Movies Books

This book is the bomb! The art is amazing and facinates the imagination, the quality of the book is perfect, The cross-sections are the best and are getting bigger... and better than the last book and I can expect the next one to be the best of them all. Excellent job, Curtis J. Saxton. I am most pleased. Star Wars rules and may the force be with you!

P.S. This book is DEFINITLY WORTH The money! Bye!

Ep 2's turn to have it's spaceships and other craft pulled apart and exposed in all their glory. Once again the foldout format is still the best and great for childern and grownups alike.

This Star Wars Cross-sections book is a must-have for Star Wars fans. The detailed renderings of all the main vehicles in AOTC is as impressive as the companion for The Phantom Menace. The writer, Curtis Saxon, has obviously done a great deal of investigation for everything, with so many detailed drawings and fascinating notes. For curios of the inner workings of all the speeders and starships, this is indespensible. Great stuff.

I just recently received this book and all I can say is that it's the bomb! The pages are full of intricate details about both the vehicles and story of Episode II. The foldout of the Republic Dropship is definitely a highlight of the series. If you like Star Wars and want to know more than you can possibly imagine about Star Wars engineering, pick this book up right away.

really ignites a kid's imagination. i got this for my nephew and he loves it!

How different would Leni Riefenstahl's life have been had she not filmed Triumph of the Will? One can only speculate what films she would have directed and starred in after World War II were it not for Hitler insisting she do the film.

Riefenstahl has been referred to as a Renaissance woman, and she most certainly was. She was a creative being and expressed her creativity in dance, acting, directing, photography and ocean diving. These five areas, spanning her entire long life, are the subject of this sumptuous coffee table book.

Editor Taschen Angelica is to be commended on compiling this life-work on Riefenstahl while Leni was still alive to assist in the selection and arrangement of the photographs. The segment on the mountain films is worth the price of the book alone, but the color images of the Nuba are also amazing.

Riefenstahl's revenge against those who denied her her cinematic craft after World War II was being able to live to 101, and seeing her life-long accomplishments compliled into this book. Rumor has it Jody Foster is at work on a film project about Riefenstahl. One hopes Foster will get it right and cover her entire life, not just the years that caused so much controversy.

A biography in pictures of arguably the most influential female film-maker in the history of the medium...though all too many people in the industry are afraid to admit to it. Made the greatest propaganda film in history (unfortunate choice of subject matter) and the most important and influential sports documentary of all time (Olympia). Dancer, actress, director, producer, still photographer, underwater cinematographer...an astounding list of accomplishments driven by a desire to perceive and record the world around her has compelled Leni Riefenstahl since the beginning of the twentieth century.
Oversized, handsomely produced volume (typical Taschen quality) is packed with rare photographs and fascinating commentary. Note: sparkle in eyes of 19-year old dancer and 99-year old legend is exactly the same.

As gifted as she is controversial, Leni Riefenstahl's "five" lives are imminently fascinating as this impressive book will prove! Even to the uninformed or casual observer, this edition will entrance. A great addition to your library, especially if you are impressed by the 102 year old dynamo who continues to prove filmmaking and photography as an art form. A living testament to the fact that "bodies in motion, stay in motion!"

A biography in pictures of arguably the most influential female film-maker in the history of the medium...though all too many people in the industry are afraid to admit to it. Made the greatest propaganda film in history (unfortunate choice of subject matter) and the most important and influential sports documentary of all time (Olympia). Dancer, actress, director, producer, still photographer, underwater cinematographer...an astounding list of accomplishments driven by a desire to perceive and record the world around her has compelled Leni Riefenstahl since the beginning of the twentieth century.
Oversized, handsomely produced volume (typical Taschen quality) is packed with rare photographs and fascinating commentary. Note: sparkle in eyes of 19-year old dancer and 99-year old legend is exactly the same.

