Movies Books

Lauri Maerov went straight to work writing the novel Copycat. Any suspense fan with a strong stomach will love this book. With as many twists and turns as an amusement park ride, this book will entertain any reader. With a beautifully described San Francisco background, in depth character descriptions and haunting images paint the picture of Maerov's adaptation of the movie.
Agoraphobic criminologists, tough cops and deranged serial killers are only a sample of the characters of Copycat. Helen Hudson is an intriguing character, balancing her fear and depression with solitude and prescription drugs. Stalking Helen are two relentless psychopathic killers, Daryll Lee and Peter Foley, who will stop at nothing to take her life. Rueben and M.J. are the two cops assigned to catch the murderers. In this game of cat and mouse, Helen, Rueben and M.J. follow a trail of clues, followed by Helen's obsessed fan.
Beginning and ending at Berkeley University, Copycat takes readers throughout the streets of San Francisco, into Helen's apartment and at the Festival of Love. "Once in the stairwell, M.J. knew something didn't feel right (Maerov, 270)" thought M.J., following her cop instincts, which probably had kept her alive. Throughout the book, the messages of knowing who to trust and watching your back are stressed.
Up until the final showdown on the roof of Berkeley University, Copycat keeps the reader's attention glued to the pages. A bit graphic at some points, the book still manages to provide a vivid scene it the reader's mind. Never the less, this novel is a page turner that must be on any suspense fan's "to read" list.

Lauri Maerov went straight to work writing the novel Copycat. Any suspense fan with a strong stomach will love this book. With as many twists and turns as an amusement park ride, this book will entertain any reader. With a beautifully described San Francisco background, in depth character descriptions and haunting images paint the picture of Maerov's adaptation of the movie.
Agoraphobic criminologists, tough cops and deranged serial killers are only a sample of the characters of Copycat. Helen Hudson is an intriguing character, balancing her fear and depression with solitude and prescription drugs. Stalking Helen are two relentless psychopathic killers, Daryll Lee and Peter Foley, who will stop at nothing to take her life. Rueben and M.J. are the two cops assigned to catch the murderers. In this game of cat and mouse, Helen, Rueben and M.J. follow a trail of clues, followed by Helen's obsessed fan.
Beginning and ending at Berkeley University, Copycat takes readers throughout the streets of San Francisco, into Helen's apartment and at the Festival of Love. "Once in the stairwell, M.J. knew something didn't feel right (Maerov, 270)" thought M.J., following her cop instincts, which probably had kept her alive. Throughout the book, the messages of knowing who to trust and watching your back are stressed.
Up until the final showdown on the roof of Berkeley University, Copycat keeps the reader's attention glued to the pages. A bit graphic at some points, the book still manages to provide a vivid scene it the reader's mind. Never the less, this novel is a page turner that must be on any suspense fan's "to read" list.

I have read many adaptations for movies but this one was REALLY EXCELLENT!! If you haven't seen the movie? Not a Problem, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat. the discripitions used to show Dr. Hudsons Agoraphobia is right on, and I should know...Having been housebound for 18 months myself. This is REALLY a great story and a great read. This story will do to Public Bathrooms what Psycho did to Showers!

I thought Copycat was a well written book, full of suspense and imaginitive characters...I enjoyed this book to the max, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading high intense thrillers!

I loved it! That's all I can say! It was gory! But then my book got wet and I never really got to know if the killer died! I hate the way the killer did the stuff he did. The killer from SCREAM is cooler! It's a good book...But has a bad killer! I wanted to kill the killer for being so BAD

CRIMSON TIDE is an exciting story that takes place during a possible nuclear war with Russia. A nuclear submarine captain and his second in command dispute an unconcluded radio transmission that could have said, "Fire your missiles on Russia" or "Come back to base, Russia has surrendered". As each of them tries to do what he thinks is right, you wait for the suspenseful conclusion. This book was worthy of becoming a blockbuster movie. If you like militaristic and exciting books, put CRIMSON TIDE on your book list.

This story is still the king of the techno-thrillers. Finally got around to reading CRIMSON TIDE's book version, and just like the film, it's simply amazing the amount of action that's contained within these pages. I liked the detailed character analysis of the Russian enemy, something the movie was lacking, and the nuclear launch protocol is right there to read over and over. Is a sequel in the works?

CRIMSON TIDE was one of the best submarine warfare books that I have ever read. With it's non-stop action from beginning to end I would recomend this book to anyone. I was expecting a good book but I finished it in 2 days. I got more than I expected to get and I will read more of Henrick's books in the near future!

