Movies Books

THIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR ALL KIDS! Good for all ages. If you don't get it you really missed out.

I really liked this book. I have all the other ones of this series and this was just as good as them all. Mary-Kate and Ashley are on a cruise with their family and take part in the scavenger hunt, they have to find three clues. With each clue is an object to prove they have got the clue, but then the objects start disappearing, can Mary-Kate and Ashley solve this mystery? Of course they can. I higly recommend it!

Geoffrey O'Brien. Now here's a truly fabbalicious writer despite the faggy-pretentious Brit-git spelling of his first name. I recently saw his piece about the Christopher Plummer/Jonathan Miller production of KING LEAR. And I'm here to berate Geoff for not mentioning a certain ultra-mentionable thing. Namely, the mere fact that stage-actors are capable of memorizing all of that dialog. A capability that strikes me as being far more miraculous than the play itself (which is pretty corny).

CASTAWAYS contains a piece about a movie called LAURA. And LAURA contains a policeman played by Dana Andrews. And I love what Geoff said about him: "In the dead center of the movie, at its witching hour, he sits up all night looking at her picture, smoking cigarettes, pouring himself one drink after another."

Memo to Geoff: That scenario also happens to be *my* scenario. That's *me*, Geoff. That's me vis-a-vis you. In the dead center of my afterlife, at its witching hour, I sit up all night looking at your book-jacket pics and guzzling Thunderbird in your haunted wine cellar.

I once had the great, albeit far too brief, pleasure of working for Geoffrey O'Brien. I say this not only to reveal subjectivity on my part, when it comes to his work, but to proclaim that, in addition to his being a keen critic, a lapidary-sublime-limpid writer of prose, an accomplished poet, and a man with more than encyclopedic knowledge of everything from Beach Boys lyrics to Shape-Note singers to the work of obscure naturalist painters, I know that he is, as F. Scott Fitzgerald would say, "fun on a party."

Paraphrasing the man himself on the subject of Preston Sturges, to find so immediately, in _Castaways of the Image Planet_, "yodeling, bubble dancers, corsets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 'My Indiana Home,' hypnotic catalepsy, and the remark 'in China they eat dogs," establishes that we are indeed in O'Brien territory. Since it is impossible to discuss his work without the use of eclectic compendia, allow me to add that only O'Brien could have penned this double-fistful of essays on topics as far-ranging as Japanese _Manga_, Orson Welles, the cinematography of Hong Kong and the PRC, Shakespeare, _Mad_, Brando, and the photography of Edward S. Curtis, and have the collective effort rise to such an exquisite acme above mere paean, homage, or pastiche.

Most importantly, though, this collection goes beyond critique in that it strikes a blow for thinking audience members everywhere against the static presumptions of our existing meta-culture. As O'Brien remarks in "Free Spirits," a meditation on the work of film critic James Harvey and the Golden Age of Hollywood romantic comedy, "film books these days, with their emphasis on semiotic codes and quantitative analysis, tend to reduce moviegoing to a rather impersonal experience, as if we brought nothing to our encounters with the screen and emerged from the dark imprinted with precisely identical patterns."

O'Brien lets the light and the air and the sheer pleasure of surrender to the screen, the page, the image--the spectacle--come romping back into the equation. He makes reading about these phenomena as moving and profound an experience as imbibing them first-hand. He lets you know that not only does someone else sitting in a library wing-chair or a plush seat in the darkened post-modern arena get it, he gets it in an incredibly cool and funny and enlightening way. Having this book of essays is like having sixteen great late-night café conversations with an effervescently witty and erudite friend on tap. My advice? Buy 'em, collect 'em, trade 'em with your friends. Once again, O'Brien is kiss-the-hem-of-his-garment good.

50 YEARS OF CBS TV --- GREAT BOOK TO OWN --- TOTAL FUN TO READ AND REMEMBER--- GOT 2 COPIES ONE FOR A PENNY AND THE OTHER FOR ONLY 1.50 AMAZON USED BOOKS IS THE ONLY WAY TO BUY BOOKS TOTALLY HOOKED ON THERE WEB PAGE

This book has got a complete history from 1948 to 1997(please note that this is only covering television because the network goes even further back to the 1920's from when it was a radio network created by the legendary William S. Paley.) It covers the most memorable news events like the Nixon-Kennedy debate, JFK's assasination, MLK's "I have a dream." speech, Vietnam, First Man on the Moon, Watergate, The Fall of the Berlin Wall, Gulf War, The Oklahoma City Bombing, Princess Diana's Wedding and Death, etc. It also covered the greatest moments in entertainment like the big "Who Shot J.R.?" mania, Rhoda's Subway ride to her own wedding, Chuckles getting killed, Murphy Brown giving birth, David Letterman joining the network, etc. Last but not least, the greatest events in sports like the Masters, the NFL, the NCAA Final Four, the Olympics, etc. I would recomend this book to any television history buff.

