Out With the Stars: Hollywood Nightlife in the Golden Era

Customer Reviews:

A Real Treasure!.......2004-06-27

This is one of those books I can't recommend highly enough if you love old Hollywood or the flamboyant architecture and graphic design of Hollywood in the 20's - 50's. I picked it up on a cut-out table in New York about 10 years ago and have come to appreciate it as one of the best books in my library - in fact it's one of those books that is always getting borrowed from friends who are graphic designers or work at ad agencies looking for inspiration.

Jim Heimann deserves much praise for assembling what is obviously a huge labor of love with lots of great photos and illustrations that you will never see anywhere else - everything from cocktail napkins and matchbooks to beautiful interior photography and paparazzi pics of the stars at play.

Also I'd like to disagree with the review - I actually found the writing in the book to be pretty engaging. It's fairly straightforward and to the point., luckily since there is a lot of history to cover.

Book Description

The Grumpy Old Troll was mean to his friend Mouse -- and now he needs help from Dora and Boots for Mouse to forgive him. But what should he say? Join Dora and Boots as they help the Troll, and learn about manners along the way!

Customer Reviews:

Dora dora dora.......2007-01-16

I bought this book for my 3 year old granddaughter so I could read it to her. I have to agree with the other reviewer. It is too wordy to keep the childrens attention spans. Other than that, it has a good moral and my granddaughter does now think twice about her manners. So all in all it was an ok book

Dora's Book of Manners.......2006-11-05

It is... OK. We really like Dora these days but this book is a bit to wordy to really get the message across.

helpful.......2006-03-24

This book is great!! Aside from the fact that my daughter loves Dora the Explorer it allows you to teach your child good manners and shows them how important it is to treat their playmates. I would recommend this to a parent.

Terrific Book for Younger Children.......2004-11-13

This is a very cute Dora book. I like the Trolls little rhymes throughout the book. It follows the usual Dora format, where they are following the maps trail, this time to find Trolls friend Mouse. It shows children some basics of manners and how they should behave. Ever since this my daughter tells everyone to "cover their mouth!" if they sneeze. So I guess it got the point across.

We love Dora!.......2004-09-06

I majored in Spanish teaching in college, so I really love Dora the Explorer. Dora makes learning a few Spanish words here and there fun for kids without it being overwhelming. My preschool-aged daughter loves all of her Dora books and DVDs. If you are thinking of buying this book, I would also recommend "Dora Loves Boots" and "Dora Goes to School." I bought them in a set and they have been great.

Average customer rating:

Interesting and captivating
..... And one duck egg!
Reader Speaks on "Harpo Speaks" Autobiography
Harpo Speaks! And speaks, he does!
A sweet spirit speaks

Harpo Speaks!
Harpo Marx , and Rowland Barber
Manufacturer: Limelight Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0879100362

Amazon.com

To Marx Brothers fans who have yet to read this book: Put it off as long as you can, because once you are finished, you will wish you could read it again for the first time. Harpo's life was interesting in itself, but it also frequently intersected with the lives of other fascinating people, most notably his own brothers and drama critic Alexander Woolcott. Marx also was part of the legendary Algonquin Round Table; he's got plenty to say about that. Wait'll you hear about what it means to "throw a Gookie." You'll never be able to watch a Marx Brothers movie again without looking for the Gookie!

Book Description

"This is a riotous story which is reasonably mad and as accurate as a Marx brother can make it. Despite only a year and a half of schooling, Harpo, or perhaps his collaborator, is the best writer of the Marx Brother. Highly recommended." -Library Journal "A funny, affectionate and unpretentious autobiography done with a sharply professional assist from Rowland Barber." -New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

Interesting and captivating.......2007-05-24

What a great look into an interesting life of the silent one. I read it twice!!

..... And one duck egg!.......2007-05-16

This book should be standard issue to every human being who wants to know what a well-lived life consists of! What an extraordinary person graces us with the story of his life and a look at the lives of his famous family members! Told with such engaging warmth, Harpo's story continually challanges us to wake up and realize that, like the author, it isn't so much whether you're sleeping in a palace or a harp case...eating caviar or turnip soup...that determines what your life is worth and how fulfilled you are. Nearly indescribable in its charm, this is a books to be read again and again.

