Video Books

If you're a libertarian -- or any liberty-loving person -- this book will delight you! Unique, original, very well written, overflowing with valuable information!

Jon Osborne is a wonderful reviewer and researcher. Each review is succinctly written, interesting and informative. I especially enjoy the actual quotes from the movies.

You'll enjoy seeing your opinion in print; you'll be reminded of special movies you may have forgotten about or might not have thought of in the same light as the author; AND you'll discover treasures that will surprise, intrigue and delight you.

Talk about entertainment: You'll have hours and hours of fun just reading about the movies, but then you'll have the movies themselves to look forward to!

A great reference that I refer to over and over.

No need to waste your time watching movies that end up just making you mad -- check out the movie first in this book. Don't head for the video store or switch on the TV without it!

I have just one question for the author: when's the sequel coming out?

I've been a subscriber to the Miss Liberty newsletter for three years. As a result of Osborne's reviews, I've discovered a number of difficult to find, but wonderful gems. For example, I loved the _The Man in the White Suit_ (1951), which stars a young Alec Guiness as a brilliant scientists who invents an indestructible fabric. It's a comedy that explores the obstacles innovators often face from entrenched interest groups. If it weren't for Osborne's reviews, I probably would not have found out about the movie.

Osborne writes well--dip into the book at random, and you will find insightful, witty commentary (even if the movie itself isn't particularly good.) I've already given copies to several of my libertarian/objectivist friends. Highly recommended!

When I was a young kid, somehow I always kept catching repeats of classic films on T.V. with my mom like "The Sea Hawk", "Casablanca", "The Man in the White Suit", "Johnny Tremain" and "Harvey" while reveling in catching films that I remember most and consider my favorites in the theaters, VHS or on cable like the "Star Wars" films, "Red Dawn", "Trading Places", "Moscow on the Hudson", "Ghostbusters", "1984" and "Total Recall". In some way or another, each of these films that I consider my favorites had a freedom/libertarian message to them and I guess its safe to say that their lasting impression was one of the things that contributed to my being a libertarian today. I find it interesting how Osborne is able to point out the libertarian themes of films like the ones I outlined above and have been able to go back and re-enjoy them again as well as see films I never thought of viewing. Its too bad that he didn't include films like "Independence Day" or "Braveheart" and this book was published prior to the release of other great, freedom-oriented movies like "Gladiator" as well as the "Lord of the Rings" or "Matrix" trilogies. Oh, well. There will be other editions I am sure. Until then, this book is well worth adding to anyone's library. Libertarian or otherwise.

I like the libertarian slant to this witty and inciteful guide, but really, that's just icing on the cake. The book is a great compendium of good films, fun films, and godawful films that anyone (even commies) would want to see. Each film gets a synopsis and commentary on its Libertarian content, but any guide that lists "Ghostbusters" next to "The Girl Who Spelled Freedom" has got to be good. If the Marxist Guide to the Movies were this fun, I'd buy it too. A must for any Cineaste.

MONEY FOR NOTHING: A HISTORY OF THE MUSIC VIDEO FROM THE BEATLES TO THE WHITE STRIPES is a 'must' for any collection strong in media history. Such collections will find the narrowed focus on music videos to be involving: it covers the earliest days of the music video when fusions of animated films, Hollywood musicals and more preceded MTV clips. The blend of pop music and short films fostered by the Beatles would sweep the music world - but had its roots in early Hollywood history. From the development of music-backed promotional films to 1970s alternative experiments with the medium, MONEY FOR NOTHING is packed with insights perfect for college-level media history holdings.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Austerlitz is an insightful and funny guide through the world of music video, and it's a tour worth taking. I spent a good portion of my adolescence looking on in horror at the flopping fish in Faith No More's "Epic," taking style cues from MC Hammer, and watching the worms crawl around Peter Gabriel's head, but my middle school eyes didn't see much past the flash. For those of you like me who loved it (but maybe didn't get it) the first time around, this book is an eye-opener - as when Austerlitz takes points to the beginnings of music video in WWII "Soundies" - while still holding on to the fun and nostalgia of an afternoon (or maybe a good, solid year) watching VH1. There's plenty in here for cinephile, music geek, or the merely curious. In short: buy it, read it, and enjoy.

