Steven Spielberg Books

One can tell that Mr. Morton is not just a wonderful writer, but an
great fan of Mr. Spielberg and "Close Encounters." He delves into
the movie so completely that you almost feel you were there when the
movie was being made.
This is not just a great book for Spielberg fans, but should be a must
read for all film students out there.

This is an exhaustive supplement to existing books that cover this movie. It surprisingly goes into step by step detail over the effects.

Morton is a far better researcher than he is a writer, and this book is an exhaustive, often turgid, dump of his research on the making of the film.

If you are interested in the nuts-and-bolts of '70s big-budget filmmaking, there is a wealth of information here on the twists and turns the production took and the intricacies of the special-effects methods (now obsoleted by digital effects). The photo section, for example, includes not one but *three* pictures of a mold used to create the bodies of some of the flying saucers. If that sounds like a good thing, this book is for you!

The general-interest reader, however, is likely to be frustrated with the level of detail offered as well as the stilted, cliched writing style (the author is so fond of adjectives such as "incredible" that one wishes Inigo Montoya might pay him a visit). Although he provides filmographies and short biographies for all the principals, Morton fails to provide any historical, social, or technological context and misses most opportunities to wring dramatic interest out of the interpersonal conflicts and artistic crises inherent in moviemaking.

Writing skills aside, the level of scholarship and completeness here is impressive, and there is undeniable value in the effort to capture and preserve the detailed history of this important film.

I literally grew up on Spielberg's early films and was lucky enough to enjoy in my youth such classics as JAWS (an all-time fave), E.T. and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS. I can't put into words how amazing it was to see these films in a theatre with a fresh audience. Most prominent in my mind is CLOSE ENCOUNTERS for the simple fact that I got to see it at one of the best movie houses in L.A. -- The Cinerama Dome in Hollywood which featured a massive, arched screen (this was decades before IMAX) and incredible sound system.

Ray Morton has been able to bring back such fond moviegoing memories with his well detailed book on CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND that explores virtually every aspect of this movie's genesis. I felt like a kid again as I found myself reliving an incredible movie that has stood the test of time. And now there is a book to stand proudly at its side.

I should also mention that Mister Morton has another book called KING KONG: THE HISTORY OF AN ICON that I also found very entertaining and taught me pretty much every thing there is to know about the furry icon.

Although Stanley Kubrick made many other movies with a powerful message, I will always associate him with "2001: A Space Odyssey." The power of the movie overwhelmed me the first time I saw it and it still does each time I view it again. The music seems to penetrate your entire being and each time I watch it a new thought about the human condition pops into my mind. It is one of the few movies that you never seem to be able to completely talk out. I always wished that Kubrick had continued making films out of the additional novels by Arthur Clarke such as "2010." Kubrick's other films also have the quality of overwhelming you, viewing "Dr. Strangelove" is a life altering event, it points out the absurdity of a rational discussion concerning a nuclear war.
This book is not about the films that Kubrick made, but a chronicle of his life in photographs. Few of them are personal; almost all show him executing some act in the making of a movie. Generally, he is on the set of his films, we see stills from "Lolita", "Spartacus", "Full Metal Jacket", "Dr. Strangelove", "2001", "A Clockwork Orange", and "Eyes Wide Shut." The photos show him doing everything from examining a script to intensely watching a rehearsal to walking away at the end of the day. If you are a fan of Kubrick, and quite frankly I don't know how such a condition can be avoided, then this book will interest you. Showing him in the creation of his works, he was truly a man with vision, putting things down on film that stay with you long after the credits have disappeared.

'STANLEY KUBRICK: A Life In Pictures' (c. Oct 2002) by Mrs. Christiane Kubrick, is an insightful photographic odyssey of Stanley Kubrick, America's very original and probably only auteur director.

Mrs. Kubrick presented, in chronological order, rare family photographs of Stanley Kubrick from his childhood in the Bronx and through his teenage years in high school and working for LOOK magazine. This included his very first 1945 photograph of a newspaper vendor he sold for twenty-five dollars to that publication.

