Movies Books

Francis Ford Coppola was born in a great year for the movies!
In 1939 the director was born to Carmen Coppola and his wife
Italia. His parents were creative-Carmen was a musician in the
Detroit Symphony and later in the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. Carmen would later win a musical
Oscar for the Godfather films.
Francis was a younger son to his older brother who was everything Francis wasn't: handsome and well liked at school.
His sister Talia Shire would later be a movie star in his own
films most notably the Godfather classics.
Coppola graduated from Hofstra and received a master's degree
in film from the UCLA film school. His early apprenticship in
film was under the tutelage of famed B director Roger Corman.
Coppolla emerged from nudie films and small pictures to direct
"Finigan's Rainbow" and began to emerge as a talented maverick
whose creative/artistic wings were flying in the early 1970s.
Despite arduous business and creative troubles he won fame and fortune and several Oscars for the Godfather films. His most
controversial film was "Apocalypse Now" his take on the Vietnam
conflict based on Joseph Conrad's novella "The Heart of Darkness."
Coppola's career has more ups and downs than a roller coaster
as he founded Zoetrope Films in San Francisco and went to the
mat in countless donybrook battles with studio executives.
Coppola reminds me of Orson Welles in that he achieved fame early and then had a difficult career in tinsel town. He is a
man of massive ego; intelligence; daring and creative attention
to the details/minutia of film. He was unfaithful to his wife
Ellie; grieved over a son yet emerges from this biography as a
flawed but good man. He is gregarious and honest and a good
friend. His friendship assisted George Lucas in launching his
storied career! I like Coppola's rich textured films. His screenwriting from Patton to his latest project is outstanding.
This meticulous account of Coppola's career in the Hollywood jungle will not appeal to everyone. Countless pages are devoted to business deals, legal disputes and the difficulties encountered by Coppola in making his films.
For me who loves the Godfather and FFC this is a fine book.
Anyone who seeks to explore this brilliant man's career would do
well to begin with Schumacher's fine biograpy.

I thought this biography was detailed mostly around this film. On page 262, first paragraph, I think Mr. Coppola would agree to mention the fact that "The Chief Phillips" made a life last attempt to end Willard after getting speared on the boat by Kurtz's mongrules. Overall, the book was a manificant biography of a Itailian-American film maker of our time.

...and I hope he stays that way. Francis Ford Coppola is one of the inspirations of my life. His energy and enthusiasm for what he does outshines even the projects many might deride. One thing you have to say is at LEAST he puts his all into what he does, and I'd imagine no one would doubt this. PS: WHEN is the UNCUT version of "One From the Heart" going to be issued on DVD?

I work for Francis Coppola today and know him pretty well. Michael Schumacher's book really captures the spirit and energy of this facinating and complex man. I have read most of the other Coppola books and none combines an understanding for both the human and artistic side of Francis.

This book, like no other I have read, reflects the passion, energy and chaos of the Coppola world. I can tell you from the inside there is no more exciting experience than being part of the Coppola energy. Francis loves to tackle the "impossible" and never gives up. I particularly like this book because it is clear that the author, like myself, has great respect for this whirlwind of a man.

Just got my copy today, and wow, what a gem. The pictures, the behind-the-scenes stories and the script are all wonderful. Goes into details about each of the cast members and has tons of pictures, many of them i've never seen before! Included at the end is a "press book" originally given out at the theaters when the film was first released. Learn the fascinating facts behind the "lost" scenes in which the Frankenstein monster was supposed to SPEAK! Screenwriter Curt Siodmak was a true legend and his contribution to the Wolf Man and Universal's legacy is un-matched. Did you know Curt wrote the famous poem for the Wolf Man "...even a man who is pure at heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the Wolf Bane blooms, and the Autumn moon is bright". Anyone who loves classic horror will love this book. Filled with fascinating facts, photos and much more...a real treat!

It's fantastic that we finally here the dialog of the monster that was cut out of the picture. Bela Lugosi played the monster in the film. Why was it cut out? The explanation makes no sense since Bela voiced the monster in the final scenes of the previous film. It worked then so why not with this film? The hacking of this script ruined this film. It would have been a much better movie if they left the dialog in. It explains so much.
This a great book for those who are fans of the movie and the Universal monsters. In fact, it's a must!

