Movies Books

This book is delightful. It is a must for every theater goer, folk music lover. I think it should be required reading for ALL drama students and students in general. It is a rollicking story of a lifetime spent being in the present moment, facing all forms of worldly turmoil from a childhood in Vienna as a jewish boy to manhood and family in America.
It is the loving story of a man choosing to fight for human rights with only his guitar as a weapon.
From his days in Israeli theater and on to England in Repertory theater to appearing on American stage, movie screen and television to activism of all colors, this story reveals a man whose quest for LIFE brings him into our lives. And we are all the better for it.

SHalom and God speed to a wonderful character in my life.
Mrs. Leslie Van de Ven, RN, BA

"Theo" is a wonderful journey through the life of an interesting, entertaining, many faceted person. You'll be facinated to follow him from his birth place in Vienna, through his many travels and career to his comments on the present day world conditions.

He is a jack of all trades and master of all!

Theodore Bikel's name is syynonymous with the Arts. His autobiography detailing his years on the London and Broadway stage and his Hollywood film career is stuffed with anecdotes about actors and legends. It brings a real sense of living that charmed life. I enjoyed every minute of his story.

His experiences escaping the Nazis as a child, his passion for folk music, and his stewardship of actors' and civil rights show him as a champion of the less fortunate and a righteous individual. This is the story of a totally expansive life and in spite of my earlier knowledge and enthusiasm for his work and music, I came away with greater insights and understanding of the man's drive and achievement. It's a great book. I recommend it to every theator-goer, activist, music lover, and any soon-to-be fan of Theo Bikel.

I first discovered Theo when I was in college -- and a friend of mine found some folk music records of his at a campus record store.

Then I discovered he's an actor. And a writer. He's written some wonderful books on folk music, with the stories that go with the music. He wrote the back jacket copy for the records, and it opened gateways into the music and out of the music into the world that music came from.

He's appeared on almost all the major hit TV series. Most memorable for me is that he is/was Ivanova's Uncle on Babylon 5 and Worf's human father on Star Trek: DS9 etc.

You surely know who he is -- you've seen him again and again.

But only a true die-hard fan like me -- who goes to his concerts whenever I can -- picks up enough about his life history to get a feel for where this immense talent comes from.

Theo is one of the major influences that led me to become a professional sf writer. Today, I play his CD's and tapes made from the old vinyl in my car -- and it gives me the strength and energy to keep on. Keeping-on has begun to pay-off! Just today, I have another new title now available on amazon.[com], The Unity Trilogy.

The story of Theo's life is the story of Art. And here and there you get to peek into the world as it was during some terrible war times -- and what it meant to escape all that horror.

This is a book to treasure. It should be available as an ebook download forever!

Live Long and Prosper,
Jacqueline Lichtenberg

We got this before a flight and it has been a great activity book for my 2 year old. He loves putting the magnets on the tracks and then saying 'goodnight' to them each evening as we put them back in the case. It's more activity than book. He loves it! Not a day goes by when we don't read it at least once.

This is a great and QUIET toy that keeps my son entertained for quite a while considering he is only 2 yrs old. He only gets to play with it on Sundays during church which helps the book keep its "novelty" and keeps my son from getting bored during the hour that he needs to sit still. We like it and highly recommend it.

Peep, peep! Thomas and his friends are hard at work. All the people on the Island of Sodor depend on Sir Topham Hatt's railway every day, and they are always glad to see one of the engines coming down the line. Now, children can help, too, by creating their own scenes and stories with 9 fun magnets: Thomas, Gordon, Henry, James, Percy, Mavis, Harold the Helicopter, and two Troublesome Trucks.

There are 6 colorful, magnetized, glossy pages to the board book. The story features short sentences, and children are given plenty of space to arrange the magnets on the story boards. There's a plastic sleeve on the side that holds the magnets when not in use. The closed book holds it shut, so it's unlikely for the magnets to spill out when handled by children.

