Books – Ebooks – Reviews & More

Reviews

This film somewhat disappointed me. I walked away from this film thinking that Jim Morrison was an alcoholic jerk who cared only about himself. Thankfully, soon after watching this movie I read 'No One Here Gets Out Alive' and I have come to see a better picture of the true Jim Morrison. It seems as if Hollywood is only interested in the abusive side of Morrison and not the more down-to-earth side of Morrison. Oliver Stone made Jim's character so one dimensional... and this is a serious flaw in a movie that is based, for the mostpart, on one man. That being said, Val Kilmer plays a GREAT Jim Morrison. The movie has many fantastic parts: the making of 'Light My Fire', the cinematography in Jim's desert peyote scene, the Miami concert. It is a great film to watch, but definitely read 'No One Here Gets Out Alive' if you want to understand the more human side of Jim Morrison. 4/5

The Doors - directed by Oliver Stone - is a sad story about the 60's rock group and legend Jim Morrison, lead singer, poet and songwriter. The movie covers the period from 1965-1971. Val Kilmer stars as Jim Morrison, a very intelligent man who is his own worst enemy. He cannot handle the pressures of success. We see a slow train wreck as he turns to excesses in drugs, drink, women and exhibitionism. In the beginning (1965) he is going to college, but also a Southern California beach boy, writing poetry, finding his first true love. It could be the start of Beach Blanket Bingo for that matter. A friend helps Jim form the Doors rock group (named after the book by Aldus Huxley "The Doors of Perception") and from there on it is a marathion of drugs, drink, egotism, confusion and despair. Depending on how much you enjoy the 1960's counterculture will be how you view this movie. It hypnotizes in the treadmill of drug trips, crazy outfits, California, trendy clubs, Andy Warhol parties, and outrageous behavior. As fabulous as Val Kilmer plays Jim Morrison, the drugged, halucinagenic excess becomes boring fast. The opporutnity lost is that Morrison had talent with words, high intelligence, but spent it on the dark side. Seeing this movie I am wondering if he could have been pulled from the abyss with better handlers and some on-going therapy. Morrison died in Paris at the young age of 27 and is buried in a near-by cemetery for famous artists. Overall, the movie seemed like a long tabloid expose and I felt like this was an intrusion on the Morrison's privacy. It also starred Meg Ryan (as Morrison's girlfriend), and the Doors group played by Frank Whaley, Kyle MacLachlan

This movie is a very insightful look into the Doors and Jim Morrison's life. However, if you really want an accurate history I would read Riders on the Storm by John Densmore.

Surely Jim Morrison's life wasn't as debauched as Oliver Stone presents it in THE DOORS (1991). The film plays like a rock music gang bang. OK, not exactly, but if Jimmy was THAT physically active wouldn't he have had a case of terminal johnson blisters? Recently seeing this movie again reminded me of how handsome Val Kilmer was in his youth. Physically he makes a superb Morrison, can even sing like the man. Yes, the music is just great here and the actors playing the other members of the Doors work well in their roles. Crispin Glover's Andy Warhol is also interesting (in a creepy sort of way), but this film is good only up to a point. The early story works best, and then you get to that vampire sequence, geez. And how about Meg Ryan's elevator surprise? If I saw what she encountered that night I'd be outta there on the next flight to San Berdoo. Yet Pamela Courson stuck around for more heartbreak, and more, and more, and... Director Stone must have a message here. Surely it isn't: don't shoot too many scenes with a red filter? With Morrison/Kilmer overdrugging, overdrinking, oversexing, overeating and overschmoozing, it has to be: all things in moderation. In a two year period, Janis Joplin died of heroin and booze, Jim Morrison passed away in a bathtub from a heroin OD and Jimi Hendrix asphixiated while regurgitating the 9 sleeping pills he'd swallowed, which apparently was 8½ too many. All were only 27. All had made wondrous music. The word "tragedy" doesn't begin to describe how Janis, Jim and Jimi left us, and what the world lost in potential new songs as a result. Their deaths marked a turning point in music and in how we fans lived our own lives. Epilogue: Three years after Jim left her, Pamela Courson also died of a heroin overdose. Like the others, Pamela was only 27 years old.

The Doors. I don't very much understand this movie. Not for the story but I am unsure where Oliver Stone was coming from with this take on the life and death of Jim Morrison. Did Stone have an axe to grind? It seemed that way. I have read several books and watched footage of him as well as interviews with those closest to him. Yes, Morrison did have issues with alcohol that at times rendered him ( I am sure) unbearable and obnoxious but it seems this is all we ever see. The character is very one dimensional. Val Kilmer has the look and feel of Morrison down pat. Unfortunately, he had to follow Stone's portrayal which is where the problem is. There was another side that Stone neglects entirely. Morrison in interviews tended to be very soft spoken, shy. We never see this side as it is thrown aside to have the arrogant Morrison 24/7 stoned and /or drunk staggering around spouting lines from songs that were still unwritten and at times written by other band members. Morrison was a talented poet and troubled person with his own demons; however we never get to see this in favor of flamboyant and at times inaccurate depictions. There are some pros to this movie. Some of the cinematography is beautiful, and Kilmer did a great job of sounding like the real Jim Morrison. The music and the feel is pure 60's heaven. I would like to have been around then to see a glimpse. The movie has its' merits, but most will walk away for an utter dislike for Morrison which is based on a lot of falsehoods..