The striking front cover on this book is a publicity still as Junta, in the movie "The Blue Light" 1932. As impressive as the cover is, it gets better when you open it to reveal hundreds of artistically shot photos. Dr. Ruth says bigger is not necessarily better. However in this case it is; something about the size of the photographs add to their striking appearance. Most are in grainy black and white with some color sections. This book is just a wee to large to fit in my oversized bookshelf. So I am making a larger shelf to display the books front view.

Just as you assume that this is a great coffee table book you will find that there is more too it. Luckily the pictures are not cluttered or distracted by alpha pneumonics. All the descriptions are in a separate section. The title of the book is appropriate as it portray s the different vocations of Leni. (Dancer, Actress, Director, Photographer, Diver)

This book also enhances the viewing experience of Leni's films.

THE GERMAN CENTURY.

A very moving book. I knew Joel from a distance, all we would say is "Hi" to each other. Nothing more. Reading this book should be a school requirement. It does not get any better. What a fascinating man he was. He will be MISSED!

Who ever suspected Joel Siegel led such an interesting life? I couldn't believe all of the experiences he wrote about and the funny insights into his family. He included a chapter on Yiddish words which was informative and amusing. Of course throughout the book was the touching message to his son.

A man, approaching fatherhood late in life finds that he has cancer. What can he give his very young son that would impact the child's life. This book is Joel Siegel's legacy to his young son.

It could have been overly-sentimmental or morbid. Instead it is funny, profound, and deeply moving. Those of us who have faced the same eventuality that Joel Siegel has faced, will find great wisdom here, and solace.

The only quibble I have with the book, is that there are a few chapters that seem to have been added to flesh out the size of the book. A chapter on Yiddish phrases, for example, seems a bit "fluffy," though quite funny.

In all, a wonderful legacy for Dylan... and us all.

This book is a treasure in the fact that a man who has a young son (who should have been his grandson) at that age realizes that he may not be around to share all of these stories and this valuable insight to Dylan in person, and he put in print the things he would have told him (maybe) had he been a young father. The last twenty-five (27) years were a trial for him, as they were for me, as a divorced woman with a son the same age at the time of the divorce. You feel that you've just got to be there to see that son grown, then get on with your life.

He is funny. The Jewish jokes were okay, and the one he had Bobby Kennedy tell about the price of meat was okay, but this whole book is written in the joking way he thinks. Serious times about lowering the flag to half-mast on the UCLA campus the day JFK was assassinated. He was there when brother Bobby died and heard the shots. He and Dylan's mother lived in an area of New York where they were able to watch the Twin Towers burn on 9-11. This is history he passes down to his son in intimate terms.

He writes fondly "some of my best memories of my father are of him laughing while he and I watched TV. We didn't go to movies much; most families didn't in the early '50s." My sister Evelyn took me to my first movie about that time (before she ran off and eloped, ending up spending the rest of her life up North) and I marveled at the beauty and splendor of Tennessee Theater. I don't remember the movie, but I will never forget how I felt looking up at the mural on the interior dome. In the middle and later Fifties, I went to many movies there and even sang in a local talent show on that stage. It was no big deal.

As a film critic, he explains that movies are a fraud and goes into detail about how they are made. But, those he chose for viewing with Dylan were a varied and motlely group, not my choices at all. He tells how old he was when he saw them and how he felt. He dishes the dirt about some of the big movie stars. The index is full of big names. You think of one, he has met him or her and has a funny anecdote to share. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, I can understand why he would want to explain to his son what is happening and why. Since he is such a funny man, I guess he would choose the Marx brothers' films. I did enjoy Groucho on the t.v. game show!

Of course, he wants 'I Love Lucy' and 'The Honeymooners' to be available for Dylan to enjoy and share a few laughs. His remembrance of live t.v. in Los Angeles, 'Time for Beanie,' brought back memories of 'Your Startime' hosted by Bob Lobertini for me as I was one of his regulars, and later he had a 'Popeye' show in Nashville where I took my sons. He told them on the air that he and I had appeared on t.v. together in Knoxville; that was stretching it -- he was the star, I the adorer.

