4 comments about Shakespeare's Politics.

1. Bloom's insight into the deepest aspects of humanity may not be matched by anyone, past or present. Having been given the gift of his existence we are magnificently lucky he wrote what he knew so we might scratch the surface. Once again Bloom inspires by penetrating our perpetual present with the permanent and universal. This time he performs this magic through analysis of Shakespeare's plays, their political message, Shakespeare's grasp of what makes us who we are and the great, forever present teacher he has the capacity to serve as, if, at least for the moment, we ignore "new critic" sermons. (He means postmodern sophistry.) What makes Bloom so uplifting is his success in communicating power to the reader. With Bloom's assistance, not control, the reader realizes we too hold the keys to our richest experiences, unavailable to those attached to fashionable dogmas, Right or Left.
   
   Shakespeare's plays deal with fragile balances of humanity as individuals and as associations (civilization) with their impossible reconciliations between competing concepts and ideals, which is what both are made of. The Jew and Christian in Venice - their conflicts between what matters most while still members of the same society, which though peaceful and prosperous engages in the simplification of man; The strength and weakness of men in love, with women and their own self image; the root of tragedy suffered by the hero precisely due to his heroic strengths. Shakespeare acts on so many levels it's hard to fathom anyone could grasp it all without Bloom as escort.
   
   Bloom has a habit of telling the truth about our circumstances and for that he is sure to be character assassinated by those unable to deal with it. We do not, he says, "look at all to books when [we] meet problems in life or think about [our] goals; there are no literary models for [our] conceptions of virtue and vise." Reflecting a deeper fact about "the decay of common understanding of - and agreement on - first principles that is characteristic of our times." Resulting in a "decided lowering of tone in [our] reflections on life and its goals." Thus we are "technically well equipped but Philistine." But Shakespeare provides an opportunity to see out of this, as do other great books Bloom was so taken by and wrote about elsewhere.



2. While many study Shakespeare for literature or theatre, Bloom and Jaffa try to discover Shakespeare for political insights. The authors' study of The Merchant of Venice and Othello both give readers an understanding of an outsider's role in a community while Julius Caesar and King Learn demonstrate that political power at the top is more tenuous than it many times appears.

   Othello is an accepted member of Venice and is even a hero of sorts, but co-existence isn't full citizenship argue Bloom and Jaffa. Citizenship in a homogenous society requires that one adhere to the same customs and even have the same background. Othello may be a hero, but he's still an outsider. Iago uses this insecurity to convince Othello that his wife is unfaithful. Bloom and Jaffa certainly consider Othello a tragic figure of sorts, but he's one largely of his own making. If Othello were to realize that he's incapable of being accepted totally in such a closed society he would have made better choices himself. This would have kept him from making an enemy of the envious Iago.

   Bloom and Jaffa also have a different take on the question of King Lear. They think the most important political message occurs in the very first scene of the very first act. While many consider Lear's idea of dividing his kingdom among his daughters the evidence of a foolish old man, the authors argue that Lear was a great king and only a great king could be guilty of such a terrible mistake. No other English King in Shakespeare's writing was able to unite the whole British empire. Shakespeare made this point up front so that you would realize what a great man King Lear is when the play opens. It's important that Lear be seen as great not foolish, because when a great king makes the biggest mistake, the tragedy is all the more sorrowful.

   You might not agree with every premise or conclusion in this book, but you'll certainly get to weigh the new ideas versus your own. The result should be a better understanding of the Bard as a political animal. The book has sure given me a new outlook on these characters.




3. It should be obvious that Shakespeare wrote great literature. That fact is assumed by the authors of this book. However, Allan Bloom and Harry Jaffa demonstrate a deeper awareness of Shakespeare than one will find in literature departments. Shakespeare combined poetry with an acute knowledge of politics, and these excellent scholars have written a clear and convincing account of some of those facets of political wisdom. Read this fine book and help rescue Shakespeare from political irrelevance.