The history of music videos is unwritten, even though the appeal of this strange, incandescent art form should be just as oversized for people of all ages as it is for those of us who grew up in the eighties and nineties. Austerlitz is a witty, thoughtful guide who writes with a gentle mix of scholarship and loving irreverence. Read this book no matter who you are--and then go to YouTube and burn his top 100 videos into the back of your brain.

As a child of the 80's who grew up in front of MTV, I have been waiting for a book like this to arrive. Music videos have been one of the most innovative and influential forms of media for the last twenty years, but there has been surprisingly little scholarship on the genre.
In that sense, Austerlitz is breaking new ground with this book. He is a savy tour guide for the visual landscape we all share. From the music video's early days, to the hair metal 80's into the ganster 90's, he manages to articulate in witty and insightful prose the nuances and salient features of the genre as a whole, and specific high points in particular.
With the explosion of youtube, and other self produced video formats, its about time we have some serious thinking published on the subject. Austerlitz does just that. At the same time, this is a book for the music video fan. Those of us who remember the glory days of Motley Crue's reign on DIAL-MTV, or that graffiti set of Parents Just Don't Understand, upto the great Guns and Roses triology will be thrilled to hear a wise and equally passionate voice take us back through these videos.
I only hope the sequal will shed some light on Trapped In the Closet.

I've seen all the seasons of monk that are out on DVD (1-5) and I LOVE them! I've not seen all of this season but I did buy Mr. Monk is On the Run Parts 1 and 2 and in my opinion, it is the BEST Monk EVER! Definitely worth the $2 per episode!

This is a phenomenal episode. It has everything you expect from a great Monk plus a kicker. Don't let anyone spoil this for you. It's a real treat. One nit-pick, I get a laugh out of them trying to pass off Los Angeles as San Francisco!

Some excellent episodes in season 6 as always. Shalhoub keeps improving on his role adding more depth to a obviously still self-consumed Monk. Kudos to the 3 main supporting actors also. Quality of the downloads is very good. No glitches when switching PC's and and downloading again.

I loved seeing Sarah Silverman again playing Marci Maven. She happens to find Monk again and this time she's in trouble! Monk agrees to handle her case which leads to a hilarious adventure. Marci's obsession with Monk makes this episode a must-see!

We at Fragland.com usually don't advertise for books or anything but we've received the book Monster Gaming which is written by Ben Sawyer and published by Paraglyph press and to be honest: it's great!

Everything that's got anything to do with gaming, from regular gaming over competitive gaming to even modding and real development, is covered here along with useful links and addresses for people who want to know even more.

So if you're going on holiday or want a book about gaming to read I suggest this book It's +300 pages will keep you occupied in the gaming atmosphere.

You won't regret it !

I've been looking all over the place for a gaming guide like this. Most of the books out are very basic or they just cover tips for using certain games. This book really captures what I want to know about gaming. The author seems to really know his stuff.

I was drawn to the book because it had a chapter on modding and enhancing game hardware (which turned out to be really good). But the more I read in the book, the more I liked. I didn't realize that there were so many interesting resources for gamers such as places to get old vintage games.

This is the sort of book that every gamer should get a copy of and read cover to cover. It's quite funny in places and just a blast to read in general. The author even included a chapter at the end of the book about what it is like to be a game developer, which was a treat for me because I'd like to develop games some day.

We at Fragland.net usually don't advertise for books or anything but we've received the book Monster Gaming which is written by Ben Sawyer and published by Paraglyph press and to be honest: it's great!

Everything that's got anything to do with gaming, from regular gaming over competitive gaming to even modding and real development, is covered here along with useful links and addresses for people who want to know even more.

