Book Description
For thousands of years, the inner teachings of all great religions have expressed the idea that human beings -- each of us - create our own reality. That is, that the life we experience is a function of our own belief system and mental processes. "As ye believe, so shall it be." They have also taught that the life we experience is like a dream, insubstantial.
Now, leading edge science (quantum physics) is proposing the very same notions: that our physical reality is more like "information" - similar to a thought -- than like anything else. And that physical reality consists mostly of empty space. Furthermore, mind-body scientists (neurophysiologists) are learning more about the profound and pervasive affects that our minds have on our physical bodies.
In What the Bleep Do We Know?!, 14 top scientists, theologians and mystics explain "how this all works," as we follow Amanda, an anxious, depressed professional photographer played by Academy Award-winner Marlee Matlin, through her awakening and transformation. The Little Book of BLEEPS captures many of the most enlightening sayings and impacting graphics from the film.
Customer Reviews:
Quantum Junk.......2006-09-09
Very poor attempt by new-agers to link goofy and unprovable [and in most cases unobservable] assertions to Quantum Theory.
Some of the movie commentators and hence contributors to this "book", are way out of their league [and I suspect in a couple of cases their minds as well].
I suggest that they leave pseudo-science to the magicians and illusionists. They know what they are up to at least.
In the final analysis it matters little what one believes, it is what is demonstrable that matters. What is demonstrated/explained by this material? ....Anything you want!
My adventure into the realm of Spirituality.......2005-09-16
The Little Book of Bleeps: Excerpts from the Award-Winning Movie What the (#$%&) Bleep Do We Know (Purchased on 08/12/2005)
I heard about the low budget movie "What the Bleep Do We Know?" and went to see it in down town Sacramento movie hall. I enjoyed it so much I purchased the film. I tried to talk to my friends about it. I even bought two more films to pass out to my friends. My "flatland" skeptic friends could not believe that I would even want to see such a film. They found everything wrong with it. I felt like Galileo or Copernicus trying to let them know that the sun does not revolve around the earth. I looked at my film at least ten times trying to write down all the words of wisdom emanating from the great thinkers who were scientist and other academics in the film.
Then I found the book "The Little Book of Bleeps" that had all the words I wanted to ponder that were in the film. As I e-mailed more friends about my excitement knowing that "we create our own reality," most of my friends again put the book down by explaining the fallacies of all the great thinkers who were scientist and other academics in the film---But, what do my friends know?
Then I found "Beyond the Bleep" that goes into detail about all the ideas and the thinkers who came up with these ideas. This film "WTBDWK" is about quantum physics, spirituality---and the meaning of life. This ambitious film attempts to answer existential questions such as: What is God? What are emotions? What is the soul? And what we all want to know why are we here?
I was so caught up with quantum physics; I ordered some lectures about quantum physics for the non-scientist from the Teaching Company. That gave me the vocabulary to understand "WTBDWK."
That wasn't enough for me. Amazon.com was advertising the book "The Spiritual Universe, How Quantum Physics Proves The Existence of the Soul." by Fred Alan Wolf, PH.D. one of the scientist in the film. It took me a month to finish the book and now I'm going to read it again. Quantum Physics is mind boggling, but I think it will change the whole direction of science and bring Science into the realm of Spirituality, bring the objective into the subjective. I feel blest that I am moving up the spiritual path intended by the creator. It also proves to me that there is an "Intelligent design."
what the bleep do we know for dummies.......2005-08-12
some of the better quotes that are helpful and too many movie images that don't enlighten. Seems more like a teaser for the movie.
Time to Become "Wise". Please don't copy my review .......2005-05-17
The Review is for the movie version. However please note also, someone named "Fluffy Sausage" copied my review. Anyway a friend recommended the film to me and I found it to be fascinating, thought provoking and enjoyable . I come form an academic science background and so I naturally have to analysis things through critical/analytical eyes. A lot of the suggestions presented in this movie are on the edge of science and therefore are educated ideas/throughts. The idea of consciousness having a link with quantum physics theories would make "pure" academics eyes roll. Putting this aside it is a movie that should be seen by anyone interested in the mind and philosophies of life.
