Movies Books

There is a photo of Barbara Eden (Page 147) and a chapter (Pages 139 thru 150) all about the movie "Ride The Wild Surf".

Tom Lisanti - the author of "Drive-In Dream Girls," "Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema," and "Film Fatales" - expands his horizons from '60s sexpots to covering the entire Beach Film genre which catered to teenagers between 1959 and 1968.

Lisanti profiles the following movies in depth: Gidget and its sequel Gidget Goes Hawaiian; the Elvis films Blue Hawaii and Girl Happy; the Frankie & Annette classics Beach Party, Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, Beach Blanket Bingo, and How To Stuff A Wild Bikini; plus Where The Boys Are, For Those Who Think Young, The Horror Of Party Beach, Pajama Party, Ride The Wild Surf, Surf Party, Beach Ball, The Beach Girls And The Monster, Daytona Beach Weekend, The Girls On The Beach, One Way Wahine, A Swingin' Summer, Wild On The Beach, The Endless Summer, The Ghost In The Invisible Bikini, Out Of Sight, Catalina Caper, Don't Make Waves, It's A Bikini World, and The Sweet Ride. There's also the winter off-shoots Ski Party, Winter A Go-Go, and Wild Wild Winter which merit inclusion due to their use of beach film regulars, musical guest stars, and inane plots which merely substitute a ski slope for the beach. My own favorite beach films are Beach Blanket Bingo (probably the most fun) and Ride The Wild Surf (definitely the best made and owner of the best beach film theme song: the title cut by Jan & Dean).

Lisanti interviewed several of the stars of these films (including Peter Brown, Dave Draper, Shelley Fabares, Susan Hart, Aron Kincaid, Jody McCrea, Chris Noel, Quinn O'Hara, and William Wellman, Jr) and it is their frank and often bitchy comments about the filmmakers and their co-stars in the Behind the Scenes section of each film's chapter that makes this book must reading. I especially enjoyed the commentary supplied by Jody McCrea who played Deadhead/Bonehead in the Frankie & Annette Beach Party series. McCrea has a strong opinion on seemingly everyone he ever worked with, and his high opinion of himself is quite humorous.

After profiling the movies, Lisanti offers substantial bios of several of the stars of these films: actors John Ashley, Frankie Avalon, Peter Brown, James Darren, Sandra Dee, Don Edmonds, Shelley Fabares, Annette Funicello, Ed Garner, Aron Kincaid, Tommy Kirk, Jody McCrea, Yvette Mimieux, Mike Nader, Chris Noel, Quinn O'Hara, Bart Patton, Pamela Tiffin, Deborah Walley, William Wellman Jr., plus surfers Mickey Dora and Johnny Fain. The other female stars of the beach films that aren't profiled here - like Mary Hughes and Salli Sachse - are covered in Lisanti's other books so make sure you check those out as well if you haven't already.

All of you land-lubbers will love this one; surfers are warned not to swim. Anyone who loved watching these moronic movies while necking in a drive-in or doing your homework will be glad to realize that he or she is not missing big plot points! But no one watched beach movies for storylines; fans wanted to see the hunks and honeys shaking like a bee victims to an annoying bonga beat while resisting physical intimacy. All of them are here ... Gidget, Nancy Sinatra, James Darren, Elvis, and, of course, Annette and Frankie! The text is frank about the movies' lifeless plots or mediocre musical talents, but the author is unapologetically enthusiastic about this genre. One complaint: no color pictures!

In this 1910 story of Edwardian England, Forster illustrates the conflicts between the superior attitudes of the aristocracy and a developing feeling of obligation toward the "lower" classes which World War I will soon bring into sharp relief. Margaret and Helen Schlegel are intellectual and sensitive to the arts, with compassionate hearts for those less fortunate.

When Margaret, at age twenty-nine, is affianced to a much older widower, Henry Wilcox, this conflict of attitudes is brought to the fore. Henry, insensitive and believing himself actually entitled to his family's privileges, is cold and reserved, though Margaret believes that "Henry must be forgiven and made better by love."

Helen, her sister, a 21-year-old with an enthusiasm for the life of the imagination, has no sympathy for Henry's staid pronouncements and failure to pay attention to the people "below him" who are dependent upon his whims. When a young clerk finds himself out of his bank job as a result of something Henry has said, Henry refuses his wife's entreaties to give the destitute Leonard a job.