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN is best remembered today not only because it is the first of its genre (the crossover, still utilized today with films such as Alien Vs. Predator and Freddy Vs. Jason), but also because of a peculiar and maddening bit of editing: As originally shot, the Frankenstein Monster (as played by Bela Lugosi) was to be portrayed here as a weak, blind creature speaking eloquent dialogue (in Ygor's voice), the result of a clever plot twist from the previous feature, THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN.

Within this book is the true reason why Lugosi's lines were deleted, as well as some interesting behind-the-scenes information, extremely rare stills (particularly of the deleted scenes), cast bios, the pressbook, and Curt Siodmak's original shooting script, which includes the Monster's long-sought dialogue in its entirety!

A source of lasting enjoyment for all Classic Universal Monster fans, especially those seeking a "completed" version of FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN. Highly recommended!

Another in the great series of Universal Filmscripts. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book. The background also tells about Lugosi's dialogue being cut out and what some of it was. It also explains the ending and the escape of Massey, Knowles, and Ouspenskaya (which is not shown in the film). It is a shame that production of these filmscripts didn't cover ALL of the Universal Horror Movies because of the detailed background of each.

This book is really exciting and is good for people at 9 upwards but if you were looking for something serious and fun this is the right book for you.It contains alot of laughter and shocking things but it is still a really good book.

I LOVE CLUB STEPHANIE! THEY ARE SUCH GOOD BOOKS! I WANT TO READ THE NEXT ONE CAUSE THE LAST ONE LEKT ME HANGING WITH QUESTIONS

This book is cute. I now read more mature books, like Sweet Valley University, since I'm a teenager and all. But I remember when I read Full House books. The good ole Club Stephanie. It's cute and funny how every summer they always end up with the Flamingoes, and the same routine. The Flamingoes play tricks on them, they fight over the guys, etc. This book is great and really gives you the feeling of young summer love.

While not as explosive as "Friend or Flamingo," this first novel in the Club Stephanie series explores social incongruities in post-Cold War San Francisico. Wrapped around a bare bones Steinbeck-like narrative detailing the struggles of setting up a summer camp for neighborhood children, the book moves at such a blistering pace that it's easy to miss Quin-Harkin and Taaffe's subtle nuances. Indeed, their scope of intertextual references ranging from Chaucer to Pete Townshend fix the battle between the two groups on a wider social level, foreshadowing the LA riots and Atlanta Olympics.

The influence of William Golding is not lost on the authors either. Indeed, her paradise is all too easily corrupted. Stephanie emerges in the novel as a flawed heroine, whose victories depend upon her ability to arrive at universal truths. All the while, she remains engaging and entertaining to the reader.

While my love of the series leads me to award a 5 star rating to this book, my mixed feelings on the dualistic ending put it at 4 stars. The ending definitely raises more questions than it answers, leaving many a reader, myself included, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

This is a great book! My favorite part is when Binky the Clown announces on T.V. that tokay is Halloween. Odie rummage through Jon's chloths Garfield cracks some jokes. I also liked the Trick-or-Treating part. The only thing that makes me give this book 4 stars rather than 5 is that ghost pirates come out from the grave, I think that was stupid. Other than that I loved the book! I also own it.

A childhood Favorite.. I love the part of "candy candy candy candy......" lol.. Good funny not the usual ha ha.. but ho ho..lol Later.. Should be with all Halloween favorites like "The Great Pumpkin".

I really liked this book. It was funny and it was very exiting at the end. It is one of the best Garfield books.

I love "Garfield's Halloween Adventure". I read it around Halloween every year. I've read the book more than I saw the TV program. Garfield and Odie do the town going trick-or-treating and are thrilled with every moment getting candy left and right. Then, things aren't so thrilling as they wind up in a real-life very scary and frightening ghost story and experience pirate-ghosts up-close. Young and old readers who love comics will be thrilled about this! HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

Every page of this book is beautiful enough to be framed -- it's just a work of art.