Resources for Christians.......2005-05-06
Every once in a while a book or movie or cultural event occurs that causes the collective culture to consider (or re-consider) life as they know it. After 9/11 churches were overflowing as Americans looked for hope and security in Something bigger than themselves. Over time, Americans regained their self-confidence assumptions and life went on. Sometimes an event or a discovery alters our basic perceptions: the earth is round, not flat; the earth rotates around the sun, not vice versa. Scientic discoveries are important because they shape our understanding of the divine. When a discovery counters what we have been led to believe, we are forced to assess how to align two truths.
Blogger This Guy Falls Down (http://marklee.typepad.com/this_guy_falls_down/2005/05/why_the_bleep_s.html) challenges Christians to watch the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know" and be current on books like "The Little Book of Bleeps." He writes, "Because of its popularity, and because of the issues it addresses, this film will shape many people's outlook on science and religion. And that is why it's on my radar. Not unlike The Da Vinci Code, the thoughts put forward here, right or wrong, have the potential of becoming ingrained into the collective conscience."
For Christians looking for resources to reconcile their scientic and spiritual beliefs, check out:
* The Case for A Creator by Lee Strobel
* Rebuilding the Matrix by Denis Alexander
* Chemistry of the Blood by M.R. DeHaan
* Do Science and the Bible Conflict? Tough Questions, Revised by Judson Poling
* The Science of God: An Introduction to Scientific Theology
by Alister E. McGrath
* Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology by Darrel R. Falk
* Science and Christianity: Four Views by Richard Carlson
Book Description
Today, fear affects even the strongest of us. Sometimes it's immediate, caused by a sense of imminent danger-the kind we felt after terrorists destroyed the magnificent World Trade Center, tore a giant wound in the Pentagon and killed thousands of people. But sometimes fear becomes a normal way of life. In his best-selling memoir October Sky (aka Rocket Boys), Hickam introduced us to the rugged town of his youth, Coalwood, West Virginia, and the people who took on the hazardous and often brutal enterprise of coal mining. To survive and prosper, these people relied on an approach to living that would get them through hard times with an almost unnatural resilience. Over a lifetime, they learned to take on these attitudes: We are proud of who we are. We stand up for what we believe. We keep our families together. We trust in God but rely on ourselves. These attitudes are summed up in the Coalwood Assumption: WE ARE NOT AFRAID Through poignant memories of his youth, best selling author Homer Hickam helps lead you beyond fear to find the courage and strength to live more happily and look toward to future with optimism.
Customer Reviews:
Stories of Strength and Courage.......2002-11-23
Homer Hickam wrote a very enjoyable and informative book about his hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia, and the people who helped nurture him as a young boy. With his childhood stories, he took me on a journey through time to a place that many today would dismiss as "old-fashioned," and Hickam would argue was "the way things can and should be."
Inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, Hickam reflected on his youth and realized the values he grew up with in Coalwood were what many people needed to move on with their lives following the tragic terrorist attacks on America. Hickam expertly wove his thoughts and experiences into the four "Coalwood Attitudes of Strength and Courage" (We are proud of who we are, We stand up for what we believe, We keep our families together, and We trust in God but rely on ourselves), which led to the "Coalwood Assumption" that most Americans found themselves either wanting to say or saying repeatedly following 9/11: "We are not afraid."
In his introduction, Hickam explains the purpose of this book: "If you want to stop being afraid, or if you want to avoid the habits of fear and dread, this book can help by teaching you a philosophy of life that will fill your heart and soul with a sense of well-being and confidence. It is a philosophy that was developed by real people who led good, happy and hearty lives while managing to raise a crop of children who went on to have successful lives of their own."
Hickam is a master storyteller, and his stories contained many powerful moral and inspirational passages. Some I related to as personal memories, others as things I missed growing up or never thought about, and still others as a father wanting his young son to experience in his childhood.
This book has a lot to offer to many different people with many different needs in many different situations. I encourage everyone to read this book and let Hickam take you on a journey of discovery into your heart and soul.
