien universe.

Did I mention Alien? Yeah you get a ton of information on the Nostromo as well as details on the escape shuttle and equipment they used. You also get extensive details on androids as well (from both movies). They even go so far as to explain how faster than light travel works. Not only do you get all this, but you get some awesome information regarding the alien itself.

The book itself is very well made considering it's labelled as a paperback. The cover is a thicker card stock and glossy on the front while the pages are made from a quality paper as well. The book quality is like what you would find on the Star Wars technical books or better. Definitely bigger than those books.

I wish all sci-fi technical books would go into this much detail with their subject matter. This book is pretty much the standard I look for in other technical manuals. If you ever get a chance to find this one and are either a big Alien fan or just a big fan on these types of books I recommend getting it. For some of you even with the high prices (I think the original list price was around $20) you see in auctions and here you might still find this book worth it.

this book provides a great deal of information on the Colonial Marines from "Aliens". all of you potential Aliens video game modders out there must get this book. it has served as an excellent reference book for all my "Aliens versus Predator" modifications. with several illustrations, it also provides the artist with valuable "Aliens" info. even the curious Sci-Fi geek will find this book thoroughly interesting.

My four-year-old daughter was a Dora fan just based on the pictures of her she had seen. She loves answering Dora's questions, and has enjoyed learning a bit of Spanish, too! I was surprised at that, since we live in Japan, and my daughter speaks English and Japanese.

I bought this for my daughter who loves Dora books. This book has a bunch of great titles and was an awesome price ($5!). The only thing is that pages started to fall out within a week of getting it. I was able to tape them back in, but it was kind of disappointing.

My three years old daughter simply loves this book. I have been reading the book to her more than 20 times if it is not 30 times already. She has been bring the book almost every night for bedtime story since the book was came to my door (the binding of hardcover becomes wiggly already). I am enjoying her responses when I read questions in the middle of the stories, just like Dora asked questions in the animation series. The book is big and colorful and lines of story are just short enough to keep my girl's attention to the page. It is clearly my best book purchase I ever made for my girl.

These stories are VERY short, basic and not very interesting. BUT, it's Dora, so my daughters still ask to read them.

Bought this as a surprise gift for my 2.5yo dd for a long plane trip we were taking. She loved all the stories, and I felt there was a nice variety of stories included. Great for any Dora fan, as long as you don't already own many Dora stories (to keep from having duplicates).

JUST WHEN YA THINK YOU MIGHT KNOW QUITE A BIT ABOUT SOMETHING AT DISNEY, A BOOK LIKE THIS COMES ALONG AND REMINDS YOU OF JUST HOW MUCH DISNEY PUTS INTO THEIR ATTRACTIONS, AND JUST HOW MUCH YOU ACTUALLY "DON'T" KNOW!

Excellent pictures, interesting information. This is a must have for Disney fans of the Haunted Mansion! It even covers Disney's other haunted mansions around the world, and the Haunted Mansion movie. Everything you ever wanted to know!

THis book was great! A ton of information on the ride! I couldnt put it down! It was great.

This book is a must read for ALL ages and ANYONE interested in Disney theme park attractions around the globe. Any Disney fan knows that the Imagineers are very particular about what is revealed to the general public in terms of how they make their Disney 'magic' and I was pleasantly surprised (being an avid Disney fan myself) by the research that went into the making of this book and the amount of knowledge shared with the reader - it DOES in fact reveal some secrets of the mansion and never before seen history of the making of the attraction. (It confirms and dispels some rumors about the attraction once and for all too!) A pattern of discussion is followed throughout the book as you are verbally walked through the mansion's corridors and rooms. Surrell consistently covers the Haunted Mansion in a logical order (Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris) in every chapter. He takes the subject matter full circle by including information about how the attraction was translated to the big screen, and gives the reader insight to how decisions were made pertaining to set design, costume design, and casting for the movie of the same name. If you want an intelligent, thorough and enjoyable read about a classic Disney attraction, and especially an insight to the magic that is Imagineering, this is a MUST READ!

You buy this book thinking it's a great "behind-the-scenes" resource, but it's not. Yes, there is some background information, but the book skips confusingly from park to park, and offers very little technical information on the special effects. The photos are all standard Disney promotional stuff...this book tells you what Disney wants you to know, and nothing else.

Go to doombuggies.com for a much better treatment of this classic ride.