During the 1958 Winter/Spring, one of my best friends was the young Jewish usher, Joe Feldman, at the Tennessee Theater. I had moved to the YWCA to finish high school and, that Easter, he took me to eat Easter dinner at the S&W Cafeteria on Gay Street. I still have his senior picture from Young High School.

Dylan is a darling child and so much like Ken Young when he was younger. I sincerely hope they will share many good times as he grows up -- and away. That time will come before you know it.

There are no athiests in foxholes or in an oncologist's office. Siegel, an entertainment critic for ABC's GMA, faced a terminal illness, and created this story of his first 58 years of life. (He passed away on June 29, 2007 at the age of 63).

At the age of 54, Siegel became a father for the first time and learned that he had cancer. In "Lessons for Dylan," Siegel shares all the things he wants his son to know, in case he is not around to tell him, things about his family history and Jewish heritage, life's pleasures and disappointments, the challenges of growing up (at any age), and, most important, who his father is and what Joel values. As Joel and Rabbi Larry Rafael discussed, Joel wants his son to be normal (but not average).

Siegel was born in East Los Angeles in 1943. His Romanian Jewish grandmother survived the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in March 1911. (Her father banned her from going that day.) His father, a Levite, was an electrician, and he got the first African American and the first Mexican American into his local IBEW union. In 1965, Joel delivered a bag containing $800 in cash to a minister named Martin Luther King at a UCLA luncheon. ("Dr. King, I've come with dessert.") He ended up spending the Summer working for King. Siegel says he invented the names of several Baskin Robbins flavors, including German Chocolate Cake (my favorite) and Pralines and Cream. Siegel was nominated for a Tony Award for his work on a musical about Jackie Robinson. Siegel was a joke writer Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, and witnessed Kennedy's assassination in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He is co-founder (with Gene Wilder) and president of Gilda's Club, a non-profit support facility for cancer patients.

Only Siegel can make the story of his chemo sessions and a colostomy funny. Siegel candidly writes about the end of his marriage (his third) to Dylan's mother and the experience of having cancer. The famous ad man and partier Jerry Della Femina bought pot for Siegel during his chemotherapy. Siegel also shares great stories from show biz (featuring Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, Paul Newman, Brad Pitt, Stevie Wonder, all four Beatles, and more); lays out the History of the Jewish People in Four Jokes ("Why make trouble?"); and offers fatherly advice on sex ("ask your mother"), work, what to cook for Rosh Hashanah (recipes included), and a list of movies he would like to see with his son.

One of his letters:
Dear Dylan,
One day you might remember--maybe triggered by a photograph, or a sense memory of a texture or a color--the soft, grey cashmere sweater I bought for you for your second birthday. As an adult you may wonder, "What kind of schmuck buys a cashmere sweater for a two year-old boy?"

The answer is: A schmuck who tempts fate.

This book is as beautiful as the background watercolors of the original movie The book takes a personal look at the stories behind the movie. Not necessarily linear in presentation, the chapters are broken into narrations by different creators of the film and either how they came to be involved or how they added to the film. The art that is scattered throughout each chapter is often beautiful.

I personally have two favorite images from the film, one a watercolor of a drainage in Hawaii, overgrown with native plants and the second is drawings of how the alien creature, experiment 626, would work showing his skeleton and structure.

This book is listed as for ages 4-8, total mistake. this is not a kids book but would be appropriate for early teens through adult. It is an excellent book for those interested in animation, or as myself, a fan of Lilo and Stitch.

I could not put this book down...I read it all in one sitting. If you're a fan of the movie this is the book for you...strong recommended!

this is a must have for any fan of the "art of" series books. it is as beautiful as the movie itself. it is splashed with all the beautiful rough drawings and amazing watercolor paintings that take your breath away. i wouldnt have asked for any more!!!!!!!!