I loved the movie version, and was surprised to find that the novel had an incredible amount of new story material. The book helped clear up the motivation of the Russians responsible for the coup. Because of the complexity of the plot, this book is a must, and I find myself reading it over and over, learning new details w/ each study. I rank this story right up there w/ the great classics, and applaud Mr. Henrick on another job well done.

This book (and movie) is talking about leadership, decision making, conflicts of role, conflicts of policy. Ramsey (the captain) and Hunter (the executive officer) were all good soldiers, they both executed what they thought were correct. But different leadership style, different belief and grey area of policy made them confronted each other.

A good book (and movie), an interesting story that can make you think a lot. A lecturer of an university in Hong Kong even suggested his students to use this movie for leadership & organizational behavior analysis.

Saying my daughter loves CyberChase is an understatement. She is a walking salesperson for the show. Every friend gets asked if they watch. She has a number of episodes on DVD that get watched all the time.

So this book was going to be hard not to love. It lives up to the writing on the show. She has read it three or four times since she got it for her birthday in late October.

Just wish there had been more titles. By the way, I have no idea why one of the resellers was selling this book, which only came out in paperback, for $1300. It's good, but not that good.

In the past I have not missed a single Cyberchase show, now it's going to be a book!!! I'm really excited.

My 5 and 7 year old sons can't get enough of this book. They've had me reading it to them nightly for the last week. Cyberchase is their favorite show and they learn a wealth of math watching it. (My five year old now uses the phrase "counter example" and understands it!)

Cyberchase is my favorite TV show, and I was so excited to see a book of it. The author either works on the show, or has seen all the episodes, because he knows the charaters. Speaking of the charaters, I like them all, even the bad guy is kind of funny. By the way, I really really really like the bad guy's helpers, Buzz and Delete. All of this book was funny and really WEIRD! (So is the show.)I really hope they write another one. Hope this review helps!
- Cyberchase's #1 Fan

I'm a huge fan of Cyberchase, so when I heard that the book was coming out of course I had to purchase a copy. And I was quite satisfied, too--the book was long, and, like the show, was written intelligently and had a strong usage of vocabulary. Anyway, I've read the book over about three times, now, and I can't wait for more Cyberchase merchandise.

As for response to the other reviewers, the author--Adam Rudman--is actually one of the writers for the show itself. He's assisted in quite a few episodes to date, so it's no wonder that he'd get the book into the perfect format for an episode of Cyberchase. Although I kinda wished there would be more Buzz and Delete--those two are so CUTE!!! (Oh, and, you haven't even SEEN #1 Cyberchase fan until you've seen the things I've conjunctured in the past.)

I grew up near Detroit in the 1940's when those dazzling movie theatres exerted a magical allure on the streets, and inside were often a better show than what was on their screens. Authors Hauser and Weldon have done a wonderful job bringing it all back and I truly got lost in this book. Many thanks for this labor of love.

For some of Downtown Detroit's old theatres, thunderous applause is just a memory. For others, the ones which have been restored, it is still a reality. Also a reality is my applause for this book, and no, not just because I know co-author Mike Hauser personally. It is a thickly illustrated delightful read, a fun and informative way to spend an evening, and invites repeated referring-to. Having visited a number of these theatres myself in 1995, I may have an advantage, but even if you're not from Detroit or have never visited, here is a tasty introduction to one of the finest locations for surviving classic theatres anywhere.

When I reflect back on my years as a child growing up in marvelous Detroit, some of the strongest images are of the movie houses I used to frequent downtowm. This book evokes many of those sweet memories as it is loeaded with pictures, and written histories of those fabulous palaces. When it came to grandiouse movie houses Detroit was second to none. This book helps you trace the history of each theater from its building to - in some cases - it deomltion. Some of these grandious auditoriums were actually built by motion picture companies such as the Fox (Twentieth Century Fox) and the Untied Artist (United Artists), Many were not merely theaters but also were part of large office building housing industry related businesses such as booking agents and the likes. Many were build as vaudeville houses and later converted to movie theaters. Some have survived and hosts different venues today. Few are still showing first run movies as the characterless multi screen matchboxes of suburbia have taken over that venue.

This book is a joy. Before the '67 riot Detroit was always a big movie town. In the 40s there were more than 50 theatres in the city. A few of the neighbourhood theatres were quite extrodinary such as the Rivera or the Algiers but the downtown theatres were wonderful places to be. Back in the 40s, 50s & 60s just to go downtown was exciting with Hudson's & all the wonderful stores & restaurants & to top off the trip with a movie in one of the downtown theatres was, indeed, a treat. If the movie didn't please the theatre always did. The Fox, State, Music Hall, United Artist & Opera House (formerly Broadway Capitol/Grand Circus among other names) still stand. Some just barely. So it's wonderful to see photos of those that are gone. Photos which show just how lovely & unique they were. Each theatre had it's own character & aptmosphere. Most of all it's wonderful to see the Michigan Theatre in all its glory. She was the undisputed queen of the downtown movie theatres. She was the only place in Detroit where you could sit & actually feel you were in a real palace. It's lovely to have this book.