The book is in great condition and I received fast shipping. Will shop again.

This book from the world of Pokemon tells the story of Celebi, a legendary Pokemon that has the ability to heal forests. Celebi gets into trouble, and naturally Ash, Pikachu and friends help save it.

My 6 year old son and I really enjoyed this book. At about 40 pages, it's the perfect length for a child just beginning to tolerate chapter books. The illustrations certainly weren't extensive, but a small picture of each Pokemon appeared as it was introduced and that seemed to be enough to keep my son's attention. As a parent fan of Pokemon, I was pleased that the plot line seemed pretty decent, too! We will definitely be looking for more books from the Battle Frontier series.

Much time and research went into this work. Listing almost everyone associated with the film industry who are interred in Los Angeles' cemeteries was an incredible feat. In addition, how the author got the grave sites of celebrities buried in Forest Lawn (Hollywood) and (Glendale) is beyond me! Workers there won't even give out names of those interred. I highly recommend this book.

Having read most of the books published re: celeb grave hunting, I can easily say this is the very best. Mr. Ellenberger has managed to consolidate all the positives contained in the books that have preceded this one, added additional information and new entries, and has come up with the ultimate grave hunting guide for the Los Angeles area. He has clearly researched and verified his information and relied on additional information supplied by various knowledgeable contributors. Information includes dates and locations of birth and death, grave location (cemetery, section and plot numbers), cause of death, and identifiable screen role(s). The only possible shortcomings are lack of cemetery maps and pictures of the deceased, and these are probably due to the high publishing costs associated with these features. The one thing that I really liked was the addition of many fine actors who never attained star status such as Harry Davenport and Sara Allgood. This is absolutely great for all diehard movie fans out there.

Basically the subtitle says it all. This beautifully illustrated book consists entirely of photos and captions. But, oh my god, what an incredible collection of mind-expanding work. Each piece is perfectly crafted, fresh, and often whimsical. My eyes just got bigger and bigger with amazement as I flipped through this book for the first time. Covering the full range of the best in modern ceramics, this book has hundreds of full color photos to inspire beginners and professionals alike. There are large architectural pieces, thrown pots, handbuilt functional and decorative wares, low fired, pit fired, high fired and raku wonders - something to delight everyone.

This is a beautiful book with many unique & imaginative ceramic designs that will provide inspiration for ceramic artists of all levels. It also makes a great gift or a delightful coffee table book for any art lover

The book is in full-color displaying one to three art pieces per page. Both handbuilt & wheel-thrown ceramics are shown. Captions provide the artist's name, date completed, & size as well as materials & techniques used.

Some of my favorite pieces includes a raku crackle jar & carved tree tiles. I love both the plate with waves & a teapot, and another with egrets on it. I also enjoyed a hand-built multi-colored teapot.

Several eclectic figures, a humorous bird sculpture, & a huge mosaic-style dragonfly screen also caught my eye. This is an indispensable reference tool packed with great ideas & a must-have book for any serious ceramic artist.

Stunningly well researched book, with a wealth of information about Chaplin. The author knows his stuff. If you are a Chaplin fan, you will NOT be disappointed.

For any lover of Chaplin and his films, this is a marvelous "must" book to own. It offers an incredibly comprehensive analysis of every one of his pictures, fascinating bios of many of his cinematic contemporaries and supporting cast menbers, as well as interesting critical judgments regarding his work. Again, anyone who is truly interested in Chaplin should buy this book. It's quite simply one of the best!!

Wow. This book is stunningly great. Antonia Quirke's writing -- her voice, her control, her sheer prowess -- is blazingly magnificent. This book is a treasure, a discovery, a triumph of publishing. Pick up the book, read the first paragraph, and get carried away.