My son has gotten a lot of mileage out of the magnets, even using them on the fridge and other magnetic surfaces.

While the story is so-so, the fact that it has magnets is a definite plus! Keeps the kids busy in the car, at home, anywhere and the magnets store nicely on the side of the book!

This is a fascinating look at a long-gone time. Mr. Blake's book not only gives the reader great insight into the artistry and work of Lon Chaney, it is a peak into the past, of the days of silent film.

Beyond the other rave reviews for this book relative to the artist, what made this book all the more valuable to me was Mr. Blake's description on movie-making at the turn of the 20th century. We can hear, feel and almost smell the greasepaint of that time, the hard work, the ramshackle artistry of these cinema pioneers.

This is one of the best books on early film, and a credit to the magic of Lon Chaney.

Before reading this book, I knew almost nothing of Lon Chaney except his reputation as a horror actor. I was amazed to discover exactly how misleading that title actually was. Blake's work introduced a genius at makeup and pantomime who was capable of playing any role convincingly. Through it, I gained a respect for a great but seldom-discussed actor.

This is one sequel that is worth waiting for! Armed with new information from the files of Lon Chaney's former business manager, Blake has written a worthy follow-up to his first book on the famous actor. This time, Blake covers Chaney's performances and the making of many of his films in the reader-friendly tone he established in his first book. Blake has broken new ground in film history, revealing that it was Chaney's idea to make "Hunchback of Notre Dame", NOT Universal's studio head, Irving Thalberg!! It is just amazing what new nuggets of information Blake dug up, including lengthy interviews with probably the only surviving crew memeber from Chaney's MGM days and a nurse who attended him during his last trip to New York where he sought a cure of his cancer. He also debunks the myth that Chaney would have played the title role in "Dracula". It is heavily illustrated with many super rare photos. This book is just as good, if not better, than Blake's first effort. Both are a MUST if you're an admirer of Lon Chaney.

Michael F. Blake's second book on Lon Chaney, A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney's Unique Artistry in Motion Pictures, is a worthy and much-welcome companion volume to the author's first book: Lon Chaney: The Man Behind The Thousand Faces. This book serves a two-fold purpose: First, Blake reveals a lot of new information he uncovered about the actor's life and films since his first book. Second, this time around biography takes a backseat to a detailed look at the films themselves (although there is still plenty to be learned of Chaney's life).

Being THE acknowledged Chaney authority and having acted himself at an early age, Blake is able to provide a knowledgeable and well-balanced analysis/commentary of Chaney's films (at least those that are not "lost"). While certainly the biggest fan of Lon Chaney, Blake maintains the needed objectively to fairly critique each film and performance. As with his first book, a big highlight here is the wealth of rare photos presented (including Lon both in and out of make-up), as is the always fascinating information on how Chaney, a make-up master, created those amazing characters. Blake is to be lauded for his vast efforts in keeping alive the legacy of one of the greatest talents of the silent era. Thanks to author Blake, all the many fans of Lon Chaney can be assured that Chaney's many talents and contributions to the world of film (and film make-up!) will never be forgotten.

I could not resist buying this book after seeing the fine film made from it. The book stands perfectly well on its own, but I found it extremely interesting to contemplate how writers converted it to the screen. The events and characters in the book are almost all the same as in the film, but the movie presents scenes in a different order and significantly revises the prominence/roles of various characters.

I wish I had seen the process, which must have involved scores of 3x5 cards showing major scenes from the book, all rearranged and rearranged again to finally arrive at a linear progression for the movie... one just as good as, but totally different from, the book.

It's worth paying a little extra to obtain this rare volume, just to read the original story. What a bunch of sleazy people these characters were!

Better than the Movie an action filled story of LA undercover cops running a drug bust. Proably the best of Petievich's books. His knowledge of law enforcement makes this a real page turner.

