Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live

Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live
Average customer rating:

Awesome

Decent overview in a sea of SNL tributes, choppy reading, excellent bathroom book, nice gift for the fan.

Where to buy this cheap

This is a great book!

Blows the lid off the mystique of SNL...

Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live
Tom Shales , and James Andrew Miller
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Comedy | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0316781460

Book Description

With unprecedented access, Tom Shales and James Miller, with authorization from Lorne Michaels, have interviewed the stars, writers, crews, and guests who have made Saturday Night Live the greatest long-running comedy of all time. Out of these backstage stories they have woven an oral history that will be the definitive account of the shows 25-year history. The story is bursting with creative frenzies, clashing egos, actors who went on to mega stardom in film and those who disappeared; the origins of famous routines, censorship battles, and humour so toxic it never got on the air; the love affairs, feudsall the unique insanity involved in producing the show that changed North America forever. Includes great backstage stories from Bill Murray decking Chevy Chase to Norm MacDonalds campaign to infuriate NBC brass. Everyone from Cameron Diaz to Ralph Nader to Robert Downey Jr. to George Bush has appeared on the show, and they all share their fondest, wildest memories with us. Tom Shales is the Pulitzer Prize-winning TV critic of The Washington Post, and a movie reviewer for NPRs Morning Edition. His books include On the Air and Legends, and he has written for many major magazines.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome.......2007-07-09

I loved the book. Living in the mid west, you're not privy to rumors and stories in the local paper about SNL. I loved reading inside stories and such. The only bad thing I could say was that the book should have put some thumbnail pictures up of those quoted. It was hard with the lesser known cast members that were quoted, and trying to remember who they were.

Decent overview in a sea of SNL tributes, choppy reading, excellent bathroom book, nice gift for the fan........2007-07-07

Purchased as a gift for my SNL-loving spouse, it's a great bathroom book, because of the short excerpt format. If you are looking for a flowing chronology of the history of Saturday Night, it might be hard to stick with it. It's very broken up, the voices change with every page or two, making it feel disjointed. Because our memories and someone else's memory of the same event aren't always the same, you get amusing perspectives from different egomaniacs claiming to have the same great ideas. Nice background of behind-the-scenes as promised, lots of dirt on the sex and drugs, as expected. Not something I would have purchased for myself, even though I'm a fan, but compared to the other offerings out there, this one really is the most authoritative, closest to the source, and most accurate.

Where to buy this cheap.......2007-01-26

I have only read part of this book so far (and loved it), but the reason I am writing this, is to let people know that it is $2.99 at The Christmas Tree Store. I bought 4, so if my family is reading this, you'll have a good idea of what you are getting next year.

This is a great book!.......2006-08-30

Dear Everyone.
I did not order this book from Amazon. I bought it at my local "Dollar Tree" store for just one dollar. If you are interested in owning this book, stop by your local "Dollar Tree", or similar dollar store, and check to see if it might be there before shelling out the big money.
Pretty good review huh?
The book looks back at the early days of SNL, the drugs, the sex, the rock and roll. You probably won't learn anything from this book you didn't already know, if you are an SNL buff.
It is a good book to have in your bathroom, in my weird opinion.
Love,
Joel