Reviews

This film somewhat disappointed me. I walked away from this film thinking that Jim Morrison was an alcoholic jerk who cared only about himself. Thankfully, soon after watching this movie I read 'No One Here Gets Out Alive' and I have come to see a better picture of the true Jim Morrison. It seems as if Hollywood is only interested in the abusive side of Morrison and not the more down-to-earth side of Morrison. Oliver Stone made Jim's character so one dimensional... and this is a serious flaw in a movie that is based, for the mostpart, on one man. That being said, Val Kilmer plays a GREAT Jim Morrison. The movie has many fantastic parts: the making of 'Light My Fire', the cinematography in Jim's desert peyote scene, the Miami concert. It is a great film to watch, but definitely read 'No One Here Gets Out Alive' if you want to understand the more human side of Jim Morrison. 4/5

The Doors - directed by Oliver Stone - is a sad story about the 60's rock group and legend Jim Morrison, lead singer, poet and songwriter. The movie covers the period from 1965-1971. Val Kilmer stars as Jim Morrison, a very intelligent man who is his own worst enemy. He cannot handle the pressures of success. We see a slow train wreck as he turns to excesses in drugs, drink, women and exhibitionism. In the beginning (1965) he is going to college, but also a Southern California beach boy, writing poetry, finding his first true love. It could be the start of Beach Blanket Bingo for that matter. A friend helps Jim form the Doors rock group (named after the book by Aldus Huxley "The Doors of Perception") and from there on it is a marathion of drugs, drink, egotism, confusion and despair. Depending on how much you enjoy the 1960's counterculture will be how you view this movie. It hypnotizes in the treadmill of drug trips, crazy outfits, California, trendy clubs, Andy Warhol parties, and outrageous behavior. As fabulous as Val Kilmer plays Jim Morrison, the drugged, halucinagenic excess becomes boring fast. The opporutnity lost is that Morrison had talent with words, high intelligence, but spent it on the dark side. Seeing this movie I am wondering if he could have been pulled from the abyss with better handlers and some on-going therapy. Morrison died in Paris at the young age of 27 and is buried in a near-by cemetery for famous artists. Overall, the movie seemed like a long tabloid expose and I felt like this was an intrusion on the Morrison's privacy. It also starred Meg Ryan (as Morrison's girlfriend), and the Doors group played by Frank Whaley, Kyle MacLachlan

This movie is a very insightful look into the Doors and Jim Morrison's life. However, if you really want an accurate history I would read Riders on the Storm by John Densmore.

Surely Jim Morrison's life wasn't as debauched as Oliver Stone presents it in THE DOORS (1991). The film plays like a rock music gang bang. OK, not exactly, but if Jimmy was THAT physically active wouldn't he have had a case of terminal johnson blisters? Recently seeing this movie again reminded me of how handsome Val Kilmer was in his youth. Physically he makes a superb Morrison, can even sing like the man. Yes, the music is just great here and the actors playing the other members of the Doors work well in their roles. Crispin Glover's Andy Warhol is also interesting (in a creepy sort of way), but this film is good only up to a point. The early story works best, and then you get to that vampire sequence, geez. And how about Meg Ryan's elevator surprise? If I saw what she encountered that night I'd be outta there on the next flight to San Berdoo. Yet Pamela Courson stuck around for more heartbreak, and more, and more, and... Director Stone must have a message here. Surely it isn't: don't shoot too many scenes with a red filter? With Morrison/Kilmer overdrugging, overdrinking, oversexing, overeating and overschmoozing, it has to be: all things in moderation. In a two year period, Janis Joplin died of heroin and booze, Jim Morrison passed away in a bathtub from a heroin OD and Jimi Hendrix asphixiated while regurgitating the 9 sleeping pills he'd swallowed, which apparently was 8½ too many. All were only 27. All had made wondrous music. The word "tragedy" doesn't begin to describe how Janis, Jim and Jimi left us, and what the world lost in potential new songs as a result. Their deaths marked a turning point in music and in how we fans lived our own lives. Epilogue: Three years after Jim left her, Pamela Courson also died of a heroin overdose. Like the others, Pamela was only 27 years old.