There's nothing like the sophistication of the era, and a close-up artist's view of these designs is just a wonder to behold!

This is truly a great collection of movie gowns! They are beautifully illustrated. I was glad to see that all was done on the thicker card stock type paper. Anyone who has always wanted to know what the gowns must have looked like in person will enjoy this collection, as it is the closest we will ever get!

Ever since I was a child I have loved old Hollywood movies because of the marvellous costumes worn by the actresses, so one can imagine how pleased I was to discover this collection of paper dolls. There is a wonderful simplicity about these dolls and the costumes are accurately rendered. This work (being one of Mr Tierney's earliest) is more graphic and two dimensional in appearance than his later work, and for me that is what gives it more impact and charm. I have seen these plates framed as prints, and they are truly of a quality that is worthy of framing.
A note to the artist, the sequinned gown worn by Joan Crawford in "The Women" was gold not red (source: "Gowns by Adrian").

A beautiful collection of paper dolls with excellent reproductions of original costumes worn by some of the most famous and glamorous stars of the thirties. I purchased this collection when I was in my teens and still have it in my collection today. I highly recommend Glamorous Movie Stars of the Thirties for your paper doll collection, Tom Tierneys work is fantastic!

A movie not well received by critics and historical revisionists, it did poorly at the box office but fared much better in DVD sales.
"It was slow and boring," some said.
"It was too religious," others commented.
"It didn't show enough from the northern perspective," said still others.
So, was it slow? Well, it was dramatic but hardly slow if you are a fan of history.
Was it boring? Not in the least.
Was it religious? Absolutely! It depicted the times fairly accurately - folks in the 21st century have a difficult time realizing just how religious our 19th century ancestors were.
Was it mainly from the southern point of view? Yes. This would also be a complaint of mine. More of the northern perspective and northern generals needed to be shown.
That being said, this movie is perhaps my favorite movie of all time. It has everything I love most: drama, action, history, accuracy.
What more could I want?
Well, there is something else...originally, this movie had a couple extra hours of footage that were cut out - the Battle of Antietam, scenes with Booth and with Lincoln (separately, of course), and others. I would love to see these scenes restored with a special Director's Cut edition.
Seeing that may never take place, this book is the next best thing. It has the complete "director's cut" script so one can at least read what was filmed and see a few of the pictures from those scenes.
Also in this (mostly) full color book are behind the scene shots, tin types taken of the actors by wet-plate specialist Rob Gibson, articles about the re-enactors that participated in the filming of the movie, and pretty much anything else associated with the film.
If you enjoyed the movie, I would highly recommend this book.

The collaboration of Ronald F. Maxwell (who wrote, produced and directed the film version) and Jeff Shaara (who wrote the book upon which the film was based), Gods And Generals: The Illustrated Story Of The Epic Civil War Film showcases an epic movie. Presenting the full-length screenplay as well as extensive revelations and insights about the making of a classic film, full-color photographs, a selected Civil War filmography, and so much more, Gods And Generals is the perfect companion volume for anyone who truly cherished viewing this great and enduringly popular film.

This book is amazing ! Plenty of pictures about special effects, battle scenes, actors, makeup, soundtrack, landscape, a must have to all lovers of history, civil war or movies. I had never seen before such a work for a book about a movie ! You even could read the entire screenplay at the end !
Really, a wonderful job, Mr Maxwell !

For those of you who saw "Gods and Generals" and did not understand what was happening, then this book is for you. Filled with outstanding photographs from the set and scenes from the film, this companion book to the film not only takes a look at the making of the $ Million epic, but a look at the real-life characters and events that inspired the cinematic masterpiece that is "Gods and Generals." For history buffs and cine-buffs alike! Grade: A+

You will love this book. Even though it is the same as the movie, you'll find that reading the story is funnier.

If you like the skit that is on nickelodeon you will surely love this story about an odd friendship growing between Dexter and Ed. Also the show down of good vs. evil with Goodburger facing off with the evil Mondoburger! Will Goodburger triumph? Read it to find out!

