Movies Books

Yet another great book in the Murder She Wrote series, again a great sense of atmosphere is created with people and places so vividly described you could almost be there, roll on the next in the series!

I love the Murder She Wrote series, and "Provence--to die for," is no exception. I enjoyed the characters and setting for this entry in the series. Jessica travels to Provence, France, where she hopes to spend quiet time away from home. But murder follows her, as usual, and her reverie is cut short. Donald Bain and his wife, Renee, have continued a series adored by millions, and hope they persevere with Jessica's fun, and sometimes dangerous travels. Jessica Fletcher is my favorite detective in the business! I only wish she was a real person. I'd love to meet her one day!

i truly truly enjoyed this book, every page was exciting. JB i love ya thanks.....................

Although I prefer the setting of the Murder She Wrote novels in Cabot Cove, I just say that this is one of my favories. It's interesting and filled with French culture and wonderful food! Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

The older Jessica gets, the more wiser she becomes. "Provence To Die For" is one of the most mysterious books in the Murder She Wrote series. Traveling to an unfamiliar country in Jessica's latest adventure, so many readers will wish they were there with her as she stumbles upon clue after clue trying to right a wrong of a clever culprit. I couldn't put the book down, as I was taking it with me where ever I went. Chapter Three is my favorite chapter, as it depicts Jessica on a dark and lonley farmhouse surrounded with strange noises--or is it only the wind? This book is a page turner, as many readers will agree, and the best in the series. That's hard for me to acknowledge because of the earlier works by Donald Bain, and which I enjoyed immensely--"Brandy and Bullets," "A Deadly Judgment," "A Palette For Murder," "The Highland Fling Murders," "Murder on the QE2," "Murder in Moscow," "A Little Yuletide Murder," and "Knock 'em Dead."

This book My Life In The Movies blowes me away. To think that one person was around all of these movies and stars in one life is very extraordinary.I have a friend that collects autographed photos of movie stars, I got him a copy of the book and he said it is the best he has ever seen. He also said what a lucky man Friedman was to have such a great job. I guess we all look at it like that but in the movie industry it is many days away from home and countless hours of hard work. This book does show this throughout its entirety. But Friedman makes it look like a real labor of love the images of the stars are very explicate
and the scenes put you right there. Looking through brings back so many memories of such great movies.Long live Dave Friedman

This book is absolutely marvelous! The photography is truly outstanding and
the text moves this book from "great" to "exquisite". Dave Friedman's memory
for names and details, his insights into the a wide range of subject matter
ranging from cinematography to the locations, and the wittiness he has
injected into his comments here and there all combine to make for a
fascinating book. Mr. Friedman draws the reader in and makes him feel as
though he was standing there at his side when the photos were created. Truly
a masterpiece that anyone who enjoys the movies would find insightful and
delightful!

It's impossible to pick up "My Life in the Movies" for the first time and NOT proceed to flip quickly through every page just to see what could possibly be next. Just try it. Text? There was text?! As you flip through, the really odd thing you'll notice is how many of the visual memories you associate with a particular movie came NOT from the guy sitting behind the movie camera but from the hand of the STILL photographer. In fact, some movies' most iconic still images never even appeared in those movies! That spectacular shot from Rocky IV of Sly Stallone being hoisted above the crowd with American flag clutched in gloved hands... Try finding that in the film! Same thing for the head-to-head shot of Newton-John's and Travolta's too-cool-for-school ad photo from Grease.

Throughout, Friedman shows an uncanny ability to capture "the moment". That's perhaps a less important skill in the current eight-frames-per-second world, but it was a necessity during Friedman's heyday. Just check out the entire set of photos from Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon"...Wow! Or some of the stunt photos from Stallone's "Cobra" several of which were of the get-it-right-the-first-time-because-there-can't-be-a-second-time variety.

Look beyond the iconic images, and you'll find some really wonderful outtakes that show actors and crew at rest and at play. You might find yourself spending more time with these photos than with the iconic ones as you try to catch a glimpse of what sits behind the "movie mask" of Hollywood's biggest stars.