The Doors. I don't very much understand this movie. Not for the story but I am unsure where Oliver Stone was coming from with this take on the life and death of Jim Morrison. Did Stone have an axe to grind? It seemed that way. I have read several books and watched footage of him as well as interviews with those closest to him. Yes, Morrison did have issues with alcohol that at times rendered him ( I am sure) unbearable and obnoxious but it seems this is all we ever see. The character is very one dimensional. Val Kilmer has the look and feel of Morrison down pat. Unfortunately, he had to follow Stone's portrayal which is where the problem is. There was another side that Stone neglects entirely. Morrison in interviews tended to be very soft spoken, shy. We never see this side as it is thrown aside to have the arrogant Morrison 24/7 stoned and /or drunk staggering around spouting lines from songs that were still unwritten and at times written by other band members. Morrison was a talented poet and troubled person with his own demons; however we never get to see this in favor of flamboyant and at times inaccurate depictions. There are some pros to this movie. Some of the cinematography is beautiful, and Kilmer did a great job of sounding like the real Jim Morrison. The music and the feel is pure 60's heaven. I would like to have been around then to see a glimpse. The movie has its' merits, but most will walk away for an utter dislike for Morrison which is based on a lot of falsehoods..

Reviews

This is an incredible soundtrack. Braveheart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack has beautiful and emotive music. I felt transported to the Scottish Highlands by track 10. This is certainly James Horner's best soundtrack ever. I only wish I had discovered this album earlier. I love epic movie soundtracks, and Braveheart is one of the best I've ever heard. If you haven't listened to it yet, you should.

I love this soundtrack, I bought it years ago and lost it well in England. I bought a new one to replace. I love it, the music is amazing.

I gave a good review because of the excellent service. The tape was faulty but they refunded my money without hesitation and therefore I gave a good review.

I bought this for my husband who loves the music on the soundtrack and kept talking about it but never bought it. We've listened to it a hundred times already between the car and house.

This was my first--and last--purchase from Amazon.com. I got wonderful turn-around time on my order of a CD. Sadly, they shipped a product that was damaged before they processed my order. The CD case was severely cracked with pieces missing. The missing pieces were not inside the shrink-wrapped packaging which lets me know it was damaged prior to packaging, and they shipped it anyway. There was no info on what to do if an order was damaged or how to return an item. I am a techno-dummy and am not very computer savvy, but I do know this much. I won't order anything direct-order fulfilled by Amazon.com again.

Reviews

The price was $62.99 and now it's $80.99. And this movie hasn't even been issued on Blu-Ray yet. To quote Moe the bartender----"Whaaaaaa?" Think I wait until the price drops to between $15.00 - $20.00 where it should be for a single disc Blue-ray edition.

This clasic movie is one of my favourites, when I was 10 years old was the first time that I've watched this movie, only with Spanish voices without subtitles on English on the songs. This edition came with two DVDs, one is the movie with Spanish subtitles, the other one the extras, very interestings, sadly only on English without subtitles, but If you know something of English you can understand it.

I have no doubt that this movie will look and sound spectacular in blu-ray, but the current price ($62.99) is more than I want to spend for a single movie. I'm imagining that it will come with lots of extras like the initial Gone With The Wind blu-ray and then a few month later a single disc version will be released at a lower price. I hope that they provide some details soon.

THE PERSON WHO LEFT THE JULY 11 REVIEW IS AN IDIOT. JULIE ANDREWS WON AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR HER PART IN THIS MOVIE. THIS PERSON PROBABLY LIVES IN IOWA AND DOSEN'T GET OUT MUCH. HE PROBABLY THINKS SPONGEBOB SQUARE PANTS IS FINE ART!!!

This movie is so terrible. She SINGS through the whole thing. It's horrible, and her voice gets on my nerves. Julie Andrews is annoying, period. She makes me want to scream and tear my hair out of my head. I hate her, I can't stand her and she's really, really bad in this movie. The scenes probably weren't even really filmed in the Swiss Alps, they were filmed in Iowa or somewhere with the director saying, "It doesn't matter, people. It's a movie, and they're going to being paying attention to the singing, so pretend it's the Alps!" Basically. The kids are brats. The eldest girl is an idiot and she's so stupid. the "fifteen going on sixteen" thing is ridlicious. The youngest one is the brattiest. The whole thing makes me want to barf. It's a terrible film, it's crap. She's one thing I especially can't stand. She can't sing, act or do anything that good for the camera. the film is mostly brought down by her and her god-awful voice. She has no real talent. It's not the Swiss Alps either. it's Iowa. Trust me-I live there. And it's exactly like it is in this movie. this movie is so trashy and funny it makes me want to laugh again and again. I think Julie Andrews is one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. She is so bad. this movie is so bad. I can't believe people even LIKE this movie. It's terrible. it's a terrible film. It's boring and you're basicaly surrending five hours or should I say years of you're life to "The Sound of Music" a boring, very tedeious film which is very dull. It's got to be up there with some of the worst films ever made, and the singing gets on you're nerves big time. the oldest girl is annoying and a brat. the father is overly cheerly and has zero sense of humor. He's very dry. The nun center is horrible. It looks like a dark convent. this movie is boring and I tried to watch it one fall day-it nearly put me to sleep. The movie is so bad. Trust me-The Sound of Music stinks. At least Julie Andrews' acting got better in "the Princess diaries" but still she's really annoying and the movie looks like it was filmed in the Midwest. it's stinks.