So if you're going on holiday or want a book about gaming to read I suggest this book It's +300 pages will keep you occupied in the gaming atmosphere.

You won't regret it !

Stephen @ Fragland.net

At first, you might imagine that the title refers to the computer opponents in various twitch games like Doom or Quake. But no. Sawyer means the fanatic gamers, to whom he addresses the book. He being one himself.

Chapters span all the important topics of computer gaming. From personalising your hardware through overclocking the CPU to tips on searching eBay for items. Plus, of course, on the latter, you can sell various gaming memorabilia.

He also provides ancillary data on books and movies spawned from games. Though he thinks most of the movies are purely dross. There is a fascinating table of the books in Chapter 7. You may be surprised by how extensive it is, with several books being written by well known authors like Mercedes Lackey and Alan Dean Foster. (The money is good for such purely work-for-hire, I guess.)

Most importantly to some of you, he tells how to hook up to the competitive gaming scene, with lists of various regional conventions for the hard core. Interested?

I read an edition of Starlog magazine about Bob Burn's Halloween extravaganas. I always wanted to attend one of these Halloween shows. Monster Kid Memories is as close as I will ever get. The book makes you feel like you were right there when it was being built and shown. Bob Burns is probably the greatest SciFi fan out there. The book is hard to put down once you start. I do wish Mr Burns would put a video out showcasing the Halloween shows. If you watch a documentary of The Time Machine you can see a portion of one of his shows.

he didn't save lots of kids from burning buildings or shoot down Zeroes, but Bob Burns sure did a lot of other cool things. A neat story of the famous and near famous as told by one of the nicest guys ever to dress up like a gorilla. The writeups on his giant halloween extravaganzas are fantastic - could you imaging being a kid and being able to look forward to these giant home-transforming shows at the end of your street every year?

To my mind, there is no greater Monster Kid than Bob Burns. Burns has lived (and continues to!) the life that every Monster Kid dreams of. He has met some of the giants in the field; become friends with many other lesser-known, but equally interesting personalities; participated in the making of some of the classic films of the genre; appeared on television as part of Shock Theater; has accumulated an untold number of props and other memorabilia over his more than 50-year association with monster and science fiction films; and produced some of the most talked-about, elaborate, and awe-inspiring Halloween "haunted attraction" spectacles of all time.

Yet, despite his extreme good fortune, which could turn lesser men selfish and possessive, Bob Burns never hesitates to share his stories, anecdotes, collection, and super big heart with others.

At long last, Burns, in collaboration with horror/science fiction genre writer Tom Weaver, has gathered a collection of his wonderful experiences in Monster Kid Memories. Here, Burns shares many of the highlights of his life with fellow fans, in addition to hundreds of amazing, seldom-seen photos (the book contains over 300 illustrations), including one very special, never-before seen shot of the Martian costume from War Of The Worlds.

Ever the selfless, generous Kid, Bob turns the spotlight on others, allowing them to shine. We: listen with envy as he describes seeing Bela Lugosi on stage and relates his encounters with Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Chaney Jr., George Pal, and William Castle; visit the sets of films (Destination Moon, Unknown Island, the 2002 remake of The Time Machine); learn the intricacies of portraying a gorilla; discover the man behind the genius that was Jack Pierce; help Bob rig the seats for a showing of The Tingler; and learn of Bob's innumerous movie prop acquisitions over the decades (he owned the original Time Machine!) and how he came to possess them - these are just a handful of the many treats awaiting the reader.

The book contains numerous highlights, but a few deserve special mention:

The chapter where Bob discusses his friendship with Glenn Strange (the man behind the Frankenstein monster in the Universal House films and Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein) is touching and sweet. The two men first met when Bob was a teen, but a genuine friendship started, and lasted until the day Strange died in 1973. The two men shared many experiences together, and such a bond developed, that Burns came to think of Strange as a second father. It's wonderful to read of a friendship between two men like this, and to have Strange step out of those huge Frankenstein monster boots (which Strange gave to Burns by the way, along with an unused Monster headpiece) and learn that he was just a down-to-earth, regular Joe.