And, if you haven't read the text by that point, do so. In today's tabloid society, it would have been easy for Friedman to dish on drugs, vanity, petulance and excess. Instead, he took the high road, choosing to see and express the good in everyone. Well done, sir!

"My Life in the Movies" is a window into the wildest industry of the past century. The still photos on film sets, and the captions that go with them, tell the human story behind some of the best Hollywood films ever. Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, Travolta in Grease, Sly in Rocky and Rambo, Steve McQueen, Burt Reynolds in Heat. My favorite part? The incredibly beautiful shots of female stars like Jacqueline Bisset in The Thief Who Came to Dinner and Rachel Ward in The Thorn Birds. As they say in the movies, two thumbs up.

WOW! The presentation in this book is first-class and the pictures are a part of cinematic history. "My Life in the Movies" features some of Hollywood's greatest movies and its biggest stars. Friedman's storied resume includes classics such as "Grease", "Enter the Dragon", "Carrie", "Tom Horn", "Summer of '42" and "Rocky IV."

This book features approximately 400 photographs from his award-winning archive, but it's his memories of shooting the stars (Bruce Lee, Steve McQueen, Warren Beatty, Sylvester Stallone, John Travolta, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Goldie Hawn, Jane Fonda) that is truly worth the price of this gorgeous book.

Friedman says in the book he got out of the business because the corporate world got involved in the movie industry...guess that's what makes him and this book special - the integrity and imagery of Hollywood's golden era are preserved on these pages.

This is a good reference for Nightmare on Elm Street fans and collectors. It contains both color and B&W still photos, lots of trivia and behind the scenes facts, etc.

I wish they'd update this and bring into a full-color format with a more modern media-centric look, and add material From New Nightmare and Freddy vs. Jason. As it is, it covers up through Freddy's Dead, the Final Nightmare, and is relatively complete.

It's hard to come by, but is great for the completist if you can get your hands on a copy.

This is the ultimate collectors item for any Nightmare fan. A good variety of pictures from each of the movies (Nightmares 1 thru Freddy's Dead), plus some good insight into some of the special FX that went into the movies.

The only real problem I had was, if your a devoted NOES fan like I am, you will notice a lot of minor mistakes throughout the book. For instance, Lisa, from Nightmare 2, is listed as Lisa Poletti, but in the movie her name is Lisa Webber.

Other than the few minor mistakes, this book is definetly worth picking up!

This book has everything you need to know about Freddy Krueger and all the Nightmare on elm street films! This book is not missing one detail! Its has a summary of every Krueger Film! It also has ever picture from all the Krueger films including behind the scene footage! It is the best Freddy Krueger book ever made!!!!

If you love Freddy Kruger then this book is a must! It shows many secrets of each films from 1-6.

This is a must with great pictures and biographies of each cast member and a large amount of pictures,charts and biographies on each film from: A Nightmare on Elm St -to- Freddy'd Dead

I'm a huge collector of Freddy Krueger and Nightmare On Elm Street stuff, and when I got this book, I was just blown away. The great pictures and behind the scenes made it excelent! email me if you wanna talk Freddy!

Judy Stone is disarmingly engaging, a trait and quality that has endeared her to many of her fascinating subjects for attention in this thoroughly embracing and terrific journey of conversations and commentary with (incredibly!) 120 filmmakers, writers, and artists from every continent and culture. Reading the stories I felt an unusual intimacy, often forced or lacking in standard interview formats, with stilted questions or stock inquiries, which Stone adeptly avoids. She enables the person to reveal themselves without it seeming intrusive. Her remarkable, incisive curiosity and talent spans generations (from pre-WW2 to the present) and genres, revealing not only what we previously didn't know about the artist or subject, but also illustrating how a creative life is imperative. It is Stone's life that is the real revelation, however. As she writes about the playwright Jon Robin Baitz, he says "Ideas live. Ideas vibrate." So does this book! Get it to discover the astounding array of humanity inside its covers, get it to curl up with this national treasure, Judy Stone!
Not Quite a Memoir: Of Films, Books, the World

Judy Stone's Not Quite a Memoir is the printed equivalent of one of those late-night pub conversations in which the world's great thinkers get together and come up with viable solutions for all the world's problems. And right there in the middle is Stone's unflappable voice, asking the hard questions.