Reviews

I saw this movie when it first came out and have remembered it ever since. Seeing it again makes me marvel at the music -- worth the price of admission. The plot, though, is corny. Clifton Webb is superb as Sousa. Too bad the movie doesn't show the rest of Sousa's life.

The only indisputable and exciting great element in "Stars and Stripes Forever" is its music... Clifton Webb does a fine work as the great band-master and composer of memorable marches who, on the 1890's, when he leaves the Marines Corps., forms his own concert band and travels around the world... With the sensitive and beautiful Debra Paget as the singer-dancer, and the sympathetic and good-looking Robert Wagner as the horn player, the loving couple shares a real and firm part of the 'imagined' tale... The great highlights of the picture are when a black choir is singing "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic," and the outstanding performance of "Dixie," played by Philip Sousa and his Orchestra as they enter the Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta... With Ruth Hussey playing Sousa's sensible wife, and with vivid costumes and a rich amount of Sousa's music, this colorful film is charming and entertaining all the way...

This is a nice family movie that is worthwhile watching more than once not only by its great music but by Clifton Webb's acting. I hope to be able sometime within the near future to obtain a copy in DVD format.

I saw this film when I was really young and adored it ! The story and specially, the music. A great film and as I can remember, it made me feel the proud you feel about the U.S.A.The love story that you can almost touch between Sousa and his wife, simply wonderful. I am from South America but a great fan of films from the golden age and think this is one of the most wonderful films I've ever seen ! I have the CD, so, I can hear the music, but I am waiting for the DVD in order to enjoy the movie once more !

I will never buy VHS. I am waiting very patiently for STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER to come out on DVD.

Reviews

I do not subscribe to Nostradamus but this movie lets you see some things and for sure wonder.

EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY...AS I DID AS A KID IN THE EIGHTIES! THIS WAS A QUICKLY DELIVERED ITEM AND VERY GOOD QUALITY.

My father has been looking for the movie for years. When it arrived, it made him the happiest person on earth. He says that the movie is GREAT! He is amazed at how much Nostrodomus knew about the future and how he could name names and places. Dad gives ig 4 stars!

Great film and I recommend that everyone should watch this movie. It is absolutely amazing to me that he was so on the mark with so many predictions for so many years. Wonderful and so glad I finally got a copy for my collection. Thanks Amazon.

This really is a great movie. Wells does a fantastic job as narrator. It's great fun and great entertainment. I remember watching this movie in the mid 80's on VHS and being freaked out about the end of the world predictions. Time passed and we're still here. The story is filled holes and lies, but it's all good fun just the same.

Reviews

I thought this movie was good but it didn't really give the whole story of the Runaways. It seemed to focus more on Joan and Cherrie, their relationship and there wacky manager Kim Fowley...and not the band... it wasn't really until Cherrie Currie left the band the movie sort of finished, but that really wasn't the end... Maybe that's all Joan wanted it to focus on, but after seeing Edgeplay a documentary about the Runaways that Vicki Blue who joined the Runaway's in it's last year or so before it actually dispanded put together herself in 2004 which Joan did not want to help out or be involved with and did everything to try and stop it... Compairing the two it seemed like Joan still has sour grapes towards the rest of the girls in the band, maybe with expection of Cherrie Currie. Kristen Stewart was great as Joan Jett and Dakota was good as Cherrie athough in saying that I think the real Cherrie was a bit more of a harder personality. All in all the actors including the guy who played Kim fowley did a great job. It was good to hear Joan say the name Suzi Quatro who really without her rock n roll influence Joan Jett and/or The Runaway's maybe would not of happened or at least not in the same way...

I really enjoyed this movie when it was in theaters and the Blu-ray experience is pretty wonderful. The film is beautifully shot and has a killer soundtrack and Blu-ray really allows those aspects to shine. The acting is wonderful and this really is an incredible, yet overlooked film. The big problem is that with something like this you can go all out on extras and they didn't even go for logical things. For example in the movie they recreate some iconic moments of the real Runaways and it would have been nice to at least have a picture gallery of the original band, perhaps side by side with some of the same outfits, etc in the movie. The same for the music. Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning voiced a lot of the songs on the soundtrack (although there is a good amount of real Runaways music in there) but it would be nice to be able to compare clips of both side by side. Also I know this is a longshot due to rights issues, but sticking Edgeplay - A Film About The Runaways on the disc (or even a bonus edition). But the real error here lies in the audio commentary. I was super excited there was an audio commentary at all and that it featured Kristen Stewart, Joan Jett, and Dakota Fanning. But there needed to be more. Those 3 have actually very little to say besides Jett occasionally telling how something really happened. There should have been another commentary track with the writer/director since she had so much to do with it, maybe the cinematographer, and what about Cherie Currie? The movie is "based off her book" and she approved of it so why didn't she do a commentary? Perhaps the proper thing here would have been a Jett/Currie track, a Floria/cinematographer track, and then an actor track. It sounds like a lot but there's a lot to say about a movie like this from many different angles and it was disappointing that there was such a lack of bonus content.