4. It is difficult to convey how wonderful I found this thin little book to be. It is no larger than a slice of rye bread, but the food for thought contained therein could feed a soul for a thousand days. It took me two mesermizing hours to get through the Introduction and Bloom's essay on 'The Merchant of Venice'. At first, I mistrusted my recollection- was there really so much there? Had the dry old play decayed so completely in my estimation, or had Bloom inserted his own opinions? No, after more blissful consternation, I relived what I had long taken for dead. Allan Bloom really sees things. His deft insight makes Shakespeare seem real and urgent again, despite how unfashionable and out of vogue the debate may seem to contemporary minds. The Jewish and the Christian come to light, the entire legacy of each Faith revealed keenly, sharply, and decisively in favour of one higher power. The authority of thought, the power of unaided reason brought to bear nakedly on an eternal, ever-so tender, sore. Bloom's essay on 'Othello' and 'Julius Cesear' prove out this reviewer's intial wonder at the work. To readers familiar with Bloom's other works, I include myself, this book was additionally worthy because it showed that the issue Allan Bloom later became famous for, the decay of education, was already at the forefront of his mind in the early 1960's. He states in the book's introduction and claims it as his motivation for publishing the essay. This was 1964, several years before the signifigant events of the 1960s took full shape and bore full weight on American society. The introduction includes Bloom's stark assessment of Poetry and Philosophy. He quotes Napolean (one of very few direct quotes, the footnotes are rich, but few) to argue for the superiority of poetry over politics and then slyly demostrates the superiority of philosophy, or the philosopher, true and proper, over poetry. This is a book you could own and keep and reread often, even secrete it undercover and carry it across hostile borders, real and imagined.

4 comments about Coming up Roses: The Broadway Musical in the 1950s.

1. Written by an authority on the American musical, he has followed up with different decades on the Broadway stage. This rich decade of the Fifties now entered its most revolutionary phase of redefining itself and forging a new kind of musical storytelling.
   
   This great era contained a flurry of revivals in the early '50s and almost all of the top musicals were made into movies for those of us in smaller towns who could not go to New York City. In fact, the stars of the movies were more to our taste anyway.
   
   In 1951, PAINT YOUR WAGON and THE KING AND I had many lovely songs for us to sing in local talent shows or pantomime as need be. PAL JOEY was revived in 1952 from the 1940 version and went on to star Frank Sinatra in the movie, "Bewitched" was the best song. CAN CAN surfaced in 1953, as did Mary Martin in PETER PAN. OKLAHOMA! (some call the best musical of all -- had the most hits), based on 'Green Grow the Lilacs,' was on stage in 1955 as was DAMN YANKEES (from which the song '(You Gotta Have) Heart' came. In 1956, we discover Sammy Davis, Jr. as MR WONDERFUL, and Judy Holliday in BELLS ARE RINGING. MY FAIR LADY with Julie Andrews as Eliza made a big splash in 1956. WEST SIDE STORY was a big hit in 1957 with Carol Lawrence.
   
   In 1956, every radio station in America was playing the "My Fair Lady" record album. She later starred in the biggest musical of that time, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, and starred in the movie as well. She was the original Queen Guivenere in CAMELOT on Broadway.
   
   GYPSY was Ethel Merman's biggest success. Television was loaded with musical revues full of star talent, for free. Eddie Fisher's COKE TIME, led the way and one of the songs he sang so well, 'Fanny,' came from the Broadway play of the same name which starred Ezio Pinza.
   
   Other wonderful musicals from that decade include KISMET with Howard Keel and Vic Damone, THE PAJAMA GAME with John Raitt, THE MUSIC MAN, GUYS & DOLLS, FLOWER DRUM SONG, CAROUSEL, SOUTH PACIFIC, BRIGADOON, AND SHOWBOAT (revised from the '20s). Some previously unknown singers made their debuts during the Fifties, Harry Belafonte, Ethel Waters, Eartha Kitt, among others.
   
   CARMEN JONES was 'Aida' in Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1860s and THE GOLDEN APPLE was resetting 'Iliad and Odyssey' in America in the early 1900s about the Trojan War, and Helen was played by Kaye Ballard.
   
   "The musical play's dramatic possibilities not only led them to major work but encouraged them to revise the science of craftsmanship as they went along." Some talents in Broadway's history have been essentially musical play talents such as Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein, Agnes de Mille, and Hal Prince. Some have been musical comedy talents, like Lorenz Hart, George Abbott, Carol Channing, Harold Rome, Bob Merrill, and Gwen Verdon. Some moved freely between the two worlds, most specifically George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Jerome Robbins, and Alfred Drake. One was the essential musical comedy talent -- Bob Fosse.
   
   This was a glorious coming-of-age time for lots of us and the best of the musical world for the whole world.



2. I'd probably enjoy reading a dictionary if Ethan Mordden wrote it. It's probably the highest praise I can give to say that this book had me reading about shows I'd never even heard of with the same zeal I'd generally reserve for a well-written suspense novel. As much as this book is about Musical Theater, it's about Ethan Mordden -- his wit, his stunning knowledge of his subject, and his ability to place what might seem trivial into a context that both illuminates and fascinates. Reading this book amounts to the best kind of education: one you simply can't wait to continue. As the previous customer reviews have already covered the general contents of this book, I'll only add that "Coming Up Roses" is one of a series of books by Mordden which catalogs the history of American Musical Theater. Before I even finished "Roses," I had purchased copies of his "Beautiful Mornin'" (about Musicals of the 1940's) and "Make Believe" (the 1920's). His next edition -- "Open a New Window: Musicals of the 1960's" -- will be published November 2001. I'm absolutely hooked, and if you have a passion for Musicals, you're going to be, too. About that title of mine....Mordden's book has me hunting in used record stores for recordings of long-forgotten (and sometimes obscure) titles. This author has done a tremendous service to countless composers, performers and theater artists in recalling their work in its original incarnation, and causing us to reflect upon it one more time. Maybe we're the lucky ones, in fact; thanks to Ethan Mordden, the curtain keeps going up again and again and again.