Judy Stone (the sister of I.F. Stone) has been writing these indispensable articles (now collected in an omnibus edition) of both American and international movies for the past three decades.

In between, she has conducted revealing and intelligent interviews (also in this book) with a startling array of directors, actors, and writers from every corner of the world, often traveling to do so. Stone's impressive body of work has actually been collected in two volumes, "Eye on the World" (1997) and this brand new book, "Not Quite a Memoir."

Stone modestly prefers to call herself a reviewer, not a critic, but if any film reviewer has a knowledge of the world as deep as hers and manages to show how films function in that world, I believe Judy Stone has earned the right to be called a critic.

Keep this book around, and you'll find yourself reading it each day, just because it's so much fun and remains so imformative about our world today.

For anyone who has enjoyed Judy Stone's perceptive articles over the years, this book is a feast: a look back at several decades of writing and filmmaking. The only problem is that it reminds you of all the books you wish you had read and the films you wish you had seen. But still, in a world where there is more culture than we can possibly take in, it's nice to have this kind of guidebook to the highlights.

"Not Quite a Memoir" flies around the world from the U.S's Gus Van Sant to Iran's Abbas Kiarostami, Israel's Amos Gitai,Spain's Carlos Saura, Chile's Isabel Allende, India's Satyajit Ray...At every landing, Stone creates a portrait of the artist as a force for social change. Intriguingly, the author backs up her portrait in words by capturing - with unassuming genius--astonishingly insightful photographs of her interview subjects...For medical reasons, Kiarostami never takes off those enigmatic sunglasses. Yet Stone's camera flash cleverly shines right through the artist's dark glasses to give us the first glimpse of eyes that revolutionized filmmaking with how they saw the world. Judy Stone's short interviews, like that camera flash, are just as clever and penetrating."
Ari Siletz, author "The Mullah with No Legs and other stories."

Hirsch's book is an absolutely first-rate biography of a filmmaker that makes fascinating reading whether one is a Preminger fan or not.

When you deal with Otto Preminger there's possibly too much story to possibly deal with in one volume. One might ask for a whole book just on the relationship betwen Preimnger and his Marshalltown, Iowa, discovery, the late Jean Seberg, for their back and forth intimacy, the sense that they ruined each other in a way, is something Foster Hirsch works up perfectly, and for once he seems to have informants in all the right places and with the proper combination of critical judgment and insider information. One is encouraged to think of SAINT JOAN and BONJOUR TRISTESSE--back to back flops for wounded Preminger--as two sides of a single coin, a coin with a profile of short haired Seberg on each side. You're left thinking of her as a proto Edie Sedgwick, Preminger as an irascible Warhol, and the St. Joan-Tristeese one two punch as their own "Inner and Outer Space."

Preminger's affair with Dorothy Dandridge might equally well have been expanded. Hirsch credits Preminger as a sort of civil rights pioneer, pointing to Avon Long's ooften overlooked turn in CENTENNIAL SUMMER as just the sort of music number which Hollywood should be proud of, instead of apologizing for. For every step forward, however, that Preminger seemed to make--placing Duke Ellington on the piano bench alongside James Stewart, for example, in ANATOMY OF A MURDER, or trying to hire Martin Luther King to play a senator in ADVISE AND CONSENT, he takes two steps back. I suppose he should have encouraged Dandridge to take the part of Tuptim in Walter Lang's THE KING AND I--it might have helped preserve her illusion of serious stardom for more than a minute. And speaking of which, how bad can PORGY AND BESS be? Gershwin estate, release your shroud of silence over this film! It just isn't right to keep it from us, let us judge for ourselves how shrill and self serving Sammy Davis Jr can be, how miscast Sidney Poutier.

