Video Books

Burkett brings to light the full repertoire of the liberal spin doctors in one concise volume. The terrifying thing in this country is the way most people believe what they are told by the government and what they hear on the news without ever stopping to ask themselves, does this really make sense? After you read this book, you'll never take anything for granted without considering what someone has to gain by convincing you. A must read for any modern day patriot.

This book opened my eyes to the deceptions that are being feed to each of us today. Larry Burkett exposes the EPA for who they are and gives evidence that proves the hole in the ozone layer scare is not to be believed. You will be outraged at the injustices people are sujected to by a government that is much too big and too busy tending to matters that were never meant to be handled by our law makers. Every Christian and/or person who wishes to be exposed to another version of the stories we here every day should read this book because it will reveal how important it is that we not believe something to be true because the media says it is or some government agency says it is. My way of thinking has been forever changed by reading this book.

I was both pleased and angered by this book. Larry presented his facts in a well written, no nonsense fashion. He provided all sources for the information he used. It gave me an entirely new outlook on how government intervention in every aspect of our lives has hastened the erosion of our basic "rights" as free Americans. I have read it three times and it continues to infuriate me.

Highly recommended.

The founder of Christian Financial Concepts, Inc., and author of "The Coming Economic Earthquake" again predicts collapse of the U.S. economy, blaming "amoral" European values, brought home by W.W.I doughboys, for generating government regulations, deficit spending, environmentalism, and the New Age movement. He advises paying off debts, diversifying investments, and praying.

This exhaustively researched book starts at the very beginning then steps through each of the decades since D. W. Griffith's famous movie, all in a very entertaining manner.
Not satisfied simply with recounting the history of screenwriting and screenwriters in all their various guises, the author serves up cogent analysis about the business of movie making then comes to the conclusion that whatever else comes down the pike, in whatever form and whatever else screenwriters are called, there will always be a place for the content generator, or composer as he would prefer.
Excellent reading and enjoyable.

Academy award winner Marc Norman's "What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting" is as entertaining as a good movie. It can be studied as serious movie history--his description of the forces that moved the early movie industry from the East coast to the West is as good as any I've ever read--or perused as titillating, yet intelligent gossip. The men and women who wrote the words and stories so frequently disparaged and often disregarded by directors, producers, and heads of studios come alive in "What Happens Next" through anecdote, letters, and reminiscences.

From William Faulkner to Anita Loos (the highest paid screenwriter of her day), from Quentin Tarantino to Charlie Kaufman, this book is a delight for any movie fan or writer, or anyone who's ever enjoyed a juicy bit of scandalous gossip.

This book is phenomenal. Not only is it well-written and comprehensive, but it fills a horrendous gap in the legacy of screenwriting and its impact on movies.

Other than Ian Hamilton's terrific work on the early years of screenwriting, this book immediately becomes the cornerstone, the bedrock of the genre -- and for very good reason. It's not just a book about the writers themselves, but how the art and craft of screenwriting have evolved in the context of film. What we get is an alternate point of view that has for too long been neglected in entry-level cinema history.

Starting from Edison, Edwin Porter and D.W. Griffith, we travel the well-trodden (but freshly invigorated) path through the studio system and on into modern movie-making -- with the twist that the writer has not been brushed aside. In fact, we immediately see how crucial key scribes have contributed to the development of the art.

It's a cliche in Hollywood that the writer is abused and overlooked (ask a striking member of the WGA if you don't believe me). But other than a work stoppage, nothing can rectify the place of the writer in the public's awareness more than a historical overview with the screenwriter placed in his or her rightful place -- at the center of the creative process itself.

This is not a scree or a polemic, but a finely written, highly entertaining look at Hollywood. I find myself referring to it all the time. In fact, I've recreated my entire Netflix queue around areas of my movie history that could use some screenings. And I've become a big fan of Anita Loos! (You too will discover that at least 50% of the early screenwriters were women, with Anita being its first breakout star.)

Like a great film, this book immerses you in a world and rivets you to your chair. If you are a writer or a curious film buff, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy. It will reward you with many great nights of delight and discovery -- a claim not enough movies themselves can make these days.