3. For anyone interested in American musical theater, the 1950s are a critically important "golden age" both for the musical play and the musical comedy. In 1950 Rodgers and Hammerstein, who had introduced the concept of the musical play in 1943 with OKLAHOMA, were preparing their richest and most timeless work, THE KING AND I, which opened the following year. Even the more traditional musical comedy reached new heights with Loesser's GUYS AND DOLLS, perhaps the most perfectly constructed work of this type ever written. As a testament to their status as classics, both of these breakthrough shows were highlights not only of the 50s, but also of the 90s. Year by year through the decade, Ethan Mordden cites scores of shows to trace developments for both of these musical forms. Having mined the large legacy of recordings still available, backstage stories, critical reviews, and script and musical analyses, Mordden highlights how each show advanced the genre or failed to. He spends whole chapters on the biggest hits-GUYS AND DOLLS, KISMET and MY FAIR LADY-as well as the commercial flops like CANDIDE, which took almost 20 years of tinkering to become a success. Mordden astutely analyzes many other shows, showing how THE PAJAMA GAME "is a so-so-story with an excellent book," but DAMN YANKEES "is an excellent story with a functional book." Mordden also examines the mere flops like FLAHOOLEY and the real "floppos" like ANKLES AWEIGH detailing what worked and what didn't. Mordden ends the decade with discussions of WEST SIDE STORY and GYPSY, two totally different blockbusters illustrating how far the musical had developed by 1959, and how audiences were being prepared for more confrontational works-to-come like CABARET. As in his previous books, "Rodgers & Hammerstein" and "Broadway Babies," Mordden has done his homework. From his photo on the jacket, he can't be old enough to have seen these original productions such as REDHEAD, yet his detailed descriptions of stagings and choreography read like he was actually there in 1958 taking notes. Over the last few years critical (and commercial) interest in the musical theater as America's unique contribution this century has steadily increased. Production companies in New York, San Francisco and elsewhere are reviving and recording concert versions of musicals going back to the very earliest shows so we can relish firsthand the creative arc from the "Princess shows" of Jerome Kern beginning in 1915 to today's hits. Ethan Mordden's "Coming Up Roses: The Broadway Musical in the 1950s" is an invaluable, readable and entertaining guide to one of its most important and productive periods. ---ENK, Oakland



4. I highly recommend this survey of 1950s muscials. Mordden, as he showed in his book on Rodgers and Hammerstein, is much more than a musicals fan. He really challenges assumptions about classic shows and makes you want to reconsider the shows that flopped. I particularly enjoyed his assessment of Kismet. Only thing missing is a discography.

5 comments about Tango!: The Dance, the Song, the Story.

1. Every Argentine Tango Dancer Needs to own this book. Great color pictures, covers many years, and information on history and style.



2. This is a wonderful review of the history of Tango! Great pictures, too.
   If you love Tango, you will really enjoy this book.



3. Good but not great. The book follows all the story of tango but there is something missing....many of the pictures are unfortunately 2-paged and cannot be appreciated (plus I couldnt find any passion in any but 2 of them) although the book seems to getting better as you go towards the end. The edition is of course luxury but i can't say i was amazed. Anyhow a good choice for an absolute beginner to tango but I would suggest Horacio's Salas "the tango" in every case.



4. Until I read "¡Tango!", most of what I knew from tango was what was told by instructors, including Daniel Trenner, Brooke Burdett, half a dozen Argentine nationals, an equal number of Canadians, and a Belgian. It was exciting to get all the information I needed in one place. Tango is more than just music and dance. It is a cultural phenomenon that began in the barrios and bordellos of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and spread throughout the world. At the base of this cultural phenomenon is the relationship between a man and a woman. Tango is not just an American or South American phenomenon. It has spread throughout the world, and is popular in such diverse countries as Finland and Turkey, as well as those areas where it evolved.