Blows the lid off the mystique of SNL..........2006-08-25

This books shows very well that SNL was not the mystical, magical place it was purported to be. I've only really liked the original cast, and the mid 1980's cast with Murphy, Piscopo, Guest, Short, etc., etc.. In this book, you really get the feel of SNL, and how really difficult a place it was/is. No one romanticises the experience, and most people seem to have a only a few good memories and a lot of bad ones. The show is not necessarily a spring board to greater success. Only a handful of people from SNL have gone on to the big time. Most of them vanish into obscurity (Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon, Tim Meadows), or end up doing horrible work (Rob Schneider and David Spade, anyone). Chevy Chase comes across the worst here. By all accounts, he's a real piece of garbage. Janeane Garofalo, surprisingly, gets raked over the coals here. She was only on the show for 6 months, so you would think she wouldn't have made much of an impression. But she managed to alienate nearly everyone on the show during her brief tenure, including calling members of the press and complaining to them on the record about the show, which is not the brightest thing in the world to do. Personally, I've never found her funny in a comic/comedian type of way. I think she has a lot more depth than most people give her credit for, but no one at SNL thought that, and she comes across as extremely insecure. Not to mention Ms. Garofalo shares a little too much information with the authors. I could have easily done without hearing about Janeane's bouts with irritable bowel syndrome during her time with the show. The thought of Janeane having the runs is not particulary attractive. Anyway, after reading this book, you realise it's a miracle that SNL comes up with a show at all, considering all the backstabbing, back biting, tension, stress, drugs, etc., etc. that permeates the scene. If you're a really big fan, you may not want to read this book, because it's not all roses and peaches here. The show is almost unwatchable these days, which is a shame, considering how well it started. Kind of sad...

Saturday Night Hat: Quick, Easy Hatmaking for the Downtown Girl

Average customer rating:

Do It Yourself Turns Out To Be Already Done
Sushi To Go
Saturday Night Hat
Misleading!!
good start to hat making

Saturday Night Hat: Quick, Easy Hatmaking for the Downtown Girl
Eugenia Kim
Manufacturer: Potter Craft
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fashion | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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The Little Hatmaking Book: A Workbook on Turn-Of-The-Century Hats (Little Hatmaking Book)

ASIN: 0307337944
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Book Description

The new must-have accessory!

The right hat has the power to instantly transform a woman’s face, changing her entire look—and outlook. Celebrity millinery designer Eugenia Kim has created a sensation with her hat designs, which can be seen on everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, and Jennifer Lopez to the most style-conscious fashionistas in the world’s most glamorous cities. In Saturday Night Hat, Kim teaches you to make thirty of her hottest designs, with patterns and instructions so easy you can start the project Saturday morning and wear it out on Saturday night!

Learn to make styles like:

• The Beret

•The cloche

•The cocktail hat

•The Pillbox

•The Fedora

•The Newsboy

•The Sun hat

Customer Reviews:

Do It Yourself Turns Out To Be Already Done.......2007-05-10

Half of the hats in this book require one to purchase a pre-made hat. Buy a vintage fedora, then decorate. Buy a sun hat, then decorate. This book is more about embellishment than actual hat making. The book description lead me to believe this book was more about hat patterns and custom fitting. I wish I'd spent my money on a vintage fedora instead of this book.

Sushi To Go.......2007-04-21

This is a great book! It has some great designs and helps to inspire some more creativity. Will definitely be making the sushi hat as it looks great. I have studied Millinery and although some of the construction techniques are a bit more simplified I think that this will help the more inexperienced person "have a go" (people with more experience can easily use more advanced techniques if they want). Fantastic book and well worth the money. This book will help beginners start and give inspiration to the more advanced.

Saturday Night Hat.......2007-04-02

I love this book. I have been looking for patterns to build hats with and have ordered many but this book makes everything simple and has lots of pitures and the actual patterns. Thank you.

Misleading!!.......2007-02-06

The cover is misleading. On it is the wildly popular "Muffy" style which is not in the book!! Other than that, however, it has many pretty and feminine styles that can be made easily and quickly. You don't have to go out and spend a fortune of millinery equipment.

I love the little pillbox hat; it looks like a tiny wedding cake. I know I will make the classic beret and the engineer's cap. There are a lot of other styles and ideas to get your own creativity on!! But,I don't like it if you can't see at least some of the styles in the book before you buy. Not fair!

good start to hat making.......2007-01-22

the title says it all ....'quick, easy hatmaking.... there is something for everyone here at all levels, easy to read instructions, good ideas and up to the minute designs. I've enjoyed reading this book and look forward to making up some of the designs and adapting others. A good addition to any library.
Venetia Beaney. Port Albert, Australia.

