Movies Books

I've been carrying Empire of Humiliation around in my pack reading some here and some there this semester and it's like walking a puppy because people see the cover/title and can't resist asking about it, so I'm well-practiced in reviewing this. The book operates on 2 levels, the first supports an international action story centered by two Americans residing in Mexico City. Caught in a chain of malicious acts, they try to establish their innocence, but that only draws them into a larger plot concerning American cultural imperialism in Mexico. Later, a false ending twists all expectations, and then the true finish comes and repeats the process vigorously, a jarring success for we admirers of plot-centered literature. What stirs questions, however, is the story as a consideration of elitism in various forms, what does it look like, how is it perpetrated and perpetuated, both historically and in the present. Can you really dominate other people by humiliating them? (As opposed to the mundane question, Can you humiliate people by dominating them?) The author's literary answer is yes and, as he paints it, it's easy to become accustomed to the benefits humiliation provides--see the parts about the live-in maids in Mexico that everyone seems to have and control. As to the larger question addressed by the novel, can humiliation be a geo-political force, that remains open to debate, but this book strongly caffeinates the discussion.

If you're into world things and humiliation, you'll want to try this. Let me explain, the world part is the dirty details of life in Mexico City, and also how gringos are perceived down there. The humiliation is the thinking-person's part of the book and it deals with the very subtle ways that people control each other. Obviously the "Empire of Humiliation" is an attempt to work that on the largest scale. But the best part of the book is following the character Marina while she's constantly changing allegiances. Somehow and in spite of everything, she makes you want for things to work out for her. In the WARNING section you shouldn't start with this book if you're looking for action or lots of blood. There is a car chase and crafty forgery/theft and things like that, but it ALWAYS ends with some clever trick that one of the characters thinks up so it's not terribly exciting, but it does constantly make you think "OH, I have to remember that ploy..." The other warning is that the villain who's doing the imperialism in the book doesn't seem like a bad man, weird, but not bad, so you don't get that good guy/bad guy conflict to really develop. (On the other hand it's fun reading some of his monologues out-loud for friends after a drink.) All that said, the book creates a lot of suspense so this is a right choice when you're looking for an international novel that makes you think.

A roguish international woman, Marina, gets involved with Anderson, an American working for the US embassy in Mexico City. Then a frighteningly intelligent dandy-type from the U.S. involves them both in a plot to symbolically (ie with a minimum of blood) re-create the humiliating parts of the conquest of Cortez in Mexico. Simultaneously, a museum forgery plot quietly develops. In the end, everything knots up extremely tightly.

There's a good dose of the irresistible subjects here, some sex and crime and wealthy women cavorting, but this is mostly a book for people who like to travel, who are drawn to international politics and are intrigued by the way people from different countries react to each other in stressful situations. The characters are developed sparingly except for the dandy-imperialist who's strangely compelling, and the irresistibly plotting Marina. Actually, there's as much about Mexico City and Mexicans as there is describing most of the central (American) characters, which is appropriate because this is a plot-driven novel with short chapters, short paragraphs and everything always going on to the next place and scene. Sometimes it seems like it's going too fast, especially toward the end when you want the book to stretch out instead of rushing to a close.

On the other hand, when stepping back, it's notable how much serious thought got squeezed in. Obviously some of the intellectual weight connects with imperialism and whether people stand for the countries they came from or not, or whether people even connect to countries anymore. But there's also a lot about people, just normal people, and what we believe in, and about our resentments and envy and our superiority and fears of inferiority. Finally it's a powerful book, exciting to read and interesting to think about. Most important, it stays, keeps coming back and pulling at you.