To Live and Die in LA is Gerald Petievich's best book by far. A treasury agent "Richard Chance" that will not stop at nothing to catch a top notch "funny money maker", "Rick Masters" Chance's partner agent "John Vukovich" (probobly a personality likeness of Petievich, in my opinion)who comes from a family of police officers torn between backing up his out of control partner and listening to his mentor Veteran Agent "Jim Hart". If you have alreay seen the movie and liked it a lot be sure to have an open mind if you decide to read the book...totally different. Example, in the movie Richard Chance and Jim Hart are best of friends...well in the book they are each others foe.

I have to give credit to the movie. It was very entertaining and unlike anthing else made back in 1985 when I first saw it. The ensamble of cast like Bill Petersen, John Turturro, Dean Stockwell and one of my personal favorites, WILLEM DAFOE (Spiderman 2002). - Read the book. It still one of the best reads. I still have my original paperback which I bought when I was in high school dreaming of becoming a T-Man.

This novel became an equally excellent movie directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist), who then went on to direct an absolute LOSER of a movie entitled PYTHON WOLF. Where has Friedkin been since? This is unknown. . . Gerald Petievich is a former US Treasury agent who has worked the streets and managed to install his brother into not only TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., but the movie SHAKEDOWN as well (which included Dennis Hopper and Viggo Mortensen). -- The bar scene in TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. -- : "Hey, Petievich, get over here!" delivered by William Peterson. Petievich has walked the walk and admirably knows how to talk the talk. His dialogue is some of the finest written, easily on a par with that of Elmore Leonard. His plotting and exposition is terse and spare. There is no overabundance of words. He has not, to my knowledge, written a book since 1991's PARAMOUR. This in itself is a crime. Petievich knows about plot, about characterization, and how to make it all work in a minimal number of words and sentences. GODDAMMIT, PETIEVICH, WHERE ARE YOU?!

I thought that this book is a must-have for any Party of Five fan. It tells the true problems that the Salingers go throgh. One thing that I did not enjoy about this book, was that, they say the word 'cool' way too much! I know that is not that big of a deal, but it really started getting on my nerves by the 2nd chapter. I read this book during the summer well Po5 is not on. I am very glad that I read this book. I recommend it if you like the word 'cool'! ~thanks~

I think that this book was great! I read it over the summer so I didn't put it down much. When I put it down it was a "Waht will happen next?" question. I read it again and again and loved it! It's a really good book to me.

I thought it was okay. It was Claudia's point-of-view. Which I think is good, because it shows what problems and messes other teenagers get into. Maybe if an adult read this they would understand us. It flows with the story, and it's not hard to read. It defines all characters nicely.

I bought this book today, and finished it today. I could not put it down. It's a Terrific book! If you love Party of five, I highly recommend this book. It is told from Caludia's point of veiw which is awesome. I love this book! I'm going to read it again tonight. Hey maybe I'll finish it tonight. I very highly recommend this book. If you get it, you won't regret it!

"The marriage -- if you will -- between television and the wedding ceremony has been a long and happy union," the press material for this book begins. Published in June 1999 by HarperCollins' fairly prolific TVBooks imprint, this fun guide holds its biggest value in its black-and-white photos -- there are a lot of them. Most of them are full-page shots. The book is arranged by decade and delves into the more-political motivations for some of the TV weddings it highlights: ratings gimmick, narrative device, show revival, new plot direction, etc. An airdate is given for each wedding, as well as a thorough "back story."

After reading this book, I was reminded how happy I am to be one the countless thousands whose parents let them watch more TV than was good for them.

TV Weddings is a hilarious look back at the tv weddings of the past few decades; I really enjoyed it. I have given the book to many of my popular culture obsessed family & friends. It's a great gift & a great read.

This book reviews the many weddings that have occured between main characters on all of your favorite TV shows. The author does an excellent job of recreating the episodes and the fun of the TV weddings. It's a great look back at some TV classics, bringing up a ton of memories (I had forgotten how funny 99's wedding headdress was!).