Fear diminishes the quality of life.........Don't let it!!.......2002-08-09
We Are Not Afraid is a very inspiring book about strength and courage in perilous times. I think everyone who reads this will come away a stronger individual for it. If you have children, sons, daughters, nieces or nephews I think it is even more important to read this!!! The book was just such a "thinker". It is only 213 pages, it reads quickly but it lasts long after you close the cover.
While it is a collection of stories about growing up in a small coal-mining town in West Virginia it makes you stop and think hard about what really should be important in life, the values, the morals, the spirit, all the things that went into creating our great Nation. Mr. Hickam points out that yes times are perilous, but that there have been many perilous times and many hardships and challenges and being afraid is not a way to meet these. He pulls no punches when he discusses the United States of America. He dismisses those who want to focus on our failures as a Nation and fail to acknowledge our ability to correct our errors and move forward as a whole. This book is a life lesson on how not to live your life in fear, and how to overcome and surmount obstacles in your way. This is not accomplished by promising "pie-in-the-sky" but by learning from the examples of others ways to be strong and have courage and face life with your head up. This revolves around four important attitudes. #1 We are proud of who we are. #2 We stand up for what we believe. #3 We keep our families together. #4 We trust in God but rely on ourselves. These may sound simplistic to many people, but when they are broken down and explained you will know that it is possible to live a good purposeful life and not be diminished by fear and to pass this on to those around you.
Great advice for a weary world.......2002-06-18
The advice I found in this book has changed my life, too. Somebody told me I should read this when they caught be dragging around filled with worry. What can a little book do to change that I asked and they said well, just read it and see. The insights in this book have been just amazing. Homer teaches through stories that are fun to read but after you're done, you just sit back and go I really see that. I really, really do. Honestly, I've spent money on a lot of these selfhelp do better kind of books but the way Homer does it, I think I really got my money's worth this time.
A philosophy for life.......2002-04-02
I read this book. It changed my life for the better. Enough said. Hickam is very gifted. Who are his people? You'll be surprised.
Homer hits a home run!.......2002-03-29
I'm a strong person,an Idaho farm boy, but, I too, was weakened by the events of September 11. I needed salve for my soul, softening of my hardening heart,a mental map to see my way out of this mess. I found it in Homer Hickam's incredible new book, WE ARE NOT AFRAID. Homer writes with a wit and warmth that envelopes you like a comforter and touches the full range of your emotions. From your funny bone to the childhood memories you have tucked away in your mind's attic, WE ARE NOT AFRAID hits the brass notes and the softest keys. The world needs more Homer!...
Book Description
Mary-Kate and Ashley are invited to a glamourous awards show in Hollywood to rub elbows with their favorite movie stars! But the day before the awards are presented, the show's host discovers that all the golden statuettes are missing! Mary-Kate and Ashley trade the limelight for their detective flashlights to find out who stole the show!
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-05-06
I really liked this video. It is awsome seeing Mary-Kate and Ashley in this tv show.
This book is Great.......2005-09-20
This book is great and it's neat how they solve this mystery! It's a page turner with a surprise ending!
The case of the hollywood who-done-it!.......2004-10-16
I just finished it this morrning. It is great! Mary-kate and ashley get to go to hollywood! They were going to give out the award but It got missing! Want to see how they solve the mystery? Find out by geting this book!
Book Description
7,500 Winners and Leading Nominees!
Every year all of the best pictures jump into a derby where they jockey for a dozen gold trophies before reaching the finish line at the Academy Awards. Movie Awards by "Hollywood Scorekeeper" Tom O'Neil is your inside scoop on the year-by-year dramas and surprises at those top races:
The Oscar Awards € The Golden Globe Awards € New York Film Critics Circle € Los Angeles Film Critics € National Society of Film Critics € Broadcast Film Critics € Screen Actors Guild € Directors Guild of America € Writers Guild of America € Producers Guild of America € Independent Spirit € Sundance Film Festival € National Board of Review
Customer Reviews:
A Perfect Handbook.......2003-07-03
Thomas O'Neil's "Movie Awards" is an absolutely no lose purchase for even a casual movie maven. Serious movie fans should be enthralled. It's all here-all the important awards from 1927-1999. Listed are such disparate grantors as the New York Film Critics, the Writer's Guild, the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild, the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.