There are plenty of movies on the market which feature substandard writing - so bad that even an audience member might think they can do better, let alone an aspiring screenwriter. If you're a member of the latter group, I Could've Written A Better Movie Than That! How To Make Six Figures As A Script Consultant Even If You're Not A Screenwriter is for you. It tells how to use this sense of perfection to earn cash as a script consultant, and comes from author Rydall's years of experience in the industry. Chapters show how to analyze stories in any form, write coverage, repair scripts, negotiate contracts and more. Plenty of books tell how to write the script: few, except for this, tell how to make money repairing one.

As a screenwriter, this is the 14th book I've read on the subject, and by far the best. Derek Rydall not only prepares you externally to be a script consultant, he prepares you internally as well; forcing you to peel back the layers of your own psyche, and examine your inner obstacles to your own success.
Derek is not afraid to share his failures along with his successes, to help you avoid making the same mistakes. Each chapter starts with a few appropriate and inspirational quotes that create the setting for the chapter, and inspire the reader. What can I say? If it's not in the book, you don't need it! Five stars for this book that helps you shoot for the moon.
-- Scotland Miles
Screenwriter and Author

Read and analyse your script from cover page, FADE IN to FADE OUT. Derek Rydall packs a lot of useful information in this well thought out, well written book. This is the meat and potatoes of the biz.
Do yourself a huge favor and read this book before you submit your next script. Chapter Two shows you how the studios see the difference between an amateur wannabee and a pro. Chapter Four brings in a wealth of good advice from well known experts like Linda Seger, Michael Hauge and David Freeman. David Freeman's sample scene analysis alone might make the difference between being kicked up the ladder or kicked out the door. You need every tool you can get your hands on to make your script a contender. Make this book part of your arsenal.
Whether you want to get your scripts in the door or want to be a script consultant this could be your blue prints to success.

Can anyone who has ever been to a movie not have looked at some of them and wondered how such trash got produced? No one would start out with the intend of making a bad movie. You have to wonder how a group of people, presumably experienced and not unintelligent have produced something like that.

This book is written by a script consultant who tells what it's like to review and consult on the movie that's about to be made. While we all think that we could do this work, here's what the work involves. Here's how to get started. The best advice that I think he gives is work with someone in the business to at least establish the contacts.

This is a business like any other. You need at least the understanding of who does what. It is unlikely that very many of the readers of the book will actually become successful at script consulting, but it is still interesting reading to see what is done. It's an interesting insight into the movie production business.

I really liked this book and I believe that there aren't any others like this one. It talks about how you can start a highly lucrative business as a script consultant and a re-writer.

The only thing that makes me hesitant is the ease (or difficulty) in establishing credibility as a consultant if one hasn't written anything worth mentioning.

Other than that, this is an incredible book and I hope that not too many people read it because it's an INCREDIBLE business idea and I want to pursue it myself.

"Lucky" by Jackie Collins was a terrific book!! It arrived to me in new, perfect condition courtesy of Amazon! I give a thumbs up to this book and suggest reading it, as well as the others in her "Lucky Santangelo" series!! - Danielle

This is the story that got it all started. If you haven't read this book then you are in for a treat, and before you finish this book make sure you have chances, lady boss, dangerous kiss on hand because you are going to need to know what happen next. I assure you.

In an earlier review, I said Collins wrote trashy reads; I regret that now. "Trash" is sexist as it often only refers to light fiction written by women and there's LOTS of pop fiction by men that is hardly prize-worthy. I also think calling her work "trashy" was a way for me to act as though I was above it and just reading it ironically. The truth is, Collins is great at what she does and that's writing compelling, "can't put them down" novels that can make you turn off the phone so you won't be disturbed.

"Lucky" is Collins at her best. Don't worry if you haven't read "Chances": Collins summarizes the previous book in the opening chapters. Also, don't be turned off because there is a Mob element if that's not your thing because the Mob barely figures into this tale. What we get instead is a sprawling, multi-character tale full of coincidences, surprising developments (at least once a book, Collins springs something on me that I didn't see coming) and the usual doses of sex and money.

"Lucky" is an insanely fun read. Despite the fact that it was published in 1985, the novel is as enjoyable as ever and is my highest recommendation for a fun summer read of 2007.

Jackie Collins' Lucky, is a novel about power, love, lust, sex and crime. Daughter of a powerful man, Lucky Santangelo, an erotic and wild beauty, plans on continuing the family tradition with honor. Hungry for power, success and pleasure Lucky sets out seeking for her desires. Before she knows it, Lucky embarks herself on an adventure full of glory, passion, trouble, sex, vengeance and suspense. From Vegas to New York after her father's unexpected and undesirable wedding. Pregnant by the world's richest man, Dimitri Stanislopoulos, a passionate lover, Lucky lives her life between her East Hampton home in New York and her son's father's private Greek Islands. Off on business in Atlantic City, Lucky hits the road with power, money, glory and love. Her glory is cut short, when her dangerous past catches her back leading her to court.