The book "Good Burger" is a very funny book, even though it was the same as the movie. I thought the book was very interesting to read. The book was about a burger joint that has been going down in buisness seince the new burger joint has came in town but they were saved by ED's sauce.

Good Burger was by far one of my favorite movies, and now it's one of my favorite books too! The below average intellegence of Ed and the cockyness of Dexter make one of the greatest tag teams in movie charachters today! After watching the movie in July '97, I read the book in February '98 and the book had every little detail correct! I could just picture strage but lovable Ed saying "Uhh...... No?" and other catch phrases.

we need jay to write more horse racing novels, this one is even better than the movie(let it ride)and the movie is great.

This is the ultimate cavallo cavalcade. I loved it before I lost everything at the track. Jeff Cordtz

It took me years to find a copy of this, but "LET IT RIDE" is one of my favorite movies. Finally, only 3 weeks after requesting it at my local library on an inter-library loan, here it was! I was not disappointed at all. Most of the best bits and lines in "LET IT RIDE" originate in "GOOD VIBES", and though the ending differs somewhat from the film, it's not a huge difference(like The Natural, for instance). I've never read any of Jay Cronley's books, but if they're all this funny... ... If this is reprinted, I'll definitely snap up a copy, & until then, I'll keep looking for a reasonably priced used copy, & keep wearing out my video. It was worth the wait

This book is the basis for the movie "Let It Ride" with Richard Dreyfuss. It is the story of an unlucky gambler who has a very good day.

I am inlove with this TV show and was so excited to see a calender. It is great because each month I can flip to the new month to see a character from Greys, with picture clips, and quotes!

Great photos of a wonderful cast, sprinkled with a few quotes throughout. Having this up in my office is a great conversation piece and lets me know which of my coworkers are Grey's fans like me!

Fans of the series will like this because of the excellent photography and the quotes taken from various episodes. I don't know if they intentionaly rated the actors by popularity from January on, but if they did that would explain why the best actor doesn't appear until August.

I got this for our daughter, she's a big fan of the show and she was just thrilled when she got it. It's very colorful and just a great calendar.

This is a brilliantly written book about remarkable and eccentric character in the Indian films. Guru Dutt was a complex man but a simple soul who was always unhappy with his life. Unlike other filmmakers, Guru Dutt did not copy western filmmakers. You can read this book many times and still not figure out what Guru Dutt wanted in life or what type of person is he. Does any one know what they want in life? Many of his colleagues become emotionally attached to him. That was his legacy.

The author states that she came up with the idea of writing this book while she was working on a documentary on Guru Dutt for Channel 4. Therefore, this book contains rare insights by people who knew Guru Dutt intimately. This is what gives this book its life. And if you haven't watched the 3 part documentary made by the author I strongly recommend it. There you will find Guru Dutt's friend speak about him with emotions, something missing from the book.(January 2000)

The 3 part documentary is now available bundled with a special edition of Guru Dutt's Pyaasa released by Yash Raj Films. (Oct. 2002).

This book on Guru Dutt and his films is a rare insight into his life and works. This book soulfully touches the different aspects of his life, the shaping factors, love of the people around him ,the deep spiritual quality and poeticism of his films. It is fitting tribute to Guru Dutt. This is a lovable book can be read again and again. People with whom Guru Dutt worked like Kaifi Azmi ,Raj Khosla and others have so many interesting things to say about the person they loved and respected so much. Guru Dutt and Sahir Ludhiyanwi had some differences after and 'Pyaasa'. The author says that their differences existed only at the superficial level. Their souls merged at a much deeper level in their works How true! In fact when Guru sings 'Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaaye...' it appears that the persona of Guru Dutt, Sahir has merged into one. It is the cry of the eternal poet . I compliment Nasreen Munni Kabeer for this piece of work. Like Guru Dutt's work, this book is meant to be felt deeply not just read from an intellectual perspective.

when you read this book you will understand why Indian films, at least those of Guru Dutt, have depth and are capable of moving people. There are few books written about Indian cinema as a whole. This book is different because it relies on first-hand memories of the people who worked with Guru Dutt, people who knew him personally, and people whose lives were transformed by their association with him. This book is worth reading if you're interested in cinema or in India.