A charming, lovely book, a great compliment to the movie, and the perfect gift for any fan of Lilo & Stitch. If you count this gem among your favorite films (as I do), this book is a must-have for you, as it's filled with gorgeous sketches and watercolors, showcasing the development of the characters and setting. (I'm gushing, yes, but I can't help it.) And it's filled with little stories from all the key members who worked behind the scenes, reminding you of how very human animated films are. Personally, I think this is the best of the Disney "Art of..." books, but I'm biased, as Lilo & Stitch is my favorite Disney film. It's not hardcover, but it hardly matters. The book is unique, just like the film.

"Lilo and Stitch" was the perfect summer family film. Lighthearted and heart warming, it contained all the elements of the best Disney has to offer. The great thing about this film is that it did this without all the fanfare and majesty that, as of recently, has been dragging down the Disney films. This pseudo-making-of book offers the same unpretentious vision. As most fans of Disney animation know, this type of book is released for every feature. While quite a few have been really nicely done, most have been bogged down in the technical aspects of animation. While it is an awe-inspiring and often misunderstood process, hearing and re-hearing about the animation process gets a bit stale. These publications began to feel like the same book with different pictures. Thank goodness the creators of this book have taken a refreshingly different approach to telling the story behind the story of Lilo and Stitch. Personal accounts and artistic insights prove to be just as entertaining and engaging as the sketches and watercolors that fill this slim addition to the Disney Making Of Library. Like the film, the book doesn't feel the need to show off the technical merrits of the production. Too often authors of animation books come across defensive about the medium, forcing comparrisons with other more respected mediums (film, fine art, literature) as if there is a need to defend animation. In a way they are preaching to the choir. Most people who purchase these books already respect the process, the amazing artists, and the mountains of work that goes into each production. Lilo and Stitch the book finally offers some insight into the creative minds and, more importantly, hearts of the creative forces behind the magic. Let's just hope that Disney, particularly their Florida unit, continues to produce animated features with this simple charm and storytelling. With more films and books like Lilo and Stitch it would make it easier to overlook the occasional "Atlantis" or "Treasure Planet".

Though the other stories have much cinematic potential, my favorite of this collection has to be "Dirk Snigby's Guide To The Afterlife." Funny and snarkily irreverent, it is full of the absurdities that is the currency of organized religion. In the right hands, "Dirk" could be the next "Dr. Strangelove" -- a chilling satire on what we fear most after taking that final breath in this life as we open the door to the next. Who knows, perhaps Dirk might in fact be our Guide. Pick up a copy of this anthology for this story alone.

an excellent collection of short stories that will make wonderful movies. standouts :gone to mum's
dirk snigby
some pig
waltzing matilda.
sit back with a long cool drink and enjoy.

_The Hustler, It Happened One Night, High Noon, Minority Report_ and _All About Eve._ Quite an impressive list, but what do these movies all have in common? Give up? They all started as a short story.

Next Stop Hollywood is the brainchild of Steve Cohen and Jonathan Davis. Each year they partner with St. Martin's Press to publish original short stories that are judged by a panel of Hollywood insiders via an international contest, with winning entries compiled into the anthology. Their criteria? Finding stories that would make a great movie or TV project. More than 600 entries were submitted and narrowed down to a mere 15.

Using the same judging criteria, I chose three stories from Next Stop Hollywood to highlight.

Perry Glasser's "An Age of Marvels and Wonders," tells the story of a lonely old man slowly going blind and the young woman who comes into his life. Raylene is a walking hard luck story--with two kids, no money and an abusive ex-husband. Is it any wonder she's skeptical of an offer of help? Bob may slowly be going blind, but he sees far more than mere eyesight allows.

"Gone to Mum's" by Barry Simiana is a richly detailed and poignant story of missed chances, stolen moments, heartbreak and redemption. Simiana's narrator takes readers along on his journey of self-discovery amid the rugged backdrop of Australia. The author paints emotion on his canvas, stunning the reader with the simplicity and honesty of his prose.