Average customer rating:

Had to have our own
We love it!
Beautiful book!
Great book!
The tape makes it even better

Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp
Carol Diggory Shields
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dinosaur Stomp!
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ASIN: 0763606960
Release Date: 2002-02-18

Amazon.com

"Doo-bop-a-loo-bop!" In this rollicking romp through a prehistoric weekend, dinosaurs frolic and caper the night away. After some initial early evening shuffling shyness, these party animals are ready to get down, doing the Triassic Twist and the Brontosaurus Bump, the Raptor Rap and Jurassic Jump. With all this rhythm and rhyme, it's no wonder romance is soon afoot: "Tarchia winked at a stegosaur she liked. They danced together, spike to spike." This outrageous book provides a much more appealing theory behind the disappearance of dinosaurs, and hints at the possibility of another Dinosaur Stomp someday in the future. Scott Nash's wonderfully friendly bopping beasts radiate a contagious exuberance with their smiling, simple faces and bright colors and patterns. Carol Diggory Shields couldn't have found a better match for her rocking, rolling, twirling, tromping, "scientifically accurate (more or less)" dinosaurs. A guaranteed favorite that will have young children gleefully chanting "Boomalacka boomalacka! Whack! Whack! WHACK!" (Click to see a sample spread. Text ©1997 by Carol Diggery Shields. Illustrations ©1997 by Scott Nash. Permission by Candlewick Press.) (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Dancing dinosaurs! Reading aloud has never been so much fun!

What did the dinosaurs do for fun? What really happened when the Jurassic gang wanted to let off some steam? They danced, of course! They rocked and rolled; they twirled and tromped! They had themselves a Dinosaur Stomp! With illustrations by Scott Nash that leap off the page like a raptor doing the fandango, Carol Diggory Shields tells dinosaur devotees all about reptilian revelry with a foot-tapping, tail-whacking beat.

Customer Reviews:

Had to have our own.......2007-08-01

We first found this book at the library and found ourselves checking it out time and time again. My daughter is two and a half, though she first fell in love with this book right around the time she turned two. After months of checking it out, I decided it was time to buy our own copy.

It's full of clever rhymes and ideas about dinosaurs and lots of dinosaur identification in a fun way. The pictures are great and the words are even better. Boys and girls alike would enjoy this. My daughter knows all the words to it now, but I still enjoy reading it to her frequently.

We love it!.......2006-08-19

My 5 yr. old son bought this book with his allowance as one of the "recommendations" from Amazon. I love reading it to him as much as he loves having it read to him. He's a HUGE dinosaur fan and loves to rhyme so this book is right up his alley. We highly recommend it!!

Beautiful book!.......2006-02-28

This book is amazing. The pop-ups are incredible, I can't believe how great it really is!
My 4 yr old daughter is really into dinosaurs, so this was one of her B-day presents. She loves to look at the pop-ups. But the T-rex scared her the first time she saw it. Now she loves it.

Great book!.......2006-02-28

My 4 yr old loves this book. It has great rhymes, and nice pictures. It's just a really fun book!

The tape makes it even better.......2005-06-28

My toddler's teacher told us how much she and all the other kids love the tape that goes with this book. After many searching, I found out the tape is only sold through Scholastic. You can't get it online or in a bookstore. For those who are interested, call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC (1-800-724-6527).

Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live

Average customer rating:

So very interesting!
Live From New York
A review of SNL's first ten years
Quite possibly one of the best SNL books ever.
As entertaining as the show itself (the good episodes)

Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live
Doug Hill , and Jeff Weingrad
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guests

ASIN: 0688050999

Customer Reviews:

So very interesting!.......2007-08-11

I felt like a housewife at her fence, excitedly listening to all the juicy neighborhood gossip. It's a great book, though dated.