   The text of the book is outstanding and well documented. I was pleased with the choice of artwork, old and contemporary photographs, and page layout. It gave me a great understanding of the tango as a cultural phenomenon. There is an excellent bibliography and the text is referenced with footnotes for those who wish to go to some original sources. I am one of those people who are always looking for recommendations for music, and I was pleased to see a two-page listing of tangos, which are available on compact disc. For those who travel, there is a listing of international tango centers. It is an incomplete list, but it would be helpful for those who travel a lot for business or pleasure.

   If you like tango, this would be a good book to start your collection. Then you can proceed with "Le Grand Tango: The Life and Music of Astor Piazzola."




5. For a person just discovering the Argentine tango (or who wants to), this is an interesting, beautiful, coffee table book. It's filled with gorgeous illustrations and photographs, as well as poetry, lyrics and fun, historical tidbits about the music & history. It rambles, but that just makes it more fun to open it up and start reading from anywhere. It's been the kind of book that has made even my non-tango friends interested in the dance and cultures behind it.

5 comments about Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho.

1. This book's meticulous scholarship started a welcome trend for "shot-by-shot" analysis of moviemaking.
   
   Psycho is known for many things, but among them is Hitchcock's determination to use techniques he learned from television production. For a creator and adherent of "pure cinema," this special discipline makes the movie all the more notable.
   
   What a series of paradoxes. The famous shower sequence is cited over and over again as one of the best uses of cutting and montage, and yet classic 50s "two-camera" TV shows would never dream of this approach. Too expensive and time consuming.
   
   The usage of black and white - again classic 50s TV - actually enhances rather than diminishes the horror. As with old-time radio, the viewer has to fill in the lurid colors of blood and gore with her own imagination.
   
   The cover says that this film started a trend toward "psycho thrillers." I suppose that this is true, but it accomplished much, much more than is acknowledged by the mediocre films that followed.



2. What an intelligent, readable, informative book this is. Full of insights about the personalities of Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and all the other collaborators in this important and usual film project for everyone concerned. What struck me most about the book is the author's ability to blend his thorough research with a sense of the psychology and drama of what goes into making a movie. I'd have to agree with the reviewer who said that Rebello made reading this book nearly as entertaining as the movie itself. That's quite a feat. What I want to know is when will Mr. Rebello give the royal treatment to other Hitchcock projects as well as films by other directors.



3. For the true fanatic, or just the curious, this is an immensely
   readable account. Far, far more interesting and enlightening then
   any of the turgid, pompous academic treatises on Hitchcock that
   pollute bookshelves everywhere. As definitive a reconstruction
   of how PSYCHO - or any movie, with a few exceptions - was put
   together. However, I suggest Mr. Rebello is overdue for either
   an update
   (though this reprint's front and back cover is definitely an improvement over the original),
   or a companion volume.
   For the completists, I suggest:

   1. More production and cast stills.
   2. Saul Bass's storyboards.
   3. Interviews and/or photos of Marli Renfro, the actresses
   who provided the voice for Mrs. Bates, the diminutive woman
   who stabbed Arbogast. Other cast interviews.
   4. Documentation on PSYCHO's aborted CBS broadcast of 09/66
   and its subsequent showing in 06/67 on ABC - the edits,
   and when it was finally shown complete.
   5. Information on the sequels, and Van Sant's "recreation".
   6. Full descriptions of deleted scenes from the original.
   7. Some of the less inflated analysis on its symbolism, etc.
   8. Most importantly: a cue by cue evaluation of Bernard Herrmann's magnificent score, including its unused parts.

   Ok, Mr. Rebello, make it happen.
   Until then, anyone who is at all fascinated with how an American
   cultural landmark came together, (Yeah, I know, like Hitchcock used to say, "Oh,it's only a movie!")
   GET THIS BOOK!




4. This book is about as in-depth as you could want, but very interesting and good reading. Stephen Rebello begins at the beginning with a rather revolting chapter about the psychotic killer upon which Norman was later loosely based. (Don't let your children get a hold of that chapter!) He then talks about the man who wrote the book "Psycho", and on to Hitchcock's discovery of the book and the making of the movie. There are chapters and sections on practically every aspect of the movie and the making thereof - cast, costumes, shooting, casaba melons, publicity, and the aftermath. At the end there is also a list of the entire cast and little paragraphs about what became of them after Psycho.

   This book is very good if you are a fan of either Psycho or Hitchcock in general, because in telling about Psycho the author tells a lot about Hitchcock as well.




5. I found this book to be just wonderful from start to finish. The research is painstaking, the writing smart and lively, the degree of film industry know-how is evident on every page. In fact, the book strikes me as one of the few I've read on Hollywood to suggest that the writer actually knows his way around movie sets and knows how films get made. This book has none of the absurd (and insulting) armchair psychologizing that mars other Hitchcock books and there isn't a dry or pedantic paragraph in it from start to finish. I thought I knew a lot about Hitchcock and Psycho until I read this book. A job obviously undertaken with love and wisdom, superlatively done by Mr. Rebello. I had the pleasure of hearing the author lecture on Hitchcock on TV in London and in Tokyo and he was the standout of the whole affair!