Reader Speaks on "Harpo Speaks" Autobiography.......2007-03-31

This gem of a book spotlights the childhood years and adult life of legendary harpist and comedian, Harpo Marx. Having read many of Groucho's books, which are often "tongue in cheek," I find it refreshing to read a sincere, thoughtful account by and about Harpo. A sweeter man, totally in love with life, you will not find in any book. The narrative is engaging and offers a glimpse not only of the great vaudeville comedian turned film entertainer, but also of the history of vaudeville, New York City in the late 1800s/early 1900s, the New York intellectual/art scene, and more. Read the book, and then pop into the DVD player a Marx Brothers movie to view a Harpo performance on harp. Harpo is unforgettable.

Harpo Speaks! And speaks, he does!.......2007-02-07

One of the best books I've ever read, and that is saying something because I have never read a nonfiction book cover to cover in my life, and I laughed my way through this one easily enough. Not only is it entertaining and funny to boot, but it tells the evolution of the trade mark costume of Harpo, sheds light on the real Marx brothers, tells the story of his harp fasination, and reveals the story of the funny face he makes when he puffs out his cheeks, crosses his eyes, and sticks out his tongue a little (it's called a "Gookies"). Harpo wrote one heck of a book when he wrote this, and it reads quickly, at least, it did for me.

If you have any interest in the Marx Brothers at all, this is the book for you!

A sweet spirit speaks.......2007-01-13

I'm not sure what the ingredients are to this man's alchemy--parts humility, gentleness, astute observation unclogged with snooty education, and complete anarchy, the kind that brings down goverments--but I've never had such an intense, wistful desire to have known somebody in my life. This book gets less than five stars merely because the style of "little Arthur Marx's" collaborator (I'm assuming) can get so old-tyme movie magazine/Hedda Hopper/name-dropper that it's painful.

But, barring the ocassional style snaffu, Harpo's sweet nature comes out almost at every turn. And thrillingly, every name he drops is huge. Kaufmann, Parker, Ruth Gordon, Rachmanninoff, Rimsky-Korsikov, Hearst et Davies, the bizarre and brilliant Oscar Levant...on and on and on. The section on Levant alone would have made a delicious book.

"I got the impression when I was little", writes his son, Bill, "That vaudeville was this marvelous, mythical kingdom where fathers and uncles came from". Harpo and his brothers grew up poor, hungry and Jewish in fin de siècle New York's upper East Side. He writes of his mother's dream for her five boys--the stage, a ticket out of the slums and poverty--and what happened when they finally hit it big after years of dives and buggy flophouse beds. Vaudeville itself is one the main characters of the book.

As is the giant personality of Alexander Woollcott, his closest and oldest friend. If I understand this correctly, Woollcott and Marx and the rest of the Algonquins pranked each other for almost twenty years.
Their gags crossed continents and oceans. Their summer together on the Riviera is one of the most loony periods of his life--flashing George Bernard Shaw, crashing millionairess' cotillions, being seduced by stars into...reading them comics. I swear this is much funnier than I'm telling it, and more impressive. France would never be the same.

Neither, oddly, would Russia, which he visited in the early thirties, just when the starvation, murder and purges were gearing up full blast. In his capacity as "professional listener" (and watcher)--and as a guy that never seems to think much of himself--Harpo talks to and quotes everyone: Jewish stagehands ("At least here there are no pogroms") , theatre promoters, Soviet party big-wigs, spies ("Da. I understand. Is joke...") .

After all the lunacy, his settled married life seems to have been very satisfying. He certainly seems to have been the ideal father to his wife Susan's sensible Mom. Okay, who am I trying to kid? He sounds like the PERFECT father, a goofy Atticus Finch, if you will. No wonder Susan, his wife, tracked him down and finagled an invite to the Goldwyn's to meet him, and hung around for months while he waffled. It's so romantic it will make your toes curl with pleasure.

As Arthur Marx ages, this book becomes increasingly poignant. Where does all that youthful silliness and energy go, as one slows down? If the last few pages, set in a Vegas casino with an old friend, don't make you weep with the recognition of the place in our lives where we accept our limits--then you have a heart of stone. Beautiful.

A simply heartrending Afterword by Harpo's son Bill completes the book. "I miss him," he writes. "Harpo I can see on the late show, along with my crazy uncles. It's Dad that I miss." We do too, Bill.

