Jonathan Taylor Thomas Books

Oxford University Press has done a great public service by publishing its "Past Masters" series. Each title in the series is an incisive account of a particular thinker published in a portable and inexpensive format. I only wish all of the titles in the series had been available to me during my undergraduate years! The three titles included in this one volume on Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are welcome additions to the Past Masters series. All three essays are written with clarity and grace, and are worth the attention of novice and specialist alike.

Of the two reprint volumes (Greek and German Philosophers) that Oxford has published of its Past Masters series, I think all of the individual essays (except the one on Plato) are reprinted currently in its 'Very Short Introduction to...' series. So these volumes are a good deal because i think the 'Very Short Introduction' series are 10 bucks each. As well as being very clear and concise introductions by world renowned scholars.

It contains every thing that a biography needs. The pictures are great. There are no baby pictures, the picture where he is the yungest, is a pic of him when he played Kevin in "The Bradys" from 1990. The rest are HI pics, movie pics and other "normal" pics. It's a must have for every fan (even though we all now every thing about him.)

This book has to be the best, along side Totally Jtt. It is a perfect handbook, with stunning facts, and the cover is so shiny.

I would recommend you get the paperback version, because, lets face it, you don't want to spend too much on a book, and it's simply just a waste of money to get a hardback.

Going back to the quality of John. F. Grabowski's work- It has good, understandable language, and the titles of sub headings are really professional. For example-

"The Boy Who Would Be Lion King, and "The Life Of A Star." Jonathan Taylor Thomas is truly amazing, and with this guide, you will see that the handsome young actor is even more stunning then when you first set eyes on him.

It is a great book for sketching from. Trust me, this is no ordinary book, you will immediately be on the hook. Happy reading!

I thought that it was very pleasing to see such a young actor go for his goals. In this case a calendar. And a very good job of doing it too.

Excellent cast, excellent SFX, excellent acting. I've been an avid Batman comic fan for years and this movie does the dark knight the most justice. Batman in the comic books is a dark character and more of an anti-hero. No sugar-coated stuff in this movie, it's back to basics with "Batman Begins". Love the ending of the film...Commisioner Gordon tells Batman "I never did thank you"...Batman cuts him short and retorts "and you'll never have to"...Priceless.

No, I didn't buy the DVD but rented it from Netflix. The first Batman movie with Michael Keaton was good, the rest I did not like. But this one I liked--a lot. I was never a Batman fan, too dark and sinister for my taste. But this one, which "explained" how Batman came to be, was very good. I've always liked movies that attempted to explain how certain characters came to be, especially when the character as originally created sort of pops up out of nowhere and you are asked to accept they are what they are with little or no background. Such as Sherlock Holmes--great stories, seen many of the movies that have been made, but "Young Sherlock Holmes" provided some background that helped put a lot of the stories into perspective. I'm sure there were those who hated that movie because someone other than Conan-Doyle wrote the story.

I have seen all of the Batman movies. I am not a child but a retired baby-boomer who will always be a kid at heart. -- This movie is undoubtedly THE BEST Batman movie ever, putting ALL others in a secondary "junk" category !!! -- All of the actors in this production do an excellent job portraying "real people" in a comic book setting !!! - This movie IS NOT for the INFANTILE "brain-dead" who DEMAND EXPLOSIVE NOISE, BLOOD & GUTS, SKANK FEMALES EXPOSING THEMSELVES [cow-teats] and an infantile trite & trivial STORY LINE !!!

And I must say ,,, NOT having female exposed private parts i.e. cow-teats, cleavage, whatever ,,, is REFRESHING !!! -- With todays garbage [cows exposing themselves] passing for movies :-( ,,, it's not often I can say I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this production !!!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You ,,, to the Production Team !!! -- I hated for it to end :-)

Sincerely,
Matthew

BATMAN BEGINS suceeds on almost all levels. The acting is wonderfully perfect. The special effects are seamless. The scipt is pretty darn good. Even better than the originals, BATMAN BEGINS revives the story of our beloved caped (or winged) crusader from the very beginning, when his parents are killed. It goes from there to a wonderful semi cliff-hanger that leaves you eaglerly awaiting a sequel (due out in theaters July 18, 2008).
Great acting and script. Seeing the marvelous Bale in the Batman suit is truly a thrill. On a Batman scale alone, this would've been a 5. But, to be honest, though it's great, it's not as good as Spider-man or Iron Man. That's the reason for the deducted star. Highly recommended.