5 comments about Card Manipulations.

1. This book is a wonderful resource for those wanting to improve their sleight of hand, and contains over 165 card tricks and stunts. While the book starts with the basics, understand that the basics can be very challenging to master! Many of the tricks will require serious practice to make them polished enough to perform. The text of this book can be somewhat dense, and require a few readings to get the gist of what is being said. And while there are some difficult tricks to perform, there are a number of things the absolute beginner can pick up rather quickly.



2. This is a great book. A lot of the things in this book have inspired a lot of ideas and variations. However, this book suffers from a major flaw: many of the techniques in this book are out of date, and many of the tricks would not be as powerful for today's audiences.



3. This is an excellent book, which I waited for for two and a half weeks, it came to me and I was excited, it turned out to be quite a wonderful suprise. The appearing card trick is quite suprising, but difficult to comprehend what he is getting at. no dissapearing card tricks either, other than that, he has some excellent one handed shuffles and other great tricks. thank you



4. This is an excellent collection of card sleights and a few tricks. My only complaint is that some of its methods require every ounce of your attention to comprehend them. Not real clear in some areas but other than that it is excellent!



5. This book remains a classic for obvious reason. In it, you learn how to make cards appear and disappear from your empty hand, how to make some of the most beautiful card fans ever conceived, and how to manipulate cards in ways most folks would never imagine. There are also several tricks in this book that use the manipulation principles involved. This book is for die-hard cardicians, but those interested in fooling their friends may find something here also

5 comments about And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.

1. This book was pretty good. It was interesting to see how Jerry's career stared and what all he's done. In reading Jerry seems like a kind, good man. I do wish there had been more information of "behind the scenes" of the show though. If you are a Beaver fan it is worth reading



2. Not bad it was better than Lumpy's book.
   Jerry did give us more info on the show and stories about the cast.
   the book takes us through Jerry's life from a small boy to being a man. i did love the stories about all the cast members and what they are doing now. leave it to beaver was a great show!
   if you are a leave it to beaver fan I think you will enjoy this book. it is not the best book I have read but not bad.



3. It would be quite irresponsible to ignore the pop culture that surrounds us from our birth to our death. And certainly ignorant to belittle it. Though many do...ignorantly. From music to movies, plays to novels, magazines to television, the time in which we live IS the time we are given to live. For baby boomers LEAVE IT TO BEAVER is as important to who they are as Elvis, Kennedy and the Space Age. It defined an optimistic decade that was secure in its moral center, struggling in its quest to seek right over wrong, and boundless in its dreams. The record of the man at the center of LEAVE IT TO BEAVER is a record of post-World War 2 America. To understand that period is to understand the pop culture, to understand life as it was back then, and to understand the standards and expectations thrust upon those that lived back then. Whereas the show LEAVE IT TO BEAVE aptly laid out those standards and expectations by example and decree, the book demonstrates that the lives of those that made the show were not exempt from those standards or expectations in their personal lives and leaves a lasting record of that period of time for us to study.



4. As a Leave it to Beaver fan, I really enjoyed this book. Jerry Mathers opens up his life and tells many behind the scenes stories about his career and the ongoings of the television show. The book is about "The Beav" and as a result, some people may (and are) put off by some of Jerry's "bragging". While this does seem to happen in the book, the information and stories that he provides more than makes up for this. A nice touch is towards the end of the book where he gives some of the television show cast members their turn to talk about how they felt about the series. Gee, Beav, are you gonna write another one?



5. Although Jerry Mathers' autobiography had great potential, it took a wrong turn early in the development of this book. The chronological order of events is often so out of whack that it's almost as if someone tossed the manuscript pages into the air and then reassembled them in the wrong order. The reader gets the impression that someone turned on a tape recorder, let Jerry ramble, and then transcribed the tape verbatim. The book is also crippled by run-on sentences, misspellings, and repeated use of the word "nice" in place of more stimulating adjectives. There is no attempt to make a smooth transition between one topic and another, so the story line jerks around like a runaway bumper car. Like other reviewers on this site, I, too, was put off by Jerry's expounding on the despicable morals of other people in his generation even as he talked about cohabiting with his girlfriends and described his first encounter with his second wife, whose "body was designed for sin." Furthermore, while glimpses into the production of "Leave It to Beaver" are interesting and often amusing, there is too much insignificant detail in the rest of the book. (Does the reader care that "the dinner was delicious" at Jerry's parents' 50th anniversary celebration?) The compelling sections of Jerry's story can be picked out in a quick scan of the pages. Riffle through a copy at the library, but don't bother buying this book.