"The Good Kid" by Brian Richmond, is a clever tale of deception. Marty is a bank robber on the run with nowhere to go. The kid is more than willing to help. But is he helping himself or Marty? O. Henry would have approved.

With Hollywood scrambling for fresh ideas, it's nice to know that the art of the short story is not completely forgotten.

Armchair Interviews says: Kudos to Cohen and Davis for their part in reviving an endangered genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed these short stories, especially "Dirk Snigby's Guide to the Afterlife". Dirk and the devil would be a hit on the silver screen!

Perry Glasser is a wonderful writer and an inspiration in my own writing. His forthright yet crafty style will leave you complete. You won't be disappointed!

Another fantastic book from Focal Press. This book by Jason J. Tomaric is a fantastic resource guide, covering all aspects of filmmaking from start to finish. Well written, and a DVD loaded with extras! Don't make an independent movie without it! Highly recommended!

Newer thought that I would be considering working on a feature film, but reading and viewing Jason great material just gave me the feeling that I also could do it.

Books like this promise a lot but I have to say that Jason has done an excellent job of condensing the complex task of movie making into concise and accurate descriptions of each discipline. I've experienced quite a bit in the film business over 30 years and time and again as I read this book I kept saying "Oh yes, that's true." It is also a great reference for those noodly details one needs from time to time like proper script format. There is no need to hunt through your library for the answer, script format is right here on page 27. The other good thing about Jason's breakdown is the responsibility associated with film making regarding money,permissions, safety and insurance. I cringe when I think back on how we made 16mm indie films back in the 70s. In some cases we were lucky to be alive afterward much less sued! The Power Filmmaking Kit is terrific primer for those who wish to make a movie in the classic tradition for very little money.

Mark Sawicki
Motion Picture Effects Cameraman/Actor and Author.

I was so frustrated with the lack of practical filmmaking instruction that I took two years out of my life to write and illustrate "The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide", so I speak from the heart when I say that Jason Tomaric's "Power Filmmaking Kit" is a rare wonder of practicality, conciseness, and valuable filmmaking wisdom.

There are two ways you learn the things in a solid practical film book like this:

1) the hard way- by doing it and learning from your mistakes (fine if you've got the time and the money) or

2) by being smart enough to study and learn from a book like this how to stretch your time and money and get better results.

After fifteen years in this business, I still found plenty of valuable tidbits, forms, and practical wisdom in Jason's book and the jam-packed DVD lessons to make it more than worth the cover price. I only wish I had access to a book like this back in my film school days.

Yet another big shot in the DV Revolution. Well done, Jason.

Author Jason Tomaric has written, directed and distributed several minor independent features which is a laudable feat. Yet, Tomaric has surprisingly little to say about the filmmaking process. Sure, there's a lot of information here, but nothing you couldn't get anywhere else. Even the skimpy material on his own productions generally amounts to one thought--"Need something for free? Just ask!" What makes similar books like the Complete Guide to Low-Budget filmmaking (Josh Becker) or Make Your Own Damn Movie! (Lloyd Kaufman) interesting is the authors' willingness to share their personal views and stories of their triumphs and failures. Other books like The DV Rebel's Guide (Stu Maschwitz) and Digital Filmmaking (Mike Figgis) are authored by highly-regarded professionals who describe how low-budget technology potentially transforms mainstream filmmaking processes. Tomaric, on the other hand, opts for an encyclopedic "wide as an ocean but shallow as a water basin" approach. The result is a paint-by-numbers text that reads less like a book and more like a reasonably executed career move.

If you're a fan of Heath Ledger(or have seen the TV series) you'll know basically what this book is all about. I've always believed that a movie can never capture the magic of a good book, and this is a good example of just that. Through reading this masterpice by Sean Kiernan, you become much more aquainted with the characters and their feelings,and are given much more information of the relationship between Conor and Claire(how they first met, etc). Well worth reading.