Trivia and solid information alike abounds. This reviewer was shocked-shocked!-to read that "The Searchers" was nominated for NO awards in 1956. The pages devoted to 1969 make no mention of the Hollywood aphorism that John Wayne received that year's Best Actor Oscar (for "True Grit") to make up for being bypassed in 1956. The entire cast and Director of "The Searchers" was ignored! I also learned that Clark Gable did not win the Oscar for "Gone With the Wind" and that Tex Ritter's theme to "High Noon" won an Oscar in 1952. I still believe that is the best of the themes because it was an integral part of the actual movie. A trivia section informs us that Walter Brennan won the most Academy Awards for an actor (though not for "My Darling Clementine") and William Friedkin was the youngest Director to an Oscar. For which movie? Buy the book and check page 767. The very fact that there IS a page 767 indicates that this work cannot be devoured at one or two sittings. This is a thick handbook to be appreciated over a span of time as we watch those old classics one by one. Maybe when I read the section on 1949, I will learn why "The Third Man' got 0 Oscar nominations and why the entire cast of "A Letter to 3 Wives" went similarly empty handed. I can't wait.
A continuing tradition of excellence.......2001-05-23
Mr. O'Neil has done it again! His new book, Movie Awards, is fun to read and chock full of fascinating facts. Long a fan of his (I always watch him on E! network), I'm happy to see Mr. O'Neil finally take on the Oscars, having already covered the Emmy's and Grammy's previously. This book is a great read and is even more fun savored over the course of time as you pick out one fun fact...then another....then another...
Here's What the Critics Say:.......2001-04-09
OK, so a few typos and mistakes made it into this book's first edition. They'll be fixed in future updates. Meantime, here's what to think of this book over all, according to the pros:
"For the film buff, this year-by-year rundown on the Oscars, the Golden Globes and other awards is a dilly. And dishy, too!" -- PEOPLE MAGAZINE
"Its a vertiable feast for the trivia junkie. Not only does O'Neil list the awards chronologically, from 1927 to 1999, but he also introduces each year with behind-the-scenes, blow-by-blow info culled from the archives of Variety, New York Times and a number of other sources. There's even trivia about each of the awards. While it's undeniably a fantastic reference, it's also a pretty darn good and frequently amusing read. It's a one-stop awards info shop and deserves a place on the bookshelf." -- DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA MAGAZINE
"Numerous excellent books chronicle the Oscars or cite awards, but none combines pure pleasure and fact so well, at such a good price. Essential for all libraries." -- LIBRARY JOURNAL
Beware of factual errors.......2001-04-04
While this book is fun for movie trivia fans, a reader has to wonder how much fact-checking was done. In addition to a number of typos, MOVIE AWARDS also claims that Cecil B. DeMille was in charge of "Ben-Hur" and "Count Your Blessings" won the Oscar as best song of 1954. ("Three Coins in the Fountain" won.)
A number of other equally careless errors that should have been caught prior to publication make MOVIE AWARDS unreliable as a reference.
Incredible Resource!.......2001-02-17
Finally, we have a resource which discusses a lot of the other so-called "precursor" awards to the Oscars ... finding information on the history of these various awards has been somewhat difficult in the past. With this book, however, it's all together in one place. It's very well written, and leads you through the movie awards seasons, allowing one to see exactly how the different trends for certain films began, and we finally see the path they took until they finally took home the Oscar Gold! Definitely one of the best overall resources for those interested in all aspects of the film awards season.
Average customer rating:
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Prime-Time Hits: Televisions's Most Popular Network Programs : 1950 to the Present
Susan Sackett
Manufacturer: Billboard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0823083926 |
Average customer rating:
- A fabuous and fun reference.
- The only reference book I've ever read cover to cover!
- Gebert's insight and humorous approach makes it a delight
- A must have book for anyone who loves movies.
