Reviews Books

I grew up in awe of Paul Roen. He was my best friend's big brother. He wrote for fan magazines and knew more anout movies than anyone else. When I saw that he had written abook, I had to buy it. Even if you didn't know Paul before you read the book, you will after you have read it. There is a reason that Steven King quoted Paul. Sharp wit, sharper insight. It's great to see true talent. It's even more humorous to read him. Buy this book but never lend it out. You will never get it back.

I was checking this book out of the Duluth Public Library when the guy behind the counter thanked me because he was the author. You have to admit, this is not a usual experience, which works out fine because this is not a usual book. Paul Roen's Introduction on "Camp, Cult and Cinema" provides a very useful look at the meaning of gay camp within the context of specific genres. So that what is gay camp in melodrama is not the same as when you are looking at an action film or western. "High Camp" professes to be a "handy guide to cinematic perversity and the very best in movie bad taste." Roen reviews several hundred films in the most personal terms, telling us not only what he did or did not like but also who and sometimes even how. This is conversational criticism, so do not thumb through these pages looking for academic pretentiousness. Here you will find the films of Garbo, Dietrich, Crawford, Davis and Garland, with Steve Reeves, Guy Madison and James Dean thrown in for good measure, with numerous photos of the various stars. I am currently working my way through the Bette Davis oeuvre and I have to admit Roen gave me some new insights into many of her films. But this is a book that reviews "Queen of Outer Space," "Pink Flamingos" and "Glen or Glenda," which end up being much more interesting to read about than the more recognizable camp/cult classics such as "All About Eve" and "The Gang's All Here" (the one where Carmen Miranda sings "The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat"). There is a second volume of "High Camp," but, of course, I cannot check it out until the author is behind the counter again.

Paul Roen put together these witty summaries of favorite campy and cult films with memorable commentary on their subtext. Think of it as a humorous companion to Russo's "The Celluloid Closet." I've read and reread this book many times, and it never fails to make me laugh out loud.

In the introduction the author invited readers to submit their suggestions for inclusion in a second volume. I've never found such, though I have looked. If you find any other similar works by Mr. Leyland I would appreciate it if you would drop me a line. The publisher, Leyland Publications, is apparently not online -- and this type of book is not their core business, since the other titles featured in the order ad in the back advertises "Milkin' the Bulls." I need some of that.

This book is a life saver for any one who wants to brush up their precalculus skills or even for beginners. I would strongly recommend it!!

This book saved my skin. I found out two days before classes started that I had to take a math placement test in order to get into calculus. I had taken trig 7 years ago and forgotten it all, but this book explained everything so well, it re-taught me all my trig in two days and I aced the test! The explanations are so simple and clear, you only have to memorize three things--you'll understand everything else well enough that you can just draw a triangle and figure it out! This book summarizes everything you need to know clearly and concisely, and it gives lots of examples and problems to work. If I saw the authors right now, I'd give them a big old smooch!

Teaches Math in a very easy to understand way. I was able to understand everything throughly and quickly. Definitely the next best thing to doing the actual course. And user-friendly (or reader-friendly).

but harry medved writes the funniest books

Less pungent than their othe satirical works, this takes the Medved brothers into the realm of the hopelessly expensive financial flops of Hollywood. Thus Cleopatra, Heaven's Gate and the Fall of the Roman Empire all feature. Trouble is, few of these films are actually BAD films (I think highly of Cleopatra and FOTRE) so the previous rhythm and flow of the Turkeys is somewhat lost. Still, a fun account of what went wrong.

...come and see one of the most fascinating new museums on the planet! Come and see a museum dedicated to some of Hollywood's greatest disappointments! We got the Duke as Genghis Khan, Lord Laurence Olivier as General Douglas MacArthur, and Howard Hughes failing to put his money where his mouth is! We got biblical disasters, sinking ships, and D.W. Griffith!
Come and join the Brothers Medved, Harry and Michael, as they take you on a tour through the greatest turkeys Hollywood has given us up to 1984. Among the museum's many exhibits are: the historicallly-hysterical Moonie Epic "Inchon," the belly-flopping western "Heaven's Gate," "Mohammad: Messenger of God," the disasterous Howard Hughes films "The Conqueror" (An RKO Radioactive Picture) and "Underwater!," and "Raise the Titanic," which raised the famous luxury liner, but truly sank at the box office!
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Seriously, though, this is an entertaining book that belongs in the collections of every film buff. It's sure to make you laugh.
Grade: A+

This book is well written (the words flow), interesting (makes your think) and provides you with a lot of sources (you should have a pen and paper ready while reading). Chapters include: Poli Sci Fi (Political Science Fiction); Illuminati, Mind Control and Other PsyOps; Into the Mystic; Secrets and Lies of History; Pop Idolatry: Sex & Death and Other Games and Government-Business (Scams) As Usual. If you want to find out about the hidden meaning of movies, read this book!