The big umbrella tension is American imperialism and the take on how it's happening is completely new (at least for me). Without giving too much away you can see from the title that the key isn't wars or anything like that, it's the idea of wilting other people and countries by humiliating them. Obviously everyone knows what that feels like from their own lives, and that maybe explains why you get so caught up watching these different episodes of humiliation being planned and executed in Mexico City while the two main characters try to figure out what's going on. By the way, the book isn't preachy or anything, which I liked, it's not one of those old saws about evil imperialism that needs to get stopped by the heroes, it's more like the two characters are caught right in front of this, and the tension is whether they can figure it out fast enough to at least get out of the way. The other enjoyable part here (little spoiler alert) is the way this not entirely noble Marina character schemes to turn all the imperialism forces around to work for her without even caring about nations and all that.

There's also a kind of love/lust story which gets to you because it's funny. It's kind of jolting too, all this heavy imperialism stuff going on and then right through the middle shoots this comedy-romance (imagine Hugh Grant chasing a woman around in the middle of a PBS documentary).

The author obviously lives in Mexico and it shows with little details, you know those kinds of things world travelers love talking about at parties, but it's not so pretentious here in a novel when it's wrapped up in a plot. It's like background music that's always there and then once in a while you really notice it and it's curious, it kind makes you want to visit the place and see for yourself. (There were some pictures and youtube videos when I checked the book's website)

Just a quick general point, it's really a fast read because of the action but also because of its roomy pages. It's nice to see paperbacks getting published here the way they do in Europe, without compacting everything into that tiny type printed on the flimsiest and cheapest sheets anyone could possibly find.

This book is pretty unique, I don't think it's another version of something, but I suppose it could be called an international literary thriller. Probably people who like Eco's The Name of the Rose, or Fowles' The Magus, or Tartt's The Secret History, or The Dante Club or Graham Greene(Our Man in Havana ), or Milan Kundera (The Unbearable Lightness of Being) will like this. The author is a philosophy professor--Decadence of the French Nietzsche, Isolated Experiences--and that shows, but not in a bad way.

Despite its setup as a reference book, this is one you'll want to read cover-to-cover. The author gives the lowdown on all the movie awards, information about who was nominated and who won, and who he THINKS should have won. It's witty and entertaining!

I loved Gebert's Golden Armchair reviews and the speculation on who should have won! The intrigue and the behind-the-scenes knowledge is invaluable.

For those of us who are movie lovers, we know we have found someone else who must be, to the max! I enjoyed the inside scoop on the awards, particularly the politics of the Academy Awards and I find this a great reference book to seek out good movies I may have missed. I loved the wit of his own reviews and wished there was more of his keen insight. Hope there will be another book soon.

This is an excellent resource for finding great movies to watch. I especially like the year by year listings of the highest grossing films. I'm hoping an updated version (with pictures) will come out.

[...]
The second short story is about a displaced man who finds himself in the
novel Moby Dick come to life around him.
Both are award winning stories, but "Enemy Mine" in the original form is the prize here:that which is taught here in is worthy.

Two fighters on opposite sides of a war, and on different species are forced to work together to stay alive.

This relationship also moves on to the next generation, and the human combatant becomes a diplomatic bridge between the two alien races, once they are out of the hairy situation.

I'm a huge fan of "Enemy Mine," and have read every version Longyear has published and every Longyear collection it has been in... "Manifest Destiny" and "The Enemy Papers," to be precise. This is one of the greatest stories of breaking racial barriers and living in peace with people of different cultures ever written. It is just as timely now as ever.

I am hoping that the full length novel version of Enemy Mine that Longyear and David Gerrold (author of "The Man Who Folded Himself" and Star Trek's "Trouble With Tribbles") will be reprinted soon. Longyear is bringing back all of his other books, why not that one? Does the movie studio own the rights? I'm sure Gerrold would like to see it reprinted. It fleshed out the story more, developed the relationship between Shigan and Davidge, and added more Zammis material. The ending was almost the same as the short story only it was expanded and improved. The only version out there is the one with the movie tie-in cover, which is long out-of-print.

It is wonderful to be able to read the original Enemy MIne. The book is far superior to the movie.

This is a very strong book fitting all the characteristics into one great story that fits the star wars mold beautifully. I only gave this book an 8 because I though it lacked some explanation of some important features in this book.