As a "recovering screenwriter," I can bear witness to the sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious authenticity of "What Happens Next."
It's a history that needed to be told and Marc Norman has done it with head and heart.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

If you want to engage in a meaningful dialogue with your child, buy "What Kids Really Want to Ask". I had this book in the car when my 13-year-old daughter and I were driving to pick up my nephew. She began reading the questions in the appendix and at first thought they were a bit silly. When she realized they were questions kids like her had asked, she became a bit more serious. She began reading the questions aloud and when she paused, I knew it was a question she really wanted answered. It was a fun, light-hearted way for us to have a meaningful conversation. Other times she would voice how sad it was that a child had to ask something like, "Do you love me and would you ever give me up?" This opened another level of dialogue and brought out a sense of empathy in my daughter. She recognized many of the movies discussed in the books, and we are going to re-watch them and use the book as we do. A great book for helping your child through those difficult middle-school years!

As the mother of an 11 1/2 year old boy, I loved this book. I loved the basic parenting of pre-teens advice in the beginning. Honestly, nothing was new AND I was grateful for the reminders as they helped me remember what I already knew and believe in. I loved the reviews and all the detailed information provided about the movies they recommend. For the movies I have seen, they were very accurate. And for the movies I have not yet seen, I appreciated the information the authors provided...very relevant to what I would want to know about a film I was planning to watch with my son for the sake of a deeper conversation about ourselves and what he was curious about. Probably my favorite part of the book was the research about the 12 basic themes that youth this age are interested in. Some I wouldn't have imagined...like that he'd be interested in our extended family or about me as a child. I always thought I was supposed to ask the questions about him...show I was interested in his world. This was a different perspective. I like that they chose movies as a way to relate...but even if someone didn't want to watch any of the films...there are great questions/prompts for richer conversations. And if someone has already seen the films with their child...it might be a way to begin talking about some of the themes. The other things I like is that by just having the book in my home, my son sees that I am wanting to have meaningful conversations with him...my guess is that he'll pick up the book himself and probably ask to watch some of the films we haven't seen together.

I'm grateful that I heard about this book and read it while my son was still entering into this period in his life. I know I will re-read it and use it throughout our relationship during this time.

Thank you, Margaret adn Rhonda for connecting the dots between film, pre-teens, questions, and parenting!

A very clever approach to opening up important conversations with kids that's based on solid university research and written by two seasoned Moms with stellar educations and backgrounds. Each chapter focuses on questions from one theme, and gives lots of points for discussion based on a movie selected to bring out that theme. Both kids and parents are given lots to think about and share with one another. Chapters end with great suggestions for creative activities to further facilitate conversations.

As a psychologist, as much as I love getting paid to have deep, meaningful conversations with kids, I much prefer kids to connect with their own parents in that way. This book offers a fun and practical way to do that in a busy family.

Any and all chapters can be used in any order. Also a great quick reference for numerous topics bound to come up between parents and kids because each chapter begins by answering many questions parents may really want to ask about kids. Even after years of counseling families and kids, I was surprised and delighted by some of the questions kids had. It's worth the price of the book just to read the 450 questions printed out in the appendix.

This "sleeper" book, which I picked up because of my curiosity about the subjects (they are appearing regularly on the Turner Classic Movies station) is a revelation. Positively one of the best researched and entertaining books about a comedy team from the movies' golden age, the 1930s. To watch Wheeler & Woolsey is to understand what vaudeville-type comedy is (was) all about. Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey have been overlooked in favor of teams like the Marx Bros. or the 3 Stooges. This book corrects that oversight. It is also a highly readable accounts of Hollywood politics behind the scenes at some of the major studios. If you're a fan of vintage movie comedy, get this book.