This is a great movie. Best Batman by far. Excellent picture quality on HD DVD. Should be in everybodys collection. Period.

Cons: the story has been done 100 times (think Stand by Me or Dangerous Minds at church), low budget, cheesy ending, and foot-washing scene.

Pro: If you are a fan of Michael W. Smith, how can you resist the chance to see him act? And he actually doesn't do a bad job. The whole deal is a bit cheesy, but I like it because of the way the storyline criticizes the corporate-style megachurch and the wanna-be CEO model of leadership, and emphasizes real ministry to real people.

All and all, worth watching.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this movie that I had heard nothing about. I was walking in BlockBuster looking for a movie to rent one day, and saw the title and read the movie info on the DVD jacket, and gave it a try. And I'm glad I did.

Why? Because all too often, we pretend that racial and class issues do not exist in the Church. We don't discuss it. We act as if it doesn't exist. We pretend that Christian people have no issues or problems, no besetting sins or struggles. But that is not reality. What I liked so much about this movie is that it attempted to show the reality of Christians and how they can sometimes act against the very Gospel they are supposed to be fighting for.

Since many reviewers have already done an excellent job of giving many details of the movie, I will simply point out some of the highlights and uplifting moments.

But I have to first say that I am surprised at some of the negative reviews, which seem to me to be written by people who, as Jesus said, "strain out a gnat and swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:24). Ok, so the movie has some cussing in it. I didn't like that either, but that should NOT be used to argue that this is not a "Christian movie" or that it should not be watched. I actually counted the cussing in the movie. And I challenge anyone to compare what I've found to any other "Hollywood" movie. What did I find? There were 8 instances of foul language throughout the whole over 2 hour movie - EIGHT.

When was the last time you saw a Hollywood major motion picture (besides a G rated) that had only 8 cuss words? And even some of those can be considered questionable, as all of them can be found in some of our Bible translations. People are too busy straining out a gnat, and swallowing a camel.

What Jesus meant by that saying is that people made too much of minor things, but overlooked the bigger and more important issues. The central message of forgiveness and racial reconciliation that runs through this movie should not be overlooked for 8 cuss words used to show the reality of how SOME people do talk in the real world (yes, some pastors DO cuss, even though they should not...I've heard it myself).

Two scenes were incredibly funny. One was when pastor Jake was feeding the homeless and talking to the media about how the mayor was kissing the butts of "self-serving corporations." He was about to cuss, but his wife Amanda interjects with "as far as crime and unemployment are concerned..." You'll get it better when you see it. It's hilarious! Then, pastor Jake is sitting up on his bed with his wife watching TV, when he sees "The Rock" church commercial and gets upset that he was put in it. He is about to cuss again, when his wife pops him with a loving elbow in the chest before he does. Now that was classic and comedic. Sometimes a pastor's wife has more sense than the pastors themselves, and that too reflects a reality in the real world of the Church.

One of the most powerful and uplifting scenes in this movie, despite one reviewer's crazy claim that nothing "uplifting" was in the movie, was when "Sunny" asked Tony for forgiveness (a clearly Gospel concept) for being more concerned about Tony using the word "hell" than how he was feeling after taking a gang beating to get a friend out of a gang. Self-sacrifice for another IS uplifting and a Christian concept.

"Sunny," in the church devotional time, proceeds to wash Tony's feet while asking for forgiveness. That action comes right out of the Bible. And as Jake (the black, antagonistic pastor) sees this, he gets convicted for how he treated Ethan, and then goes to the front of the church to pick up the pail and towel to wash Ethan's feet (the white pastor), and both meet together at the front. Then, Ethan proceeds to wash Jake's feet first, showing repentance and forgiveness for both of them. This was the most powerful and uplifting scene in the whole movie, and it brought tears to my eyes.

Forgiveness and redemption are uplifting concepts that are at the heart of the Gospel message. So I simply don't get what some people are thinking, and I wonder if they didn't watch a totally different movie (a bootleg movie with the same title? LOL).

I have to admit that at first pastor Jake's actions and words were disturbing. He's a pastor who uses some questionable foul language at times, BUT he also feeds the homeless regularly, helps men prepare for job interviews, assists his wife in helping women leave prostitution, helps young boys leave gangs and drugs, and helped support a poor African family that barely escaped execution while fleeing their country. Like most real pastors, he had his good and bad qualities. It was refreshing to see both sides in this movie because it reflects reality. But what was even better to see was his change at the end, along with Ethan's, as they reconcile their differences.