Four Films: Annie Hall, Interiors, Manhattan, Stardust Memories

Average customer rating:

Do It For The Eggs
Truly pointless
Must have omnibus for Woody Allen fans and script writers.
Hilarious
Great read - Explores the human condition with insight.

Four Films: Annie Hall, Interiors, Manhattan, Stardust Memories
Woody Allen
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394712293
Release Date: 1982-09-12

Amazon.com

Woody Allen's greatness as a director rests squarely on his stupendous talent as a writer. In the glory years from 1977 to 1980 he released his best--and best written--movies. Included in this volume are the scripts of Annie Hall, Allen's first mature film and the winner of the Best Picture Oscar; Interiors, his first serious work, a Bergmanesque treatment of a tortured family; Manhattan, his greatest and most characteristic movie, which concerns a writer's attempt to find true love in the comic wilderness of New York City; and Stardust Memories, his most satiric and personal piece, about the effects of fame on a film director who is standing at a crossroads in his life.

Book Description

This book contains the script to four of Woody Allen's movies: Annie Hall, Interiors, Manhattan and Stardust Memories.

Customer Reviews:

Do It For The Eggs.......2001-05-27

I bought this while studying screenwriting, assuming that owning ANNIE HALL and MANHATTAN would somehow deliver upon me some kind of ability, perhaps a bit of greatness via osmoseous (sp?).

I was wrong.

I also realized that MANHATTAN is based more on the visual than I had realized--the script, while great, isn't on the same level as ANNIE HALL; INTERIORS, which dissapointed me on the screen is a very good script; and--this just confirmed what I already knew--ANNIE HALL is a great great GREAT film.

Did I mention that ANNIE HALL is a great film?

Truly pointless.......2000-04-20

If you're a cineaste, it can be quite enlightening and entertaining to read the original shooting script that a favorite film was based on. In addition to the screenwriter's comments and directions, you usually get several scenes that were cut from the finished movie as well as occasional odd little changes in dialogue sprinkled throughout and an overall peek at some aspects of the creative process that a film goes through from inception to completion. Unfortunately, that's not the case with this book, since the four "screenplays" included are merely transcriptions from the finished films. VCRs were generally available when this book was first published in '82, so even back then this book was a pointless rip-off. Watch the films, skip the book.

Must have omnibus for Woody Allen fans and script writers........1999-05-23

This book contains "screenplays" of Woody Allen's most famous films including Manhattan and Annie Hall. It doesn't say screenplays on the cover, but that's what I figured it would be. Instead, what I got was a book that's not even script formatted. The publisher also adds his notes whenever he pleases to explain what's going on 'from the film' to the reader.

Hilarious.......1998-09-18

This great book includes the screenplays of two of Woody's best films, "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan." There's also "Stardust Memories" which is good, and "Interiors" which is, well...ok. Well worth the money.

Great read - Explores the human condition with insight........1998-04-24

This book cheered me along during a stay in hospital and so I will always remember it fondly.
To me, the scripts represent the best of Woody Allen as they are truthful and realistic. Humour is
sharp in the scripts (except for Interiors of course) as it exposes pretenses, hypocrisies & other human fallibilities. There is so much more
to this than clever lines. This should be a text for
aspiring scriptwriters. To any publishers reading
this, how about another compilation which has
"Husbands & Wives" and "Mighty Aphrodite" in it?!

Visual Anthropology: Photography as a Research Method

Average customer rating:

Great for getting started in Visual Anthropology.
A great resource

Visual Anthropology: Photography as a Research Method
John,Jr. Collier , and Malcolm Collier
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0826308996

Book Description

First published in 1967, Visual Anthropology has become a classic in its field, invaluable not only for anthropologists but for anyone using photography, film, and video to understand human behavior and culture. This completely revised and expanded edition brings the technical information up to date and includes the insights the Colliers have gained from nearly thirty-five additional years of collective teaching and research experience since the first edition.

This book provides reliable research methods from the systematic gathering of data through analysis of photographic records to transfer of insights to ethnographic records, with an emphasis on developing the skills of thorough observation rather than on technical skill.

Customer Reviews:

Great for getting started in Visual Anthropology........2005-07-18

I got this book after a long held interest in visual anthropology. Its simple informative text was very useful for those interested in getting involved with visual anthropology. It might be a little oversimplified for those who those have a stronger background than me. Lots of story examples and pictures to interpret.