2 comments about Movie Love: Complete Reviews 1988-1991.

1. Pauline Kael - - Movie Love (1988-1991)
   
   Bird - Directed By Clint Eastwood, Starring Forest Whitaker
   
   Gorillas In The Mist - - Directed by Michael Apted, Starring Sigourney Weaver
   
   Patty Hearst - - Directed by Paul Schrader, Starring Natasha Richardson
   
   Another Woman - - Directed by Woody Allen, Starring Gena Rowlands
   
   Punchline - - Directed by David Seltzer, Starring Tom Hanks, Sally Field, John Goodman
   
   Madame Sousatzka - - Directed by John Schlesinger, Starring Shirley MacLaine
   
   Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown - - Directed By Pedro Almodovar
   
   Things Change - - Directed by David Mamet, Starring Don Ameche
   
   A Cry In The Dark - - Directed by Fred Schepisi, Starring Meryl Streep, Sam Neill
   
   The Good Mother - - Directed by Leonard Nimoy, Starring Diane Keaton, Liam Neeson
   
   Scrooged - - Directed By Richard Donner, Starring Bill Murray
   
   High Spirits - - Directed by Neil Jordan, Starring Daryl Hannah, Liam Neeson,
   
   The Dressmaker - - Directed by Jim O'Brien,
   
   Tequila Sunrise - - Directed by Robert Towne, Starring Mel Gibson & Michelle Pfeiffer
   
   Mississippi Burning - - Directed by Alan Parker, Starring Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe
   
   Dangerous Liaisons - - Director: Stephen Frears, Starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich Michelle Pfeiffer;
   
   Working Girl - - Director: Mike Nichols, Starring Sigourney Weaver, Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford;
   
   The Accidental Tourist - - Director: Lawrence Kasdan, Starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Geena Davis;
   
   Beaches - - Director: Garry Marshall, Starring Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey;
   
   Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - - Director: Frank Oz, Starring Steve Martin, Michael Caine
   
   Rain Man - - Director: Barry Levinson, Starring Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise
   
   True Believer - - Director: Joseph Ruben, Starring James Woods, Robert Downey Jr.
   
   High Hopes - - Director: Mike Leigh, Starring Ruth Sheen,
   
   Three Fugitives - - Director: Francis Veber, Starring Nick Nolte,
   
   
   Out Cold - - Director: Malcolm Mowbray, Starring Teri Garr, Bruce McGill, Randy Quaid, John Lithgow;
   
   Parents - - Director: Bob Balaban, Starring Randy Quaid, Mary Beth Hurt,
   
   Cousins - - Director: Joel Schmacher, Starring Isabella Rossellini, Ted Danson, William Peterson;
   
   New York Stories - - Directors: Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, Starring Nick Nolte, Rosanna Arquette, Mia Farrow, Julie Kavner;
   
   The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - - Director: Terry Gilliam, Starring John Neville, Jonathan Pryce, Sting;
   
   The Dream Team - - Director: Howard Zieff, Starring Michael Keaton, Peter Boyle, Christopher Lloyd, Lorraine Bracco;
   
   Crusoe - - Director: Caleb Deschanel, Starring Aidan Quinn
   
   Heathers - - Director: Michael Lehmann, Starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater;
   
   Let's Get Lost - - Director: Bruce Weber
   
   Field Of Dreams - - Director: Phil Alden Robinson, Starring Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Gaby Hoffman, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster,
   
   Scandal - - Director: Michael Caton-Jones, Starring John Hurt
   
   Say Anything - - Director: Cameron Crowe, Starring John Cusack,
   
   The Rainbow - - Director: Ken Russell,
   
   Miss Firecracker - - Director: Thomas Schlamme, Starring Holly Hunter, Tim Robbins, Mary Steenburgen, Alfre Woodard;
   
   Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade - - Director: Steven Spielberg, Starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, River Phoenix;
   
   Vampire's Kiss - - Directed by Robert Bierman, Starring Nicholas Cage, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals, Elizabeth Ashley, Kasi Lemmons;
   
   Dead Poet's Society - - Director: Peter Weir, Starring Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke;
   
   Batman - - Director: Tim Burton, Starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Jack Palance, Kim Basinger,
   
   Ghostbusters II - - Director: Ivan Reitman, Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson,
   
   Casualties Of War - - Director: Brian DePalma, Starring Michael J Fox, Sean Penn,
   
   My Left Foot - - Director: Jim Sheridan, Starring Daniel Day-Lewis;
   