This novel is extraordinary. This novel kept me reading, I couldn't take my eyes or mind off the book. Jackie Collins gets deep into descriptions making you feel the characters emotions and desires. As you read on and learn more about each one, you feel that you know these people. You can just imagine each scenario in your head, and feel that you are part of the scene but that no one can see you.

What more can I say? All of the money in the world could not get me to pry my fingers off of this book. In Collins' sophomore release of the Santangelo saga we get reaquainted with the awe-inspiring, business savy and headstrong Lucky Santangelo, daughter of the notorious Gino "The Ram" Santagelo -- former mob boss.

Not one iota of what Collins' writes in this book comes off as being unrealistic, boring or repeptitive. Writing a book like this takes pure, unadulturated talent!! How she manages to come up with new and exciting characters, keep us thouroughly updated on old ones, intertwine all of their storylines FLAWLESSLY and leave her fans begging for more is harder to comprehend then learning Chinese Arithmatic in Latin!

Lucky comes back geared and ready for a whole new peril. I don't know if there is much I can say about this book without giving too much away... It's just all so JUICY and addictive! I will say that we are introduced to some new characters -- Lennie Golden being the main one. As well as reuniniting with some characters some of us may have thought wouldn't come back -- Olympia and Dimirti Stanislopolous ... These three characters will influenece Lucky's life in a MAJOR way... You will just have to read to find out. This is yet another 10 star read from Ms. Collins.

this is one of my favourite charmed books!!! as it shows true halliwell spirit. basically prue gets the oppertunaty for a front page photo. but the camera she uses sends all the models and pheobe into hades. in the effort to get there sister back piper and prue have to go through loads of greek mythology gods and creatures. this book is a must have for all charmed fans

As far as I'm concerned, ALL other good Charmed books (The Queen's Curse, Whisper's from the past, Dark Vengeance, Mystic Knoll, Inherit the witch, Something Wiccan [just to name a few]) are small potatoes in comparison to this superbly penned Charmed book!!! NO other Charmed novel could possibly be better than Soul Of The Bride!!! Elizabeth's work here, is a masterpiece!!!!

What makes this story stand out from the other Charmed books is her impeccable blend of Greek Mythology and the Charmed ones tale aptly blended in. She mixed the two geneologies flawlessly, very well blended, I should add. Every single tiny detail added in is beneficial for the Charmed ones, and that's what stands out in this book. Alot! For example, the part where Piper takes a quick glance at Prue and realizes that she is still wearing Piper's necklace, makes Piper remember that she had to pay Charon the fee to take them over to the other side of River Acheron, which is taking the letter opener and mother-of-pearl inkwell, just in case. Turns out that the letter opener is useful in impaling the Sirens!!!

I'm not going to reveal details of the story, but I guarantee, whether or not you know about Greek Mythology, you will definitely enjoy this story. Soul Of The Bride is a must-have for all Charmed fans!!!!!! My fave bit is when Phoebe is determined not to give up and succumb to the tasty grub kept in Hades, only to realize they are tainted to make people an empty-headed party animal. Also, all 3 sisters had a vital part to play, and with their team work, girly (and sisterly) support, all the loose knots are tied, the i's are dotted and its a happy ending for them.

My only thumbs-down about this story is just that its seems like a pretty huge coincidence that Nikos had known about Prue's photo shoot and sent Mitchell to make sure Prue's topic is on Victorian Portraiture, using Greek Mythology, which then lures Phoebe to Hades. In the Charmed Universe, coincidence is extremely rare, unless Nikos had known it all along, and places a spell on the them to find out.


But other than that, it is 100% recommeded, you WILL love it, like I did!!!
I paid $9 for this book and every single cent was worth it!!!!

This one of the best Charmed books ever written. I loved the combination of Greek Mythology and Charmed. Unlike the 'Oh My Goddess' episodes, this book blends both genres together effortlessly. The writing is top-notch... it really pulls you into what's going on. I had a hard time putting this book down (finished it in a couple days.. even with work).

HIGHLY recommend this to Charmed fans. You won't be disappointed :).

I am a huge, HUGE fan of charmed, I love the series, but ANY OTHER BOOK PALES IN COMPARISON TO THE SOUL OF THE BRIDE!!! It follows the story of the power of three flawlessly!!! If you are interested in any kind of mythology, or even if you're not, the soul of the bride is a MUST-HAVE!!!!

i have read all the books in the charmed series and this is one of my favorites. it combines the greek mythologies with modern day life, which i think is quite creative. i highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys greek myths.