Big books could be written on so many chapters here--the supplanting of Lubitsch, the Gene Tierney spiral of madness and deceit; the Gypsy Rose Lee affair that led to the birth of their son, Erik Lee Preminger. The big, serious films of constitutional critique each need more pages than Hirsch can possibly give them, even in the deluxe sort of Knopf movie bio glossy treatment he gets here. For goodness sake, for a Preminger fan, THE CARDINAL all by itself could use a complete encyclopedia, just for the way the man played up his little Viennese starling Romy Schneider, her quickeyed grace so sumptuous and moving against Tom Tryon's need to be bigger, need to blow himself up. Though I must say this is the most complete treatment, in and out, that THE CARDINAL is ever likely to get.

What I dislike is Hirsch's need to have something to say about everyone in his path, and he is often vicious as Clifton Webb, which would be fine if you shared his bile and hated his targets as much as he must. Why the hate for the late Ira Levin (who worked with Preminger on the screenplay for BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING), why dismiss a great novelist as a "mediocre" hack, it's just gratuitous sniping, and it leaves you wondering why--perhaps an ill Levin refused the biographer an interview? Jackie Gleason is "humor-free" here, while Groucho Marx os "gross, uncouth, extremely unpleasant." Kim Cattrall will want to go into hiding after the full scale attach Hirsch mounts on her. Not that I'm a great fan of Kim Cattrall, but still! Give the girl a break! As for Dyan Cannon, well, I wasn't there, but neither was Hirsch and he paints her as worse than Grendel's grandmother. And Romy Schneider? I refuse to believe that "Romy really was an awful person," "highstrung and arrogant," etc and an impossible demon. No way Jose! Even Ursula Andress comes off as a shrew, and there's no evidence Preminger ever spoke to her, so it seems that Hirsch just delights trashing all these women just because it's easy.

"The director of the movies The Man with the Golden Arm, Anatomy of a Murder and Carmen Jones was a genius. Hirsch tells all including Preminger's determination to film movies about African Americans with Carmen Jones and gays in Advise and Consent."

This is a great book about a complex, fascinating man/filmmaker. As an avid cinema fan, I've always found Otto's films overly long, self important, and way too episodic. I recently saw Preminger's The Cardinal, and I was surprised at how much I loved the film. I've decided to go over Preminger's work again, and that's one of the main reasons I read this book.

This book is very well written and researched, and gives you a complex, measured portrayal of a great showman. Whether you like Preminger's work or not, he had a brilliant knack for getting great publicity for his films, and tackling then controversial subjects. He made films like The Moon Is Blue (which had pretty saucy sex talk, especially for 1953), The Man with the Golden Arm (about heroin addiction), Advise and Consent (which had a homosexual plot line in it, which was very bold for its time), and Anatomy of a Murder, which is one of the most riveting, complex courtroom dramas ever made.

The book shows how Otto became one of the biggest powerhouses in Hollywood during his heyday, his shooting methods (he shot very lean and came in under budget, something Hollywood loves), his relationships with actors (he got along wonderfully with Patricia Neal and John Wayne, and was constantly at the throat with Faye Dunaway and Dyan Cannon), and his dedication to family and to liberal politics. Otto helped smash the blacklist by hiring Dalton Trumbo to write the screenplay for Exodus, and insisted on him using his real name. While some of Otto's work is a bit dated and not as shocking as it used to be, it's still extremely well made and head and shoulders above other "message" films of the era (particularly films like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, which is rather painful to watch nowadays).

The book has none of the intellectual, film professor talk on what his films mean, and that's always welcome. It's an absolutely fascinating portrait of a very complicated, polarising filmmaker, one whose films still invoke strong reactions from people today.