   Penn & Teller Get Killed - - Director: Arthur Penn;
   
   A Dry White Season - - Director: Euzhan Palcy, Starring Marlon Brando
   
   The Fabulous Baker Boys - - Director: Steve Kloves, Starring Beau & Jeff Bridges, Michelle Pfeiffer;
   
   Breaking In - - Director: John Sayles, Starring Burt Reynolds, Bill Forsyth, Lorraine Toussaint;
   
   Johnny Handsome - - Director: Walter Hill, Starring Morgan Freeman Forest Whitaker, Mickey Rourke;
   
   Drugstore Cowboy - - Director: Gus Van Sant, Starring Matt Dillon, Heather Graham;
   
   Crimes and Misdemeaners - - Director: Woody Allen, Martin Landau, Anjelica Huston,
   
   Dad - - Director: Gary David Goldberg, Starring Jack Lemmon, Ted Danson, Olympia Dukakis
   
   Fat Man And Little Boy - - Director: Roland Joffe, Starring Paul Newman, Laura Dern, John Cusack;
   
   The Bear - - Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud;
   
   Henry V - - Director: Kenneth Branagh, Starring Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson
   
   Valmont - - Director: Milos Forman, Starring Colin Firth, Fairuza Balk, Henry Thomas
   
   Blaze - - Director: Ron Shelton, Starring Paul Newman, Lolita Davidovich
   
   Back To The Future II - - Director: Robert Zemeckis, Starring Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd
   
   The Little Mermaid
   
   Enemies, A Love Story - - Director: Paul Mazursky, Starring Ron Silver, Anjelica Huston
   
   Driving Miss Daisy - - Director: Bruce Beresford, Starring Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Aykroyd, Esther Rolle,
   
   Music Box - - Director: Costa-Gavras, Starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Jessica Lange,
   
   Roger & Me - - Director: Michael Moore,
   
   Always - - Director: Steven Spielberg, Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Audrey Hepburn;
   
   Born On The Fourth Of July - - Director: Oliver Stone, Starring Tom Cruise
   
   Glory - - Director: Edward Zwick, Starring Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Andre Braugher,
   
   Internal Affairs - - Director: Mike Figgis, Starring Richard Gere, Andy Garcia, Laurie Metcalf, Annabella Sciorra,
   
   Goodfellas - - Director: Martin Scorsese, Starring Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino, Loraine Bracco,
   
   The Tall Guy - - Director: Mel Smith, Starring Jeff Goldblum, Rowan Atkinson, Emma Thompson,
   
   Postcards From The Edge - - Director; Mike Nichols, Starring Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Richard Dreyfuss, Gene Hackman, Annette Bening,
   
   Pacific Heights - - Director: John Schlesinger, Starring Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, Michael Keaton, Beverly D'Angelo, Dorian Harewood, Carl Lumbly;
   
   Avalon - - Director: Barry Levinson, Starring Elijah Wood, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Aidan Quinn, Kevin Pollack,
   
   The Grifters - - Director: Stephen Frears, Starring Anjelica Huston, John Cusack,
   
   Reversal Of Fortune - - Director: Barbet Schroeder, Starring Ron Silver, Jeremy Irons, Rutger Hauer, Glenn Close,
   
   Vincent And Theo - - Director: Robert Altman, Starring Tim Roth, Paul Rhys,
   
   Dances With Wolves - - Director: Kevin Costner, Starring Kevin Costner,
   
   Edward Scissorhands - - Director: Tim Burton, Starring Johnny Depp, Dianne Wiest, Vincent Price, Alan Arkin, Winona Ryder, Anthony Michael Hall,
   
   The Sheltering Sky - - Director: Bernardo Bertolucci, Starring John Malkovich, Debra Winger, Campbell Scott,
   
   Everybody Wins - - Director: Karel Reisz, Starring Debra Winger, Nick Nolte,
   
   The Godfather Part III - - Director: Francis Ford Coppola, Starring Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, Raf Vallone,
   
   The Bonfire Of The Vanities - - Director: Brian DePalma, Starring Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, F. Murray Abraham;
   