Wheeler and Woolsey were second to Laurel and Hardy in the heart's of movie going audiences of the 1930's. Since then, however, their star has faded and their acomplishments have been relegated to footnote status in the history of the golden age of comedy. Thanks to Edward Watz, Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey are alive and kicking again in a definitive history of the lovable pair and their films. Exhaustingly researched and lovingly executed, the book chronicles the career ups and downs of the most unjustifiably forgotten comedians in the history of show business. Personal biographies are included, as well as detailed accounts of all of their features and short subjects. Long time leading lady Dorothy Lee lends her first hand account of the way things happend with a refreshingly candid foreward. She also shares her memories of each of the films that she participated in with a fascinating view that only an insider could relate. The later years are chronicled in the final chapter, featuring accounts of Bert Wheeler's career after the untimely death of his partner. All in all, this book ranks along side the superlative Laurel and Hardy, The Magic Behind The Movies, and Abbott and Costello in Hollywood, as one of the most enjoyable and informative demonstration's of film history as can be expected. If you love film comedy, you should not be without this book.

I love this book! To my knowledge, the only book around about Wheeler and Whoolsey. It made me eager to see more of their films. The author did a great job of research, which couldn't have been easy considering how long ago these comedians were active.

Ed Watz's book 'Wheeler & Woolsey' is a superb film history of a great and sadly forgotten movie comedy team. This volume evokes the golden days of both Vaudeville and Hollywood, as we follow the rise and sad fall of Wheeler & Woolsey. Mr. Watz also sets straight the historical record in that the boys were second only to the great Laurel & Hardy in the 1930's and certainly ahead of their rivals the Marx Bros., the Ritz Bros., and the Three Stooges! Readers of this book will want to go out and see the films of Wheeler & Woolsey. Watz's book is a lost treasure.

I received this much faster than expected! AND it was in brand new condition.

I found this strategy guide to be helpful, although at points in dugeon exploring it skipped rooms. But its worth the buy, because the game is different from the original PS1 game.

Thsi guide have been a great help for those who get stuck in the game. The guide is extreamly detailed and covers all skills, items, enemies and ect. Great to have if your stuck.

When at first I came upon the Wild Arms Alter code F guide, the first thing that came to mind was simple: It's Prima. And when I saw it was Prima I was immediately thinking, these are the guys who did the guides to Legend of Legaia, Legend of Dragoon, and Legaia 2. All of them, for games by Sony Computer Entertainment America, all of them ridiculously thin, and all of them lackluster. I'm proud to say that this guide is not like those guides. It's actually detailed, doesn't stray you wrong, and is actually a Wild Arms guide worth getting!

The guide begins quite simplistically. It doesn't waste time at all, it jumps right into the characters section. There are no bios but it does detail just about everything you need in terms of their abilities. It also includes those for the hidden characters as well. The game then jumps into the games unique system itself. It covers all of them perfectly within the first eight pages.

The walkthrough is much better than any Wild Arms guide before it. Each area begins by telling you how many chest are in an area, and if any of them need duplicators. It then shows the tools you'll need to clear the area (progress) and the tools you'll need to fully complete the area. This means getting all the chest because some of them are simply not accesible the first time through. The guide will tell you when to come back.

Each area is also detailed with excellent maps. In town, there are simple call outs using the ABC method. This means that if you see an "A" on the map, you look for section "A" in the walkthrough where it'll tell you what to do at that point. If it's something you can't do, they'll tell you what you need in order to access the area first. The walkthrough also has important call out tips in a separate box.

For dungeons it's a little different. It does not use the ABC method, but it still points out chest in the key, and tells you what tools you need. Instead, however, their maps are numbered by floor. This makes the guide simple to use. If you get stuck on Floor 1, for example, they have a description on what to do on that floor. This eliminates the old flaw the Versus Books Wild Arms 3 had, which was disorganization. This guide is perfectly organized. This makes it so that each "area" of the map has it's own section. It makes the walkthrough easier to use, and it gets to the point much faster. Likewise, it keeps the guide from revealing the plot and spoiling the story for those going through Wild Arms for the first time.

Likewise, boss strategies in the walkthrough are better than your average RPG guide. Most of them will simply state a weakness and expect you to attack. This guide tells you exactly who should do what, and they even explain why. And if you don't believe them, well you'll the results for yourself when you lose. The author of this guide (former Versus Books author Gerald Guess) doesn't dilly dally with boss strategies either. Right to the point.