This book reviews the history of the movie palaces that have graced downtown Detroit since the late nineteenth century. I found it hard to put this book down once I started to read it. The photographs are wonderful and are often one of a kind dating back over a century. The narration ties together the history of films, architecture and the story of formal entertainment in Detroit for over one hundred years. Although it is of particular interest to people interested in Detroit's past, it is equally significant for non-Detroiters who will find that Detroit's story parallels that of most other cities in North America. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and often find myself browsing through it.

Discovering The Maltese Falcon And Sam Spade is a tribute to the novel by Dashiell Hammett featuring the hardboiled detective Sam Spade and his involvement in the doomed quest for a mysterious artifact, as well as the three film noir movies based from it including the classic that made Humphrey Bogart a star. Chapters tell of Hammett's days as a detective, his publication in pulps, the making of the classic novel, critical views of the movies, the reverberations of The Maltese Falcon in popular culture, and much more. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, selections of Hammett's pre-publication material, copies of news articles and other primary sources, and much more, Discovering The Maltese Falcon And Sam Spade is a "must-read" for mystery movie trivia buffs and anyone else curious about the history behind a legendary 'hard boiled PI" adventure story.

DISCOVERING THE MALTESE FALCON AND SAM SPADE is the complete book for the fan of Sam Spade in both film and fiction. Fortunately, a very detailed index is provided which allows the reader to choose from among an array of tantalizing topics.The latter includes an account of Dashiell Hammett's days as a Pinkerton detective as well as his work for BLACK MASK. The author also gives us much information about THE MALTESE FALCON in the movies and on stage and radio.The book represents an admirable effort by Layman and it will be enjoyed by anyone captivated by the lure of this enduring tale.

I love the story of THE MALTESE FALCON, not only as it is told in Hammett's novel but also as it is portrayed in John Huston's movie. I can never read enough about Dashiell Hammett, Joseph Shaw, Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook Jr., Mary Astor, Barton MacLane, Robert and William Pinkerton, John Huston, Lillian Hellman, the Knights of Malta, BLACK MASK, San Francisco after World War I and Raymond Chandler.

This book has enough anecdotes and background material to satisfy even the most ardent enthusiast. My own favorite piece is an account by Mary Astor of her experiences while filming for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in the 1941 version of THE MALTESE FALCON.

Dashiel Hammett is one of my favorite authors, I have all of his stories, including a couple of biographies. I'm also a fan of Noir stories and movies. This is a great book to add to my collection.

"Discovering the Maltese Falcon and Sam Spade" is an amazing collection of materials related to Dashiell Hammett, his greatest novel "The Maltese Falcon", the film adaptations of the book, and other spin-offs assembled by Hammett biographer Richard Layman. Layman states in his introduction, "The purpose of this volume is to provide researchers basic materials useful in studying 'The Maltese Falcon'." Not everything ever written about "The Maltese Falcon" is here, but the contents of this book are remarkably varied. The collection is probably too dense for casual fans of "The Maltese Falcon", but it's indispensable for Hammett scholars and aficionados. The only fault I find is that reproductions of newspaper and other type-written materials are sometimes poor and would have benefited from enhancement.

The book is organized into five parts. The first part, "Detective Days", provides biographical information on Dashiell Hammett, a history of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, an interview with a colleague of Hammett's at Pinkerton, excerpts from books on criminal investigation that Hammett studied, and some non-fiction pieces that Hammett wrote about his detective days. The second section, "The Pulps and the Making of the Novel", includes a history of "Black Mask" magazine, the historical basis for the Maltese Falcon statuette, comments by "Black Mask" editor Joseph T. Shaw, some reviews of Hammett's mystery fiction, and many excerpts from Hammett's stories that later inspired characters and events in "The Maltese Falcon".

"Magazine and Book Publication" begins with a copy of Hammett's book contract with Knopf and correspondence with publisher Harry Block. There are covers of "Black Mask" issues that serialized "The Maltese Falcon", examples of text that was revised between magazine publication and book publication, early book jackets, many favorable reviews of the book, Dorothy Parker's tepid review of "The Glass Key", articles about Cecil Henderson's plagiarism, and sales data for the novel. The forth section, "Critical Views of 'The Maltese Falcon'", is seven pieces of relatively recent literary criticism that explore American individualism, Sam Spade's vernacular, the novel as introverted romance, as allegory of international politics between the wars, and the pursuit of tangible wealth, among other themes.