A great resource.......2000-04-24

I was required to buy Visual Anthropology for my Visual Sociology class my sophomore year of college. This is one i didn't sell back to the bookstore after the class was over because it is so useful. It is a great book to help a person learn how to use a camera as a research tool and get the most out of it.

Eleanor Powell: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts)

Average customer rating:

Eleanor Powell (a Bio without Life)
Book Does Justice

Eleanor Powell: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts)
Margie Schultz
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313281106

Book Description

Eleanor Powell began her notable career at age 12, with an appearance at a supper show at an Atlantic City hotel. As a teenager, she moved to vaudeville and Broadway, where producers insisted that the classically trained dancer study tap. With minimal training, she became the queen of tap dancing in the 1930s and 1940s, with MGM casting her in some of the best-loved musicals of all time. This book details her life and career. A concise biography overviews the principal events in the life and work of Eleanor Powell. The chapters that follow are devoted to her work in particular media, such as film, radio, and television. Each chapter contains entries for her productions, which provide cast and credit information, plot synopses, criticism, and excerpts from reviews. Appendices provide additional information about her life, and an annotated bibliography summarizes the many writings by and about her.

Customer Reviews:

Eleanor Powell (a Bio without Life).......2002-07-30

This type of book is more like a research paper than a biography of a major star, and one of the great dancers of the period. The Bio is a dry review of who she was and what movies she performed in, but lacks any of the material that makes her a living woman with feeling and talent. It would have been good for a graduate paper for an MA degree, but not much more. Any one can compile facts. The secret of a great biography is the making of the subject come to life. Even as a MA study, I would only give it a B-.

Book Does Justice.......2000-04-22

In my opinion, Eleanor Powell was one of the greatest dancers of all-time. Ms. Marge Schultz does the dancing legend justice by thoroughly reviewing her life and career. From Eleanor's rise to stardom im MGM to her failed marriage to Glenn Ford to her Las Vegas comeback in the 1960s, it is all in there. The only drawback to this 300 page tome was that there were no pictures showing the beauty of Eleanor Powell. There's not much out there honoring the dancing legend, so if you are a fan of Eleanor Powell, don't miss this book!

Independent Film Distribution: How to Make a Successful End Run Around the Big Guys

Average customer rating:

Awesome!!
One book indie filmmakers should not miss
Vital for the Filmmaker
Like overhearing parts of a conversation...
'Must' guide for any involved in film production.

Independent Film Distribution: How to Make a Successful End Run Around the Big Guys
Phil Hall
Manufacturer: Michael Wiese Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932907165

Book Description

No matter how good your film is, if it doesn't get distribution, it will never been seen by anyone. Learn how to break out of the pack and champion your movie by getting it seen and heard by the biggest audience possible!

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!!.......2007-08-15

This has got to be one of the best books regarding the business side of movie/film production that I've read in a long time. It is very candid, no punches being pulled. It is just straight up! This book really opened my eyes to the distribution side of the business, and I really appreciate the distributors list at the end. If you are serious about getting your movie out there, read this book! Then read it again!

One book indie filmmakers should not miss.......2007-06-07

After years of watching movies and perhaps having friends, family, and acquaintances tell you that you should write a screenplay or make a movie, you've decided that that's what you want to do with some of the months or years ahead. First, don't panic. Lots of people have had this epiphany before. It's a long journey, but the rewards can be rich if you remember that it's step by step, and not javelin leap by javelin leap. It takes time and much effort, and even more patience.

You'll need a few things before you even begin to direct. Obviously, you need a camera, a screenplay, some actors if necessary, and locations where you'll be allowed to shoot. But besides all that, you'll need some books too, some guides to show you how indie filmmaking is, and what you can do to make your experience an enlightening one, perhaps even more exciting than you might have imagined. That's where Phil Hall comes in.

You pick up a copy of his book, Independent Film Distribution, and prepare to read Phil's educated, calm prose that I'm confident will get you through any worries you might have. It might not solve them all, because an indie film production still has lots to be concerned about during it, but you'll look at how Phil sees independent film and not only perhaps see even more names you might have not recognized at first, but see how to market your dream film, see what it takes to shout at the world, "See my movie!"