Foster Hirsch has done a masterful job putting together a study of the life and times of Otto Preminger--a "rebel with a cause," namely the expansion of individual freedom against forces opposed to it. He was a figure from a time when people were serious about arts and culture, and 'adult entertainment' did not mean xxxx-rated porno. A better producer than director of actors, that is Hirsch's main argument, but Preminger still gets points for being a masterful "Noir" auteur, as well as a decent director of social-issue films of the 50s and 60s. He broke censorship taboos, the blacklist, the color-line, and created an overtly pro-Israel classic in Exodus (though not pro-Israel enough for author Leon Uris), and dealt with the Alger Hiss case in Advise and Consent (also pulling punches, to the dismay of Alan Drury). But he made the type of films that, while familiar in the 1950s and 1960s--think of Stanley Kramer, Sam Spiegel, Elia Kazan, and so on--are all but gone today. Serious, thoughtful films, posing philosophical dilemmas in the middle of melodrama.

If Preminger's reach exceeded his grasp, Foster Hirsch makes the case that he deserves credit for trying. There's also material on Preminger's colorful personal life--his illegitimate son by stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, Dorothy Dandridge's abortion (Otto's fault per Hirsch), his temper tantrums (Dexedrine use may have been a factor), and his interesting relationship with his brother Ingo (talent agent and producer of Robert Altman's MASH) and his parents (father was former Attorney-General of Austria-Hungary). His final marriage, to Hope, seems to have worked out OK--his son became a doctor in New Jersey and his daughter a lawyer who manages the Preminger business today. His son by Gypsy Rose Lee was responsible for some of Preminger's more peculiar films, such as Skiddoo and Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon.

He directed Porgy & Bess, which was pulled from distribution, as well as Carmen Jones. Laura is his most enduring hit. But many others have withstood the test of time. Preminger's last film, The Human Factor, was written by Tom Stoppard. Foster Hirsch says it is worth another look--like many other Preminger productions.

If you are interested in movie history, America in the 1950s and 1960s, or Viennese refugees and their Kultur, this is the book.

An amazing collection of rare pictures that help guide one's understanding of how important the silent film was, the scores of actors and those who were behind the scenes who helped create an entertainment that still amazes.
There are literally hundreds of pictures that with each progressive year, guide's the reader to a better understanding of the how's and why's of silent film. How film that moved gave us actor's that moved, expressed feelings, etc., and why film eventually had to talk.
All pictures are in black and white, with expert clarity, and a detailed explaination of who is who, and the many still from films that are sadly no longer available.
To the beginner, or the seasoned reader of silent films, this is an excellent book that will delight, and amaze as each chapter goes year by year to the advent of sound.

blum's books are tough to get a hold on---but if you are a serious student of american film or theater, you have to own one! many of the pictures are now umpublished, which makes them all the more valuable. they are also great hints on dress and hair styles for costumers.

they're also a valuable look at something else--but we'll save that for another time.

This magificent "coffee table" book, in print for over 30 years but out of print now for over 20 years, is a must for the library of any silent movie fan. Thousands of photographs of silent movie actors and movie scenes, listed by year from 1908 to 1928, over 300 10x12 pages of truly rare photographs many from films unseen for almost a century and some players who tragically have not a single film known to still exist in sizes that range from postage stamp size to full page. And of course the superstars and legends are seen in large numbers of pictures: Mary Pickford around 40 photos, Charlie Chaplin about 30 plus similar numbers on Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, Buster Keaton, etc. As well as a quite sizable number on big stars from the period less known today - Wallace Reid, Corinne Griffith, Mae Murray, Charles Farrell, etc. You will spin many an hour pouring over the photos in this book and go back to it again and again.

I believe that this is definitely the best book ever written on any form of entertainment in our culture. It is the kind of book that makes you feel a great deal of adulation, sympathy, love, or any other emotion for the characters, the silent screen stars, just by seeing their photographs. The reader can literally feel themselves fall back about ninety or so years while looking through this immense photo gallery which captures stars in their natural element and heydey. Where else can you find big names like Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Mary Pickford, Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson, and Douglas Fairbanks? Or, names that were big then, like, Norma and Constance Talmadge, Robert Harron, and Alice Joyce? Or, even sound stars who were also silent screen players like, Joan Crawford, Ronald Colman, Gary Cooper, and Myrna Loy? I would recommend this anthology to anybody, film buff (which I am a HUGE HUGE one!) or photography student. It is an indespensible collection for the eyes to feast on, thousands of pictures of the most important people in the world. Enjoy!!![.]
(This review based on the edition published in 1953, and by Daniel Blum alone.)