I have never seen the show ROAR, but the book was awesome! Sean Kiernan is now one of my favorite authors, and I can't wait to read the sequel. It was great literature, very descriptive. I couldn't put it down. It had a different sort of plot, but very interesting. I recommend it! Great book!

I've been a fan of the series since it first aired and was extremely disappointed when Fox cancelled it without airing the last 5 episodes. I then heard about the books coming out, but could not get my hands on them till now. I finished Roar yesterday and all I can is wow! I love that they included the story behind the story with Gar as a young man and Conor not even born yet. I also liked the allusions that were made about Catlin's father. Overall I thought this book ran true to form and I'm glad that nothing was cut out that was in the pilot episode.

the Roar book was great because it gives you all the background for the show in great detail. (even if it is a little late for that) i loved the show and was upset when it went off the air in '97. this book was like a breath of fresh air to my stifling passion for Roar. i thoroughly enjoyed it and will read it again and fully intend to read the sequel. A must for any Roarior!

I had watched the T.V. show befor I read this book ( and before the show was canceled) and had thought it was great. As soon as I read Roar I thought it was great. The characters in the book were a great match for each other. If you like fantsy and Scifi, you'll love this book. And the sequal is really, really good to. It is almost better! (Sorry if there is any spelling mistakes!)

oh man i just finished this for a book report and this books AWESOME. it keeps u guessing till the end but the auther gives little clues along they way. READ THIS BOOK!!!!ITS AWESOME!!!!!!!!

man i just finished it. that was awesome! u have no clue till the end. its SICK. READ IT!

i LOVED this book!!! it is wonderfully written and i couldnt put it down. seriously!!! i read it in one day!!! it has suspense, adventure, murder, shakespear, imposters, hostages... EVERYTHING!!! (...)

The Ruby Raven is the best book I have ever read. It kept me guessing until the very last word! If you are looking for an exciting, easy to read novel, the Ruby Raven is for you!

The book The Ruby Raven by Michael Dahl is a Suspensful and fun to read.This book starts out with a boy named Finn and his uncle Stoppard.They were entered in a contest for the ruby raven and a million dollars.They had to write a mystery book to enter.They traveled everywhere like Paris and Africa.Someone tries to kill uncle Stoppard in the story.
When I started it was a little boring.As I went through it got a lot better.I learned stuff about places.There were sooo much mystery and red herrings.If you like mystery you'll love this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have only lived in the US since 2001, and SNL rapidly became my favourite show. Hence I bought this book to have a peek behind the scenes of the Manhattan studio where it all takes place, and I was not disappointed. Some of the people in it I didn't recognise as they were before my time, but I recognised many faces. Even if I hadn't, it is great to see all the backstage shots. Particularly memorable are photos of a writer hunched over a laptop, with Norm McDonald smiling over his shoulder, and Chris Farley sitting at the head of the table in a crowded writers room. There are also lots of other great shots of people building sets, working on costumes, doing all the pre-show stills for the commercial break etc - all of this exactly what I was interested in.

What jumps off the page for me is the camraderie that obviously exists between everyone on the show - obviously there are rivalries and creative tensions, but you can tell there is a group mentality that connects everyone in the photos. There are some treasured memories in here for the lucky few that were there at the time.

This is the next best thing to actually being involved with the show yourself, and as such, I recommend it wholeheartedly. A flood of images! Lovely stuff to have on your coffee table or beside your bed.

A great book, really good if you only started watching SNL in the last few yaers and would like to know about the earlier years.