I love Ugly Betty and wanted the book. It is written like a magazine released by Mode Magazine. I love the book but with it had dealt with more biographical information on the stars as well as a better background of the characters.

I purchased this for my granddaughter, Gabrielle, who is 11 years old.

She loves the Ugly Betty TV program and I sent her this book while she is in camp for the summer.

Gabrielle tells me that she is so thankful that I sent her this book as a present. She shares the book with her bunkmates, too.

If you love Ugly Betty, you must have Ugly Betty: The Book!

If watching and discussing the episodes over and over again is never enough, this GORGEOUS boxed volume will take you to a new level of Betty-Bliss that you've never before experienced.

You'll be taken behind the scenes to find out everything you ever wanted to know about Betty's clothes, her house, her shoes, her co-workers,her wonderful glasses, the goings-on at Mode and much, much more.

Betty fans, you'll feel like you've jumped through the TV screen and got up-close-and-personal with all the characters, both good and evil! (But, of course, sometimes evil can be just soooo good!)

So, why are you wasting time reading this review when you could be reading the book? You know you've got to have it!

After watching the first half of the first season, I was kind of hooked on this show. I have to admit that I bought this book rather impulsively, but was not disappointed. On the contrary, I was surprised at how much data there is in this book.

The book is laid out like a fashion magazine. It is soft covered, but in a hard case.

The content really reminded me of a package of extras that you would get when you ordered a DVD, but at levels much higher than you could get on a DVD. There are tons and tons of photos, bios of the entire cast, comments by the cast about the show and their personal information (of both themselves and the characters that they play on the show).

As someone who has not seen the entire first season, there are some spoilers that you may not want to read until you have watched the second season. But, still, that is nothing too bad. I was happy to note some of the characters that I haven't seen yet in the show.

The price considering the quality of the book and the information, including photos, is a bargain.

I love days of our lives its grart and IF you would Email me if you get iny yousd daysbooks

I'm an online Editor for Bella Online...and I can tell you that this book is a MUST HAVE! Now this book is a remarkable tool in testing your TRUE DOOL fan knowledge! Here is your chance to prove your loyalty to DAYS. This very informative book filled with articles, trivia, and pictures, from past and present DAYS questions with answers. Have yourself a DAYS celebration, invite your DAYS FRIENDS and play some trivia RIGHT from this book! Find out how many of your friends are TRUE DAYS fans or just 'CLAIM' to be. ENJOY! =o)

A must have for any Days of our Lives fan - you'll enjoy it! The trivia questions are fun to do with other Days fans also.

I purchased this book for my mom who is a huge 'Days' fan and she loved it! I think this is a great gift idea for avid soap watchers.

I bought this calendar at the same time I bought the dvd seasons 1 & 2, the calendar is Great, the one downer on it that took a star away would be the dates on the calender. They are tiny numbers on a dark orange backround, which kinda defeats the purpose of a calendar when you have to get close to make the date out. LOL other than that, the art is awesome and so is the rest of it. =0D

This calendar will help any Venture Bros. fan have a fantastic year. Each month has one of twelve large pictures taken from a dramatic scene during Season 2. The pictures continue into fun side art next to the days of the calendar. My favorite month is March with Dean trying to put out the fire on Hank's crotch in the bathroom of a restaurant.