First off, I really didn't expect much from this movie. I was not impressed with anything that Dakota Fanning or Kristen Stewart had done. However, I can safely say I am now a fan of these actresses. Dakota Fanning is growing up, and I guess it's time we realize that. It was almost disturbing to see her that way, as I still saw her as a little girl. But she now has my respect as an actress. Kristen Stewart leaves much to be desired in her role as Bella in the Twilight saga. But as I am starting to understand, the problem lies with the character and not Stewart's performance. She has entirely changed my perspective on her abilites. She played Joan Jett perfectly and was very charming and alluring. I have to watch this movie again to comment more on the story line. I will admit I don't know a whole lot about The Runaways as a band, which I'm ashamed of because I am a huge rock n roll fan. I will be dabbling into their music soon. The movie was all about the performances, no question, and they surpassed anything I expected.

I went in watching this movie not knowing what to expect since I really didn't know much about Joan Jett. I must say I really enjoyed this flick; Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning did an amazing job!

I thought the performances by the two leads were terrific. However, Lita Ford got completely snubbed in this movie. If you didn't know the band and of her legacy you'd wouldn't even remember Lita Ford being in the group after watching this movie. Also, as someone that has seen them live, this movie really down played how raunchy and wild these girls performances really were (sexual behavior, blood, etc). The music was a lot cleaner too (like it was done in a studio) than how it really was, but I guess that's to be expected in a movie trying to be successful with a wider audience. Finally, they indicated sex was going on with the girls, but at the same time, they really steered around it avoiding any specifics (probably to protect the people involved as the girls were under age). Oh, one other thing that bothered me quite a bit was at the end or the movie they say what happened to Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, and manager (went on to do so and so...). But, again they left out Lita Ford, Sandy and the bass player (who's name escapes me at the moment). That was really a huge mistake in my mind and I'm shocked they did that. A note on the extras. I listened to the whole movie with the commentary by Joan Jett and the two stars. While interesting, the girls spoke over Joan Jett all the way through discussing their performances and just random stuff (mostly just talking to talk). I really wanted to hear from Joan what really happened through out, but she hardly was given a chance to tell us. Also, they should of asked the other band members to be there as well as their thoughts and memories would have been very interesting.

Reviews

Outstanding adaptation of Queen Victoria's early years beautifully played by Emily Blunt. A rare look into Victorian life, palace intrigue plus an exquisite love story. Highly recommended. One of my all-time favorite movies.

Presenting an unusual view of the young Victoria's ascent to the throne, the acting, costumes and sets of Young Victoria are stellar. Some of the brightest stars of the British screen--Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Miranda Richardson, are magnificent in their roles as members of Victoria's infighting family. Mark Strong is a fabulously menacing Sir John Conroy and Paul Bettany gives Lord Melbourne some real depth. Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend are most convincing as Vicky and Al and one of the best scenes in the movie is when Prince Albert puts Lord Melbourne in his place. The expression on Paul Bettany's face is priceless. The soundtrack is standout as well, featuring lush and gorgeous arrangements of music the characters would have actually listened to. The writing, not so much, though finding the story to tell during this era would be extremely difficult. The admirable Julian Fellowes is due a lot of credit for being able to incorporate so very many details into his screenplay. I have three complaints about this film. While I was totally on board with the presentation of Victoria's marriage as a safe haven, and the pressure Albert would have felt from his family to promote their interests over England's, the moviemakers invented things in order to make points about V and A's relationship. Since there was plenty of real drama without inventing anything, the movie lost me there. Fortunately, it was near the end, and I'd greatly enjoyed the movie up to that point. A second complaint is that the movie ended with a whimper instead of a bang. It kind of drifted off with some on-screen facts about Victoria's reign (let me quibble and say that while the movie said they reigned together, Albert was Victoria's consort, never King Albert) which leads to my third complaint--that there was way too much on screen exposition. Minor complaints for a splendid movie. For a change, the special features were fascinating and contained some delightful tidbits of information. Well worth seeing and having in one's collection.

The movie was refreshingly top quality. I have a hard time with understanding movies where accents are used...the English subtitles really helped. I had seen it On Demand...but,alas, no subtitles available! There were enough questions remaining about this historic subject, that I was lead to read "The Queen's Husband" by Jean Plaidy. What a wonderful preparation this would have been before seeing the movie! As it happened, I still devoured the book as well... The movie did a fine job maintaining historic faithfulness, as far as I can tell. If you enjoy history, dabbed with hollywood, you will surely enjoy this movie!