My 3 year old loves this book. He carries it around with him, spending at least 20 minutes a day looking at the pictures asking me to read it to him. The art work in this book really brings the characters to life. I highly recommend this book for children and Star Wars Collectors.

The final book in this special edition Golden Books series of the first STAR WARS trilogy. RETURN OF THE JEDI finishes the saga begun in A NEW HOPE and continued in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Like the other two books in the series, this book successfully condenses the plot of the movie into a small children's book. Contains some great pictures. Alas, there is no mention of the speeder-bike chase and there are no pictures of the Sarlacc. That's about the only negative aspect of this book. If you've read the first two, this one is a must.

This children's book is a great introduction to STAR WARS. The book successfully compacts most of the important plots of the movie. It also contains some great pictures to go along with the words. A few of the words are difficult for real-young, youngsters to understand, but other than that, that's the only drawback.

In typical McMurtry style, there is a good deal of humor and whimsy in this novel. For the first 400 pages or so I felt it was a bit overdone, but once I saw where the novel was headed, it made perfect sense. About the ultimate destination of the novel: it packs quite an emotional punch. Rare indeed is the novel that can make me cry, but this one did it.

Larry McMurty gives us another masterpiece of humor and tears in the continued saga of Aurora Greenway

No writer in the last half of the 20th century was better at character development than McMurtry. In "Terms" he introduced us to Aurora Greenway; here he he expands and burnishes her character while he folds in a supporting cast of almost equally fascinating lesser characters. This was one of those rare tomes I wished would never end. You don't have to like her, but if you finish this book unaffected by la Greenway, you'd best read it again. Aurora's successful plan to ensure her young Grandson would never forget her is one of the most moving sequences I have ever read. Two years after first reading this novel and I still well up just thinking about it.

McMurtry's characters become so real to me that I can barely stand to let them go at the end of his books. I am so glad that I got to see what happened to the people from Terms of Endearment.

I completely agree with the previous reviews. I read this book 25 years ago and was captivated by it. It is taut, well-plotted, and full of telling moments that shed light on human nature. When it was first published, it ought to have been made into a movie starring a young Christopher Walken. Instead, sadly, it was turned into a clunker, around 1984, with Charles Bronson, an actor who was talented in some ways but was never meant to play the hero of this book. If the movie were made today, it might star Christian Bale.

Holland is an ex-soldier of 28 who has faked his own death in Vietnam and disappeared to a Caribbean island. He can be reached only by trusted friends and is available for "righteous" contract killings--e.g., corrupt officials, terrorists, and the like. He is hired to kill a British citizen who is a master of torture for corrupt regimes but protected by the CIA. Using a wealthy young widow and her child as cover, Holland enters Guatemala and seeks to flush the torturer out of hiding. First, he must eliminate the man's two sadistic lieutenants.

The book has some marvelous scenes, including a late-night confrontation in a bar in a slum, between wealthy tourists and a field laborer whose rage is fueled by drugs; another confrontation in a small rural tavern between men who are armed and who know that if anyone pulls a trigger, they could all die in that small space; and a brief but horrifying scene in which a woman who doesn't even understand why she is being questioned, realizes she may meet a hideous death.

Read this if you can find it; leave the movie alone.

The professional assasin of many, lesser, novels is a shallow man (or freakishly beautiful woman) without much affect, magically appearing at the right time to deftly shoot the victim. Hill's main character is not shallow, not lucky, and not boring. He's also not a good guy, but like other 'bad good' guys (read Richard Stark's "Parker" series, Robert Littell's "The Amateur" or closer- Joe Haldeman's " All My Sins Remembered") Holland is a rarity in modern novels -- a complete character. Holland, the hard man, meets up with a broken woman ... I won't ruin the plot points here. This is an amazingly good book.

One warning: In Hollywood Murphy's Law often meets The Peter Principle turning great books into bad movies. Well, this book was made into a truly horrible movie in the 1980s. Don't confuse the two.