A chapter detailing Bob's friendship with George Pal is illuminating. We learn that Pal was a warm and fun-loving man, in addition to fascinating facts about the making of Destination Moon, The Time Machine, and War Of The Worlds. Unfortunately, the chapter is also heart-breaking. To learn Bob's opinion of what really killed Pal is to want to storm the offices of today's Hollywood bigwigs with torches and pitchforks.

The fact that Bob relates the lives and stories of many "behind-the-scenes" people - people whose names won't ring any bells and often don't receive any of the credit and recognition they deserve, is refreshing and very welcome. Some of the make-up artists, stuntmen, bit players, prop and special effects people that Burns knew receive their just due here, and I was grateful to learn of some of the "invisible" people behind some of my favorite old-time films and serials.

Lastly, the chapter that details the history of each of Bob's Halloween "haunted spectaculars" made this reader greener with envy than Elsa as the monster in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Reading of the amount of time, effort, and talent that went into producing each of these shows, merely for the entertainment of friends and neighborhood children, is a testament to just how big Bob Burns's heart really is.

The mere fact that these memories, and much more, are captured in one book is reason enough to recommend it. But quite often the telling of one's life to another can make for a dull, difficult read. Not Monster Kid Memories. Although many of these memories occurred decades ago, you wouldn't know it to read it. When he's relating one of his many stories, there is such genuine excitement and enthusiasm emanating from Burns that you swear you're sitting in a chair across from him, listening, caught up in his excitement - several times while reading I found myself actually exclaiming, "Oh, wow!"

This sense of fun and "gee-whiz!" excitement, perfectly captured and transferred to the page by co-author Weaver, is the book's grand accomplishment. For several hours, the reader once again becomes a little 15-year-old boy (or girl!). Only a handful of books can accomplish magic like this, and Monster Kid Memories is one of them.

My only regret is the fear that the title might turn away a wider audience. While the book does concentrate primarily on Burns's association with monsters and science fiction, a potential reader should know that these stories will appeal to anyone. You don't have to love monsters and aliens - Bob Burns does, and the kid-like joy and genuine love that he has for his subjects spills over onto the page and will captivate any film fan.

Just a terrific book.

Being a long time lover of everything that is classic horror & sci-fi, I consider this is a great and highly recommended book from one the most beloved fans of the genre, Bob Burns. It really feels as if he is sharing all his wonderful memories about guys such as Glenn Strange (the Frankenstein monster of the 40's), George Pal (War of the Worlds, The Time Machine), and Charlie Gemora (Monster & the Girl, "the Gorilla man"), with you in your living room. It is a fun adventure to share all of Bob's wonderful memories, and gives insight to not only those actors, directors and makeup men I mentioned, but to Bob's life as well. He is THE fan that we all wished we could be, and along with "IT CAME FROM BOB'S BASEMENT", is a wonderful journey back to the days of classic horror and early sci-fi!

Susan Herbert is in fine form as she shifts into the realm of motion pictures, punny titles and all. She proves adept at both movie stars and famous movie scenes. The focus here is on the classics, and sneak peeks on the Internet indicate there will eventually be a second edition going all the way up to The Lord of the Rings. Cat lovers, rejoice!

I adore Susan Herbet, who does an amazing job painting pictures of cats and incorporating them into famous stories and works of art. In "Movie Cats," Herbert recreates scenes from some of Hollywood's most famous motion pictures. My personal favorites include Mammy and Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone with the Wind," James Bond and his "Pussies Galore" from "Goldfinger," characters from "The Wonderful Whiskers of Oz," and a portrait of "Charlie Catlin." If you're a cat lover and a movie buff, you have to have this book!