This movie was listed in my recommendations list. I hadn't heard of it before, but saw that Emily Blunt played the lead character. After reading the reviews and seeing the pictures I had to order it. I am so pleased with this movie. The characters, costumes, and settings made me feel as if I were really watching Queen Victoria in the flesh. I was just mesmerized. It was a beautiful story of determination and love. I highly recommend this movie!

i purchase the video the young victoria and I got it 5 days later.That was fast.Thanks .

Reviews

Very happy with the service and product that was shipped. It arrived much faster than was promised. Would not hesitate to use this seller again.

Great movie - very touching. If you don't cry at least once, you're not human. Beyond race, beyond religion, beyond politics, we are all human, and compassion is what makes us human.

Wow, im not much of a football fan or a country music fan but neither are that apparent in the movie. the story line is well written and the message is more sound than any movie ive seen in a long time. Well worth watching more than once.

This is by far Sandra Bullock's greatest performance. If she never made another film, it would be great if her legacy were this.

received in short period of time,disk was precisely as described and I saved some money..outstanding

Reviews

I am a huge fan of Billy Joe Shaver. This book tells of his difficult childhood and the demons he has fought in his lifetime. The book is short and to the point. If you are a fan and would like to know more about where he comes from and the history that influences his music, this is a must read.

Billy Joe Shaver rocks. The bio is very informative and personal. Wish it was a bit longer. However it does include lyrics to all the songs. Great read!

People must read this book! I must say I did not know much about Billy Joe before reading this but it is clear that this man can teach everyone the true lessons of life. Billy Joe is someone who has truly lived a life and shares it with people in his poems about it: "When you get down to it country music is essentially the blues, and my whole life the blues have never left me. I've lost parts of 3 fingers, broke my back, suffered a heart attack and a quadruple bypass, had a steel plate put in my neck and 136 stitches in my head, fought drugs and booze, spent the money I had, and burried my wife, son, and mother in the span of 1 year. "But I'm not here to complain or ask for pity. Life is hard for everybody, just in different ways. I'm not proud of my misfortune--I'm proud of my survival. For years my family kept a kept a bundle of life insurance on me because they were sure I would be the first to go. But as I write this, at 64 years of age, I'm still here and they are all gone." (p.viii) The actual story is short, but it is very weighty at the same time. You will ponder and grin at every word while he tells his life's story. And after that you will listen to every word of his poems (lyrics) as a glimpse into this mans soul. There is no need to complain about the brevity of Billy Joe's life story (75 pages). As I said It is very heavy and will surely put you into a different place in time, through the eyes of a man who has lived through it all and is alive still to tell about it; into the soul of a life that only a handful know and countless dream about.

I have been a fan of Billy Joe's for over thirty years and enjoyed getting to know the background of a unique songwriter and fellow Texan. Although short, this was an entertaining read. A bonus for songwriters like myself, is the section with the lyrics for all of Billy Joe's best known songs. A neat side note- I got my book autographed after a recent concert in Tyler, Texas. Long live Billy Joe Shaver and Texas Music.

The book was like Billy Joe's music; honest and to the point. It was great reading about his relationships with Waylon and other country stars. The lyrics to all his songs was a wonderful bonus. I only wished there was more.

Reviews

As a musher and adventurer myself, I've been excited for a while to read Norman's book. I was sorely disappointed. In fact, I feel like I lost some respect for Norman in the process. While I respect his accomplishments and admire his youthful spirit, his attitude towards other people bothered me. It seemed like everywhere there was someone battling against him and cutting him down. While this may be the truth, him condemning others through out the whole book was a let down. Overall, I wouldn't reccomend it.

I read this book on the strong recommendation of Iditarod champion Jeff King, and it was well worth the read, well worth it. Norman Vaughan truly lived a life of adventure in a time the likes of which we are not likely to see again. He did what most people dream of doing, but the difference was attitude and determination. He often comes across as confident, cocky, perhaps, a bit arrogant and pushy, but overall he is a likeable, even admirable guy, especially in his later years. Attitude. That what makes the difference at any age, especially old age. Norman Vaughan qualifies as a great American adventurer. He had the Spirit that made America great, even into his later years. At age 89, to climb a mountain named for you, now that's something. Good read, quick, easy read, and, in the end, quite inspirational and motivating. Ought to be required reading for the AARP crowd!