I had read Antonia Quirke's book on JAWS that she wrote for the uneven BFI series on notable films, but I must re-read it now that I know so much more about its author, sort of a real life Bridget Jones who proves that sometimes, you can get too much into the movies and they prevent you from having satisfying experiences in your real life romantic life. What guy in real life can compare to the rush of sexuality young Antonia got while watching STREETCAR on TV as a young girl? And that's just the beginning of an amazing read, in which she lays bare the dynamism of literally hundreds of male screen idols, while a few dozen earthly Englishmen fail to capture her attention for more than a few dates apiece.

Her book is very funny in parts, and in other parts she seems to recoil from the path she's leading, so the clash of the two genres, comedy and a tragic self-destruction, produces sparks but also gives the book a rueful texture. Makes you feel complicit even for reading it. Now and then one just wants her to find the right bloke, but most of the time one longs for her to meet another loser in life while drooling over another he-man in the cinema. She makes you appreciate the erotic perfection of even unlikely idols, such as Kevin Costner. She knows he's dopey, dull, superpatriotic, and probably conservative, but he's got something going on and she details it all. Remember Madonna pretending to gag after Costner told her that her show was "neat"? Hark Antonia Quirke: "That hollow cacophonous bird made of beaten tin painted gold (and failed actress) who sticks a finger down her throat after meeeting Costner [is] blind to the non-synthetic idiosyncrasies that unspun blandness might contain." He has a "beautiful veim of sadness running through everything he does, like when the light begins to strain at the end of a summer's day." You think David Thomson has it bad for Nicole Kidman? Wait till you hear Quirke on Depardieu!! Or Keanu Reeves, the male Marilyn Monroe: "Like Marilyn, Keanu introduces an electric tension into everything he does because of the combination of uncontrollable charisma and technical incompetence."

Most controversial will be her discussion on 228-9 of which star has, like her boyfriend Jonathan, the "perfect arse." She names James Dean, Dennis Quaid, Richard Gere, Gael Garcia Bernal--the usual suspects, reaching out to Terence Stamp in (POOR COW) and David Hemmings--she's as patriotic as Kevin Costner. She dismisses Clint Eastwood and Sam Shepard. But stop the presses, why is Dustin Hoffman on the list of "great arses"? The thought of it makes my gorge rise. And Jim Carrey? Yeah, his is great--for talking through! She names the four compass points that the perfect arse must balance itself among-- "a Gene Kelly gluteal muscle and a Keith Richards scrawn, a slovenly acre of sexless John Wayne flesh and a priapic preening Antonio Banderas baboon backside." I'm squinting but in the center of all those I am utterly failing to locate Dustin Hoffman!

I read this one on a flight from LA to DC, an easy read that captivates you from beginning to end. I was quite surprised when I came to this page to write my review, that only one other reviewer had anything to say about this title. The story is full of what you expect from a Christmas story. It centers around a family who has suffered the loss of a son in the Gulf War some thirteen years ago and they have not celebrated the holiday since. Their daughter is now sick with cancer and is going through a divorce. The father of the family wants to celebrate the holiday again as he is determined to end the family's pain over the loss of their son. Ultimately, the visitor who comes to the family home on Christmas Eve changes so much for this family. It is a wonderful story and I enjoyed it a great deal. Treat yourself to this one, you'll be completely glad that you did. A great book to cozy up with in front of the fireplace and near your Christmas tree.

This book was thoroughly enjoyable to read. Addressing the sentiment surrounding the loss of a loved one due to military service, the author weaves the lives of different characters that were related to the Deceased in some way into a passionate story of hope and peril, and ultimately, redemption.

I purchased this edition of the "Chronciles of Narnia" to utilize with the literary analysis class I was teaching using Thomas Williams "The Heart of the Chronicles of Narnia." I wanted a text which contained all seven stories that I could take to class with me each day. A bonus plus of this edition is the Narnia Timeline in the center of the book. It is a nice teaching tool to utilize with your students. The "Chronciles of Narnia" were written by C.S. Lewis a professor/theologian who taught at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The stories consists of seven books, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Magician's Nephew, The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle." The books in this edition are arranged in chronological of the order in which the stories take place. The stories are a delightful read for both children and adults. They are timeless tales of wonder which present Biblical truths.

In the first half of the twentieth century, two drinking buddies wrote vastly different fantasy series -- one a rich fantasy epic, the other a pleasant, sometimes bittersweet children's story.