Susan Herbert's cats have appeared as characters in paintings, Victorian settings and now they are going to the movies. Another sublime book of cat paintings as characters from a dozen movies. The one of the Godfather is worth the price of the book. As usual Herbert has done a marvelous job and the characters have charm and wit and certainly are a reason to smile.

This is really the most enchanting book of cat illustrations I've seen in a very long time. Even people who don't love cats that much seem to be charmed by it. Anyone who loves movies will wish there were cat versions starring Susan Herbert's movie cats.

Saw a movie and what to know more? Planning to rent a video and what to know more? Look here. Not all movies are reviewed, but almost every important film, some sleepers, some low-budget gems, and some you may hate but are important within film history. Our 1995 edition is worn out, and I wish we had a 'cover' for this one; that's how often we refer to this. We have also use it to build our own film library, now numbering over 500. Directors, actors, Academy Awards, obscure information and the source - whether book, play or original screenplay are all included. Now, if they had only included "The Reivers" and "Sometimes a Great Notion!"

Many of the reviews in this book are actually from an earlier encyclopedia called the Motion Picture Guide, perhaps the most comprehensive and best written source for pre-1990's films ever published. TV Guide adopted the same database for their online film review database and updated editions of The Movie Guide have been published for years as The Virgin Film Guide (avail. from Amazon.uk) This guide favors quality over quantity and so you get long, detailed, informed reviews of Sunrise, Das Boot, Mala Noche, Drugstore Cowboy, Blue Velvet, The Bicycle Thief, La Dolce Vita, etc. instead of thousands of thumbnail sketches of mediocre films you will have no interest in ever seeing. This is, as a previous review noted, along with Katz' Film Encyclopedia one of the few, truly essential books that every film lover should own.

This volume, along with Katz's, The Film Encyclopedia, are the foundation of celluloid information. The two will be sufficient for most viewers. Saw a movie and what to know more? Planning to rent a video and what to know more? Look here. Not all movies are reviewed, but almost every important film, some sleepers, some low-budget gems, and some you may hate but are important within film history. Our 1995 edition is worn out, and I wish we had a 'cover' for this one; that's how often we refer to this. We have also use it to build our own film library, now numbering over 500. Directors, actors, Academy Awards, obscure information and the source - whether book, play or original screenplay are all included. Now, if they had only included "The Reivers" and "Sometimes a Great Notion!"

This is hands down the single best reference for films from the 1930s on. Detailed reviews of works that are deserving of them, with sharp analysis that puts films in their proper historical context.

Being an Insider myself, I've seen guides and addresses sold for years. Most of which are a joke. But not this one. E.J. Fleming never fails. He's one of the most prolific and talented writers of our time and this book is a must have for movie and star buffs! Thank you - thank you!

This is a terrific book to use to navigate the Hollywood area for anyone interested in the movies. We drive up and down streets with my husband calling out names and events and loved it. We are locals in the San Fernando Valley and for the LA person comenting that changes have occurred in the area and streets over the years, "duh!." Some of the addresses are 100 years old but in the odd case that a street is not there or has been moved, as far as we could tell there was a note included. We didn't check everything, but we didn't have any problem using the lists. THis is a great resource for movies and LA history and great fun for vacations. It's heavy though!

I envision E.J. Fleming huddled over a pc reviewing census information and entering data in a database and cross checking it against his formidable stacks of notebooks. E.J. is tired, tired, tired. He has worked day and night so I don't have to. Stop, I'm just kidding but this is an incredible collection of information. I am in total awe re: how someone could collect so much data, collate it, and present it in an easily accessible manner.
This directory is exactly what is implied. It is an enormous collection of addresses relating to celebrity homes, film locations, historical sites.......and here's the kicker.....the locations of scandals and crimes. That having been said, this is not a rolling narrative that relates a lot of juicy stories and histories. It presents the facts and it is up to the user to draw in the lines and reach his/her own conclusions.
So why did I drop $75 for this book. I was weary doing this type of research with only lukewarm results and a relatively miniscule database. This book has everything and I can let my fingers do the walking.
Now here is my warning. I reiterate don't buy this if you are expecting a lot of lurid stories as there really aren't any per se. However, buy this book if you want to know things like all the places Humphrey Bogart resided in LA, who cohabitated with Ramon Novarro, or where Laurel and Hardy filmed a lot of their classic shorts. Buy this book if you have a curious mind and the information provided has you asking other questions.
This is an impressive collection of information.