   Awakenings - - Director: Penny Marshall, Starring Robin Williams, Robert DeNiro
   
   Sleeping With The Enemy - - Director: Joseph Ruben, Starring Julia Roberts
   
   L.A. Story - - Director: Mick Jackson, Starring Steve Martin



2. This is Pauline Kael's 11th and final collection of the film reviews she wrote for The New Yorker, covering the period October 1988 to February 1991. In March 1991 the magazine quietly announced her retirement, due to the extent that the Parkinson's Disease she suffered from had incapacitated her. Her author's note begins wih a quote from Pound - "what thou lovest well remains" - which is an appropriate way to end the relationship she had with movies for over 2 decades, since her inspired reviews of movies of variable quality are Kael's heritage. Her praises here include Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Dangerous Liaisons, the doco Let's Get Lost, Batman, Casualties of War, My Left Foot, Drugstore Cowboy, The Grifters, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Vincent and Theo, and Enemies A Love Story. Her pans include Another Woman, Mississippi Burning, Rain Man, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Always, Postcards from the Edge, The Sheltering Sky, and The Bonfire of the Vanities. Some memorable quotes. Bird looks like he Clint Eastwood hadn't paid his Con Ed bill - the black actors are swallowed up in darkness. As Madame Sousatzka, Shirley MacLaine could be Norma Desmond's sma;;-town spinster sister. The reference in Beaches to the bad experience Bette Midler had on Jinxed! might have more impact if by then you weren't thinking back on Jinked! almostly fondly. People used to say that Gary Cooper was a fine actor - probably because when they looked in his face they were ready to give him their powder of attorney. In Born on the Fourth of July, Tom Cruise's hysteria is like a tennis pro falling to his knees and throwing his fists up in the air. A friend of mine broke up with his woman friend after they saw Dance with Wolves: she liked it. As soon as I got home from seeing it, I ran to the phone and warned him not to it with his new woman friend.

1 comments about Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming.

1. If you either are an adventure activities leader, or in training to be one Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming is an invalueable book to have at hand.

   If you are already one it is usful for doing self reviews on your current performances, as it at the end of each of the 22 chapters it has a review box called 'effective adventure leaders should', a box containing a brief review of all the main points of that chapter which directly relate to the practical aspects of what leaders should be doing to ensure maximium safety within the group, while allowing the group to get the most out of the adventure experience they have been taken on. - I can almost garentee that every leader will pick up several tips from these sections no matter how experienced they re within the adventure leadership field.

   If you are training to be an adventure leader, then each of the chapters guide you through different situations, highlighting not only the actions of the coach but in the ways the clients will react from these actions in different situations depending on there previous experience, motivation, and fears. Each chapter starts with a given relistic situation which directly relates to the theme of the chapter, which is then used to explode open the actions of the group and the leader in the given situation and analysis in small detail, the quality of the planning, leadership, and group advancement.

   Due to the nature of the subject it can often feel like heavy reading (which it is), but it does have everything you could ever need to know within it's pages, and so makes it the best book on the subject I know of, and being on an B.A. Adventure Education course, I've read quite a few.

   Also highly recommended by me to compliment it is the book Adventure Programming by John C. Miles(Editor), Simon Priest(Editor). Hardcover (December 1999)

3 comments about Harpo Speaks . . . About New York.

1. I loved the book Harpo Speaks so very much -- I've bought it for birthday presents for 2 different people so far. It's one of my top 10 favorite books. The first 80 - 100 pages are a little slow but after that? It takes off at a gallop and reads like fantastic fiction -- drama and comedy and heart -- and all of it actually happened! Well, out of love for this book, I wanted anything else by Harpo Marx and Rowland Barber and bought this book without much thought. Or research. And found, much to my chagrin, just like a previous reviewer noted, it's just THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS OF HARPO SPEAKS!!! NOTHING NEW!!! I reiterate: BUY HARPO SPEAKS INSTEAD!!!



2. This may be an excerpt from a larger work, with which I'm unfamiliar. I have to judge it simply on what's before me. As one who thinks New York is the most civilized city on the planet though not as beautiful as Sydney, Australia, and who grew up, with millions of others, loving Harpo Marx, I loved this (little book). It is quite atmospheric and gives a very clear understanding of where the Marx Brothers got their drive and energy - Mother Minnie (stagestruck) and Father Frenchie (Housekeeper, tailor and cook). It is also a resounding example of the power of family. A very sweet and companiable edition by The Little Bookroom. Would make a very sweet gift as well.



3. Buy the book "Harpo Speaks". This is merely a coffee table extract from the FULL book, available...

1 comments about Teatro Chicana: A Collective Memoir and Selected Plays (Chicana Matters).

1. A wonderful expose from women members of Teatro Chicana from Cal State San Diego from the mid 1970's through early 1980's. Provides a political overview of the Chicano Movement, and the struggles of early Chicana feminsits seeking their poltical voice within a male dominated movement. Emphasis is on how the focus of their plays (which are included) reflected the social and cultural concerns of the times including, human rights, worker rights, immigration and gender issues. This memoir contains deeply personal and intimate memories of the actresses, and outlines their poltical development as young Mexicana and Chicana women forging new paths through their struggles and friendships. A must read for future feminists and Chicanas. A real tribute to the lasting friendship of women, and the humanitarian ideals that bind the human spirit.