Very well written account of a professional assassin at work. I found it to be very entertaining and well thought out. The main character, Holland, is what I imagine the best of the professional assassins would be like. Not a book filled with unrealistic stunts or plot lines. I have recommended it many times and would have really appreciated a sequel. Made into a movie starring Charles Bronson - what a mistake! Charles Bronson is NOT a Holland. Don't be put off by the movie.

All in all, a great summertime read. It's sad that's it out of print.

I read this book nearly twenty years ago the first time and can't say how much I enjoyed it. Since then I have read it possibly another ten times. Lost track of it about ten years ago through lending it out and recommending it to others. Been trying to get hold of a hardback copy for 10 years now and having no luck. Can't even find a paperback copy now, but this book has stayed in my mind throughout all of the great novels I have read, and, is still one of my all time favorites.

This book is a fascinating collection of antique advertisements for entertainment acts ranging from the whimsical to the bizarre. The broadsides themselves are surprisingly readable and Jay's commentary illuminates the subject matter in a way that sheds light on multiple facets of the social context the broadsides existed within. It's an art book, an intriguing work of history, a compendium of the bizarre, a chronicle of advertising techniques, and a unique stage door view on just exactly what humans will define as "entertaining".

Ricky Jay is a national treasure. He's the head curator of a continuing collection of the curious, marginal, sometimes macabre but always compelling congregation of entertainers who have slipped through the trapdoor of time's stage. His newest masterpiece, Extraordinary Exhibitions, is a catalogue of broadsides heralding some of the strangest performers that ever graced an auditorium or a sidewalk. You'll meet Pietro Stadelmann, a seventeenth century armless dulcimer player. As well as the nameless 27 year-old Angolan "Famous African Hermaphrodite". And a South American trio whose huge excrescences extruding from their chins gave them their stage moniker "The Monstrous Craws". You can sit at the feet of Joice Heth, the 161 year-old former nursemaid of Little Georgie Washington, the marvelous showman P. T. Barnum's first client. There's singing mice, educated fleas and a Rabbi whose demonstrations of his prodigious memory were endorsed by the Pope himself. To paraphrase the immortal Charles Fort, you'll see a procession of the damned of showbiz. And thanks to the wonderful Mr. Jay, they'll walk (and bark, tumble, juggle, catch bullets, arm wrestle, rope dance and eat stones) again.

If you ever have a chance for a collector to show his collection, you run the risk of being terribly bored. Unless you yourself collect stamps, coins, thimbles, Hummel figurines, or Corvettes, you are unlikely to sympathize with the delight the collector takes in his hoard. Ricky Jay is a fascinating man; he is a master magician, a historian of show business (especially of novelty acts), and an actor in David Mamet's movies. He collects something few others do: showbills for the jugglers, magicians, animal acts, ventriloquists, and other eccentric and novelty performances through almost four centuries. Don't worry, it is far from boring. Around eighty of his specimens are on display in a large format book, _Extraordinary Exhibitions: The Wonderful Remains of an Enormous Head, the Whimsiphusicon & Death to the Savage Unitarians_ (Quantuck Lane Press). The broadsides are funny and beautiful, and Jay's learned and enthusiastic commentary about each one is on the page facing each specimen. It is all thoroughly entertaining, and like any show advertising, the posters make you wonder if the acts are really as described. There is so much verbal and graphic hyperbole on display here that a bit of incredulity is only sensible, but still: who, if confronted by an announcement for Signor Cappelli and his Learned Cats, with assurances that after he introduces his cats to the audience, they will "beat a drum, turn a spit, grind knives, strike upon an anvil, roast coffee, ring bells, set a piece of Machinery in motion to grind rice in the Italian manner with many other astonishing exercises", who, I say, would let incredulity overcome a wish to get a peek at the show?

