Book Description
Courtney B. Vance met Angela Bassett….
They ran for years as friends in the same small circles. They had some hits, but mostly misses with other partners, and they shared one spectacularly dreadful first date together. And then, Courtney and Angela connected.
Experience the up-close-and-personal, real-life love story of this inspirational African-American celebrity couple. Learn how they navigate the fickle tides of fame, while keeping their relationship fresh and true. See how they've carved a meaningful life together in spite of humble beginnings, family tragedy and the ups and downs of stardom with love, faith and determination.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book!.......2007-10-02
Bravo Courtney for evolving into the man that you are. It took great strength and courage to defy the many evils of today. I hope many males read this book and imitate you and your union with Angela. Congratulations on a job well done.
Awesome love story .......2007-09-17
This book was well written think it was wonderful for Courtney/Angela to share their lives with readers. Points of interest: the lessons Angela/Courtney gives about being a God fearing wife and husband. This will help anyone who takes the time to read/apply it to your life. Please write another book soon.
WONDERFUL!.......2007-08-23
This book was such a joy to read. As a young single lady in my 40's, it was a joy to learn of the forces that lead Angela and Courtney to each other. If you believe there is someone waiting for you, then this is the book to read. I am so glad they made the decision to share their story with us. Thanks for sharing!
Just Wonderful.......2007-07-28
This Book was just Wonderful.
The first book in a long time that I couldn't put down!!
Read It In One Sitting.......2007-07-17
This book was fun to read. I was able to identify with both characters - especially having grown-up in Detroit. But the couple definitely got a little bit too "holier than thou" at the end with all the Bible thumping.
In all fairness, the couple warned the reader that they were only giving their opinion of what's important in marriage - and that the reader could take it or leave it. If you like J. California Cooper there's a good chance you'll like this book also.
I've seen many celebrity marriages put in the spot-light as the "perfect union". They mostly breakup just like everyone else. I really hope and pray that Angela and Courtney stay together and continue living as a happy, loving husband, wife, and family.
Book Description
Once the sought–after video girl, this sexy siren has helped multi–platinum artists like Jay–Z, R. Kelly and LL Cool J sell millions of albums with her sensual dancing. In a word, Karrine was H–O–T. So hot that she made as much as $2500 a day in videos and was selected by well–known film director F. Gary Gray to co–star in his film, A Man Apart, starring Vin Diesel. But the film and music video sets, swanky Hollywood and New York restaurants and trysts with the celebrities featured in the pages of People and In Touch magazines only touches the surface of Karrine Steffans' life.
Her journey is filled with physical abuse, rape, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and single motherhood––all by the age of 26. By sharing her story, Steffans hopes to shed light on an otherwise romanticized industry and help young women avoid the same pitfalls she encountered–– and if they're already in danger, she hopes to inspire them to find a way to dig themselves out of what she knows first–hand to be a cycle of hopelessness and despair.
Customer Reviews:
It was okay, but confusing at the same time .......2007-10-04
I know this book has been on the shelfs for a while. There is actually a second book that follows this one. I felt i had to read this book before I read Karrine's second book. The book is okay but it is all over the place. First her whole childhood story wasn't really convincing to me. I felt that she fabricated a lot of the stuff that she talks about her mother. The rape incident seem so unrealistic to me. I don't believe that whole part about other people watching her getting rape and not doing anything about it. Also i couldn't believe she remained friends with that girl after what happen. She constantly claims how she had low sef-esteem and how she always looked for love in the wrong places.One thing that stood with me was after sleeping with all these celebrities she would say, how she felt love and worth it once again.
Superhead whatever her name is, she was just too confusing for me. I can't believe that she put her child through so much and abandoned him numerous times in order to go with these rappers who didn't care about her. I think she put her self in those situations, i didn't feel sorry for her. i felt sorry for her son and i have to say Ray J. She lied to him and used him as her safety net. Overall the book is a quick read.
This Book Will Go Down In History.......2007-09-29
I am just getting the chance to write this review but I read it shortly after it was released. Karrine took us back to her childhood and helped us to understand the complex woman now called "Superhead." As in other reviews, I have never judged her.No one should. Who we may be quick to judge though are those people in the book who shield their past and demons. It was very interesting to divulge in the lives of many powerful (not only hip hop) figures. I did feel in reading the book that there is so much that she left out--no wonder no one has sued her. Many of them are sighing relief. Well besides "Big Tigger" which makes me wonder why HE'S so upset. If its "not true" Tigger--just move on...u guilty of something? Just wondering. Who also makes me cringe and want to judge is "Papa" otherwise known as Method Man. I'm sorry if I am spoiling it for those who haven't read Vixen Diaries yet but the fact that he called up to Hot 97 in a rage about how he doesn't know her only for us to find out it was him the whole time. It plays in my head "Why do I keep getting mentioned in the same sentence with this girl and I don't know her?" I have no respect for him whatsoever and being outed is what he deserved. Now you have a LOT of explaining to do Meth!! I imagine that he will not be making any appearances or doing anything in the near future in the sheer effort to avoid the "Superhead" question. Anywhoo--everybody should have a copy of this in your library. Just think 10 years from now your 16 year old son or daughter who is looking at these aged hip hop artists and even Karrine,can read and see who they really are--just normal people trying to figure things out in the world.