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The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards
Michael Gebert
Manufacturer: St Martins Mass Market Paper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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ASIN: 0312957238 |
Customer Reviews:
A fabuous and fun reference........2000-06-09
Despite its setup as a reference book, this is one you'll want to read cover-to-cover. The author gives the lowdown on all the movie awards, information about who was nominated and who won, and who he THINKS should have won. It's witty and entertaining!
The only reference book I've ever read cover to cover!.......2000-02-08
I loved Gebert's Golden Armchair reviews and the speculation on who should have won! The intrigue and the behind-the-scenes knowledge is invaluable.
Gebert's insight and humorous approach makes it a delight.......1999-06-12
For those of us who are movie lovers, we know we have found someone else who must be, to the max! I enjoyed the inside scoop on the awards, particularly the politics of the Academy Awards and I find this a great reference book to seek out good movies I may have missed. I loved the wit of his own reviews and wished there was more of his keen insight. Hope there will be another book soon.
A must have book for anyone who loves movies........1998-09-27
This is an excellent resource for finding great movies to watch. I especially like the year by year listings of the highest grossing films. I'm hoping an updated version (with pictures) will come out.
Amazon.com
This huge, hefty history of the hottest night for Hollywood hotshots is everything an "unofficial" account of the Academy Awards should be: exhaustively researched, informative, catty, and packed with amazing gossip. Authors Mason Wiley and Damien Bona describe the awards and their highlights from a number of different perspectives, quoting Hollywood insiders, reporters, and other public figures as well as offering revealing insights of their own. Inside Oscar reviews every ceremony from the '20s to the '90s, dividing each year into three sections. The first gives a full account of the movies that competed for the season's honors, focusing on the hopes, dreams, and squabbles of the actors, directors, and producers who were nominated. The second section, entitled "The Big Night," recounts the ceremony in full detail, conveying the suspense of the evening, relating the funniest quips by presenters and pundits, and describing the most arresting outfits worn by the celebrities in attendance. "Aftermath" covers the press reactions to the event and follows the fates of some of the winners.
Inside Oscar covers everything from the frenzy surrounding Gone with the Wind to the first televised awards to the disastrous 1994 ceremony, which was hosted by a terminally unfunny David Letterman. Each year is great fun to relive, but readers of this book may agree that the most memorable decade for Oscar was the 1970s, when the unexpected consistently prevailed. In 1970, George C. Scott, nominated for Patton, shocked the industry by declining the Best Actor Award. In '72, Marlon Brando refused his prize for The Godfather, sending a Native American woman, Sacheen Littlefeather, to chastise the astonished celebrities for their ill treatment of her people. Vanessa Redgrave accepted the statuette for Julia in 1977, delivering an anti-Zionist diatribe from the podium. And let's not forget the streaker who bolted onstage in '73.
You'll find full accounts of these events and many, many others in a book that's as much fun to thumb through as it is to read from cover to cover. This volume conveys the anticipation, the glamour, the viciousness, the surprises, and the fallout of the ceremonies with tremendous detail and high enthusiasm. --Raphael Efrem Shargel
Book Description
ACCLAIM FOR INSIDE OSCAR
"A giddy social history of our place and time...Mr. Wiley and Mr. Bona have found just the right tone for writing about this most particular of American phenomena."
--Vincent Canby
The New York Times
"This is the book for your film reference library, not merely because it reveals where the bodies are buried, but also because it serves as a useful sociological and aesthetic guide to the Hollywood rat race over the past six decades."
--Andrew Sarris
The Village Voice
"A grand, grotesque Hollywood party, and what a guest list!"
--Michael Musto
Saturday Review
"A fat volume of facts, trivia, trash, and gossip (perfectly fitting for the occasion)."
--Patricia Holt
San Francisco Chronicle
"Gossipy fun and a browser's delight! Everyone may know bits and pieces, but no one has ever gathered this kind of material in such a convenient and diverting format."
--Desmond Ryan
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"The fullest--and funniest--chronicle ever accorded the Golden Guy...a remarkable closeup of Oscar--warts and all."