Most impressive was when Ethan decided to leave the comforts of his suburban church to live in pastor Jake's area and minister with him in his church with his wife. We need more "changes" like that in the real world.

The overall message of this movie is thoroughly Christian, and I wish it had gotten more "press" and exposure, as this message needs to get out to more people in the church. We need to address the issues that the movie touches on, the issues of race, discrimination, class, and emotional grudges in ministry that cause problems for the body of Christ. WE need to deal with these things and not pretend they don't exist. This powerful little movie CAN help us do just that. Great job Michael W. Smith and company! We need more films like this!

If you are a new believer, or just searching... then I recommend "Facing the Giants". However, if you enjoyed "Giants" but weren't spiritually challenged, then I offer The Second Chance.

The movie's message is essentially being a Christian is more than just showing up on Sunday and tossing money in the plate. This movie dares to ask you what are you doing for others? Are you serving the truly needy in your community? It was extremely convicting and I applaud the fact that a small amount of profanity to show the world is not all bright lights and people in ties. It challenges white, middle class, mega church evangelicals, of which I am one.. to get up and do something.

As for the plot and acting.. I will say there were some holes in the plot and not enough build on why a person would change their actions. Some will be angry there is not a "come to Jesus" moment or a challenge to the audience to accept Christ. I did feel there was a potential for a HUGE moment where one pastor "buys" the life of another, but the movie never seems to build on the moment.

Overall, I found this more of a journey and a challenge as to what happens when my check hits the offering plate and makes it to the street.

I only bought this movie because I got it at a bargain price. Much to my surprise, I really liked it. I do object to the profanity in it; mild by today's standards, but then again, Christians are not to follow "today's" standards but God's; the Bible, not "realism"-- Especially pastors. I hope this does not become a trend in Christian films. Also, I would have liked a gospel presentation of some sort to have been worked into the film.

That said, I do think the film was well acted and had a good message; even MWS was believable. MWS plays a white yuppie preacher's kid who goes to an inner city black church "to observe". Both the black pastor and the white yuppie have stereotyped notions about each other and race relations within the church. These barriers eventually break down somewhat and both come to a better understanding of "the other side". The white yuppie learns that money is not always enough and the black pastor realized that not all whites are the enemy. A related subplot is mega church's emphasis on money over people--how far do we go?

I would have given it 5 stars if not for the cussing and lack of a clear gospel message.

It doesn't matter what ''side of the tracks'' you are from, if you belong to Christ, you are supposed to love each other. They were just mad and fighting the whole time! Where was the gospel of JESUS CHRIST in this movie? Where is the message of repentance and salvation? The "pastor" in the movie doesn't even know how to repent (and clearly doesn't have the desire to)!! This WHOLE movie is about taking revenge when things don't go your way. And the pastor was the main one doing it! He acted more evil than the drug dealer did!! He treated his ''brother-in-Christ'' like dirt throughout the whole movie. The Bible says that anyone who doesn't love his brother is not of God (1John 3:10, 4:20).This is not a Christian movie. Don't be fooled by the church building.

I originally meant to buy Exam Cram not Exam Prep. When using Exam Prep I thought it did not prepare me for the tests. I have used one of the Exam Cram books for TCP/IP and thought it prepared me quite well. If your looking to take your MCSE test buy EXAM CRAM not Exam Prep.

I've been teaching the MCSE courses and on of my students brought the Exam Crams and Exam Prep books in the class, asked me to read and rate them. After reading through these books, I found these books are just excellent. They are full of technical stuffs, written in real English, and in a readable manner. I have even "talked" to one of the authors of the book as well (and his name is Ed). Ed was expert in the field and he was very fun to" talk" to. I definitely would recommend the books to all my students, friends.

It's one of my son's favorite movies. We've worn out the video tape, destroyed a disc and absolutely had to have another one. We've already watched it 5 times since it arrived a month ago. I'm more of "The Hours" type of movie watcher, but I love watching this one with my son. Action, monsters, chases, and pyrotechnics--it has it all. Oh yeah--- it's also a love story. Like I said, it has it all.

We usually only buy movies we are willing to watch over and over again. This is one of those movies.

Yeah, this was an awesome movie. Good special effects, and I do love Matthew Broderick.