From the time he was a little boy, Norman Vaughan knew he could never be content with a mundane, conventional life. He and a friend constructed their first dog team by tying two mutts to a Flexible Flyer sled. At fifteen, Norman obtained his father's grudging permission to spend a week living off the land on a beach. Upon entering college at Harvard, he found himself bored. He knew it wasn't the life he wanted. So when Norman heard of the upcoming Antarctic exhibition, to be led by Admiral Richard E. Byrd, he lost no time in contacting the admiral. He managed to win himself a spot on the team. From that moment on, Norman Vaughan has lived a life full of excitement. I read my mother's copy of this book, which is signed by the author with his personal motto: "Dream Big and Dare to Fail." For his entire life, Vaughan lived by those words.Returning from Antarctica, he felt depression creeping back, and he knew he could never live a "normal" life again. He dropped out of Harvard. Vaughan joined the army and spent years doing search-and-rescue operations by dogsled. He became known for his hair-brained schemes, such as dropping dogs by parachute into locations too remote to reach otherwise. But by and large, his schemes always seemed to work. When he left the army, it wasn't the end of his adventures. He returned to Antarctica on several occasions. Vaughan also entered the 1,000+ mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska 13 times. And on 16 December 1994, three days before his 89th birthday, Vaughan climbed the Antarctic mountain that Admiral Byrd had named for him 65 years earlier.For anyone with an adventurous streak, or even those who simply dream of such a life, this book is a sure winner. Norman Vaughan is one of the most inspirational human beings this world has seen. Most of his ambitious ideas met with much resistance from those around him, but not once did he give up. Sometimes he spent years fighting for what he wanted, and almost invariably he would win out in the end. When he was not invited to participate in the 50th anniversary trip to commemorate Byrd's 1929 expedition to Antarctica, Vaughan called every person he could think of who was involved. Eventually he was offered a place on the team.I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing autobiography. There are a couple of awkward grammatical and punctuation errors, but they are few and far between. For the most part the book is written in easy-to-read language. What did irritate me was that Vaughan consistently mis-spelled the name of Joe Redington, Sr. (he added an extra "d" every time), the founder of the Iditarod. But this is a very minor quibble, and since most people have probably never heard of Redington to begin with, it doesn't make much difference in the end. The last chapter of the book is actually written by Vaughan's wife, and recalls their climb to the top of Mount Vaughan. Also included is a selection of black-and-white photos of Vaughan on his different adventures throughout his life. On the whole, this is a delightful and inspirational book, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

I had the opportunity to hear Norman Vaughan speak and to meet him as well. After hearing his accounts, reading the stories he has are amazing. This book is well written and easy to follow. I have read it twice, and passed it on to many friends, I would reccomend this book to anybody who loves the outdoors or simply reading about others' travels.

Colonel Vaughan has done things most people only dream or read about. Like many of us, the mundane, everyday life of living did not excite him. He embarked on many adventures, the likes of which have killed many people. He lived through them by using his head and depending on common sense and his innate skill to survive. He helped numerous people and made friends all over the world. He is now in his nineties and still going strong. Young people who can't find anything to do, should look to this volume. Perhaps they could find inspiration in what Norman Vaughan has done in his lifetime.

Reviews

This is a great poster to do for a report in Second Grade on famous Americans.

I have used these posters for the past 3 years with my fourth graders. They provide great writing practice and make for some very cool "getting to know you" activities. One year we even paired up students from both classes so that the entire fourth grade could become acquainted. I plan on buying these each year!

I teach third grade and we have a huge research project at the end of the year. The kids research famous people of their choice and present their research. This poster has saved my life! Introducing 9-year-olds to research-based writing is difficult and confusing, especially when you have so many different skill levels in the classroom. The poster allows kids who are struggling to organize their information easily and gives more developed researchers an opportunity to show their skills. I suggest photocopying the poster first and having your class do a rough draft before they move on to their final poster. They love creating something on this scale and it makes an amazing bulletin board!

Reviews

This is a wonderful introduction to a very thoughtful and amazing man. Ahlquist takes Chesterton's timeless truths and applies them to life today. If you are looking for something completely written by Chesterton, this is probably not the book as Ahlquist's words definitely fill more pages than Chesterton's. If you are looking for a book with a bit of background on Chesterton, this is the book for you. Again, it is a fabulous introduction to a remarkable man.

This book started out well, with Dale Ahlquist doing the expected thing: presenting the thoughts of G. K. Chesterton and illustrating these thoughts with good quotations from G. K. Chesterton. Somewhere around page 100, though, I realized that Dale Ahlquist had taken over the book! What I now found myself reading was "the rants of Dale Ahlquist" as sporadically supported by cherry-picked citations from G. K. Chesterton. This was especially evident during the chapter on "Feminism." Since Feminism (as opposed to the more general Women's Rights Movements) only came into existence decades after Chesterton's death, he very naturally had nothing to say about it. I was so dismayed by this development that I threw the book away. In any case, Chesterton is not one of those authors who needs an introduction: pick up any of his books and you'll get to know him right away.