Jan - "Escape to the House of Mummies pt 2" Hank riding wall spikes
Feb - "Victor. Echo. November" Phantom Limb and Monarch on a double date (sort of)
Mar - "Victor. Echo. November" Hank's crotch on fire
April - "Twenty Years to Midnight" Grand Galactic Inquisitor
May - "Fallen Arches" Dr. O with flaming hands
June - "Fallen Arches" Dr. Venture watches Brock struggle with the Walkin Eyeball Robot outside.
July - "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" Scenic view of Dr. Girlfriend
Aug - "Twenty Years to Midnight" Prof. Impossible vs the whole gang
Sept - "Showdown at Cremation Creek" The Monarch's henchmen fly into action
Oct - Unknown Episode. Dr. Venture attacks the boys
Nov - "Hate Floats" The Monarch, Dr. Venture, and Henchmen prepare for battle
Dec - Unknown Episode. Brock yells while carrying unconscious Hank

such a wonderful calendar.. not much else can be said about it.. its friggin beautiful.. get it.. get two and keep one in the package on a shelf where kids cant touch it..

For whatever reason, there is a dearth of Venture Bros. merchandise, so I'm happy to see the calendar. It's also nice to have something useful and something that the adult fans can enjoy.

The calendar features scenes from the show in vivid, saturated colors. There is one page for the rest of 2007, and the standard holidays, full moon, etc. are present. Despite the actual calendar pages being yellow, orange, and red with the skull logo and a character on each month, the calendar is easy to read. I like it much better than the usual bland white calendar pages.

This is will make a great gift for any Venture Bros. fan.

This is easliy one of the best books I have ever read. It is full to the brim with heart-stopping action. As you read this book, you will feel like you are on K2, watching it all happen. Scenes of death, the fight for survival, and even a few funny, will play through your head. I suggest this book to people ages 11+. I think this book is too in depth for anyone younger. Overall, this is an awesome book, and you should definitely read it.

This story is about a family that likes to climb moutains. The main charecters are Annie and Peter Garret and their father. They are out climing in Utah in the moutains. There are two amatures that are falling down the moutain and crached on the ground laying there motionless. This made the Garret family move quickly and slipe to the side of the moutain. The rope could not hold that much weight so the father made his son, Peter, cut the rope to save him and his sister's life. His sister blamed him for the death of their father's death. This was the best action book that I have ever read. If you like action books this is a book for you to read.

Peter and Annie Garret are climbing a mountain in Utah with their father. Suddenly, two amateurs come falling onto them, and sent them dangling in midair, hanging by a few cams. The two amateurs eventually falling onto the desert ground hundreds of feet below, laying motionless. Then, the father asked Peter to cut the end of the rope, from which he was holding being held. Peter eventually did, to save his sister and himself. This opening is only the beginning of this exciting and suspenseful story. People who like action will definitely enjoy this story which also teaches the reader some aspects about mountain climbing.

Three years later, Annie is climbing K2 of the Himalayas in Pakistan. She is caught in a storm with her boyfriend who turns out to be evil and selfish. Peter, who hasn't climbed since the Utah incident, sets out to save his sister.

The Garrett family climbs mountains chosen by the patriarch Royce who treats his two adult children (Annie and Peter) as if they are still teens. However, In Monument Valley, Utah, two amateurs drop into a freefall with their pack knocking Royce and Peter off the side of the mountain. Only the Garrett?s last belay with Annie still clinging to the side keeps all four men alive. However, the weight of gravity takes it toll and the two amateurs crash to earth. Royce makes Peter cut the rope, which leads to the former dying, but saves the lives of his two children.

Three years later, Peter and Annie remain haunted by the tragedy. Peter, already an accomplished photographer when the accident occurred, turns completely to nature shots to hide from his pain. Annie blames Peter for their father?s death and continues Royce?s dream of climbing the world?s toughest peaks in search of solace. However, this time on K2 something goes wrong and Annie faces certain death if Peter, who has not touched a mountain since Utah, fails to rescue her.

VERTICAL LIMIT is an adaptation of the movie. As with the picture, the story line is incredibly exciting and filled with nonstop action. Readers will feel the pain suffered by the siblings, who never found closure with the death of their beloved father. Mel Odom does a great job of bringing a powerfully scenic movie onto the printed page so that those readers who enjoy a heart-pumping thriller will climb K2 along side the lead cast.

Harriet Klausner