The chronology then continued as a mix of Stanley Kubrick in his various movie publicity stills and with candid photographs of the behind the scenes activity as Director Kubrick lined up his shots on movie cameras; interacted with his crew; conversed with his stars; "having a little game of chess"; or the very obvious serious discussions with cast and technicians. (The pictures of Stanley Kubrick cracking-up laughing on the set of '2001' are priceless; as are the touching photographs of him holding his young children.) The photographs continued until the filming of his last movie, 'Eyes Wide Shut', showing a mature and greying director.

And for those who follow the interesting lives of the actors in his films, 'STANLEY KUBRICK: A Life In Pictures' provided dozens of revealing off-camera images of his interactions with such noted personalities as: Marlon Brando; Kirk Douglas; Lawrence Olivier; James Mason; George C. Scott; and Sterling Hayden. Equally as interesting as his cinematographic technique was his managerial style as he presided over some of Hollywood's most powerful movie stars, dozens of cast and crew, and sometimes thousands of extras, which one can only infer from the objectivity of this black & white photographic collection.

This collection contained a touch of poignancy as photo #57 showed a publicity still of Stanley Kubrick, Sterling Hayden, and Kola Kwariani pouring over a chess game together in the chess club set of 'The Killing'. In this 1956 movie, Kola Kwariani played professional wrestler Maurice Oboukhoff, who instigated a very memoriable diversion for the race track robbery. In real life, Kola Kwarinani was a real wrestler and expert chess player who played in the same New York 'Chess & Checker Club' (alias The Flea House) as Stanley Kubrick. The neighborhood changed, and in February 1980 at age 77 while playing in 'The Flea House' Kola Kwariani was beaten to death by five black teenage hoodlums.

The book: 'STANLEY KUBRICK: A Life In Pictures' is neither biography nor history but simply an important collection of objective photography mutely capturing the working details, values, and personality of America's only world class movie director.

As a suggestion, first read the biography: 'STANLEY KUBRICK: A Biography' (c.1997) by Vincent LuBrutto, to fully appreciate Mrs. Christiane Kubrick's impressive photographic compilation. Only then does the revealing photographs of her husband answer the many questions induced by all the incomplete written biographies on Stanley Kubrick.

"Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures" is more of a compendium to the documentary video released with the Kubrick Collection boxed set than a book of its own inspration. It's a trip through times past for both wife and author Christiane Kubrick as well as for the viewer who grew up with Kubrick's marvelous films. The book allows a deeper and more accessible view of the Man Behind the Camera.

Watching Kubrick's films, one gets the sense that something greater than a single man is directing these movies. Looking at these behind the scenes photos I hear the words "Dont' pay attention to the man behind the camera," as Kubrick plays the Almighty Oz in the production of his films.

The book is presented in a large hardback volume with glossy pages; all of the photos are black and white. We see Stanley from an infant all the way through to his work on "Eyes Wide Shut." The final pages also offer some pre-production sketches for "Artificial Intelligence." It is less of a book to read than a book to look through, although there are small captions to each picture that Christiane gives the reader the time and place and offers a little insight into Stanley's thinking.

With a foreward by Stephen Spielberg (the eventual director for "A.I."), "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures" is designed for the Kubrick fan, but serves as a memoir for Mrs. Kubrick. As she mentions in the introduction, "The photographs will...correct the mistaken view of Stanley as some sort of isolationist misanthrope out of Dr. Mabuse by way of Howard Hughes."

In this little book, two of film's most visible critics, Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel, interview three of the most influential film directors of the last 30 years: Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas. (Scorsese is interviewed by both Ebert and Siskel. Spielberg is interviewed by Siskel; Lucas by Ebert.)

Much of the focus of this little book is directed toward film preservation, although the title of the book also refers to trends in filmmaking. It is interesting to see the predictions that all three directors made for the future of film when these interviews were conducted in 1990. Along the way, we gain a bit of insight into the passion these three directors (and these two critics) have for films and their future. An interesting look for the casual fan or the serious film lover.

116 pages

A must-have for film fans. In what other book can one get so intimate about films with acclaimed film makers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas, along with prominent film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. Simply put, facinating, and a pure joy to read. Plus, the proceeds go to restoring films, such as JAWS, that are literally disappearing.

This is a wonderful book written by a wonderfully talented writer. This is a great book for old and young alike!