Live From New York.......2006-01-17

Like many, I grew up watching Saturday Night Live, either new episodes or those rerun on various cable channels, marveling at the wonderful humor and originality. I had always heard urban legends surrounding the show, and its earliest moments, and when I discovered this book I knew I had to read it. The authors take you through the first several seasons of the show, showing the reader many aspects of the backstage history, from the dynamics between Lorne Michaels and the cast to the use of drugs in the early days. There are many anecdotes from tales involving the Hell's Angels to the trip Chevy Chase made to the White House to lampoon President Ford, and all of the early greats are covered from Belushi, Murphy, and Chase to O'Donoghue, Franken, and Davis. I laughed recalling many of the skits that are presented in this book, and I sit amazed as I read about many of the sorrowful topics including the decline of Garret Morris and Larraine Newman. This book is older and dated, and many of the actors that were predicted to go into obscurity have resurfaced since publication and have seemingly came into there on. It's very light hearted, even given some of the darker topics, and it is a fairly quick read as it is written in an anecdotal style. Read this book and enjoy.

A review of SNL's first ten years.......2004-07-13

Here's everything that happened during the first ten seasons of NBC's late night comedy-variety show Saturday Night Live. There are ten faces of previous cast members on the cover. They are the 7 original members Dan Aykroyd,John Belushi,Chevy Chase,Jane Curtin,Garrett Morris,Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner. The other three are Bill Murray,who came shortly after Chase's departure,Joe Piscopo and Eddie Murphy,who were both cast members from 1980 to 1984. The book even tells about the cast members' post-SNL experiences and credits. During the first 10 years,SNL had three producers:Lorne Michaels(1975-1980 and 1985 to present),Jean Doumanian(1980-81) and Dick Ebersol(1981-1985). Michaels left with the remainder of the original SNL cast with Murray in tow as well,in 1980 and returned five years later. Doumanian was fired after the disasterous 1980-81 season and was succeeded by Ebersol. Ebersol met actress Susan Saint-James when she guest hosted once in 1981. They were later married and still are today. We won't forget other previous cast members such as Gilbert Gottfried,Robin Duke,Tim Kazurinsky,Brian Doyle Murray(Bill's brother),Billy Crystal who almost became an original member,Martin Short,Joan Cusack,Julia Louis-Dreyfus,Harry Shearer and James Belushi(John's brother). For more information on subsequent seasons,check out SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE-THE FIRST 20 YEARS.

Quite possibly one of the best SNL books ever........2002-09-23

You never see much of the behind the scenes going ons of SNL. It would probably make a great documentary "A week in the life of SNL" Until that video comes out (if ever) this is probably the next best thing. I havent finished it yet and already there is a wealth of things I learned. ...Come out with another edition guys! We want more.

As entertaining as the show itself (the good episodes).......2001-01-25

An excellent book, in terms of its breadth and the behind-the-scenes perspective it gives to the Saturday Night Live episodes we have all seen on TV. The writers certainly did their homework, and yet the scores of names, dates, and places mentioned never bog down the flow of this story. It is fascinating to read about the clashes between these stars who were both comic geniuses and petulant egomaniacs, and frankly, it is surprising that any episodes were able to air at all. Despite what you think about Saturday Night Live, you cannot deny the show's existence as a television institution, and reading this book makes you appreciate its innovation then, and longevity now, all the more.

Average customer rating:

Very dissappointing
Enhanced with more than a hundred photographs
Page-Turner

Saturday Nights with Daddy at the Opry
Libby Leverett-Crew
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1401601146

Book Description

Saturday Nights With Daddy at the Opry is both the story of growing up with a backstage pass to the entertainment world in Nashville as well as a heartwarming tale of a beautiful father-daughter relationship.

From the time she was a baby, Les Leverett, who was the official photographer for the Grand Ole Opry took his daughter, Libby, with him each Saturday evening to witness country music's greatest entertainers. Sometimes Libby carried his equipment, sometimes she played with the other children of Opry performers, but she was always observing.

Now some 40 years later, Libby Leverett-Crew touchingly remembers those Saturday nights with Minnie Pearl, Tex Ritter, Grandpa Jones, Roy Acuff, Dolly Parton, Porter Waggoner, Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, along with a few astronauts, muppets, ballet dancers, actors and actresses, and with Andy Warhol and kd lang thrown in.