Common Sense 101: Lessons from G.K. Chesterton If you do not ask the questions, you cannot get the answers. Chesterton was passionately concerned about the mystery of life and death, good and evil and all the issues that faced the society of his day. In short he was involved. In his search for answers, nothing escaped his interest and his voluminous writings on every topic under the sun defy one's imagination. Like Chesterton, Dale Ahlquist is a convert and unashamedly wants to show the relevance of Chesterton's wisdom as we try to grapple with the realities of today. As Dale Ahlquist said in an interview, on publishing this book in 2006, he tried to portray the world through Chesterton's eyes and hoped to give people a new and fresh and, I must admit, refreshing perspective. Dale Ahlquist has an unbelievable knowledge of his hero's life and writings. Dale writes with eloquence and easy readability. As most of the other reviewers have already written, this book is an excellent and quotable read. It reinforces one's interest in Chesterton and is an ideal gift for those who would like to have a challenging and entertaining experience.

I wanted to read some Chesterton after working my way through CS Lewis (I had some old paperbacks on my shelves which I'd been meaning to read for years). I mistakenly ordered this one, which is an introduction to the man, rather than selected writings. My mistake - but in retrospect a reasonable first step. Catch is, the editor (Dale Ahlquist) does two things which I find irritating. Firstly, he gets in the way. I want to know more about Chesterton, instead I read Ahlquist. He quotes from Chesterton but often extrapolates Chesterton's sayings and thoughts without cross-reference. Example: in a section on history, Ahlquist cited the two world wars of the 20th century as being a carry-over from the split between the Catholic church and the Protestant ones. Sounds like nonsense to me, and I didn't see any Chesterton reference to back it up. (Chesterton is, no doubt, also capable of error but I'd expect his to be worth reading). Secondly Ahlquist somehow always wraps every subject up in a defence on Catholicism. I'm not a catholic; I suspect Chesterton has comments I can still read and understand, and enjoy. Ahlquist hides them, taints them. It's like reading a recipe book and finding every one involves ACME tomatoes. Nothing wrong with ACME tomatoes, just put the sponsor on the cover. So - Chesterton isn't well served. Buy a selected Chesterton instead. I'm sure the Chesterton is worth it - anyone recommended by CS Lewis is worth it. This book is more for how Chesterton's writings connect to Catholicism. Or for fans of Dale Ahlquist.

This book is well-written. The author provides an excellent environment for getting to know G.K. Chesterton and his perspectives on life and faith. This is not fluff reading. It is obvious to me that the author has a deep appreciation and respect for G.K. Chesterton. Previous reviews of this book are accurate. This is my first effort to learn about G.K. Chesterton and I am glad I chose this book.

Reviews

At a visual level, it doesn't matter so much that this is Frank Sinatra's Lionel train layout; Turn off the sound, and I'm sure there are a few other collectors who would have the means to build a magnificent layout this way. But what adds so much depth to this wonderful presentation is learning the human story behind Frank's poor youth, and his desire to create later in life a collection of what he yearned for as a boy, yet could not afford. The layout is spectacular, and Frank insisted on keeping every train in tip-top condition so that any train, old or new, could be run for a visitor. This is a museum in more than one sense; the trains are certainly collector grade (and you get to see them all), but it also gives you pause to reflect on how a world-class celebrity would retreat from his stressful life to a small guest house that contained a youthful escape back to the streets of Hoboken.

Thank goodness for video rental sites with deep catalogs! For some reason the dearth of information on CELEBRITY SERIES FRANK SINATRA TRAIN LAYOUTS had me intrigued, but not nearly intrigued enough to shell out the amount it'd take to purchase this one. Question #1 - What's the program about? It's an in-depth look at a celebrity's toy train collection. In this case it's Frank Sinatra's Lionel 1949 Showroom Layout. Question #2 - Do we get to see Ol' Blue Eyes in a Casey Jones hat? No. This was videotaped in 2002, four years after Sinatra's death. The program shows the many pictures on Sinatra's entertainment room wall, but none with him and his trains, or him wearing any railroad regalia. Question #3 - What's it all about? It's pretty much thirty minutes of one of Sinatra's ex-employee running the trains in Sinatra's old train bungalow, a railroad flatcar that he'd converted into a showroom for his collection. Question #4 - I thought the product detail said this one lasts 40 minutes? Yeah, well, the last ten minutes are devoted to shilling the other disks in the series. Part 2 features talk show host Tom Snyder's toy trains, Part 3 Mandy Patinkin's toy trains, and there's a Christmas toy train video, too. Question #5 - How was it? Dreadful, but I'm not a scale-train fanatic. This one didn't go very far in converting me to one, either. Question #6 - Is it worth it? For the premium price they're asking, NO. Maybe the scale model lover would find it worth the steep price, but even then I'd recommend renting it before purchase. If there's anything special about Sinatra's train layout I'm too dull to see it. To its credit, the program takes a close-up shot of almost everything in Sinatra's train room, and there's a lot of stuff in there. A special interest dvd that didn't offer a lot of entertainment to this non-specialist. My rating would have been a lot higher, I think, if the program had included still photos or film of Frank with the trains, or an audio track of Frank talking about his fascination with toy trains.