Immensely sympathetic to the economic position of the poor and women, Forster illustrates their financial dependence on others. Margaret, who secures the reader's total sympathy, must try to educate a close-minded dolt like Henry, but she achieves only limited success. Later, his belief that Helen reflects negatively upon himself and his family inspires a disaster with far-reaching consequences.

Filled with incisive observations and great wit, the novel follows the narrative pattern of a melodrama, but Forster's sensitivity to both sides--the practical and conservative values of Henry vs. the emotional and idealistic sides of Margaret and Helen--elevates the novel above the tawdry. With the action centered around the Wilcox home at Howard's End, the reader realizes that the estate is a microcosm for the conflicts of the nation.

This edition, thoroughly annotated, is the definitive critical edition containing resource material and an explication of references. Comprehensive background material for the period, critical analysis of Forster's themes, and careful notes throughout this novel provide a wealth of research materials for the literary critic and historian. Mary Whipple

E.M. Forster's novel is a wonderful allegorical masterpiece which deals with the need (or consequences of failure) to connect. Exploring the tumultuous interactions of the Wilcoxes, Schelgels and Basts, Forster is compassionate with his characters as they explore the question: "who will inherit England."

A masterpiece, magical and elegant in style.

Most of us connect the notion of "home" or "childhood home" with one particular place, that innocent paradise we have since had to give up and keep searching for forever after. In Ruth Wilcox's world, Howards End is that place; the countryside house where she was born, where her family often returns to spend their vacations, and which, everyone assumes, will pass on to her children when she is dead.

But will it really? Unbeknownst to Ruth's family, the issue is put into question when Ruth forms a friendship with her neighbor-to-be Margaret Schlegel, like Ruth herself from a middle class background but nevertheless separated from Ruth's world by several layers of society and politics: That of the Wilcox is epitomized by pater familias/businessman Henry - rich, conservative and without any sympathy whatsoever for those less fortunate than themselves ("It's all part of the battle of life ... The poor are poor; one is sorry for them, but there it is," Henry Wilcox once comments); while the Schlegels, on the other hand, have just enough income to lead a comfortable life, were brought up by their Aunt Juley, support suffrage (women's right to vote) and surround themselves with actors, "blue-stockings" (feminists), intellectuals and other members of the avantgarde. Further complexity is added when Margaret's sister Helen brings to the Schlegel home Leonard Bast, a poor but idealistic young clerk who loves music, literature and astronomy - and with him, his working class wife Jacky, the embarrassment of having to interact with her, and the even more embarrassing revelation which she has in store for Henry Wilcox; eventually leaving her disillusioned husband to comment that "books aren't real," and that in fact they and music "are for the rich so they don't feel bad after dinner."

An allegory on the question who will ultimately inherit England - the likes of the Wilcox, the Schlegels, or the Basts - E.M. Forster's novel is one of the early 20th century's finest pieces of literature; a masterpiece of social study and character study alike, in which the author brings his protagonists and their environment to life with empathy and a fine eye for detail. The story's strongest character is undoubtedly Margaret Schlegel, a young woman "filled with ... a profound vivacity, a continual and sincere response to all that she encounter[s] in her path through life," as Forster describes her, and whose friendship with Ruth Wilcox, even at the beginning, already brings the two families back together again after Helen has endangered their as-yet tentaive acquaintance by engaging in a near-scandalous affair with Ruth's younger son Paul.

Ultimately, Margaret and Ruth become so close that Ruth eventually decides to give Meg "something worth [her] friendship" - none other than Howards End, a wish that has her panicking family scramble most ungentlemanly for every reason in the book to invalidate the codicil setting forth that bestowal, from its lacking date and signature to the testatrix's state of mind, the ambiguity of the writing's content, the question why Meg should want the house in the first place since she already has one, and the fact that the writing is only in pencil, which "never counts," as Dolly, wife of the Wilcox' elder son Charles is quick to point out, only to be reprimanded by her father in law "from out of his fortress" (Forster) not to "interfere with what you do not understand." And so it is that Meg will only see the house (and be instantly mistaken for Ruth because she has "her way of walking around the house," as the housekeeper explains) when she and her siblings have to look for a new home and Henry Wilcox, who has started to court her after Ruth's death, suggests that the Schlegel's furniture be temporarily stored there - a fateful decision. And while Meg and Henry slowly and painfully learn to adjust to each other, the complexity of their families' relations, and their interactions with the Basts, finally come crashing down on them in a dramatic conclusion.