I was thoroughly impressed with this book the moment I opened it. It has literally thousands of b&w photos filling its 324 pages. The photos are of various sizes and include the players and films in chronological order from "the early years" of the 1890s through 1929. From the widely known to the obscure, they are all here! What's more, the names of the films and actors are provided for nearly all the photos which has aided me in identifying a few miscellaneous stills I have. I run a tribute website for Henry B. Walthall and being able to see one photo in this book of a "lost" or "buried" film I will never get a chance to see means so much. I am sure that any silent film buff will find some prized rare photos in this book to treasure. Book includes index list of actors and films for easy reference. (This review is based on the 1982 printing edited by Daniel Blum alone, original copyright 1953).

This is a book that I have waited 45 years for! Ray Harryhausen: Master of the Majicks is absolutely the most in-depth book on the master of stop-motion animation.

Page after page, revealing photographs journal not only the movies but the processes that Ray used throughout his career to mystify and amaze the moviegoers. The book is filled with personal insights from many people who worked directly with Ray directly over the course of his career.

It would be hard to say how important this book is to the animation field itself, as well as its importance as an accurate chronicle of Ray's talent and artistry. I can't imagine the bookshelf of any animator, effects artist, visual artist, etc. being without this volume. It is massive in text and photos, and without a doubt the most detailed account of Ray's work from Mighty Joe Young (1949) up to his first color feature, Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958).

Ray has always been an inspiration to me, and was a key factor in my pursuit of animation as a career. I have closely followed Ray's work, and have nearly all that has been printed on him. Yet, there were SO many photographs that even I had never seen before. Ray even told me he was amazed at the number of pictures that even HE had never seen before.

This amazing book is guaranteed to not only please...but to excite!

What more is there to say? "Majicks" is the definitive biograpy of Ray
Harryhausen that I've always waited for. Volume 2 covers my favorite
period of his career - the 1950's! It simply overflows with facts and
photos which I had never seen before. In this age of over-saturated CGI
and FX films done by armies of technicians, it's refreshing to encounter
a book dedicated to the life, art and craft of a single individual. This
book will bring years of pleasure and interest - I can't wait for the
other 2 volumes!

As a young boy growing up in rural Nebraska of the early 1960's, my contact with Science Fiction and fantasy was limited to the few black & white TV broadcasts of old 'Monster' movies, (when there were only 3 channels to choose from), 'Famous Monsters of Filmland' magazine, and the occasional 'new' movie shown at the tiny theater in a town of 1100 folks. But, it was there that something truly remarkable happened. I remember the moment that changed my life forever. I was sitting in that theater, watching the amazing and astounding events from "Jason and the Argonauts" come to life before my eyes. There was a loud creak of metal-on-metal followed by the words, "It must have been the wind." Then it happened. 'Talos', the giant bronze titan turned his head and with hollow eyes looked directly at me, and only me. The rest is history. Anyone and everyone reading this must have been similarly 'awe-struck' by one or all of Ray Harryhausen's incredible creatures. Reading this new book has recaptured that moment for me. It offers inside stories, never-before-seen photographs, testimonies, and the proverbial 'kitchen sink' of everything you ever wanted to know about the work of 'The Master of Modern-Day Stop-Motion Animation'. The words 'Must Have' echo loudly from the canyons on the 'Isle of Colossa'. I've read it cover-to-cover and worn it so that a second copy is now needed. Don't read any more of this.....buy it....read it....relive the experiences of youth and share it with everyone you can.
Truly a work of passion by the author, Mike Hankin, and the publisher, Ernest Farino. That naive little boy from long ago is alive again and just can't wait to receive volumes 1 & 3. Thank you gentleman for this truly wonderful homage!