Saturday Nights with Daddy at the Opry is a celebration of music and family-incredibly well written from one lucky daughter's perspective. Includes more than 100 photographs by Les Leverett.

Customer Reviews:

Very dissappointing .......2005-04-01

This promises to be something of a backstage look at the Grand Ole Opry, instead it's a more of a personal memoir with comments about country stars the author has known. While she writes quite a bit about Minnie Pearl, Grandpa Jones, Tex Ritter (hence the foreward is written by Tom & John Ritter, shortly before John's death), Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, Bill Monroe, Loretta Lynn, and John Hartford, and a few others are pictured and briefly commented on (Marty Stuart, Stringbean, Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, etc.) there are scores of Opry stars that don't even merit a mention. And over 35 of the "over 100 photographs" in the book are exclusively of Leverett-Crew's family without a star in the picture! And that's not counting the hefty amount of pictures that are with stars that also picture family members. Too bad the author did not just make this a book a history of her father's career (Les Leverett, a famed country music photographer) instead of this effort.

Enhanced with more than a hundred photographs.......2004-07-06

Saturday Nights With Daddy at The Opry by artist, writer, and photographer Libby Leverett-Crew is the biographical story of country music photographer Les Leverett as told by his daughter. As a little girl, Libby's father would take her along with him on his job as the official photographer for the Grand Ole Opry -- a position he held for over 30 years. This is not only a tribute to her father but also to the people (ranging from Dolly Parton and Minnie Pearl to Roy Acuff and Bill Monroe) who touched the lives of her family and the powerful impact a loving father has on the formative life of his daughter. Enhanced with more than a hundred photographs from her father, Saturday Nights With Daddy At The Opry is enthusiastically recommended reading -- especially for dedicated fans of the Grand Ole Opry.

Page-Turner.......2003-11-16

I picked it up to thumb through and couldn't put it down. It's beautifully written, full of photos, and absolutely fascinating. You don't have to be a country music buff to enjoy this book. It has great stories of many others from Andy Warhol to John Ritter. I felt like the proverbial fly on the wall. It's a must have, if only for the history lesson, but it's so much more.

Jukebox Saturday Night: More Memories of the Big Band Ear and Beyond

Average customer rating:

an interesting interlude
More great stories of the Big Band Era
ANN JILLIAN'S INTRO. SAYS IT ALL!

Jukebox Saturday Night: More Memories of the Big Band Ear and Beyond
Richard Grudens
Manufacturer: Celebrity Profiles Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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The Song Stars: The Ladies Who Sang With the Bands and Beyond (Song Stars)

ASIN: 1575791420

Book Description

Up close and personal interviews with the great bandleaders and singers of the Big Band Era

Customer Reviews:

an interesting interlude.......2002-01-30

I enjoyed this book and found some of the detail fascinating although at other times I felt it was skimming the surface and not going deep enough. There are slight errors eg Fletcher Henderson did not write King Porter Stomp he only arranged it and I was surprised to see Bubber Miley's picture included in a set of fifties Ellington men - he must have smelt pretty bad!

On the whole a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the big bands

More great stories of the Big Band Era.......2001-09-01

Like the Best Damn Trumpet Player, Grudens writes with feeling about all his heroes. Reading the interview with band leader Artie Shaw proves his respect for the musicians. Grudens is not a critic. He loves the music of his life and proves to all of us that the music of the era was the best music ever recorded. Where else have you ever read about people like Red Norvo, The Dorsey's the family of Duke Ellington, the great Stan Kenton, with help from Audree Kenton, Les Paul, the great Les Brown etc. You will love this book if you love that music. There is a feature about all the bands of Europe like Syd Lawrence and Ted Heath. The book is just great.There is even a section about the great songwriters, Ervin Drake ( I Believe and It Was a Very Good Year)and Jack Lawrence ( Linda, Tenderly) and others.