I'm sorry to say that this book was published a year too early. It went to press after the 1993-94 season which was SNL's 19th. Were the authors and publishers so anxious to get it out? I guess they were. Anyway,this book tells about the amazing history of Saturday Night Live. Every overall cast member,director,writer,producer and everyone else involved. We'll never forget October 11,1975,the day of its premiere. The premiere episode began with the late John Belushi and the late writer Michael O'Donoughue in a sketch called "The Wolverines". O'Donoughue played a psychiatrist and Belushi was the patient. At the end of that sketch and before the pre-taped opening montage played,Chevy Chase came out yelling "LIVE FROM NEW YORK,IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!",which is said at the beginning of every show,even to this day. Chase didn't stay very long on the show. Before the end of 1976,Chase,the first Weekend Update anchorman,went to Hollywood. Jane Curtin,another original cast member succeeded Chase on Weekend Update. Shortly after Chase's departure,in came Bill Murray from Chicago. After 1978-79,Belushi and Dan Aykroyd left SNL to go Hollywood and concentrate on their Blues Brothers act,initiated on SNL. They filmed THE BLUES BROTHERS in '79,a year after Belushi's first starring film ANIMAL HOUSE. In 1979-80,Harry Shearer joined remaining original members Curtin,Garrett Morris,Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner. After that season,all five were gone. The 1980-81 season began unusually late due to the actors' strike and Presidential debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan(the SNL studio was used for the debate). That season brought an entirely new cast,one of them being Joe Piscopo who stayed thru 1983-84. Eddie Murphy,then age 19,joined the show and departed with Piscopo. Another member was Gilbert Gottfried who was then not-so-famous. Jean Doumanian succeeded original producer Lorne Michaels,who had left with the remainder of the original cast. Gottfried was let go after 1980-81. In 1981-82,Piscopo and Murphy had new castmates,some of them Canadians. Robin Duke and Tim Kazurinsky are Canadian like original member Dan Aykroyd. Later(1984-85) came Billy Crystal who almost became an original member,and James Belushi,John's brother. Also joining in 1984-85 was Martin Short,who'd go Hollywood himself later. The following season,things finally settled down in studio 8H. Lorne Michaels returned,triumphantly(Doumanian was fired after 1980-81 and succeeded by Dick Ebersol) to serve as producer like he did for SNL's first 5 seasons. The new cast members were Nora Dunn,Dana Carvey,Kevin Nealon,Victoria Jackson and Dennis Miller who'd become the next Weekend Update anchorman. Mike Myers joined in 1989. Myers and Carvey became Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar,two hard-rocking and babe-loving buddies on the sketch Wayne's World,later inspiring two films. Chris Farley and David Spade later came and also went Hollywood. Another big SNL star is Adam Sandler,another film star. Sandler previously worked for NBC,guest-starring on a few episodes of The Cosby Show. Every show had a guest host and musical guest(some shows had more than one of each). We will never forget the Coneheads,Emily Litella,the Festrunk Brothers,Ed Grimley and Wayne's World(sorry if I forgot anything). We also won't forget John Belushi,who died in 1982 of a drug overdose and Gilda Radner who died at 42 of ovarian cancer. Farley fatally overdosed on drugs in 1997. O'Donoughue succumbed to lung cancer in '94. Oh, by the way,Bill's brother Brian Doyle Murray was an SNL member from 1981 to '84. This book should have been updated in 2000 for the show's 25th anniversary. After nearly 29 years on the air,Saturday Night Live continues to pull in tens of viewers from 11:30 PM to 1 AM,EST.

Since its television debut in 1995 few will argue the fact that Saturday Night Live was a cultural, comedic, and TV phenomenon.

Here in one volume is a collection of the sketches, characters, performers and phrases that first appeared on the show that kept many of us up late.

It's also a visual reminder of some of the great comedians who were first showcased there and the once shocking catch phrases that became a part of our collective vocabulary.

This book is an awesome book! you can learn about every castmember in the show up until 94'. You can learn about all the hosts, all the years, all the musical guests, all the backstage info, all the famous songs(including Adam Sandler's Songs), and much much more. Not only will it let you know your facts, but you will enjoy it! Trust me, buy it!!!!!!