Also recommended:
Great Novels and Short Stories of E. M. Forster
E. M. Forster: A Life (A Harvest Book)
Howards End - The Merchant Ivory Collection
A Room with a View (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Where Angels Fear to Tread
Brideshead Revisited
The W. Somerset Maugham Reader: Novels, Stories, Travel Writing

Hugo Friedhofer, one of the great Hollywood film composers, was more than the consumate musician. His wit and his loving personality are shown in this engaging book. His analysis of music, composers, producers, films, actors and actresses is captivating. Hugo worked with George Gerswhin, was close friends with Oscar Levant and had Bud Powell play piano in his living room!

In his interview for the Film Music Archive, Hugo Friedhofer tells it like it is, and the book shows that he is not fake, but was a real giant in the Hollywood that used to be littered with talent and quality. Even if you know little about film music, this book is great history of the Hollywood of yesterday.

Hugo Friedhofer, one of the great Hollywood film composers, was more than the consumate musician. His wit and his loving personality are shown in this engaging book. His analysis of music, composers, producers, films, actors and actresses is captivating. Hugo worked with George Gerswhin, was close friends with Oscar Levant and had Bud Powell play piano in his living room!

In his interview for the Film Music Archive, Hugo Friedhofer tells it like it is, and the book shows that he is not fake, but was a real giant in the Hollywood that used to be littered with talent and quality. Even if you know little about film music, this book is great history of the Hollywood of yesterday.

It's so satisfying to learn about the life of the film composer who wrote the score to such movies as "The Best Years of Our Lives," "The Adventures of Marco Polo" and "The Young Lions" - some of my favorite Hollywood film scores. Much of this book contains the story of Hugo Friedhofer as told by himself through interviews and his own personal correspondence. With droll and witty comments and a collection of truly wonderful photos Ms. Danly has truly presented a well-thought-out book. Hugo was well-respected by everyone in Hollywood (he had a photographic memory and a reputation for knowing the classical literature to a fault) and now with this biography we know why.

This book was fantastically entertaining! The man is as chaotic, eccentric, and strange as you would probably guess but did you know he was funny as well! Of course it is a bizarre sense of humor and some of it very nonsensical but it is interesting nonetheless. I couldn't put it down and since it is not written as an autobiography but snippets of interviews on a variety of topics--you can pick it up and begin reading on any page. I loved this book. A huge book for a huge personality and the pictures are amazing! Black and white rare photos of actors and scenes from his most memorable movies. Many of these are worthy of framing.

This book arrived in perfect condition and I received a very warm e-mail from the seller acknowledging my order and the shipment. Perfect!

This deluxe edition of what renowned Fellini specialist Tullio Kezich describes as the Maestro's "spiritual testament" (in his superb foreword to the book) is bona fide Fellini-esque. Hilarious anecdotes are squeezed in beside a number of very moving meditations on old age, sex, LSD, unemployment, Trivial Pursuit, God, Dante, death and the Hereafter. The newly restored black-and-white photos capturing the Italian director's surreal world are well-served by an excellent English translation. The final entry in the lexicon is a fairy tale titled "Zio Lupo" or "Uncle Wolf" and it pretty much defines Fellini's insatiability. Highly recommended.

I'm stationed overseas in bosnia, and it can be very boring. this book gave me hope that my life will be better when i get back to the world. we'll see.

I ran across this book and was compelled to read it. This stunning portrayal of the life of Tom Sullivan and how he overcame adversity in a world that he was unable to see, opens the eyes of the reader. He takes his darkened world and livens it up with color and animation taking you on a journey that surprises and delights. This is a must read.

I gave this book 5 stars because it has to be at least 20 years since I read it last (read it over and over and over then) and I still remember it with a great deal of fondness. My personal favorite has to be his descriptions of spending the summer in Scituate Mass--my mother was great friends with Tommy and his family and this is one of those books that just gives lots of laughs and reflections.