ANN JILLIAN'S INTRO. SAYS IT ALL!.......2000-08-21

Richard, you did a terrfic job, your book is for all music lovers but especially those of us who love big bands and great singers. And you know I love ANN JILLIAN'S SINGING! Count me in man. Best of luck Richard. Andy

GASPING FOR AIRTIME: TWO YEARS IN THE TRENCHES OF SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Average customer rating:

Jay Mohr is funny.
Loved Every Page
Wish it were longer
REALLY GOOD BOOK!
A decent book

GASPING FOR AIRTIME: TWO YEARS IN THE TRENCHES OF SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Jay Mohr
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Belushi
SILENT BOB SPEAKS: THE COLLECTED WRITINGS OF KEVIN SMITH

ASIN: 1401300065
Release Date: 2004-06-09

Book Description

hen 21-year-old Jay Mohr moved from New Jersey to New York City to pursue his dream of stand-up stardom, he never thought the first real job he'd land would be on Saturday Night Live. But, surprisingly, that's just what he did. What followed were two unbelievable, grueling, and exciting years of feverishly keeping pace with his talented cohorts, outmaneuvering the notorious vices that claimed the lives of other cast members, and struggling at all costs for the holy grail of late-night show business: airtime. In Gasping for Airtime, Jay offers an intimate account of the inner workings of Saturday Night Live. He also dishes on the guest hosts (John Travolta, Shannen Doherty, Charles Barkley), the musical guests (Kurt Cobain, Steven Tyler, Eric Clapton), and of course his SNL castmates (Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, and David Spade). Refreshingly honest and laugh-out-loud funny, this book will appeal both to fans of Jay Mohr and to devotees of Saturday Night Live.

Download Description

GASPING FOR AIRTIME is a hilarious and often moving memoir by former Saturday Night Live cast member Jay Mohr. When twenty-year-old Jay moved from New Jersey to New York City to pursue his dream of stand-up stardom, he never thought he'd land his first real job on Saturday Night Live. But he did-and what followed were two crazy years of trying to keep up with his talented castmates and get on the air as often as possible (a daunting feat for a rookie cast member). Jay offers an intimate first-person account of the inner workings of Saturday Night Live-the audition process, the first week on the job, what goes on at the pitch meetings, and how skits make the final cut of the show. Jay also dishes on the guest hosts (John Travolta, Shannen Doherty, Alec Baldwin, Charles Barkley), the musical guests (Kurt Cobain, Steven Tyler, Eric Clapton), and of course his SNL castmates (Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers). You'll learn which cast member was told off by guest host Sally Field, what happened when Janeane Garafalo told the New York Post that the show was biased against women, and why the show's opening monologues are often not funny. Finally, Jay writes candidly about his insecurities and frustrations on the show, and why he made the decision to leave after two years. Refreshingly honest and laugh-out-loud funny, this book will appeal to both fans of Jay Mohr and fans of Saturday Night Live.

Customer Reviews:

Jay Mohr is funny........2007-09-21

Good read, very insightful and revealing. Wait, are not those the same things! I'm a moron! Fruuuuuuuuuuuuunkis! Jay is hilarious on O&A and on Ron & Fez.

Loved Every Page.......2007-07-04

Of course the book tells stories of the inner workings of SNL, but the book itself is 3 stories: Jay's dealing with, and treatment of a panic disorder, hilarious stories of things he witnessed and played a part of, him getting totally screwed during his tenure. It's a fantastic book.

Wish it were longer.......2007-03-23

An insider's view of working in the trenches of "Saturday Night Live". This book is not meant to be a tell-all book nor a production diary. Some other reviewers have bemoaned the dearth of juicy gossip tidbits in the text. But Mohr's account is open and honest and rightfully one-sided. "SNL" has long been a fascinating cultural phenomenon, and Mohr gives you a peek behind the curtain. He speaks as a lower-rung writer/performer, and is certainly unjaded by the whirlwind success that other "SNL" alums achieved, mostly because he never achieved it himself.