THIS WAS VERY INFORMATIVE IN REGARDS TO MR. SPIELBERG. THE BOOK DETAILS WHO EXACTLY THIS MAN IS, WHAT COMPELLS HIM TO DO THE MOVIES THAT HE DOES AND WHAT IS HIS DRIVING FORCE. A MUST READ FOR ANY MOVIE FAN, BUT ESPECIALLY A SPIELBERG FAN!

Letters to E.T. is a compilation of letters written to steven spielberg and e.t. by fans all over the world,
people of all ages fell in love with this unearthly creature that was deserted on this far away world,

the letter that most touched me was one written by a mother of a 20 year old(in 1982) autistic boy, the boy cried during the movie wich is very exceptionel because autistic people NEVER crie
"not for themselves ,not for others" so his mom wrote,

a lovely book for everyone who keeps E.T in his heart,
my heart will "glow" forever,
peter de mooij ...

That is a very good book it is about fans that send E.t. and Steven Spielberg.The leters are funny, strange,and sad.Perfect for anbody who likes E.T. especially kids.They have good pictures and even two family circus comics with are good friend E.T. Buy the book.If you like Steven Spielberg`s movies.

This review refers to "Schindler's List: Images of the Steven Spielberg Film"

I get chills every time I open this book. Opening with a touching forward by Spielberg, as he talks about the emotional journey the film took him on, and then pages and pages of memorable stills from the film, ending with production notes, you will find this book to be quite a keepsake. The film is one that went beyond the awards it received,is beyond words and if you are a fan you will love this book.

It's a beautiful hardcover(does not come with DJ), a little larger in length than a normal size paperback, and the photos in the stark black and white of the film fill most of it's 80 pages. Each photo is the full size of the page - no captions needed to describe them - and it's hard not to study and not to be mesmerized by each and every one of the chilling shots.You can't help but relive the horrific moments so true to history.

The book is part of the Schindler's List Gift Set(DVD),Schindler's List which also includes other nice items, like a soundtrack of the CD and an individually numbered 'Senitype' from the film(mine came with one of the little girl in the red coat).See my review of 6/10/04 for package details. However if you already have the DVD, it's nice that you can just buy this book here.If you are interested in the CD on it's own, you can find it here:Schindler's List: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Makes a wonderful keepsake or gift for anyone who loved the film or is a film history(or history) buff.

Thanks.. Mr. Spielberg for truly another gift ....Laurie

If you're a big fan of the Speilberg film, this is a nice, pocket-sized, hardcover gift book. Measuring about 5" x 7.5", the 80 pages are mostly devoted to David James' excellent black and white still photos taken during production. A suitably earnest three page introduction by Speilberg seeks to remind us of the continuing relevance of the Holocaust and Schindler's story. Tacked on the end are five pages of production notes (these are "story" of the production, and are issued as part of the general press kit when a film is released). Released to coincide with the ten-year anniversary of the film's release, James' photos are very good, and quite evocative (even though it's only a movie!).

Great book---it really describes Steven's life well, including lots of little details, which makes it fun to read! Not like a textbook at all...at times I found myself just sitting and reading the book instead of using it as planned to help me write a report on Steven Spielberg. Again, a great book this is, defintely get it! Go Steven Spielberg!

Bryce Willson
10/27/05
Per.3
Steven Spielberg

In Steven Spielberg: Hollywood Filmmaker, author Virginia Meachum explores the life and career of this successful and talented filmmaker. From his childhood in New Jersey and Arizona, to his continued success in the entertainment industry, Spielberg has always been determined to follow his dreams. The work of Steven Spielberg will continue to entertain moviegoers for years to come.

Not because I knew about the video game or anything, but just because it had people in space-suits. I SO WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! This book is UNBELIEVEABLE. Actually, anything by Alan Dean Foster is. So read it--you will NOT be disappointed.

The Dig was my favorite games of 1996. By reading this book I had the impression to get back to this mysterious world and solve the puzzles all over again. I just wish someone has the gutts to produce the movie or a TV show based on this incredible story.

While this is one of the best SF books I have ever read, I am somewhat new to the SF world. It seems original, and I could not put it down in most parts. It ends kind of abruptly...but it is very good altogether.
Is about an asteroid that comes to earth that ends up not being an asteriod. Very SFish with aliens and ancient cultures and such.