Though I have to agree with my fellow reviewer, (who notes Harryhausen's career has been intricately covered and reviewed in other books and TV specials) this book seems to have been created with hardcore fans in mind. The expected photos and stories are here, but they are supplemented with hundreds of new images, and perspectives from co-workers and other writers close to the subject. A note on the book: this is the second volume (released first) of a proposed three volume set, the third of which will cover the British period of films, including "Jason and the Argonauts" and "Golden Voyage of Sinbad". The audience for this book is out there, and you know who you are. Handsomely bound and lovingly detailed, it's probably best suited to Harryhausen completists, who should be delighted. Nice touches include a tribute page to Kerwin Mathews, whose recent death saddened many "Sinbad" fans, and a surprising chapter of cheesecake shots of all the "Harryhausen babes" like Kathryn Grant, Joan Taylor, and Paula Raymond.

What a classy presentation, with the glossy photos standing out on the satin finish dust jacket, and that solid imitation leather hardcover binding with sharp gold embossed lettering. The layout is spectacular; the publisher knows how to design a book so that the images are not thrown away with diminished size and peripheral placement on the page. And, as promised, and delivered in spades, a great many of the images are fresh, and the ones we have seen before are presented in sharper quality than in previous publications. I can't wait to get home tonight and delve further into the magical magic carpet ride of RAY HARRYHAUSEN - MASTER OF THE MAJICKS Vol. 2. I know that I am in for the best read of the year!

This a big, big, BIG book. It's a somewhat extravagant treat, granted, but oh so worth it! Beautifully put together, excellent photographs, fascinating subject. Just one warning to non-Hindi speakers: Indians have the delightful habit of flowing in and out of several languages at once. It's a charming trait, actually, and it works well if you happen to be fluent in the two languages that are being used in the same sentence. This works well for the Indian market, of course, and the NRI market, probably. But it's not so great for the NII market (the Non-Indian Indian market)that a growing number of Europeans and Americans belong to. I am so fond of SRK films that I've started learning Hindi. But the pitiful few words I've managed to learn do not begin to help me understand some of the many Hinglish phrases contained in this book. Still and all, if you're a Khan fan, this book is a must.

I purchased this as an anniversary gift for a friend who is a huge SRK fan. I was very pleased with the service- I did expedited service and the book arrived in 2 days as I expected. It is a big thick coffee table style book with never before seen pictures of SRK and his family and interesting information. I would rate it 5 stars, if it were not for the price. At about $60 including shipping, I thought the price is a bit steep, although SRK fans might find it worth every cent!

It is a book for all seasons; a book that should be on the coffee table-- picked up and read at any time; a book full of text and photos both inside and outside his cinematic life; a book of biography and filmography; an art book; a fun book featuring many photos of his film faces (remember Manu as a lady-of-the-night??) and much, much more.
Mustaq Shiekh, author: 'the book is a tale of a journey that led from New Delhi into the homes, hearts and minds of innumerable fans all over the world, and a journey that transcended boundaries of nations and the artificial barriers of culture'.

OF course...by far he is the best in Bollywood!!!! My sister was the happiest person in the world to receive this gift for her birthday! She loves KING KHAN!!! ......who doesnt???!!!!

If you like scrap book format coffee table books, then this is the book to get. Each page is filled with enough color and sites to keep any guest awake through the wee hours of a party when the crowds have thinned out or are too drunk to talk. The book is a lively walk through the actor's life from his parents' first meeting to his super stardom as the "King of Bollywood." But the story does not stop there, this is more than just an actor's ego centric ramble. The book takes you on a journey through Bollywood and Indian culture both in the past and today. I would recommend this book to anyone to loves Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood or colorful visual adventures.
If you want to see a good example of his acting then buy Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Shahrukh Khan)

I have been buying the Simpsons wall calenders for a few years now, and I love them. They are fun, silly, and remind me of shows past. Along with all of them is also a full two-page poster in the middle.

I also like that they generally have a lot of holidays and birthdays listed for people that you normally don't here about, old famous writers and actors, it is a joy to look at every day, not to mention a good collector's item as well.

I will not go another year without getting one of these anymore.

My 10-year-old son requested this as a Christmas gift and he really likes it.