He fawns over a musical guest or two, and has nothing but loving things to say about Chris Farley, but the rest is basically a week-for-week, show-for-show account of how the show's inhumane production schedule brought out both the best and worst in him (and everybody else).

REALLY GOOD BOOK!.......2007-03-13

This book was GREAT, I heard of Jay mohr and knew well of him but not knowing who he was you still could enjoy this book its a autobio on his life starting and ending in saturday night live. He tells some reallly funny stories about him and the cast at the time, like chris farely and adam sandler. It ends sad definitly but really good book its hard to put down.

A decent book.......2006-06-19

The review from Publishers Weekly, while being somewhat on the mark, doesn't give this book enough credit. I enjoyed this book, although I had never heard of Mohr. While few of the author's skits aired, he was having better ideas his second year, and one gets the feeling that if he hadn't been so impatient he would have met success.
What I really liked about the book is its feeling of authenticity. You feel as if you are there, getting the job, suffering the anxiety and witness to the SNL creative process. Also authentic is the portrait the author draws of himself, which is the main thread in the book. With all the defects that the author exhibits, he still comes off as quite likeable.

70s Fashion Fiascos: Studio 54 to Saturday Night Fever

Average customer rating:

Worth it for the photos
The fashion police as their best.
AWESOME and FUN book!!
A Marvelous Book About Horrendous Fashion!
A Trip Down Memory Lane

70s Fashion Fiascos: Studio 54 to Saturday Night Fever
Maureen Valdes Marsch
Manufacturer: Collectors Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1933112263

Book Description

If a generation is defined by what it wears, what does the “I’m With Stupid” T-shirt craze say about the 1970s? Nothing, Maureen Valdes Marsh explains, that wasn’t already hinted at by palazzo pants and topstitched leisure suits. In this picture-packed book, she examines these and other fashion imponderables of the decade. Through text, photos, and trivia, the book leads readers through the closets of an era that took a great leap forward, fashion-wise. Style disassociated itself from the past as self-expression took hold. Women, entering the work force in droves, exchanged their mothers’ housecoats for pants suits and maxi dresses. And men, determined to keep up, stepped out in vivid Quiana dress shirts and ties of incomprehensible width. 70s Fashion Fiascos documents it all — from thankfully brief fads like roller disco and feathered hair to styles that endured such as graphic tee’s — and does it with wit and affection.

Customer Reviews:

Worth it for the photos.......2007-06-04

This book is much smaller than I expected it to be looking at it on the computer screen when I ordered it. However, it does have lots of great photos and resources and I'd say its worth getting for your collection or it would make a great gift. I wish it would have gone by year, rather than style. Also I hoped that by the name "fashion fiascos" we would see more extreme styles of platform boots and shoes and other stereotypically 70's styles. Don't get me wrong, there are some, but not nearly as many as I'd thought and most of the book focuses on the "Marsha Brady" era of clothes, more so than the later 70's when you had a totally different style that was more 80's than 60's. The style of hair worn by somebody like Pam Dawber on Mork and Mindy in 1979 was radically different than the hard, sculpted styles of the earlier 70's. Clothes changed as radically as music did in the 70's. Even the sound of disco between the early stuff like "That's the Way I like it" was radically different from the later Disco sounds, such as Donna Summer and that change took place within only 5 years. Perhaps the author would do a Fashion Fiascos Vol 2 to include the onset of Disco to the end of the 1970s. This book doesn't even feature a John Travolta white suit. Still, aside from everything, it is a nice book for my collection and reference for those who sew period clothing.

The fashion police as their best........2007-05-07

Very funny fashion overview of the 70s fashion fiascos.

AWESOME and FUN book!! .......2007-02-13

This is a fantastic, high quality book in full color (wouldn't get the effect if it was in black & white, that's for sure!). It brings back memories of when I was a kid in the 70's. It's like looking through the old photo albums and making fun of what mom and dad were wearing. The color pictures, the ads, the history, the little tidbits of info.. what fun! Sure to bring back memories for anyone who was around in the 70's, and some of the fashions will.. well.. make you cringe. :) The book even gives some shopping resources on where to find some of these vintage 70's fashions if you'd want to dress like that. Overall, a very fun book! I love it! I hope Maureen Valdes Marsh comes up with an 80's fashion book.