The iFilm Internet Movie Guide by IFILM.com editor-in-chief Lew Harris is a trailblazing, comprehensive guide to the best films, film sites, review sites, celebrity shrines, and movie-related gossip on the Internet. Perhaps most unique of all, it reviews and directs websurfers to short films that are available 24 hours a day on the Internet for all to see, for free! An absolute "must" for movie buffs and have access to the Internet, The iFilm Internet Movie Guide may be the first book of its kind but it certainly won't be the last!

The best thing about this book is that it tips you off to sites you never knew existed and would have never found otherwise. I consider myself pretty web savvy, and yet I discovered sites that are fun and useful and whose existence was a pleasant surprise. Also, the book is very funny and has a great attitude.

I got this book as a gift from a friend. I had very low expectations. I pride myself on having a rather large list of entertainment url bookmarks. Boy, was I surprised!! And impressed. The book starts off with the best 50 short films to watch on the Web--for FREE. There are the best in animation, spoofs, sci-fi, celebrity stuff, comedy, drama etc. I especially liked the "underground" sites, hip review sites (rotten tomatos), Sexiest sites, and other movie stuff. The interviews were fairly irreverent and fun. There is even a professional Appendix of the best screenwriter sites, filmmaking sites, producing sites and other somewhat professional places to go. It is just my guess, but there are probably close to 500 or more legitmate entertainment sites described in this book--way more than I ever imagined or have time to fully check out. very browsable. Thanks for the gift--I've had hours of pleasure. Broadband makes this book much better

I read this book, and it totaly helped me! I started my film, and learned so much from this book.

The author must be some sort of g-d! He anwered nearly everyone of my questions. It actually changed the way i've been shooting.

Thanks! If only you'll write some more books!

I found Mr Garon's book to be direct, informative and easy to read without losing any of the details. This had all the information of a definitive text while being an easy read. I was eagerly awaiting his book, it did not disappoint.

Filmmaking is a leap of faith. A lot of people assume someone else will solve all the paperwork problems when distributions is locked. Unfortunately, if your paperwork is not in order and you can't furnish deliverables, you run the risk of losing the distro deal. Deliverables- what you provide to a distributor so they can do their job of marketing your movie- begin at the screenwriting stage.

If you are totally do it yourself and willing to make investments on yourself, why would you leave legalities to the VERY end when you have no choice (at least at the start you have the option of NOT hiring someone if they won't sign an actors release, avoiding a location if the owner won't sign. There's no "getting away" with anything.) This is stuff you hear about in film school, but it doesn't sink in until you experience the limitations caused by putting off the paperwork.

Author Jon Garon provides a legal book that is inclusive of all filmmakers, including no budget guerilla filmmakers. Even books that deal with guerilla filmmaking tend to gloss over the pertinent details that relate to Do-it-yourself-ers. He has some beautiful words of respect for guerilla filmmakers, too. That this is a law and business guide makes it a must have for anyone thinking about making a movie, be it for no money or millions.

This is the first book I've read that goes indepth as to the protections of a sole-proprietor vs. sole-Proprietor LLC (if your state allows it). I set up the LLC today, following his instructions. Took 10 minutes, online. Even went to the irs.gov for the employer id Number. He explains the risks of partnerships, and how you can unwittingly enter a partnership if you and your pals don't set forth an agreement at the start.

Financing is everyone's biggest complaint. This book explores the conventional and alternative financing models (investors vs. disposable income vs. debt financing/credit cards), and goes one better as to compare the risks and rewards of each. The golden quote is "I have never heard of anyone who has gambled her house on a film and won."

He even breaks down setting up your company and chain of command, running your company, working out deferrals and how those are paid back, and all sorts of issues you need to know but otherwise wouldn't think of. This book also includes info on contracts, actor and location releases, and music permissions.

Granted, this doesn't include a lot of boiler plate. But Mark Litwak has books for that. However, this book bests Litwak in the realm of detail and why certain provisions really matter. This book empowers the filmmaker to understand business and contracts, what to ask for, what to avoid, and so much more. This is a critical book to own. Particularly if you're broke. So get it!

"...nicely drawn fun, with lots of cheesecake." -- Bud Plant Comic Art

"Recommended Reading!" -- Parsec, the Canadian Science Fiction Magazine

The Invisible Dirty Old Man was a scream. It's definitely good for a lot of laughs -- and almost as many trips to the bathroom. I'm getting in line for the movie Now!