Let me just take the three displays mentioned in the subtitle. "Wonderful Remains of an Enormous Head" were on display in London around 1840, and it was, if the description is to be believed, truly enormous, eighteen by seven feet, and weighing 1,700 pounds. What the head was, we do not know; one observer said it was likely that of a whale, and another said it was an obviously gigantic bird, fish, or lizard. The Whimsiphusicon had one of those fanciful names showmen of the 19th century enjoyed. It is advertised on a playbill for the ventriloquist Christopher Lee Sugg in 1816. Jay says, "Sugg, like a number of early magicians, was a proponent of theatrical neologism used to entice, or more likely confuse, the public." Indeed, Sugg explained on the playbill that the device was also dubbed "The Wandering Melodistical" and was a "Pill to Banish Melancholy," but it is safe to say he didn't give any secrets away until the performance. "Death to the Savage Unitarians" is on an Argentinean bill from 1842, and does not refer to the members of the religious sect, but to the country's Unitarian political group who favored a liberal rule of law and a strong central Argentinean government. They opposed the dictator Juan Manuel Rosas, and probably the phrase was included by the publicist who had drawn up the bill to ensure it would not offend the dictator. It caps an ad for "Robert and His Wife" who did magic and juggling, including "the new trick of the ceramic plates that will very much please the spectators" and "the lovely balancing act of the two dogs dressed as a Marquesa and a Marquis."

There are scores of other playbills for acts in this beautifully produced book that shows some astonishing curiosities, well annotated by the erudite collector himself. It is full of jolly whimsy, for every act depicted is shown at its best, even though it might be promising more than it could actually produce. There is a taint of regret, here, though, on every page. As the playbills frequently remind us, the like of these productions will never be seen again. Oh, how I would love to see Daniel Wildman, for instance, the first and foremost equestrian apiarist of two hundred years ago, who rode his horse standing up while five swarms of bees covered his face, swarms which would thereupon alight on specific locations the performer designated by his command.

This is a wonderful book by a truly genius author. Also, make sure you put Ricky Jay's other books on your list. He has a great mind and his books are phenomenal!
Harry Monti
Society of American Magicians
National President 1999-2000

Richard Schickel's collection of essays is both well written and extremely informative. Schickel knows more about the subjects he's reviewing then the authors' themselves. His point about being given more space to write reviews on film books, than actual films, is bitterly ironic. To his credit Schickel doesn't look down on the cinema, nor serious film criticism.
There are some issues that should be raised with a few of the essays. Schickel is too dismissive of Douglas Sirk in his review of Harvey's book, but most unforgivable is his Welles review essay. He is far too dismissive of Welles's latter work, or basicially everything after Citizen Kane, and he doesn't even mention Welles's late masterpiece, F for Fake. I assume recognizing a film made 30 years after Citizen Kane defeats his argument against Welles. Also, the dismissal of Othello is the first I've ever read, and not suprisingly, its the most absurd digression in an otherwise sound collection.

Schickel is an excellent film critic and reviewer, deeply versed in film history and criticism (although he explicitly disavows any belief in a universal theory of film aesthetics or history, holding that movies are too diverse to suport any such systems). This book collects most (2/3) of his monthly reviews of "new books on film" written for the "LA Times Book Review," beginning in 2001, as well as a handful of essays published elsewhere. The pieces are short, those for the "Times" being 1200 to 1400 words. This limits the breadth and depth of any discussion; but, within the limits imposed, the essays are well and neatly written, are liberally laced with film history and contain penetrating critical judgments. The language is plain and direct, mercifully free of jargon.

Schickel does frequently repeat his views on a number of subjects, but this is inevitable given the sort of essay that they are. Someone writing a monthly newspaper feature must assume that some readers of each essay have never read him before and that others read only occasionally. Among the recurring themes, for example, are that movies are a collaborative art, that they are inescapably commercial and, with rare exception, not intended to upset the status quo. When they do rise to the level of art, it is, according to Schickel, an "accidental art."

Schickel obviously loves movies and their history and is delighted when he finds a book praiseworthy. This is somewhat uncommon since he believes that most film books are trash, either written by dry academics (who merely amass facts without any sense of context or critical sensibility) or by hack journalists (who are often merely muckraking and have no sense of film or its history). He is passionate about his own high crititical standards but he is not afraid to praise. His unfavorable judgments can be fiery but are never merciless. In this he is unlike (for example) John Simon in his prime or the late movie and cultural critic Dwight Macdonald, both of whom were merciless and personal to boot.