In Hoodwinked: Watching Movies With Eyes Wide Open, one of America's foremost alternative media analysts, Uri Dowbenko, deftly deconstructs popular and influential movies ranging from "The Matrix", to "Fight Club"; to "The Truman Show", to "Wag the Dog", and so many others. This 323-page compendium of cogent observation and informative insights is organized into six major sections: Poli-Sci-Fi (Political Science Fiction); Illuminati, Mind Control and Other PsyOps; Into the Mystic; Secrets and Lies of History; Pop Idolatry: Sex & Death and Other Games; and Government-Business (Scams) as Usual. Thoughtful and thought provoking, Dowbenko's commentaries are rife with a humorous intelligence and attention-gripping iconoclasm that makes Hoodwinked "must" reading for students and critics of American cinema.

In 1998, in the hopes of staying alive, I went on a reading binge to try to understand the political economy and the devastation it was wrecking on the real economy -- including my company and me. I read about 1,000 books in a three year period, consuming many
more articles and lots of cassettes and videos. By 2000, I figured out that distilling things down to the "best of" was what a lot of my friends and family needed. Finally, I realized that most of what I had learned could be accessed quickly by simply watching movies. The truth was lying in wait down at the local video store for anyone who wanted it.

As things turned out, my favorite movie reviewer turned out to be Uri Dowbenko, a writer, artist and publicist par excellence who lives in Montana with his beautiful family in a home right out of a scene from "A River Runs Through It" -- which was indeed filmed nearby. Uri had a successful career in LA, saw the writing on the wall and moved outside the political economy.

After sweeping up his stories on corruption and crime in high places, "Bushwhacked: Inside Stories of True Conspiracy," Uri has published a collection of his movie reviews published over the years on the Internet. It's called "Hoodwinked: Watching Movies with Eyes Wide Open."

Uri's biting movie reviews always illuminate "the real deal" on a movie and how a particular movie tells you the truth that you will never hear on network news. Warning -- these are not for the faint of heart or folks who think we can fix things in the next election.

Uri's reviews cover numerous movies that Solari recommends to investment strategy and risk management clients who are far too busy hanging out with their lovely families or running useful businesses to read 1,000 books -- including, Enemy of the State, Anti-Trust, Eyes Wide Shut, Swordfish, Conspiracy Theory, Bulworth and Wag the Dog.

For those who want a highly opinionated, highly entertaining "real deal" movie guide, you can buy copies of "Hoodwinked" at all the usual places or call Uri at Liberty Press toll free at 1-866-317.1390.

Catherine Austin Fitts
Solari Action Network
http://www.solari.com

After reading this book, I bought two more copies for my nephews in medical school. If you ever wanted to know what goes on during medical internship, this is the book for you. It's scary how "on target" the book is. If you're a medical student or thinking of medical school, buy and read this book (and House of God) before internship!!

Dr. Cooper has created a manual of what a new doctor must look out for in the world of a major hospital. The lessons taught can easily be applied to most other professions and will be invaluable to any new employee first entering the dog-eat-dog business world.

This book is outrageous and real. It describes what it's like to be an intern or student on the wards in the hospital. It gives tips about what to do, and what not to do to survive the experiences. As someone who has gone through medical school, internship and residency, I can tell you that the anecdotes in this book, as well as the pieces of advice, are right on the money. I wish I had read this book before internship. But, even after residency, it is a lot of fun to read. It reminds me of a modern-day "House of God."

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

Easy to carry, easy to use and easy to look-up. Organization in the book serves its purpose for medical students, residents, specialists, etc. Great amount of information in a page.

This book has been a great resource. The "in a page" format is accessible and easy to learn from. The information is correct and very thorough, but not overwhelming.

This book has been a great resource. The "in a page" format is accessible and easy to learn from. The information is correct and very thorough, but not overwhelming.

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!

When you think of chroniclers of love, life and American society during the Gilded Age, you automatically think of Henry James and Edith Wharton.

But while W.D. Howells never quite reached their levels of prominence, his similar works are full of quiet introspection and evocative, vivid prose reminiscent of Wharton at her best. And "Indian Summer" is one of his better works -- a lush, colorful exploration of 19th-century Florence, and a love triangle of Americans who are taking a prolonged vacation there.