The walkthrough is also helpful enough to make call outs to side quests and optional events in the walkthrough instead of you having to constantly flip to the back of the book to check for availibility. You'll still have to flip to the back for the quest itself, but that's not a problem. I personally don't like it in guides when they stick optional quests in the walkthrough, I usually tackle them when I find it best for me, not the moment they're availible.

All puzzle solutions are perfectly explained, as well as the just all out confusing situations some of the dungeons will trap you in. No plot spoilers also help the guide, especially if you didn't play the classic Wild Arms in 1997.

After the walkthrough, the guide tackles all the optional things you can do. This section is huge, and helps you complete areas such as the Devil's Playground, the Abyss, and Gardening, among what else the game has to offer. They also depict the location of every EX File Key.

The best thing about this guide is that it does something the Versus Books Wild Arms guides were too lazy to do. Give you a strategy for optional bosses. I don't know about you but when it came to Versus Books Wild Arms 2 and 3 guides, I couldn't stand not having optional boss strategies. I got stats, but no strategies. Here, I have strategies, and you know what? They're pretty GOOD strategies.

The appendices are incredible, most notably the monster list in the back. Most people don't like it when there no pictures in the bestiary. To them I say, you can read, right? No worries! Just know the name of the monster you're fighting, no problem. They also seperate the monsters found in the abyss from the ones found elsewhere.

As a bonus, the guide has a few Penny Arcade Comics. Not a whole lot, but they're particularly funny. Each of them (save for one) stars characters or monsters from Wild Arms. They're funny and memorable in the original Penny Arcade humor. Of course, for some of them, you have to know Wild Arms, but I'm assuming you got the guide because you have the game.

If there were any major problems with this guide, I'd say the only thing I don't like is that they don't call out how much HP enemies have in the walkthrough. They give a list of monsters you find in the dungeon (and tips on how to beat 'em), but they don't tell you how much HP they have, forcing you to flip all the way back to the monster index. It's forgiveable, though, and it shouldn't cause much stress. I don't mind flipping back, but some people do, so I thought I'd warn you of that.

The other big problem is that the game doesn't have a download list of regular enemies for Emma. Bosses are listed, but not regular enemies. Gerald Guess himself has seen this flaw and took time to post a download list on GameFAQs.com and it isn't too much paper to print it out either.

This guide to Wild Arms: Alter Code F is the perfect companion. Very easy to use, user friendly and the way it's written is more like someone is talking to you than like an instruction manuel. Well organized efforts make up for the lack of quality in Prima's earler guides for RPGs.

The Good
+Excellent Walkthrough
+Some of the best boss strategies
+All secrets and sidequest revealed
+Overall well organized
+Clear screenshots
+Nice appendices (they even include locations of extra items such as Migrant Seals--all 20 of them)
+Penny Arcade cartoons provide the guide with some humor

The Bad
-In including everything else, they didn't stick in a world map, which could've helped in some cases.
-There's no download list for normal monsters, but Gerald Guess has posted an FAQ for it if you need one.

This book is so hilarious, even as an adult I found myself laughing out loud to Winnie the witch's antics. I plan on reading this book to my kindergarteners around Halloween time. I can't wait to see their reaction!

It's a wonderful book. Every parent that has a child who needs glasses should have it. It's funny and like the previous book on winnie the illustations are just as funny. My son doesn't need glasses but we enjoyed it just the same. Pure enjoyment.

I read this book to my kids (3, 5 and 7) and they loved it. The story is funny and the pictures are wonderful. It's a very silly story and tons of fun. A must have for all home libraries

Winnie the Witch has long been a family bedtime favourite in our house and my 4 year old and I were pleased to see Korky Paul's wonderfully zany illustrations of Winnie's latest exploits. As with the original book he guffawed at her outrageous exploits and Valerie Thomas' storyline.

This book is essential to every online gamblers library. Karayanis offers quality information on reputable online casinos, tips on etiquette and strategies, as well as reference pages for those seeking help for gambling addictions. Please read this book before you tackle the casinos, be smart, read the fine print, and by all means, nurture that payroll! Definately check out www.goldenpalace.com, their live blackjack gaming option is fantastic! Best of luck!