Phil's greatest quality in his writing is that he's aware of the filmmakers like you who might read this book. To make an indie film is hard work, but to get people to see it is even more difficult, and he makes sure you know. He does not discourage, but rather guides you through what's out there, also covering what film festivals are all about, and the pros and cons of it.

But it's not only him! No, no. You'll be fortunate enough to read interviews with various, esteemed indie filmmakers, and quotes throughout the chapters from countless others who have been entrenched in indie filmmaking and other aspects of filmmaking and film distribution for years and can speak from where you might want to be one day.

This is where you go for all you'd want to learn. And Phil, being the understanding, considerate writer that he is, he includes a list of distributors in the back, for you to see who is in the business of getting indie films out there. Believe me, there are many books you could possibly have on your shelves about indie filmmaking, lots of authors talking up the history and perhaps also the distribution, but Independent Film Distribution needs to be one you keep close at hand and heart. You'll learn more than you ever thought possible, even if you know a whole lot already.

Vital for the Filmmaker.......2007-02-27

Phil's book is a vital source for understanding the current landscape of independent distribution. I wish that I'd read this book two years ago before I'd started on my first feature. He's an excellent writer, but it's not just the writing that shines through - it's the interviews. He gets the salient questions in and avoids the starry eyed fluff that has a tendency to creep into industry interviews. I highly recommend it!

Like overhearing parts of a conversation..........2007-02-24

I didn't know what to expect when starring at the front cover of this book and thumbing through its list of contents, but I hungered for knowledge on this topic and bought it with reservations.

After reading the book, it left me with a sense that I merely overheard parts of a conversation, wishing I caught all of it. Although the interviews were pretty decent and sort of acted like conversations at a festival's kick-off party, it didn't fulfill me the way I needed it to.

I can say there are a few things I did learn, which - I guess - made it worth the read, but I won't keep this book.

I don't know... I think I could have learned more by a few hours of reading articles on the Internet, but that's just me.

I give it a C minus.

'Must' guide for any involved in film production........2007-02-04

Independent Film Distribution: How to Make a Successful End Run Around the Big Guys is all about distribution for those on a low budget - and distribution is so key to movie success that any and all film library holdings needs this as a basic reference. Chapters introduce all the basics of distribution and blend these with tips from leading marketing experts, festival programmers, film critics and more. From what should be considered for a web site promotion effort to understanding the film publicist's role, all aspects of marketing success are covered in depth in this 'must' guide for any involved in film production.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

Do You Know All the Words to "Men of Harlech"?
THE BRITISH ALAMO! -co-starring ALFIE and not the DUKE!
The Best Book For the Best Movie!!
Outstanding work on ZULU
Worth 100 stars!

Zulu: With Some Guts Behind It
Sheldon Hall
Manufacturer: Tomahawk Press (GA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0953192660

Customer Reviews:

Do You Know All the Words to "Men of Harlech"?.......2007-07-17

Do you know all the words to "Men of Harlech"? Do you long to tell some slacker whining about why you got stuck with a dirty job: "Because we're here lad and nobody else. Just us." Do you believe that one of the component parts of a miracle can be, "a bayonet... with some guts behind it"? Well, my lad, then this is the book for you, the book that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know and more about the greatest war movie ever made: Zulu.

This labor of love by Sheldon Hall is chock full of surprises, like the fact that the creative partnership behind it was composed of three flaming leftists: a couple of youthful Communists, John Prebble and Cy Endfield, who avoided the United States during the McCarthy Era, and an unrepentant socialist, Stanley Baker. Contrary to what one might have expected, surprisingly little of their leftist politics showed up on the screen (some of it Sheldon shows ending up on the cutting room floor in what is either dumb luck or good thinking on somebody's part) in a movie that is often condemned today as a tribute to British imperialism. Why? Well, partly it was just a better grasp of reality. They would have realized what contemporary leftists in the film industry are incapable of understanding anymore: that there is more money to be made in celebrating military heroism than in trashing it. But there was something else that IMHO made a world of difference: they had all lived through WWII, and they had all served in the military as well, making it MUCH more difficult for them to despise the common soldier as the subhuman tool of imperialism that modern leftists who have neither served themselves nor faced the realistic prospect of losing their freedom on the battlefield do so easily today.

Mr. Hall's thoroughness is evident throughout. Among other things he exposes Jack Hawkins' famous claim to have walked out on his own premiere to have a serious problem: the scenes he complains about were never in the movie, and then offers a plausible explanation for it. He also devotes a full chapter to the difficulties inherent in making a film on this subject in South Africa during Apartheid. The later prequel Zulu Dawn is also briefly discussed.