This was good tale, with a lot of interesting people. It reminded me of A. C. Clarke's story "Rama" and "Rama II", though this one ended within one book and it did not have the social dilemma. The ending was a bit disappointing, but, what else to do? At least it was positive and did not dwell on the problems that would be encountered in real life.

First of all, I'm a fan of Mr. Foster and have enjoyed many of his books. I didn't realize that this book was based on a game - so the unrealistic plot points might not be his fault. But I was disappointed.

For example, one of the main characters was pushed into leading this shuttle mission because he was known as a great pilot (fine) and was a 'hero' because of a previous shuttle mission. In this previous mission, he had managed to bring the shuttle down safely even though the shuttle was sent up *without enough fuel to bring it back down* !?!?!?!!?! Huh!!

You want him to be a hero - no problems! Have something go wrong in the previous mission - that could happen. But not enough fuel - that's ludicrous!!

Another one - this 'asteroid' suddenly shows up in an orbit around Earth. No one saw it coming - it just appeared. But it didn't occur to anyone that - just perhaps - it wasn't an asteroid??

And this 'asteroid' has a decaying orbit that will eventually send it crashing into the Earth. The mission goes up to set some nuclear bombs that will nudge it into a better orbit. So this is basically a do-or-die mission for Earth. And they send along a cute, perky journalist!! I don't think so.

There are just so many things that don't ring true. After the asteroid's orbit is changed, three of them go to explore a bit. (Of course, they bring along the journalist.) But there's no major emergency, the asteroid's orbit is stable - so why do they pick up these artifacts and move them around and try fitting them into things?? This would never happen - a lot more investigation would be done first.

The whole thing is stupid.

I agree with Craig MACKINNON's review.

This book is meticulously researched, however, the analysis made after said research do I not only feel to be wrong, but many times unneeded. I would rather have the biographer present the facts of Spielberg's life then provide his own, terrible, film opinions.

Also this book makes far too much of Spielberg's jewish roots and heritage as if his whole career was just building to make Schindler's List. Everything else was just a stepping stone. A common mistake from critics that I figured a man willing to research and write a whole book about Spielberg's life would not make.

This book is also relatively lop sided in the amount of time it spends on individual incidents in Spielberg's life, pre success, compared to post. Plus it does not discuss the process behind the creation of each of his films with the same amount of time.

However, I would suggest reading it, because it is so well researched and when you look past the author's bias you can find wonderful insights into the man the book is written about and his works.

I want to give this book 4 stars, but I just can't bring myself to do it. This book is certainly an impressive scholarly work - well researched, reasonably well referenced, and when there is analysis offered, it is thorough and insightful.

Unfortunately, the analysis is also my major complaint with the book. McBride seems to haphazardly pick pictures to analyse, while ignoring others. What possessed him to give devote more pages to 1941 than all the Indiana Jones movies combined? Further, he has a tendency to focus too much on the story of the movie - I submit that most people reading this book have seen these movies and can draw their own conclusions about the significance of the story. We'd rather hear about how they were made, etc. That is, more facts and less analysis would would make this a better book.

The first half of the book is very good, because the author takes his time explaining family connections, his amateur films, etc. It is a little repetitive (how often does McBride feel he has to tell us that Spielberg felt like an outsider growing up?), but the detail and narrative flow are very good, telling us a lot about the man behind the movies. Especially interesting is the information on S's TV work.

The second half of the book rapidly degenerates into a shallow overview of things we already know about Spielberg, and is very disappointing. It's almost like McBride had a page limit, and after spending so much time on S's childhood, he had to rush through the remaining material, save for sections on Schindler's List and Colour Purple (both deserving movies, of course). Even Jurassic Park is little more than a sideshow, wherein McBride denegrates Crichton's novel (a fate that Peter Benchley's Jaws seems to avoid, even though in my opinion JP is a work far superior to Jaws) and comments on how Spielberg worked on the effects in Poland while shooting Schindler's List. Even his fine analytical powers seem to break down. What else could possess him to comment that Raider of the Lost ark is racist and "a soulless and impersonal film", while praising Last Crusade as "a graceful piece of popular filmaking...gratifyingly free of racist overtones that blighted the two previous films." Huh? Has McBride actually watched these three movies together? Or does he really think it's okay to portray stereotyped Arabs, but not stereotyped Indians or Nepalese?