This is truly one of the great novels dealing with World War Two. Throughout, the novel switches perspectives from that of a German lieutnant to an American private. The story begins shortly before the outbreak of war, and continues until the war's ending.

Irwin Shaw seems to capture the flavor of both the American and German armies, and what the attitudes and perspectives of their soldiers might have been like. One thing that Shaw cannot be criticized for is soft-peddling the crimes of the German Army. One of the things the reader will see is the slow descent of the German protagonist from an essentially good man to a thorough skunk. Personally, I thought Shaw might have overdone it a little bit (just my opinion). To clarify: I thought it might have been more effective to show the German soldier as a basically good man caught up in an organization committing wrongful deeds. Instead, Shaw chose to have the character himself become evil. Well, that's the author's choice to make, and Shaw certainly tells a compelling story.

This is an engaging story that has a strong authentic feel to it. I found it to be a rich reading experience and this is one of the truly great stories of World War II.

Characters are often interchangeable in war novels. This is true even in the works of some of the best novelists of the WWII era; including Mailer (Naked and the Dead), Wouk (The Cain Mutiny) and even James Jones (The Thin Red Line). Shaw is able to portray soldiers as true individuals fighting to remain individuals in the framework of the military and a world war. While this novel covers much in the way of history and geography, it is really the story of three very-real and independent men who live in a world that does not value independence.

The Young Lions is a powerful novel written in the years immediately following World War II. It is a gritty and passionate novel, and in reading it the motivatations of men in times of war to acts of courage, cowardice and base violence come to life in the protagonists. Shaw is a artful in the of crafting his words and sentences in a provoking yet thoughtful manner that is nothing less than masterful. Shaw presents and discusses many complex themes through his characters and vignettes in the story that, having read The Naked and the Dead, it is difficult to tell which one comes first as the truly post-modern American novel.

Although it is a somewhat thick novel, it reads exceptionally fast.

I have never been presented with a better view of World War II. Usually, I get the point of view of a U.S. soldier in France, pushing against the Panzers. Never have I had the opportunity to see the war through Nazi eyes, or even Jewish eyes. Seeing that our enemy was just a kid, concerned with nothing more than his own well-being. Seeing the German Army as a unit just as dysfunctional as the U.S. army is usually portrayed was absolutely beneficial, as was the presentation of Christian's hesitation in turning a Jew in, but does anyway, just out of duty. The perspectives is the first of two standout characteristics of The Young Lions. The second is the way Shaw manipulates the characters to manifest them into believable, tangible people, to which everyone can relate. Even the Nazi, usually hated by Americans, is portrayed realistically and humanly, instead of in the more typical animalistic, murderous way.

Don't be put off by the war setting. This brilliant epic novel revolves around a richly drawn cast of characters - just ordinary people at the onset of the story - and shows how their lives become entwined in the ensuing conflict of WW2. One word of warning, though: James Salter has written a great reflective introduction to this new edition of the classic novel (first published in 1949) but spoils it by giving away the ending of the story and divulging the fate of the three central characters you're supposed to be rooting for over 662 pages! If you haven't read The Young Lions before, then I suggest you skip the introduction and go back to it after you've fininshed the novel.
As for the author: one of America's greatest and most-gifted novelists and short story writers, Irwin Shaw is best remembered for his Rich Man, Poor Man TV mini-series in the 1970s (now available on video). The quality of writing and depth of character in his classic novels is far superior to most of his predecessors today. A groundbreaking pioneer of the big multi-character blockbuster novel, every author who has followed Irwin Shaw - from Stephen King to John Grisham - owes a debt to this literary trailblazer. My favourite novels are The Young Lions; Rich Man, Poor Man; Nightwork; Evening in Byzantium; Two Weeks in Another Town; and the short story collection Five Decades, which contains such gems as 'The Girls in their Summer Dresses' and 'In the French style.'
Try to get your hands on the brilliant biography, Irwin Shaw by Michael Shnayerson, for the full story of this legendary author's life and work.