--Harry Haun
New York Daily News
"There are probably more solid laughs on any ten pages of this book than in the last ten years of Academy Award telecasts."
--Dennis Brown
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"It may be the only hilariously funny reference book in the world. At whatever point you open it, your total attention is engaged."
--Quentin Crisp
The New York Native
Customer Reviews:
The "Gone With the Wind" of Oscar books.......2004-02-12
Baseball has the World Series. Football has the Super Bowl. Movie freaks have the Oscars. We sneer at them, challenge them, and forget who won a week later. But we watch, not only to bask in the reflected glory of the annointed ones, but also for the rare opportunity to see them disappointed, as four out of five nominees are, year after year.
Now, in this age of media saturation, we know the Oscars are more than a one night affair. The Academy Awards are a contest as competitive, and sometimes just as dirty, as the race for the White House. Mason Wiley and Damien Bona's "Inside Oscar" is the "Gone With the Wind" of Oscar books, the only one that fully details the tasteless and sometimes cutthroat tactics that have been employed to impress Oscar, Hollywood's most enduring superstar.
This mammoth volume covers the show-biz ritual from the very beginning at a small ceremony that attracted little notice ("Wings" was named best picture) through the era when Oscar emerged as a superstar of the small screen in the 50s, right through to the crowning of "Forrest Gump" as best picture of 1994.
There's the inside dope on such controversies as George C. Scott's refusal to accept his Oscar for "Patton" (shamelessly calling the ritual a "meat parade"), and Sacheen Littlefeather's speech on behalf of Marlon Brando who turned down his Oscar for "The Godfather." Wiley and Bona are lively writers who never pass up an opportunity for an amusingly scathing observation. Their behind-the-scenes exploration of what really goes on in the battle for Oscar glory is more entertaining than many of the films honored.
For Oscar junkies, this book provides the most thorough coverage available. Wiley and Bona follow each potential contender through the entire awards season, starting with the prestigious awards from the National Board of Review, to the New York Film Critics Circle, and on to the Golden Globes, right through to Oscar night and its aftermath. There's also the complete list of winners and nominees for each category, a full list of the presenters, and a step-by-step coverage of the Oscar ceremony, complete with the most memorable moments.
One of my bibles.......2003-10-17
I remember when I was ten when I first picked up this book from the library. It excited me and I can't explain why as I wasn't into movies then. All at once I decided to do an impossible task, to watch all the films ever nominated for an Oscar. As the years went by I realized how unrealistic such a task was, I can't judge cinematography and what not, and more than half the films aren't on video. So I cut down to a number of categories. Frankly as time goes by I realize how political the whole Oscar game and don't consider the phrase "Oscar nominated" to mean the film can be any good. But I still look forward to it every year.
The author takes care of the wrongness of the Oscars by adding an eligible film that should have been nominated category after every year. His tastes are broad too and not snooty as he puts Mommie Dearest even as a candidate. Also he dedicates a chapter to each year so you get to learn about the gossip and the injustice that happened at the time.
The only complaint. I replaced the last issue with the 1998 one, now I'm waiting to replace this one.
filmbuffs...your bible is here.......2002-10-06
As I was perusing the book store here at Amazon, I came across
"Inside Oscar 2". I immediatley put in in my shopping cart, as I remembered how glued to the over 1100 pages of "Inside Oscar" by Mason Wiley and Damien Bona, I became. I originally bought this "refrence" book because I have a huge movie collection and I wanted to put my library in some kind of order. This book had all the Oscar winners by year, so I thought I would just be using it to look up dates, actors etc. Fahget about it!
Once I opened it, it was all over, I couldn't put it down.
This book has a year by year, blow by blow account of the Academy Awards history. We get the stories behind the stories. The rivalries,the studio hub bub, the lobbying, poignant moments and LOTS of good laughs.
Each chapter decribes a year in the life of Oscar. It starts out with the events leading up to the nominations,goes into "The Big Night" telling us who won, where it was held, who said what, and even who presented, and ends with "The Aftermath" goings ons.
The second section of the book has detailed lists of every award won and all the nominations in every year. It goes from 1927-1994 ("Wings" to Forrest Gump".)