Perhaps the most interesting piece of all was Mr. Hall's spirited, and I must say to me quite convincing, defense of the movie against nitpickers looking for historical errors by pointing out that:

1. the subsequent explosion of research on the Anglo-Zulu War, much of it inspired by the movie itself, was rather obviously not available to the filmmakers,
2. some of the nitpicks are hardly settled questions and in any case reflect PREVIOUSLY made stylistic choices: (Should Chard as an Engineer have been depicted in a BLUE coat? In a contemporaneous painting of the battle HE POSED FOR he is shown wearing a red coat.)
3. during the volley fire defense of the final redoubt, you can see in the closeups that Michael Caine possesses anachronistic dental work for the period -- I'm forced to agree with the author that, "this is madness!"

I was a bit dubious at first about Mr. Hall's superficially cutesy layout: dividing the book into three parts before, during, and after the film shoot respectively titled: "Preparing for Battle", "Dispatches from the Front", and "Victory and Aftermath", and further subdividing it into chapters titled with quotes from the movie, for example 8. "Fall them in, call the roll" -- Casting the actors and 18. "Volley fire present!" -- Reviews and criticism, but as in the examples cited, I cannot dispute their appropriateness. (I wonder how long it took Mr. Hall to come up with them all?)

Defects? The only one I can think of is an unfair one: I only wish Mr. Hall could have written this a few decades sooner. After forty years so many of the principals are gone, some to the simple ravages of time and many more to the Big C. Fortunately devoted spouses and children, justifiably proud of their lost loved ones' achievements, were able to fill in many of the gaps.

Note: if you want a complete audio recording of the movie's version of "Men of Harlech", which is slightly different from any other, your best choice is the first track on the Best of Ivor Emmanuel, who sang it in the movie as Private Owen. This isn't precisely the musical track heard on the film, but unlike the version heard on the film's audio track, it is complete and in one piece. (A more recently recorded choral version without Ivor Emmanuel is also available: Zulu (1964 Film) (Includes Other John Barry Film Score Selections))

THE BRITISH ALAMO! -co-starring ALFIE and not the DUKE!.......2006-12-26

Of course the real star both in front of the camera and behind it in Sheldon Hall's book, is actor Stanley Baker. Not a household name in America, but one who was certainly a presence in Britain. Enough that is, to personally get this exspensive epic into production. Together with writer-producer-director partner Cy Endfield, they had just as much trouble making the 1964 Paramount release "Zulu", as John Wayne had in filming his version of "The Alamo" four years earlier. Hall is certainly one dedicated "Zulu" movie buff and it shows in his exhaustive research and attention to detail in this book. It's everything you ever wanted to know about the movie and the real event at Rorke's Drift, South Africa in 1879. When a mere 150 soldiers of the British Army, were forced to take on over 4,000 Zulu warriors.

Stanley Baker sadly never achieved international stardom, but a young "pre-Alfie" Michael Caine was introduced to the world in this film -without the cockney accent though. Indeed, this is a good-read, well illustrated with script pages, shooting schedules and set designs etc. I remember myself seeing "Zulu" on it's first release in London, at my local ABC cinema and the place was packed. A schoolboy's dream of an action picture and it was British produced, well American Joseph E. Levine did help to get it financed...

The Best Book For the Best Movie!!.......2006-07-09

The book Zulu:With Some Guts Behind It is a great book for people who like the movie Zulu. It explains every stage of the film-making, and tells you about the actors and their own carrers. I love the movie Zulu, and I think that the book has, if it is even possible, made it so I enjoy it more! Another great thing about this book, is that it has alot of pictures, so it is not as intimidating if you were just going to start reading, and say to yourself, Wow, thats alot of pages, of alot of words, and letters. And the author breaks it down, so if you just want to read for a short time you can pick the topic you want to read about, and not have to go through the book to find something you are intrested in that is not too long. All and all, it is a fantastic book that you could read over and over.