If you've ever had any concerns about taking your Blackjack game to the "Brave New World" of online casinos, this is for you. This is a very well written book that helps make the transition from "over the table" player to "online player". It very wisely avoids going into too much detail on the basic "How to Play Blackjack" and instead focuses on "how to take your existing Blackjack knowledge Online". I've been playing the game for a long time and have made a fair amount of money in the casinos, but this book took my earning potential to a new level by detailing how I can win at online casinos from my own home. (fewer flights to Vegas and trips to AC!)A lot of step-by-step detail is provided where needed, but it also balances this with some light-hearted anecdotes and quotes. (a great touch!)
Personal ID Security is covered in a lot of detail, as are legalities and etiquette. Definitely worth getting!

Although there is a description of how to play blackjack in this book, the main emphasis is, as the title says, ONLINE blackjack. While the basic rules of the game haven't changed, the fact that you have to go on line, sign up, give out information such as credit card numbers make the game just a little bit different.

This book is on those differences. The author talks about the various on line casinos, how to protect yourself from illegitimate operations as well as viruses, trojan horses, worms, etc. She lists about 170 casinos that she at least implies she has visited and found them to be worth recommending.

It turns out that all the various casinos use software from a few software vendors. She lists these vendors and discusses some points about their software. Finally, these software packages, and consequently the casinos offer many different versions of the classical blackjack game. She goes into these differences and talks some about strategy to use with each.

Note that on line casinos shuffle after each hand, so card counting won't work very well.

This is among the best gambling books I've seen. I like to think of myself as a knowledgeable, seasoned blackjack player, but until now I've hesitated to play in an online casino. The privacy concerns, legal questions, and especially the fear of being ripped off -- It all made me nervous. But this book put those fears to rest. That's not to say that it glosses over the risks; it discusses them in detail so you know how to steer clear of them. Beyond showing you what to avoid, it tells you what to look for in an online casino, in a style that's both easy to read and intelligently written. I'd also recommend the book's sections on strategy to any new player, as well as to experienced gamblers looking to refresh their skills.

I just got this book, having pre-ordered it awhile ago. As a BREW games developer, I am finding Mr. Barbagello's explanation of some of the finer points of BREW very useful. I've already had a few "Doh! So *that's* how that works!" moments, and I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in coding applications for BREW. BREW has a definite learning curve to it, but this book could make that much easier. You should have a good grounding in C/C++ before diving in, though, so be warned. The book has an extra section on how to construct BMPs in memory for use in BREW, which sounds easy enough, but if you know anything about BREW, isn't. Overall, a wonderful book I wish I'd had when I was learning BREW.

This book is a great gift for BREW developers, Out of two books available for the Qualcomm's BREW this one has definitely more advantages, Even it doesn't matter that you are a Game Developer or not this will help you if you want to a become a BREW developer.
Amarjeet Singh
Bangalore India

This book (Wireless game development in c/c++ with brew) was pretty good. It is the best info I can find on the subject. There were only two books that I found about brew the other being Qualcomm Brew platform by Ray Rischpater, but If you are going to become a brew developer it might be in your best interest to drop the 80$ and get both books.

This one was the best out of the two I did get.

Also, even though the book has the words 'game development' in the title, it is a great book for non game dev people. My applications have nothing to do with games.

It's amazing that so little has been written on BREW, but with this book the above author is at the forefront of the upcoming tidal wave announcing and providing us an insightful and indepth how to manual on how to develop and publish BREW applications.

It's 2005 and finally, finally an American woman film director has written her memoir, "The Woman Director: The Adventures of a Really Independent Filmmaker, Ages 6-36;" and brother, is this one REALLY independent filmmaker! This is one of those rare books - like John Sayles's "Thinking in Pictures" - that really lays out the difficulties of shooting on low budgets. It's both inspiring and, at the same time, will probably make a lot of women think twice about going for the director's chair. Jurgen Vsych survived physical attacks and unbelievable harassment. If things in Hollywood are better now than in 1973, it's because of women like Vsych, who gained ground by sheer artistic excellence. If nothing else, this book explains why there are so few women directors. This is one tough dame. Her nickname is "Rommel," and not for nuthin' - this woman is a tank, taking missile fire and staying on course. She'll probably be the first woman to win the best director Oscar.