If you are a movie buff, if you want to impress your freinds with Hollywood history trivia, or you just like reading about the stars, this is the book for you. I can't wait until my "sequel"(1995-2000) arrives.
Ciao dahlings.........Laurie
One of my favorite books.......2001-09-19
For those with a love for both film and trivia, this book is indispensable. Its the definative examination of the annual mixture of the heartwarming and the gauche known as the Academy Awards. Going year-by-year, Wiley and Bona carefully detail what ruled the box office and amazed the critics as well as giving all the gossipy details on the mostly forgotten men and women who were temporarily declared to be Hollywood's "next great star." Each years ends with a description of that year's academy awards ceremony. Though this might not sound extremely exciting, Bona and Wiley are not shy about injecting their editorial opinions as far as the ceremonies are concerned and several of their sarcastic descriptions of various misbegotten dance numbers and confused presenters, while bordering on being rather snide, are also laugh out loud funny. No matter how savvy and cynical you may consider yourself to be, after reading their behind-the-scenes take on the Oscars, you'll never be able to look at Hollywood the same way as before.
As well, Wiley and Bona have compiled perhaps the most accurate and complete listing of Oscar nominees and winners in existence. They even include lists, for each year, of notable films and songs that were passed over. These lists are probably my favorite part of the book, though I do wish they'd include some explanations of why they selected certain films as overlooked. (As just one example, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls placement as an overlooked 1970 best picture possibility, has always perplexed me.)
No matter how much you may think you know about film and celebrity trivia, this book will have something to surprise you. This is a book I've never tired of reading because I know with each look, I'll discover something both new and hilarious.
In short, this is my desert island book.
THE definitive reference tool for ALL Oscar fans!.......2001-09-15
For everyone who gets 'movie madness' every March by eagerly anticipating Oscar night, this is a must-own book. It is the bible of Oscar knowledge and includes every nomination and winner from 1927 until the mid-90's. It is by far the greatest Academy Award reference tool that is available and just by paging through the nominee list in the back for a few minutes, your video rental list will grow by the foot.
The first portion gives the reader a quick history lesson including how the illustrious Academy began and how the golden statue got his trademark name. Following that, every year gets its own chapter in which the authors tell of the studio campaigns to get their films nominated, what the critics and gossip writers were reporting at the time, and who got a nominee and who got screwed. The chapter ends with an "Oscar Night," section, which goes down to the most minute detail of each Awards ceremony from the lame jokes the host tried to crack ("U-ma, O-prah!"),to the most flubbed speeches, embarrassing dance performances (Rob Lowe and Snow White?!), timeless quotes ("You like me, you really like me!") and hideous dresses. It also gives the list of presenters and the highlights of the post-Awards parties.
The back though, with the nominee history, is easily my favorite and one can spent countless hours paging through and remembering the classic films of years past or debating with friends about who got robbed in the best supporting category in 1962. I like to use the back as a checklist of what I've seen and need to see next.
My paperback edition is thoroughly warped and I hope the authors put out a new edition or else mine is going to fall apart soon. A warning though, the book does get rather depressing in April because that means there's 11 more months until next year's big show!
Book Description
The Newmarket Shooting Script® Sets offer a value-priced opportunity for screenplay lovers to build their collection. Each book within the set includes a facsimile of the film's actual shooting script, as chosen by the writer and/or director, notes on the film's production and history, selected movie stills, and complete cast and crew credits.
This boxed set includes: The Shawshank Redemption: nominated for 7 Oscars® including Best Screenplay American Beauty: Five-time Oscar®-winner including Best Picture with Afterword by Alan Ball Adaptation
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely Stunning!.......1999-11-19
Bruce Herhsensons' series of poster books have become the bible of the poster world. The images captured are of extremely high quality and are a must have for any collector of movie materials. I highly recommend these series of books to anyone who is interested in the subject matter.