At any rate, this is an important work, recommended for anyone that wants to learn more about the early life and works of Spielberg. But I would suggest putting it down without reading the last 5 chapters.

Steven Spielberg would approve of this highly interesting and informative book, which not only chronicles the movies, but also digs deeper to answer some very compelling questions, and unlike some Spielberg bios, McBride's tome answers all of them. Charting his illustrious career from his early work in TV, to films Like Duel, Jaws, Raiders, E.T, Jurassic Park and The Lost World, this is an eminently satisfying addition to my impressive Spielberg collection. If it has a flaw, there is too much focused on his output in the early 90s and not quite enough concerning his famously fantastic films in the 70s and 80s. Regardless, a cool book and a great weekend read. Highly recommended.

Just watch that racist Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom to see that this man is deathly afraid of India and Indians in general. Too bad - he seems to love the Communist Chinese a lot though.

I've now read about five or six biographies of Steven Spielberg and all vary in depth and quality. However Joseph McBride book can only be described as THE most in-depth account of Spielberg's fascinating life. You simply won't read a more well-researched account of Spielberg's life unless the great man writes his autobiography. Don't be put off by the fact that Spielberg didn't co-operate with this book, virtually everyone else did including, most surprisingly, his father. A terrific read from start to finish.

While the book differs somewhat from the movie, it is worth reading if you're a fan of Poltergeist! The way the family meets Tangina is very different from the movie and you also get to read about her astral confrontation with "The Beast"! A deleted scene that can be seen in the orignal trailer for the movie is explained in great detail, as well as the way one of the ending scenes was shot differently! It is also explained in greater detail on what happened to Marty and why he didn't return to the house! If you're a fan and want to know more about this movie read the book. It's worth it!

This is a chilling read!! James Khan has fashioned a tight frightening text based on this film's screenplay. I felt it was excellently well written and expanded upon. It can be very hard to find this book but if you can find it, read it!!! It's great!

Rarely does a book written from a screenplay turn out better than this. Kahn's imagination expanded and expounded on what was a visual treat with the movie into something mind numbingly surreal in the written word. This book stands on it's own in so many ways.

Steve and Diane Freeling live an ideal life, Steve with a good job in a booming real estate economy and Diane a stay-at-home mother of three. But there's something they don't know about their property, something that came with the house, until Carol Anne, their five year old daughter, goes missing.

By chance, through a dream that dwarf-medium Tangina Barrons experiences, Dr. Martha Lesh and her team of parapsychologists get involved with the Freeling's dilemma. Dr. Lesh, and Tangina, have never encountered such a powerful presence as what resides in the Freeling's home. Tangina is determined to bring Carol Anne back from the netherworld she is trapped in.

Here is where the book shines above the movie. James Kahn takes us through these alternate dimensions of shadow, shade, arid wastelands, cloudiness, and sludge; and introduces us to the mystical creatures that dance within these realms. Here are creatures of shadow, fire, earth, plant, and demonic prescience. When Tangina encounters The Beast, she knows in her heart that she must save Carol Anne.

Kahn's description of these dimensions is worth the price of looking up a copy of this book, they are fascinating and inspired. The book haunts me in ways that the movie could not. A great deal of imagination and talent went into the novelization of this movie, and becomes a piece of written work that you shouldn't turn your nose up at. The book gives the impression that the movie was based on it, not the other way around. It's well worth your effort, should you be a horror or Sci/Fi fan, to pick up a copy. Enjoy!

The early drafts of the script for Poltergeist were either a chaotic mess or James Kahn took some liberties with the main story. Either way the results are not nearly as effective as some of the rave reviews would lead you to believe.

Strobes, creepy voices, and crawling steaks were fun on-screen. But much was missing (or just badly acted by secondaries).

Much is explained in the book, and more detail is given as to the nature of the attacks on this fictional family. Taking nothing away from the awesome acting of the primaries JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson, the book lends more depth to the little girl, Carol Ann, the midget psychic who comes tot he family's rescue, and the paranormal investigation team who stays at the house. Each incident is deepened and expanded, providing more true fear material and less photographic shock.

More robust than the movie, and classically chilling, Poltergeist is a must-have for horror enthusiasts.

Just shut the closet door before you read!