A Marvelous Book About Horrendous Fashion!.......2006-11-16

When first 70s Fashion Fiascos: Studio 54 to Saturday Night Fever by Maureen Valdes Marsh crossed my desk, I admit, I screamed in horror. The caftan on the book cover alone was enough to put me in a swoon. But a pleading letter came with it, begging me to give this book my imprimatur.

Look it up.

Little did I know that I would be swept up by its contents: a blend of American social history, wit, and truly hideous clothes! Ms. Marsh is a marvelous writer, with a knack for the mot juste. Of leisure suits, she writes, "Color became the key to individuality, and no shade was too effeminate for the 1970s man to wear."

Since the youth of today has taken a great interest in the clothing of the decade, Ms. Marsh has even provided an up-to-date Shopping Resource Guide in the back.

- excerpt from my review in my blog, "Diary of a Mad Fashionista" at blogspot dot com.
[...]

A Trip Down Memory Lane.......2006-10-25

What a cool book! It brought me back to the optimism of the 70's. Ms. Valdes Marsh really knows her stuff and has the ads to prove it. The book is well laid out with an incredible array of fashion photos from the 70's (when fashion don'ts were fashion do's). Sadly, I must admit I actually thought I spotted a couple of my own fashions from high school days...

Average customer rating:

Excalibur Vol. 2: Saturday Night Fever
Chris Claremont , and Aaron Lopresti
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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Excalibur Vol. 1: Forging The Sword (X-Men)
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ASIN: 0785114769

Book Description

Professor Xavier has now assembled his ragtag team of Magneto and Callisto - with youngsters Wicked, Freakshow, and Shola under their tutelage. Already struggling to keep the peace in Genosha, as well as between themselves, will the team have the strength to get to the bottom of simultaneous terrorist attacks on X-Corp offices around the world? Plus: Magneto has returned to Genosha, and he's got someone with him... someone who promises to shake things up for Professor X and his newly formed team! Collects Excalibur #5-10.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (Plume Contemporary Fiction)

Average customer rating:

Post-war working class England brought to life.
nice piece of work
...a smashing slice of industrial English life (and tedium)

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (Plume Contemporary Fiction)
Alan Sillitoe
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Beyond a Boundary

ASIN: 0452269091

Customer Reviews:

Post-war working class England brought to life........1999-10-10

Sillitoe's work shows Arthur living his life to the extent his class boundaries will allow. Drinking, womanising, and violence dominate Arthurs life away from his lathe. We follow him on the breathless ride that is his life in the first part of the novel Saturday Night, and then on his reajustment to a calmer more sustainable life in Sunday Morning. The perspective the reader is given is Arthurs if only he could articulate it. This allows the reader to experience the working class perspective without the limits that somone lacking the education to express themselves as effectively would have. This is the key to the novel as the reader can utterly empathise with Arthur. A working class novel that does not focus on poverty but how class frustrations are expressed makes a welcome change.

nice piece of work.......1998-09-05

one of the best books i have ever been forced to read. my english class is reading it. an awesome novel.

...a smashing slice of industrial English life (and tedium).......1997-10-24

A working class man in northern England, Sillitoe bring to life the way it used to be. Between cups of tea, Woodbines, too many pints for sobriety and a long list of ladies, our man Arthur spends his days in mindless bicycle manufacture and his nights forgetting it all. There is the smell of coal smoke in the winter air, the taste and crunch of fried bread and bacon, the scent of a woman and the hard reality of no exit. Arthur came from a family who had spent too many years on the dole, a situation now repreating itself in England. Prosperity was a full larder and an endless supply of cigarettes and new clothes. Sillitoe has captured it all in a book which still breathes the life he infused into it almost 40 years ago.

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