The last section, "Movies, Stage, and Radio: Hammett's Novel in Popular Culture", follows Hammett's life after the publication of the novel, followed by discussions of the script, budget, and reviews for the first film adaptation at Warner Brothers in 1931. More letters from Warner Brothers, title suggestions, correspondence with the Breen Office, and reviews of the second movie adaptation, "Satan Met a Lady", in 1936. For John Huston's 1941 adaptation, there is a letter from Joseph Breen citing Production Code violations in the script, a budget, letters about filming, Mary Astor's recollections of the film, 3 movie reviews, and 4 critical analyses. There is a bit about an abortive stage play and the legal challenges over "The Adventures of Sam Spade" radio show. There is a list of selected publications of "The Maltese Falcon" in the back of the book as well as an index.

This book has a ton of shortened versions of classic Disney stories, from Lady & the Tramp through Aladdin and they are all just long enough to make a good bedtime story (or two) and short enough that you don't have to slog through an entire novel. Our two kids (2 1/2 and 4 1/2) ask for a story out of this book at least once per day and often 3 times per day. (That is my wife's only complaint, that it gets requested so often!)

My child loves to read the Disney collection books. Instead of forcing him to read he now loves to read.

My daughter loves to pick out the stories by the picture in the table of contents. She knows most of the stories but wants to read them again and again. The stories are a nice length... not too long and not too short. The pictures are nice and help tell the story.

I agree with the first reveiw. This is a fantastic compilation. There are great illustrations on every page (a requirement for a three year old!),
the text is large and fairly simplistic, just right for beginning reading. The stories are long enough to entertain at bedtime but not too long, and the stickers are an extra bonus. All in all this is what I've been waiting for. Another book I received recently that has become a favorite is CLASSIC FAIRY TALES. It's a little more advance in terms of storyline but has absolutley gorgeous illustrations by Scott Gustafson.

This is a very good book. My son loves the stories. The table of contents has a picture of each of the 2 dozen stories, and he can pick out which one to read each night. It makes a perfect bedtime story. He also liked the stickers in the back. I'm here online looking for the others in the series.

Much more emotional than the movie, but I still miss Sean Connery's deep, rumbly voice *sigh*...

Ijust have to say that I love this book!! Also the movie is Awesome!!!!

DragonHeart was a great movie, and this book is even more! It is about a dragon, Draco, but it is also about morals, codes, ethics, choices, and it was a story that makes you think. It also adds onto the movie, because the book goes much more into depth about the characters and their histories, thoughts, and dreams in a way I think the movie only touched on. I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, adventure, dragons, or the stars.

I read this book because of an article I read in which Charles Edward Pogue claimed that his screenplays for Dragonheart & Kull were savaged by their Directors. To give the man a fair shake, I read his Dragonheart Novel. I can see why he was so upset! Wherever the film takes a wrong turn, the Novel goes in the right direction. Everything that is wrong about the film is RIGHT in the Novel. The writing, while now and then a little spare [which is better than overwriting] and a little too modern, is, overall, exceedingly literate [some of the dialogue is close to Tad Williams level]. The characters are believable and involving. The story explains itself and it's world. I HIGHLY recommend buying a copy of Dragonheart!

I am a hugely ardent fan of the movie... and I think I have to admit that is even better. It goes into a lot more depth, and it is darker - this is apparently what Pogue really wanted to do with the screenplay but couldn't. You get tons more about character here too and the whole story is filled out. There are some very funny bits (Gilbert's first encounter with Draco par example...), and some haunting dark passages - a lot of Einon's thoughts... It's just a beautifully written, very emotional story. In the end it's good vs evil, but heroism is never simplistic here. The main characters are incredibly strong, memorable... not to mention working wonderfully as dramatic foils for each other :)

And everything describing Draco and his thoughts is just beautiful. There's a bit near the end where he wants a last flight and sunshine which breaks my heart every time.

I used to get this book out of the library on a regular basis until I finally tracked down a second-hand copy. The sort of book I will gladly stay up all night reading, and have done.

(Note: this review was written about the book, not audio cassette edition...)