After a disastrous career loss, Theodore Colville is vacationing in Florence, and promptly begins a massive midlife crisis. But he perks up after encountering Lina Bowen, a widowed ex-flame of his who is also staying in Florence with her young daughter Effie. And at a party that evening, Lina introduces him to the young, vivacious Imogene Graham.

Soon Colville is squiring Effie and Imogene around Florence, and even taking all three women out to the carnival. Naturally, Imogene develops a crush on the kind, cynical Colville -- but her innocent liking alarms Lina, who still is carrying a flame for him, and Imogene's well-intentioned errors tie her in society's web. Noow Colville must decide what he wants most, and which woman truly loves him.

At heart, "Indian Summer" is basically an exploration of a love triangle between an older man, a slightly younger woman, and a girl young enough to be his daughter. That's a delicate situation at the best of times, but this was also the Gilded Age -- codes of conduct were strict, and feelings were expressed in a dance of words and gestures rather than outward displays.

But to frame the story, Howells creates an elaborate portrait of how wealthy Americans lived and saw Europe. In between parties and meditative conversations, there are vivid looks at the Florence of the time -- he fills it with dusty chapels, quiet hostels, walks in the rain, meditations in cafes, gorgeous old buildings and a wildly indulgent carnival full of masked flirtations.

And all this is painted with a lush, detailed style that walks the fine line between sensuality and propriety. Like Imogene, it's full of passion and beauty, but not enough to get swept away. But also through the book is a sense of autumnal regret about youth's passage and the question of what happens after that.

Most of that midlife crisis angst comes from Colville, who has just suffered a public humiliation and had to sell the paper he once ran. So unsurprisingly he's a bit depressed, and ends up being inadvertently torn between the affections of two women -- one is his equal in every way, and the other makes him feel old, yet he likes her youthful vibrancy. Lina is a fairly solid character, but Imogene's naive delight in Florence and in an older man's friendship is excellent.

"Indian Summer" in Florence is apparently a pretty nice time to be there, unless you are locked in a love triangle of manners and hidden feelings. A lushly-written look back to a much more complicated time.

This excellent novel by Howells is a May-December love story. Middle-aged Theodore Colville falls in love with young and pretty Imogene Graham. The relationship borders on the ridiculous, but it's only when Imogene falls for a younger man that Colville calls it all off. One wonders what took him so long. The dialogue, especially when Colville is involved, crackles with wit. This is Howells's own favorite of his novels. It is extremely entertaining, one of Howells's very best books, and one of the best novels on the American bookshelf, regardless of time period.

An American middle-aged man returns to Florence, Italy - the scene of a heartbreaking romance twenty years earlier. There he meets an old friend from those days, her daughter, and her twenty year old female protege. Slowly a surprising romantic relationship develops; but is it really what both people want? Great dialogue, wonderful character development, and a happy ending.

What fun! Humorist Wodehouse was near, perhaps at his best when he wrote ARCHIE. The humor is gentle and old fashioned by modern lights, but loses nothing in the telling, as Wodehouse spins his fiction and observes the social landscape of this, his adopted country.

In addition to an avid enjoyment of the Drones, Jeeves, golf, and Mulliner tales, I find I am developing a marked taste for Wodehouse's light novels. Everything he touches, it seems, turns to laughter. Other places the commedia del arte takes place in motion picture studios, on cruise ships, at resorts on the French Riviera, but here the venue is the Hotel Cosmopolis, drawn, no doubt, from his observations of New York nightlife. And here's Archie, a good-hearted, bumbling Brit out to seek his fortune in the colonies. And of course he met a girl while vacationing. And of course she's a millionaire's daughter. And of course said millionaire is proprietor of said hotel. Does it sound like a formula? Right ho! a formula for fun. Richard Usborne says this book is a lot of stiched together stories. But so what? Ukridge is a lot of not stiched together stories. This book introduces one of Wodehouse's best heroines, Lucille, as the power behind the throne of the Lucy/Archie axis, together pitted against her anti-Archie father. How can you not order it?

Poor Archie! Trying to win his stern old father-in-law over, only to land himself in deeper trouble! Getting locked out of his artist friend's apartment in a scarlet bathrobe, and many more such money-making schemes gone haywire, including those to get his f-in-law's approval. The portrait gone awry, and the shoes left outside the door.... Oh no! I'm not going to tell you anymore, you just must read this, and you'll find yourself laughing uncontrollably wondering how you ever thought the world was a drab place! With Wodehouse, there is always laughter in the world!