It's hysterical how the 1 and 5 star reviews are nearly equal on this pile of trash. Not that I expect anything else, as I believe 85%+ of people are idiots. The even split simply means that all of the 15% as well as 2 out of 5 idiots found this film to be the garbage that it is. That means the 4 and 5 star rating are from the dumbest of the dumb. And if that means you, please stop apologizing for bad films by saying dumb things like 'it's a popcorn movie' (popcorn isn't stupid) and 'why look for deep meaning in a film with with a giant lizard?'. This only proves how little thought these viewers use. The original 'Gojira' film had the giant lizard, too, and the whole story was an alegory on the threat of nuclear weapons. This one is an alegory on P.T.Barnum's most famous phrase (look it up). There is no reason an effects-laden action film can't also have some thought involved. Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich are overpaid putzes producing 'junk movies' for the braindead that walk among us. Lowest common denominator product. The rest of us expect more for our $10. This one insults you right to your face, and you thank them for it?

This American reimagining to the 1954 masterpiece has amazing CGI effects, but that doesn't make it good. Instead of Godzilla we get a giant CGI iguana running around New York city, who's only purpose is to lay eggs and not destroy buildings. Even when Godzilla makes his/her's first appearance he/she still doesn't still anything and Godzilla has lost all it's power which means godzilla can't kill people with atomic breath all this tuna head can do is runaway from the military,because it knows it's weak. Anyways enough about the giant iguana in the movie nobody seems to be surpise or scared that a gigantic iguana is attacking NYC everyone acts like it's a normal thing. Can you see why everyone hates this movie and also somewhere in the middle of the movie Godzilla's egg hatches a bunch of mini Godzilla's start running around chasing the main characters just because they smelled like fish, right there everyone should know that the director tried to rip off Jurassic Park. Godzilla's babies even looked like the raptures in the movie.

Before I finish this review I going to say that not even the plot made sense,because in the movie Godzilla is a mutated iguana which is a reptile, but Mathew Brodrick's character keeps saying it's an anphibian throughout the whole movie even though it's an iguana.

1 out of 5

It's one of my son's favorite movies. We've worn out the video tape, destroyed a disc and absolutely had to have another one. We've already watched it 5 times since it arrived a month ago. I'm more of "The Hours" type of movie watcher, but I love watching this one with my son. Action, monsters, chases, and pyrotechnics--it has it all. Oh yeah--- it's also a love story. Like I said, it has it all.

We usually only buy movies we are willing to watch over and over again. This is one of those movies.

Yeah, this was an awesome movie. Good special effects, and I do love Matthew Broderick.

It's hysterical how the 1 and 5 star reviews are nearly equal on this pile of trash. Not that I expect anything else, as I believe 85%+ of people are idiots. The even split simply means that all of the 15% as well as 2 out of 5 idiots found this film to be the garbage that it is. That means the 4 and 5 star rating are from the dumbest of the dumb. And if that means you, please stop apologizing for bad films by saying dumb things like 'it's a popcorn movie' (popcorn isn't stupid) and 'why look for deep meaning in a film with with a giant lizard?'. This only proves how little thought these viewers use. The original 'Gojira' film had the giant lizard, too, and the whole story was an alegory on the threat of nuclear weapons. This one is an alegory on P.T.Barnum's most famous phrase (look it up). There is no reason an effects-laden action film can't also have some thought involved. Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich are overpaid putzes producing 'junk movies' for the braindead that walk among us. Lowest common denominator product. The rest of us expect more for our $10. This one insults you right to your face, and you thank them for it?

This American reimagining to the 1954 masterpiece has amazing CGI effects, but that doesn't make it good. Instead of Godzilla we get a giant CGI iguana running around New York city, who's only purpose is to lay eggs and not destroy buildings. Even when Godzilla makes his/her's first appearance he/she still doesn't still anything and Godzilla has lost all it's power which means godzilla can't kill people with atomic breath all this tuna head can do is runaway from the military,because it knows it's weak. Anyways enough about the giant iguana in the movie nobody seems to be surpise or scared that a gigantic iguana is attacking NYC everyone acts like it's a normal thing. Can you see why everyone hates this movie and also somewhere in the middle of the movie Godzilla's egg hatches a bunch of mini Godzilla's start running around chasing the main characters just because they smelled like fish, right there everyone should know that the director tried to rip off Jurassic Park. Godzilla's babies even looked like the raptures in the movie.

Before I finish this review I going to say that not even the plot made sense,because in the movie Godzilla is a mutated iguana which is a reptile, but Mathew Brodrick's character keeps saying it's an anphibian throughout the whole movie even though it's an iguana.

1 out of 5