Obviously, the former was the classic "Lord of the Rings," and the latter was the "Narnia" series. A close pal of J.R.R. Tolkien's and a fellow "Inkling," C.S. Lewis was one of the first widely-read fantasy writers, and "The Chronicles of Narnia" -- despite a few flaws -- is a charming, classic read.

"The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" opens as four children (Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter) are being shipped to the English countryside at the beginning of World War II. While exploring the vast house where they are staying, Lucy accidently ventures into a winter-locked world called Narnia, which is ruled over by the evil White Witch. The king Aslan is about to return -- but the Witch quickly gets a hold on Edmund's soul.

"Prince Caspian" takes place long after the events of "Lion" (though in our world, only a short time has passed). Young Prince Caspian escapes his uncle's castle when his life is threatened, and he finds refuge with the hidden races of Narnia -- dwarves, talking animals, dryads, centaurs and many others. And to help Caspian regain the throne, the two kings and two queens of Narnia are called back...

"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" begins when Edmund, Lucy and their obnoxious cousin Eustace are sucked through a painting into Narnia, where their pal Caspian is now king of Narnia (and an adult to boot). Caspian is heading toward the end of the world to find several knights who were banished, and vanished into the perilous islands along the sea.

"The Silver Chair" heads into slightly darker territory when Eustace returns to boarding school. He and outcast girl Jill Pole are drawn into Narnia, where Jill must perform a task to redeem herself for a stupid act. She must find the dying Caspian's son Rilian, who vanished many years before. The search will send the two children across Narnia with the pessimistic Puddleglum, to carnivorous Giants, creepy underground creatures, and an enemy worse than they could have imagined...

"Horse and His Boy" shoots back in time to the middle of "Lion." Shasta lives with the man he thinks to be his father in a hovel by the sea, but when a Calormene warrior purchases him, he escapes with the man's talking horse, Bree. He meets the escaping noblewoman Aravis (who also has a talking horse), and the two are planning to escape to Narnia and freedom. But in the capital city, there is a conspiracy brewing against the visiting Narnian kings and queens...

"Magician's Nephew" clears up many of the questions about Narnia, Aslan and the White Witch. Digory and Polly end up in very serious trouble when they encounter Digory's weird, slightly nutty uncle, a magician who has created magical rings that send the user to other worlds. The two kids end up in the "wood between the worlds," and venture into a dying land where they set loose the evil Queen Jadis -- who follows them to the newborn world of Narnia.

"The Last Battle" is definitely the end of the series, where Narnia decays slowly into the final battle between good and evil. Humans are destroying the trees and killing the dryads, and a false Aslan is appearing to mislead the inhabitants of Narnia. Old and new friends will band together as the true Aslan prepares to lead them to a new land.

If you don't like allegory (religious or otherwise), then steer clear of the Chronicles. While Lewis's beliefs are presented in a more complicated and subtle manner in his other fictional works, here the parallels to basic Christian beliefs are very obvious. Reportedly even Tolkien, one of Lewis's best pals, found the allegory annoying.

But if you can get past the slightly ham-handed treatment, it's a fantastic read. Lewis reshapes typical mythical elements like dwarves, nymphs, talking animals, centaurs and wicked witches into shape in his invented world. And Narnia is an inviting place -- it isn't always fun or pleasant, but there is always the feeling that the good guys will ultimately -- if not immediately -- come out on top.

Lewis's writing can become a bit precious at times, in the tradition of many British authors writing for children. But he puts plenty of detail and mystery in his stories, sprinkling them with little mysteries and questions that are explained as the story goes on. Where did the lamppost come from, for example? How did humans come to Narnia? And what is the deal with the White Witch?

There's a pretty broad range of characters, from British schoolchildren to talking animals, fishing foundlings to prepubescent kings of Narnia. But Lewis does a solid job with almost all of them (Susan is a bit of a copout -- but contrary to rumor, she does not go to hell). In fact, the entirely made-up kids are the most fascinating -- fiery Aravis Tarkeena and the young Professor are among the best he wrote.

While not quite as well known as his pal Tolkien's work, C.S. Lewis's Narnia series still a fun and dramatic fantasy story. For a bit more insight into the origins of fantasy as we know it, check out "The Chronicles of Narnia."