She wrote, directed and produced "Ophelia Learns to Swim" (which you can get on Amazon.com) and the shorts "Pay Your Rent, Beethoven" and "Ralph Nader Crashes the Two Parties (they're only available on TheWomanDirector.com) - pure dead brilliant! She was obviously inspired by Buster Keaton and the great silent comedians, but dialogue is her true strength - she has a great ear (she's a professional musician, and her scores and sound effects are top-notch). She obviously likes actors (she even got a good performance out of Ralph Nader!), and she tells great stories about working with John Gielgud, Max Von Sydow and Dudley Moore.

The cover photo, like the book, is both funny and sad - a woman who has spent all her money on an Arri 35mm camera and has no money left over for a proper dolly, so she's forced to use a shopping cart. If Vsych were a man - or the daughter of a famous director - she'd be as famous as Steven Soderbergh, Alexander Payne and Sofia Coppola. I hope this book will help her get the recognition - and the budgets - she deserves.

This is the only memoir I've ever read that was written in present tense, which does really put you in the rollercoaster alongside Vsych (pronounced "Vy-zick," according to the handy pronunciation guide on her book cover); it makes the story seem like it's happening as you read it. My only beef is that it's way too short. Her diary at the time she wrote this book was 17,256 pages long. I hope she'll publish the rest someday. She's written a book about Nader's campaign - I'm counting the days 'til it comes out!

I hope Vsych one day writes a book about film technique - it would be The Missing Manual for young filmmakers.

The writer-director-producer-credit-card-goddess of the cult classic "Ophelia Learns to Swim" and 29 other films is the first American woman director - and only the third woman director ever -to write her autobiography. This is a historic book, a classic which not only describes her personal struggles, but illuminates the climate from 1973 - when women were unable to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and there were virtually no women directors - to 2003, when women were still only making 73 cents to a man's dollar and women directors were still viewed as an oddity.

Vsych was born in Hollywood, but never went Hollywood. Growing up in the worst place on earth for an independent film maker, she eventually escaped and made films in Scotland, England, Seattle and New York (she's now based in Washington DC, having worked as Ralph Nader's 2004 campaign videographer - she wrote and directed the brilliant "Ralph Nader Crashes the Two Parties," a mock debate with Nader debating Bush and Kerry [as portrayed by GI Joe dolls]). She did whatever it took to raise money for her films - digging for food in trash cans, living in her car, working as a bookseller, a butler and a bagpiper.

"The Woman Director" is written in the rarely-used present-tense, which puts you smack inside this most unusual brain. Vsych edited 17,000 pages of journals into 226 fast-paced pages - let's hope a publisher one day publishes the entire diary - it will be the Pepys Diary of its day.

Vsych is a true Renaissance Woman. Unlike many other memoirs, there is nothing whiney, self-pitying or self-indulgent in her book. Vsych will stand with Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Olivia DeHavilland as one of the great women artists and role models in cinema history. I can't wait for the sequel, "The Old Lady Director: The Adventures of a Really Wealthy Filmmaker, Ages 37-97."

(Incidentally, I display this book on my bookcase facing out - the photo of Vsych in her shopping cart dolly is a great metaphor for women; no matter how high we climb, we always get stuck doing the shopping.)

"The Woman Director" is an insider's journey through the triumphs and tragedies of film-making for the love of the art - rather than for the love of the money. Our tour guide is the archetype-incarnate of a female Don Quixote, jousting with and jutting at the windmills of Hollywood.

Along the way she has encounters with several characters you will recognize, several prima donnas, a gaggle of weasels and even a few decent human beings.

Her travels to Scotland and Seattle, attempts at finding more supportive environments for her film-making, make for interesting travelogues and could have each stood alone as fascinating peeks into the veiled culture of the independent cinematic arts community.

But it is in Hollywood where our author, Ms. Jurgen Vsych, is able to show us the biggest obstacles in the way of the independent film maker as well as giving us a look we can not get anywhere else into how "indies" are made.

Ms. Vsych brings to her story the same combination of sharp - even piercing - social commentary and zany comedy as we find in her films. This is one not to miss if you are "in to" indies or wonder why there are so few women in that field. Oh, and by the way, this book reads like a novel; each page has something to titillate your fancy and keep you reading on to the end.