This is an excellent book, but it has a bit of sadness too since the author believes that informed film criticism and knowledge of film history are both dying out. This book shows what we will lose if this is so.

College-level libraries strong in film studies courses will find moving this collection of short essays on books about film, coming from a critic who not only reviews these books but offers uses them to discuss movie content, actor approaches, director and producer influences, and how the film industry operates as a whole. His different approach provides plenty of detail perfect for any college-level collection strong in film studies - and many a general interest lending library as well.

To begin with, who'd a thunk that a collection of book reviews of old and new movie books would be this good? Well, I would if only because I've never been disappointed in ANYTHING Schickel writes since the days of "The Disny Version" back when he and I were young (maggie, dear). So, it's not the money for this book that he owes me. Rather, well let me come at it in a roundabout way: The mark of a really good critic is that you will either NOT NEED to read/see/hear what he reviews because he has saved you from wasting precious time or you will be so caught up in his (or, yes, her) enthusiasm that you MUST partake of the object of same. Since Mr Schickel is one of our best critics... and documentarians... and historians... and biographers, I found far too many books I had to have within this one. Sadly (but, for one on a fixed income, fortunately) many of the best reviewed books are out of print. But, yes, weak vessel that I am, I have ordered several (from Amazon, of course) that are not. Hence the title. After all, it isn't MY fault that Schickel writes as well as he does!... is it?

it's very inspirational for designers to keep this handy. these posters are as good or better than the films.

This is a wonderful book in the series with wonderful reproductions of the posters of the decade. Makes a wonderful gift for someone who loves movies as well as a great coffee table book. Highly recommended

Like the other decade books in this series Film Posters of the 60's is a sensational buy. You could either keep it intact as a collection of posters in a book to show and discuss with friends, or cut the book up and actually have a vast number of posters up on your wall. This book is about a third the size of your standard film poster and most movies are full page colour. Any of them would look great up on the wall.

The 60's bought Sean Connery as James Bond to the screens. Rock stars like The Beatles also made movies. Films like Cool Hand Luke, The Graduate, Dracula, Night of the Living Dead, The Endless Summer, 2001 a Space Odyssey, Ocean?s 11 along with a heap of Westerns and World War movies like The Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape have stood the test of time. Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman and others went up on walls for the first time in the 60's and you can put them up again today.

I wasn't born in the 60's but I still know most of these great movies. Buy this book.

Tony Nourmand's "Film posters of the 60's" is a wonderful and colorful coffee table style book that is a great treat to look through. There are many of the classic film poster images of the French New wave, the films of Stanley Kubrick and the classic 007 posters, just to name a few. Film poster collecting is a great adventure and this book reflects that enthusiasm. This book was lovingly organized with great detail. A superb value! Looking forward to future editions.

I received this book in better condition than expected. The shipping charges were so reasonable also{ to Canada}.

Calling all Barbra Joan Streisand fans! Now is the time to support the would be publication of a comprehensive resource guide to Barbra's extraordinary film career. If Citadel is unable to publish such a nifty volume, then we should let other publishers know that such a book would be of significant interest. I hope that it won't be long until Ms. Swenson and Mr. Nickens find a home for their work (and on a more personal note, I hope that the somewhat overlooked "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" (1970) and the sadly neglected "Up The Sandbox" (1972) receive the glowing credit these two glorious films deserve.) I encourage other Streisand partisans to compose "reviews" of the book they'd most like to add to their library shelves.

Barbara Streisand isn't given her due for Her Films.this Book covers alot of Her Film Career! good Pictures&Reflections.

This book is an excellent insight into Barbra's film career. Lots of detail to the behind the screen stories. Many Classic picture's and hard to find shot's of Barbra. A must have for any Barbra Fan!!!