I am a tour guide in Hollywood - one of the very few that actually research our tours. I thought I knew a lot about Hollywood, but this book made my jaw hit the floor.

Mr. Fleming has published the BIBLE for Celebrity addresses. The most comprehensive book on stars homes I have ever poured through. I've even turned a few of my colleagues on to the book, who their own copies immediately.

You've made my job easier Mr. Fleming, and you have published a riveting and important document.

Written by a former University Professor of Screenwriting, MovieMind For Screenwriters: Write It Right And Get It Written is a no-nonsense guide to planning, writing, and polishing a Hollywood-quality screenplay. But chapters cover much more than creating believable characters, proper format style, layout, and examples, recommended steps for revising rough drafts and other writing techniques; the final section of MovieMind informs an aspiring screenwriter of exactly what to expect when trying to break into the business! Some issues - such as whether one should include a bold copyright notice when submitting a script (technically unnecessary since copyright in America is automatic without the notice, and some claim the notice gives a "sue-happy" impression that will get one's script dropped like a hot potato) - are given over to controversy, in which case MovieMind For Screenwriters presents both points of view and lets the reader judge. Other topics covered include the requirements to get into the Writer's Guild Association, to how to get noticed when most producers won't read scripts from previously unpublished authors, to how to protect one's rights, and much more. MovieMind For Screenwriters is an all-purpose introductory guide to writing for quality, profit, and pure entertainment, and an absolute must-have for anyone interested in writing for the big or small screen.

I found MovieMind a clear and concise guide to script writing. Because of the author's no nonsense approach it was easy to read. Reading it reminded what brought me to writing in the first place, the creative process. Creating a world and characters that have lives that don't exist, yet could - at least for a little while. And the book pointed out the pitfalls that I fell into when I stopped writing. The index cards, I've resisted their use as more clutter. But see their use differently now. What I found most illuminating is in the last few chapters on marketing. I guess there are easier professions to break into. But lets face it if storytelling is in soul than that is path that must be taken. The real test will be if I start writing again.

Fellowship recipient and professor of screenwriting William Ronald Craig takes the mysticism out of writing a screenplay with this practical, step-by-step, easy-to-follow method.

The author states his objective right at the beginning: "This book is designed to assist you in writing a commercial `speculation' screenplay in four months." Mr. Craig developed this method while teaching one-semester courses at San Jose State University for over a decade. His assumption is that if students with a full load of classes and papers to write succeeded in completing a screenplay in four months, so can you.

What does the aspiring screenwriter need? "A good story with interesting characters, basic language skills, and a commitment to do the work." In other words, what all writers of all kinds of genre need. In fact, this is a book not only aspiring screenwriters can profit from. Novelists and short story authors can derive useful information from this work.

The chapters are broken down into many short sections under different topics, and this technique, together with his straightforward, simple, pragmatic language and style, make the book easy and pleasurable to follow. Subjects discussed include: the writer's mind, getting ready, story elements, character elements, dramatic tension, sequencing your story, format layout, style, dialogue, fist drafts, the rewrite, marketing preparation and strategies, The Writers Guild of America, rights, and making money in Hollywood. Within these general chapter subjects you'll find a long list of specific topics which cover all aspects of screenwriting. For instance, under Story Elements you'll find: Suspension of Disbelief, Story and Plot, The Three-Act Structure, Original Stories, Genre Storytelling, Derivative Storytelling, High-Concept Storytelling, Didactic and Nonlinear Storytelling, Subplots, The Present Tense, The Collective "We," Limited Personal, Limited Omnipotent and Unlimited Omnipotent.