Jurgen Vsych must be the best-kept secret in independent films. Her memoir is just as original, funny and idiosyncratic as her movies. The writer-director-producer of the cult classics "Ophelia Learns to Swim" and "Pay Your Rent, Beethoven" is the first American woman director to write her autobiography. You don't have to have seen her films to enjoy reading about how she made 30 movies on shoestring budgets, under often nightmarish circumstances and against major parental objections.

This book is amazing work of art, with vivid details (and no wonder - Vsych had over 17,000 pages of diaries to jog her memory). It's also funny as hell. The photos and illustrations are great (most of them are by Vsych herself).

It has some hilarious stories about her encounters with Sir John Gielgud, Dudley Moore, Dr. Jonathan Miller, Terry Gilliam, Gene Hackman, Guy Green, John Sayles, Brian Cox, Spike Lee and Max von Sydow. I'm not surprised Ralph Nader hired Vsych to be his 2004 campaign videographer - a crusading director for a crusading presidential candidate.

Vsych's a fine role model. "The Woman Director" is a must for film buffs and students, and any girl who aspires to succeed in a male-dominated profession.

The two volumes of WOMEN IN HORROR FILMS (1930s and 1940s) are a wonderful addition to the serious horror collection.

Both volumes are constantly referred to in my writing on the subject of the Golden Age of Horror.

Tops in research is Mr. Mank
5 stars.

Listening to Greg Mank give the dvd commentary for "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein", started me on a quest to collect as many books of his books as I can find. He's incredibly knowledgeable but his books are accessible, and at times, delicious with scandalous detail. This is an exhaustively researched book - and a must for any classic horror fan. It's too bad they didn't get Mr.Mank to do the commentary for all of the Universal horror dvd's. He puts the rest to shame.

When you think of the great names of classic horror films you naturally think of Karloff, Lugosi, Chaney Jr., Lorre, Whale; but in Women in Horror Films, 1930's, film historian Gregory W. Mank gives the women their due. What would a horror film be without a beautiful heroine to terrorize, or to become the monster herself? Mank spotlights the actresses who would co-star in some of the greatest horror films in history: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Old Dark House, The Black Cat, Bride of Frankenstein, Freaks, King Kong, and many more. Mank personally interviewed many of these women before their passing to get their thoughts and unique insight on these famous films. The women are presented in chronological order of the release date of the film they are most well known for.

First up is Helen Chandler, the beautiful Mina and object of Bela Lugosi's desire in Dracula. Chandler would unfortunately be badly burned in a fire in the 1950's and become a recluse. She would pass away in the mid-1960s in obscurity. Her cremated ashes would go unclaimed from a chapel storage vault in Los Angeles.

Mae Clarke provided 1930's audiences with one of the most terrifying scenes in history, playing Elizabeth, the fiancée to Dr. Frankenstein. As she is getting ready for her wedding, the monster attacks her in her room. It's still a powerful scene over seventy years later.

One of the most interesting interviews and chapters features Marilyn Harris. Harris played the little girl who is inadvertently drowned by the Frankenstein Monster. She relates how Karloff tried to lead a bit of a revolt to get James Whale to change the scene and not kill the girl. This scene would be cut from the film for decades after. Whale would take revenge on the rebellious Karloff by making him do several retakes of the scene where he has to carry Colin Clive up the windmill stairs, thus injury Karloff's back. Harris goes on to relate her own life story of growing up as an adopted child of mother who cruelly abused her and only wanted her to be a movie star due to her own failed attempts at stardom.

Gloria Stewart talks about the making of "The Old Dark House" which would create its own sub-genre of horror films in the 30's and 40's. Boasting a cast of Karloff, Ernest Thesiger, Melvyn Douglas and Charles Laughton, Stewart talks about working with the great James Whale and the famous scene where she is accosted by the mute, beast-like butler Morgan (Karloff).