Outstanding work on ZULU.......2006-02-17

With the market glutted with works supplying overviews of both the whole of filmdom and specific film genres, more and more authors are turning their attention and critical eyes to the study of individual movies. One of the best of these, and a model for future works of this sort, is WITH SOME GUTS BEHIND IT by Sheldon Hall which deals with the making of the film ZULU. To call this work definitive would simply not do it justice. Frankly, it is hard to imagine any area of the creation of this motion picture that Hall has not covered. No nook or cranny has gone unexplored. In addition, it is gloriously illustrated. The absolutest highest marks in all departments. It was a long time in coming but for once the wait was definitely worth it. Bravo!

Worth 100 stars!.......2006-02-17

If you love the movie ZULU, this is the end all and be all of "making of" books. Sheldon Hall must have ferreted out every last detail that still exists about the movie and he has written with infinite love a magnificent tome.

Average customer rating:

Diego is FANTASTICO!
My son LOVES Diego
Book is colorful, but lacks read-aloud-ability

Meet Diego! (Dora the Explorer (8x8))

Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689859937

Book Description

Meet Diego, Dora's cool cousin! Diego can talk to animals, and he rescues them when they're in danger. But when Baby Jaguar cries for help, can Diego get to him before he plunges into the waterfall? Find out in this exciting adventure!

Customer Reviews:

Diego is FANTASTICO!.......2006-12-27

This book is great. I really like Diego. He's really cool. Diego is quick as a bunny, but he's twice as funny. Get it? When Baby Jaguar gets stuck at the waterfall, it's up to Boots and the two cousins to save him. Dora's cousin is a great animal rescuer, un rescatmos animal.

My son LOVES Diego.......2006-01-15

My son loves Diego, so anything Diego is a big hit. I love the stories because they encourage my son to think and problem solve. Diego is into wildlife rescue and the stories teach facts about different wildlife found in Central and South America and teaches the need for conservation. My only complaint would be that there aren't enough Diego books and toys. Dora gets all the limelight. Don't forget the boys!

Book is colorful, but lacks read-aloud-ability.......2004-07-16

We love Dora, but these Simon Spotlight\Nick Jr. books lack read-aloud-ability.

Since my daughter and son are 4 and 2-years respectively, they love Dora and Boots, and I have bought several of these little books but always with pretty much the same experience: I have to invent parts of the storyline and/or ignore some of it. For example, in this book the crew comes upon a ladder with no wrungs. Like in the television version the wrungs are hidden in the forest and need to be found and counted. No problem. However rather than showing Diego, Dora and Boots climbing the ladder after their successfully reconstructing it, we are shown two pages of them sliding down a zip cord. For young kids this is a discontinuity. They need to see them climb the completed ladder. It is a stupid bit of editing in my humble opinion.

Customer Reviews:

A Hall lot of fun........2004-08-12

Marie Hall is one of the most sensitive and accurate children's authors of our age, and with this, a wonderfully touching account of one young boy's struggle with wind, she's produced a timeless classic destined to be enjoyed for years to come by a whole host of enthralled readers, young and old.
The story is simple, but effortlessly charming. Gilberto, a young Brazilian boy, visits his grandfather, Edson Arantes de Nascimento, high in the mountains above Rio de Janeiro. Gilberto worships Edson, and longs to be able to play the nose flute as well as he. The wily old man reveals to his grandson that the secret lies in his diet. Gilberto is amazed to discover this diet consists entirely of pinto beans.
Wanting to impress his grandfather, Gilberto waits until the old man is asleep, and sneaks down to the kitchen to prepare a massive feast of pinto, the consequences of which cause much hilarity and provide the detail behind the book's cover picture. The beautifully written section where Gilberto struggles to contain the wind building up inside him whilst frantically struggling to keep his white hat tight to his head will stay in this reviewers "top ten beautifully written sections in books" list for a long time to come.
I can't rate this book highly enough. The powerful and explosive climax, in which a desperate Gilberto finally succumbs to the pressure building up inside him, and destroys his grandfather's flat, his pinto bean field, flattens a neighbouring shanty town, destroys the Maracana football stadium and sends the Cristo Redentor tumbling down the Corcovado Mountain might prove a little rich for some readers, but you can forgive Hall this slightly over-excited ending as the build-up to it has been so good.
All in all, a superb book, and not to be missed.

Gilberto and the Wind.......2001-03-12

Fanastic introduction to a unit or discussion on wind. Gilberto is a little boy experiencing and playing with the wind. Beautiful illustrations. My kindergarten class was enthralled with it.

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