I was amazed at the super rich colors and terrific drawings done on heavy weight supergloss paper. I hope all comics look like this in the future. A multilayered treatise reminiscent of early Stan Lee. Bottom line: my senses were titillated; yet my morals were not offended.

The subject of this book is fascinating. While I was reading this well written book, I kept thinking, 'this would make a great movie bio'.

This was a good book and easy and fast to read. It mainly focuses on the very early film making of Jackie, and then goes into his later years. The only thing that makes me wonder about authors of these biographies (of which I read MANY), is when their information is not correct, and then I wonder a bit what else might be not quite the truth. In this respect, I refer to a couple of references which the average reader might say "who even cares", but what I am saying here is that if this information is incorrect, then what else hasn't been researched thoroughly or completely and happens to be wrong? Are we getting the real truth? My questions here refers to when Jack Coogan died, and the author says that he was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Culver City. Calvary is in East L.A. (where Jack is), and Culver City is where another Catholic cemetery is located. So we have not good research here. Then, after Jackie died, the book says he was "laid to rest at Holy Cross Mausoleum, near the crypt that held the remains of Jack Coogan Sr." But before it says he's at Calvary, now it's Holy Cross. And I do happen to know the truth. Jack is at Calvary, but Jackie is at Holy Cross. So, maybe trivial to some, but like I say, whatother information may not be the real truth. Another bit of the book that disturbed me was when the auto accident happened that killed Jack and injured Jackie. She says that after the accident the mother was notified at 5 PM, and that immediately his stepfather chartered a plane in Los Angeles, which consisted of his mother, their doctor and 4 other people and when they arrived in San Diego they were led by police escort the 59 miles to the acident area. She makes it sounds like this was accomplished in a very brief time period, but honestly, chartering a plane and getting 6 or more people to the airport and flying to San Diego and then driving 59 miles of rugged road would take an awfully long time, many hours I would think. They would have arrived at 2 in the morning or something. This isn't very believable. But it's a good book and I liked it. Jackie was fortunate to live out his life and die a natural, as he lived some pretty fast years.

Diana Serra Cary was once know as Baby Peggy in the 1920's. Mrs. Cary must have done exhaustive research into the life of fellow child star Jackie Coogan. She also reveals a crime that was committed during Coogan's college years. Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King is aptly titled. Coogan's parents were Vaudeville actors. Charles Chaplin was searching for a child to work in one of his pictures. Adorable 6 year old Jackie got the part. Until he hit the awkward age, Jackie was making millions of dollars. There were no laws during that era about child labor or whether the child would benefit in adulthood from a working childhood. Jackie was mobbed all over the world. Since the pictures he made were silent, the subtitles could be changed for every country. Naturally, this greatly effected the child. During his teenage years he was in an automobile crash with 3 other people. Jackie was the only survivor. His father had died.
When it came time for Jackie to inherit his trust fund he discovered that he had no right to it under the law. His Mother, now remarried met Jackie in court to fight over his childhood earnings. The public was horrified to learn that Jackie under old fashioned laws was not entitled to one red cent. This is how the famous Coogan law was brought into effect. At this time Jackie was married to Betty Grable. He was terribly cruel to Betty. Continuously drunk one night he urinated all over his wife. Unable to find work because of being black listed by Mayor, Coogan enlisted in the military. Later in life he would become known as Uncle Fester on the Adam's Family.

They finally put out a good edition of James Bond movie posters in a calendar that is both comprehensive and esthetically pleasing. Most of the interpretations of the cinematic James Bond are represented in this new calendar. There are some great iconic posters reprinted here. This is a good collection. This calendar is very colorful and dynamic. The YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE Teaser is one of the best. This is a exceptional calendar!

The many facets of James Bond are represented here. There are some great iconic posters represented here. This is a good collection. This calendar is very colorful and dynamic. Good one!

The James Bond Movie Posters 2007 Calendar is an improvement over 2006. There is a better choice of posters selected for this calendar compared to the 2006 edition. The selection here is attractively assembled. They are more striking and evoke the essence of the James Bond films. The 2006 edition seemed to focus more on the obscure posters. The obscure are not always esthetically pleasing. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN British Quad, the ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE one sheet and the YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE teaser one sheet are beautifully vivid and colorful. Good calendar here.