Fay Wray has to be considered the very first scream queen. While most of these women starred in only one or two horror films, Wray starred in four between 1932 & 1933 with "Doctor X", "Mystery of the Wax Museum", "The Vampire Bat" and, of course, "King Kong". I would be disillusioned to find out that Wray's lovely, golden blonde hair in King Kong was a wig and that her trademark scream may have actually been voiced by another actress.

Zita Johann provides interesting insight into the 1932 classic, "The Mummy" including her battles with director Karl Freund who had her enter a cage of lions unprotected in the Christian reincarnation scene, while he was safe in a cage. As with every woman interviewed, she speaks quite highly of Karloff as a polite gentleman.

Lucille Lund had even worse problems with a director on the set of one of my favorite horror films "The Black Cat". After she spurned the advances of director Edgar G. Ulmer, he proceeded to make her life a living hell. In a scene where she is to portray her dead mother inside a glass coffin, she is left hanging for over an hour while the rest of the crew goes to lunch, somewhat fitting when one considers the cruel, nihilistic tone of this film.

One of my favorite actresses to read about was Carroll Borland who created one of the most indelible characters of the 1930's as Luna in "Mark of the Vampire". Her long flowing hair, pale white face and dark eyes would be the inspiration for women such as Vampira and Elvira. Borland, obsessed with Lugosi as a young girl, met the star at the age of 15. Just out of high school she tried out for the role of Luna and only got it when she paid director Tod Browning $150.00!

In addition to these actresses Mank also has chapters on Elsa Lanchester, Valerie Hobson (Bride of Frankenstein), Gloria Holden (Dracula's Daughter), Sideny Fox (Murders in the Rue Morgue) and many more. The enthusiasm that Mank has for his subjects is evident as many of these interviews were conducted years before the publication of this book when Mank was still more fan than professional writer and film historian. Photographs from these classic films are included as well as number of photos taken at the time the interviews were conducted.

It's a marvelous book that pays tribute to many of the women who did their parts to make these films live on for decades. One of the best books on classic horror that I have ever read! Another example of why McFarland Publishing is one of the most dynamic publishers around today.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

In the many chroniclings of the history of the Golden Age of Horror, women have always been horribly short shrifted. Tomes have been written about Karloff and Lugosi. Even directors Whale and Browning have enjoyed volumes written on their lives and films. But aside from an occasional story on Elsa's turn as the Monster's "mate", or Carroll Borland's life-long infatuation with Lugosi, the history of women in our genre is pitifully lacking. Until now. Author Gregory Mank takes a huge step to rectify this situation by shining a well-deserved and much-overdue light (torch?) on the women whose contributions to the early horror classics have been both overlooked and under-appreciated for far too long. Concentrating on the classics of the 30s, Elsa Lanchester, Helen Chandler, Gloria Stuart, Carroll Borland, Fay Wray, Zita Johann and even high-pitched screamer Una O'Connor, join a long, dis- tinguished list of actresses who have their lives and careers presented to us by Mank. Each artist receives a mini-bio, which includes stage and screen appearances. Of particular interest (and a highlight of the book) is a detailed and engaging look into each actresses' "signature" horror film, revealing dates, salaries, production notes and stories of co-stars and directors. Punctuated into this are insights and other information provided by research done by the author or the reminiscences of the subject herself. These wonderful personal

anecdotes were culled from interviews with Mank by a surprising (to this reviewer) number of the actresses who were (and some who happily still are) with us at the time of the author's research. Mank's skill lies in pretty much allowing each subject's life to tell its own story. So doing, each actress takes on a new life for the reader, a life whose existence had previously only been hinted at. They emerge from being known as simply labels: "the victim", the "hapless heroine" or "the monster" to be revealed as real flesh and blood women. Women who are intelligent, opinionated, witty, hard-working and passionate. Not merely characters... but three-dimensional character actresses. A wonderful and deserving achievement indeed. With this book (and a companion volume, which chronicles our favorite ladies of the 40s), Mank adds yet again to his already formidable legacy as THE chronicler of the Golden Age of Horror, this time adding the heretofore missing point-of-view (and warmth) of the distaff players. Always an interesting read, generously illustrated with many wonderful (and unique?) photos, this book is well worth the (usual) hefty McFarland price tag, and is an essential addition to any classic horror film buff's collection.