The appeal of Andy Mac is simple: he's down-to-earth, amiable, ambitious, and loves skateboarding for the natural high it gives him. This autobiographical book makes me believe he would still be skateboarding even if his sponsorships had been cut off and he was working in a greasy spoon flipping burgers. Andy is the consummate competitor: focused, extremely hard-working, and dedicated to a sport he loves. The beauty of skateboarding as presented here is that the athletes compete against themselves as well as the other participants. Seeing rivals competing with a respectful comraderie is refreshing. I can relate. Playing basketball all my life has made me realize that part of the love of the sport comes from pushing yourself to exceed your limits. It's a blast competing, but it's more fulfilling when you respect your opponent and his skills. Laughing in admiration when someone knocks down a three-pointer in your face (even though you did your best defensively) or completes a perfect 360 spin off the vert ramp is what makes the sport endearing. Andy Mac is a fierce talent, but he also learns from his peers. He sets a good example for aspiring young skateboarders and makes me want to learn a kick-flip, even though I'd probably snap my coccyx in the process. This book is loaded with personal anecdotes and insights into this exciting, acrobatic, and often punishing sport. Professional sports would be more appealing if all the athletes were as good-natured as Andy. Instead of thinking about the next thousand-dollar bling jewelry he will purchase after winning an XGames competition, he's happy he can fill his cupboard with jumbo boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. That says it all.

There are many great things about this book. It's humorous, gripping, and you just do not want to put it down. I rely enjoyed this book. I give it our stars. It is a must read . Even if you do not like sports you will like this book.

My 9 year old son loved this book. He learned a lot of good values from someone he really admires. I highly recommend this book.

Dropping in with Andy Mac is a really good book. It is about Andy Macs life. If you dont like skateboarding dont read this book because every page mentions skateboarding at least twice.

Here's an awesome book that will have you reading non-stop from beginning to end. Have you ever had the dream of becoming a professional skateboarder? Andy MacDonald has fulfilled such a dream. Dropping in with Andy Mac The Life of a Pro Skateboarder, is by far the greatest cant stop autobiography ever! I fell in love with this book from he start. It's a quick fun book to read.

The book tells you about the life of Andy Mac with great detail, starts with Little Andy getting constantly poisoned, I'm sure you are wondering what I mean but I guess you are going to have to read it to believe it! From the day he started skating his life was changed forever, when he got better he began to discover new places to skate, such as his buddies back yard which had a 9 foot half pipe.

There are plenty of reasons why anyone would enjoy this book. The book has less than 200 pages, but the font is decently sized. Not only is the story short but also there are plenty of pictures to give you a good idea of what he is talking about.

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

Excellent... add it to your book collection! If you are a Star Wars fan check this out!

When I first looked at this book, it was like going back to my childhood, well, sort of, it was so neat to see posters of some of my favorite films from back then and a lot from movies that I never knew they made. The artwork on those posters is most certainly something to see and admire!!! If you love art and or movies this is THE book to get you won't be disappointed!

back in the day this was the best visual present.if the poster was cool then the movie would get Love.a picture can tell a thousand words.and the 70's had the coolest posters and arguable the best films in Movie History.before video tape you walk to the movie house and see the poster and the reaction you felt led you or back the other way.a solid must have book.

Like the other decade books in this series Film Posters of the 70'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 70's gave the world Star Wars, Grease, The Godfather, Mad Max, Alien, Taxi Driver, Texas Chainsaw Massacure, Halloween, Rocky and a very blood thirsty shark who changed human perception of sharks for decades to come named Jaws. These films along with other greats fill this book. Roger Moore also took over from Connery as James Bond and Clint Eastwood made a heap of Westerns. Find them here as well.

I bought this book for my girlfriend (the most avid of Friends' fans) as an annexation to her Christmas gift this past holiday and based upon what she says, it was really good. Now whether or not she is just saying that because I got it for her has yet to be determined but since she is usually a harsh criticizer of material that doesn't live up to her expectations, her positive review of this little book makes me believe it's a good addition to any Friends' fan's merchandise collection.

Came in a moderate time period. The smallness adds to the cuteness of it. Goes perfect w/ the rest of my FRIENDS shrine!

I'm a huge Friends lover, and by reading that book I would have to say that they could make a pocket version for it. It's a total Friends guide!! Do you remember Rachel's and Ross' first kiss? Who the hell is Janice? And George Stephanopoulos? Buy that and you'll stay tuned. From Chandler Bing to Ugly Naked Guy, we all need one sample of this dazzling book. All I have to say it's OH MY GOD!

Great guide of yesterday's episodes, great sections on each character, although it is old, and a newer, updated version needs to be released. Great comments by each character. A true 'Friends' fan will remember each episode as they read the quote. A must have for the 'Friends' fan in your life!

I loved it since I'm a Friends fan. It was touching, & funny. Great