A must-have volume for any cine-buff and film historian!.......1999-11-19
This book, along with its companion volume, "Best Pictures Movie Posters" is part of movie poster maven Bruce Hershenson's exhaustive multi-volume series of books highlighting the history and beauty of what much of mainstream America has only in the last ten years begun to recognize. And that is movie posters are a "popular art" form that can stand proudly next to all other styles of art from gothic to modern, from expressionist to impressionist. Great film art borrows from all of these styles and this volume, which focuses only on posters associated with Academy Award winning movies, illustrates innumerable examples. A fine book for any collector (get the hardcover edition if you can, it's harder to find; if Amazon doesn't have it, it's available from Mr. Hershenson directly at mail@brucehershenson.com.
Superb, Extraordinary Detail On Every Level!.......1999-11-15
This review can easily apply to any of the books in the Bruce Hershenson edited series of film poster history. Hershenson rightly treats film graphics not just as pop culture artifacts but true works of art. His books are filled with a curator's eye for superior choice and reproduction, each poster in striking color and with a clarity of printing that rivals most any coffee table art book. Somewhere between advertising and illustration, film posters, like book jackets and record covers, inhabit that imaginative and atmospheric zone where one art reflects another. It's not just the history of film or the history of film design, it's a history of twentieth century Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights. How often we would go into the dark theatre armed only with the ideas and ideals of the posters outside, and then return to them afterward, perhaps with nodding affirmation or smirking disillusionment, but still a vision of what could be. This series of books should be subtitiled: THE FINE ART OF ANTICIPATION, for no matter if expectation was filled or emptied by the films behind them, their posters kept on shining.
Every movie lover will want to own this book........1999-11-08
Gorgeous color reproductions of great movie posters remind you how captivating the appeal of movies has been. Bruce Hershenson's books are a tremendous value, and his efforts to record movie history through poster art represent a real service to movie lovers.
Best poster series ever printed!.......1999-11-08
For lovers of film, film history, and specifically, poster art, Bruce Hershenson's series of full-color books is the cream of the crop! And, the quality of printing and photography is superb, with razor sharp images and vibrant colors.
Average customer rating:
- Much better ones out there...
- Awesome facts, not-so-great writing.
- Very Useful
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The Hollywood Reporter Book of Box Office Hits
Susan Sackett
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Guides & Reviews
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
History & Criticism
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Movie Tie-Ins
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
| Dance
| General
| Reference
| Theater
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0823083241 |
Customer Reviews:
Much better ones out there..........2000-08-27
Other than the pictures, this book wasn't great. The only interesting thing it does is rank the movies in order of box office success through the years(and the grosses for the films are WAY off!) If you want to find out anything about movies, buy anything written by Roger Ebert (I have all of them! One of his movie yearbooks would be a great choice) There are also fascinating facts about most of them movies that weren't even in the book.
Awesome facts, not-so-great writing........2000-05-24
I give Susan Sackett a lot of credit for doing the research for this book. She had to sit hrough a minimum of five movies for every year since 1939. Imagine! Some of the behind the scenes stuff is great, but her writing gets stale very fast, and you can't help but feel sorry for her having to come up with hundreds of different ways of saying the same things over and over. It's like a guy trying to write movie reviews for every Jackie Chan film out there (in one scene he kicked someone's butt, and then in the next scene he kicked someone else's butt ... zzzz). Still, there is no way you can deny Sackett's pension for details when it comes to such things as a film's box office take, Oscar nominations, and Oscar wins. It's worth the price for that alone. And, it's great to read about movies from long ago, some of which I never heard of (despite being a huge movies fan). The trivia you can cull from this book is priceless. Did you know that 1966's "Hawaii" was the lowest-grossing #1 movie ever, taking in only about $16 million? Things like that kept me interested enough to give Sackett a medium review of three stars.
Very Useful.......1999-07-07
If you are a young movie maniac person and want to see some of the old good movies than this is the book for you.
Books:
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- The Natural Vision Improvement Kit
- The Nature of Consciousness : The Structure of Reality: Theory of Everything Equation Revealed : Scientific Verification and Proof of Logic God Is
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- The New Media Reader
- The People and Process of Film and Video Production: From Low Budget to High Budget
- The Return of the Native (Cover to Cover Classics)
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