The author supports most explanations with a target example, making concepts easy to understand. In addition to what to do, he also offers advice on what not to do and how to avoid common pitfalls which are the sign of the amateur. Most interesting is all the "behind-the-scenes" information given about how things really work in Hollywood and its misconceptions-what really drives producers and directors, who ends up reading the screenplay you have submitted, how to approach an agent, etc. Especially helpful are the author's explanation of the legal issues and the surprising importance that The Writers Guild of America has upon a screenwriter's life and career.

Included at the end of the book are a resource section as well as samples of query letters, releases and legal agreements.

As a companion to MovieMind comes "Johnny Nine Lives," an adult screenplay which demonstrates some of the points discussed in the book. Definitely not for the faint of heart, this screenplay is a thriller about a grandfather and a father who kidnap a man from death row believing the man is a serial killer who has brutally murdered their granddaughter/daughter. In an abandoned warehouse they built a "homemade" electric chair to do what the government hasn't been able to do in nine years-bring justice. But what if the man is innocent?

The screenplay follows the current simple format followed by Hollywood professionals. Though not an excellent screenplay on its own, as I thought the ending was somewhat predictable, the characters and dialogue at times stereotypical, it does serve to clearly illustrate how a screenplay should be written.

These two books complement each other to make a set that should be in every aspiring screenwriter's reference bookshelf. An entertaining and valuable read.

After reading MovieMind and the companion script Johnny Nine Lives, I can say unequivocally that my understanding of the script writing process has been greatly enhanced. I have read more then a dozen books on this subject and though most are well written, this one really hit the target for me. It is comprehensive and FUN to read. It makes the technical aspect of screen writing much more approachable and not so intimidating.

Bill has a wonderful sense of humor and a level of professionalism that really translates in giving the reader a feeling of self-confidence that... yes...I can do this.

I highly recommend MovieMind for anyone who is serious about finally getting that story down on paper and in a form that makes it valuable and saleable.... As an educator and teacher of filmmaking I would not hesitate to recommend Bill's book to my students.

This book has proved to be an excellent and comprehensive resource for me in buying movie soundtracks, an interest I have recently acquired since buying a few on my own several months back ["Van Helsing" & "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" started this obsession---uh, er, I mean "hobby."]. This book has steered me right in making subsequent purchases. The book's reviews focus solely on the MUSIC on the soundtrack and how it sounds APART FROM THE MOVIE ITSELF. My only complaint: this book was published in 2000. It is high time they issued an update with more recent movie soundtracks! ! ! Okay, Music Hound, it's time to get up off your lazy haunches and go fetch us a new edition !

I picked this up at a very low cost at a Hastings book/media store. What a bargain I got! This is the best soundtrack guide I've found. The purchases I've based off this book were both scores I liked but that the book "highly recommended"-and, yes, these happen to mostly be the best scores I now own. Although like all record guides of late, CDs are now in a renaissance of sorts when it comes to digital restoration, so be aware of this when purchasing. Just shop smart and you'll often get a better copy than what was available at the time this guide went to press. However, the guide will still lead you to the best film/stage version more often than not. Just make sure you get the most recent release(unless the bells and whistles appear overrated-as in added features you have no interest in rather than a pristine newly restored copy-which is the real reason to go for a recent rerelease).

This book is effectively organized and exceptional in its bredth and depth of coverage, it is a book whose time is right and whose content would be favorable for any film music buff or newbie. It would also be a helpfull tool in libraries and music stores.

This book covers the whole gamut of soundtracks: film, TV, theatre, etc. It's a book that every soundtrack fan should have in their library. Good, useful information, along with well-written, honest reviews. Highly recommended to all music/film/TV/theatre fans. You can't go wrong with this volume!