Spend your year with the Simpsons like you should be. The centerfolds in the calendars make nice posters, if you're into that kind of thing. I've been using the Simpsons Fun calendar for about 4 years now, and I'm never disappointed. This year's theme is travel, so the pictures are scenes from episodes, unlike previous calendars which were made up for the most part.

I buy this every year for my teenage son. It's becaome tradition and each year it is hung on the wall and used. He loves it because he loves the Simpsons. There are birthdays listed of celebrities although I'm not sure he cares too much about that. The calendar is usually funny and colorful.

This calendar is just what i expected - fun, colourful and entertaining.

The third novel by legal expert and Hollywood industry insider Peter Scott Harmyk, Stalkerazzi is a gripping novel about a haunted and psychologically tormented celebrity, and the friend who tries to help him. Pop icon and rising star Daemon Negranni has whetted his taste for the extravagant life, yet a slippery stalker is hounding him by repeatedly invading his hilltop estate and disappearing. When TV fresh-faced college graduate, news producer, and would-be Hollywood writer Christian Write meets Daemon, the two form friendship - one that turns dangerous once Christian starts to uncover the scandalous and deadly truth about Daemon and his harasser. A dark and suspenseful novel of high-stakes betrayal, money, cover-ups and corruption, sure to keep the reader's attention glued until the last page.

This story held my attention and made me want to finish it right away to find out what happened! I enjoyed following the path of Christian White and
the trap he became entangled in. Thank you for a great book!

With all the headlines of Hollywood stars being stalked and the paparazzi following stars everywhere, you will be close to the action in this truer than fiction novel Stalkerazzi.

Stalkerazzi
By Peter Scott Harmyk
Hardcover
Publisher: The Outlet Press (September 15, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0975351427
ISBN-13: 978-0975351420

Author Peter Scott Harmyk is taking on real issues in his new novel, Stalkerazzi. Follow Christian, a good hearted aspiring writer, who enters the Hollywood scene thinking about the glitz and glamour that we so often see on T.V. After meeting and becoming friends with a top Hollywood Star, Daemon Negranni, Christian soon realizes that the being famous isn't all it's made up to be. There is a dark side to this powerfully glamorous life and Christian is soon caught in the middle of the Hollywood nightmare. Who is stalking Daemon Negranni? Will Christian survive the ups and downs of the Hollywood scene? Will the experience change or break him?

The book is chock full of betrayals, lies, menace, mystery, and misfortune. How could this fabulous lifestyle be so dark and dangerous? Stalkerazzi is a wonderfully written mystery, a true page turner. Wonderful for a raining or cold day, you should take an entire afternoon to read it, because you will NOT want to put it down.

Author, Peter Scott Harmyk, has done a fabulous job in not only writing about a hot topic in today's news, but also bringing a trueness to this fictional piece. Peter Scott Harmyk is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse school at Syracuse University, and Franklin Pierce Law Center. Leaving the legal profession for the lure of Hollywood, Harmyk worked in the TV and film industry until first publishing "Say Good-bye to Johnnie Blue" in 2000. An extreme cyclist and private pilot, Harmyk's greatest thrill comes from story-telling. Stalkerazzi is his third novel. Also available from the author, his best-seller,"A Wind Through Paradise" (Outlet Press, 2004).

Growing up in the Hollywood scene always made me wonder what really lives in the shawdows...where the glitz doesn't shine. After finding my way through lies and dis-integrity, it has remained a mystery to me how any person with a heart at all could possibly survive such a long list of betrayels. Ever wonder how the facade of fame keeps having a life-force?
You'll find out as you take an emotional ride into a web of deceit and manipulation. If you want to see the TRUE ending of a man-made fairy tale ... the one that never gets reported ... then this one's for you!

It has been a long time since I have done marathon reading, but honestly I could not put this book down. it had more twists and turns than Chubby Checker. I started reding it Sunday until my husband drug me out of the house and woke up at 5 am Monday to finish it. I recommend this book to any one that wants to escape or know the real "Hollyweird". Peter Scott Harmyk is a gifted word crafter and will take you on a wild ride.