alright further proof that sex sells.......2007-09-14
karrine's my kind of girl she's into everything threesomes, prostituition, drugs you name uit she did it ain't nothing I can say that have'nt already beed said on here but there are some names I was hoping she drop like snoop, ice cube, nelly, master p, mack 10, ugk, too short, luke, maybe she did'nt have time for those good book lobve how she go into detailsd about dmx scratching her and barking while havinbg sex.
No doubt about it: She CONFESSED........2007-09-09
Poorly written novels irritate me greatly. Based on the life Karrine lived and the way she reacted to certain situations informs the reader that she isn't the most intelligent woman alive, but she did have Karen Hunter aid her with this book, so between the two of them, someone should have known how to write a decent book. However, in this instance, the poor vernacular isn't the most imperative issue here. What truly matters here is the fact that she was so unapologetically honest about many of today's hottest male celebrities. She was sexually involved with superstars such as Ray-J, Kool G Rap, Ja Rule, DMX, Jay Z, Shaquille O'Neal, Ice-T and Diddy. She was seemingly honest about her liaisons with these men, many of whom are married.
Karrine was able to get doors opened for her because of her good looks and amazing sexual expertise. In this book, she makes it clear that she has no love for her mother because her mother was not there for her. This may or may not serve as a contributing factor to why Karrine was so free with her body. She began her "career" as a dancer in hip-hop music videos. This opened doors for her; she was able to get into concerts and VIP at clubs. In the book, Karrine doesn't necessarily glorify the finer things in life, but one can easily imply that she enjoys them a great deal. She is very candid about her abusive relationship with rapper Kool G Rap and the fact that she was homeless. Before the book ends, she becomes a bit preachy and lets girls know that they should want more for themselves than to be a man's whore.
I truly enjoyed reading the book. It was difficult to put down once I became engrossed into it. If you can look past the poor writing, this book should be at least a little enjoying and/or intriguing.
JUICY !!!.......2007-09-09
Its not great literature, but its spicy and lurid. And I couldn't put it down! If you want a quick & easy read, than you will like Confessions of a Video Vixen.
Book Description
The biggest female box office attraction in Hollywood history, Doris Day remains unequalled as the only entertainer who has ever triumphed in movies, radio, recordings, and a multi-year weekly television series. America's favorite girl next door may have projected a wholesome image that led Oscar Levant to quip "I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin," but in Considering Doris Day Tom Santopietro reveals Day's underappreciated and effortless acting and singing range that ran the gamut from musicals to comedy to drama and made Day nothing short of a worldwide icon.
Covering the early Warner Brothers years through Day's triumphs working with artists as varied as Alfred Hitchcock and Bob Fosse, Santopietro's smart and funny book deconstructs the myth of Day as America's perennial virgin, and reveals why her work continues to resonate today, both onscreen as pioneering independent career woman role model, and off, as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor. Praised by James Cagney as "my idea of a great actor" and by James Garner as "the Fred Astaire of comedy," Doris Day became not just America's favorite girl, but the number one film star in the world. Yet after two weekly television series, including a triumphant five year run on CBS, she turned her back on show business forever.
Examining why Day's worldwide success in movies overshadowed the brilliant series of concept recordings she made for Columbia Records in the '50s and '60s, Tom Santopietro uncovers the unexpected facets of Day's surprisingly sexy acting and singing style that led no less an observer than John Updike to state "She just glowed for me." Placing Day's work within the social context of America in the second half of the twentieth century, Considering Doris Day is the first book that grants Doris Day her rightful place as a singular American artist.
Customer Reviews:
A four-star idea, executed rather poorly..........2007-09-07
I've been a Doris fan for more than 50 years, since I saw her film "Calamity Jane" when I was nine. I too, think she is underappreciated and was a unique singer. But Tom's writing here needed some good editing. How many times need he tell us that she had a great figure, that she followed her vocal coach's advice to sing each number as if it were to only one person, that Warner Brothers musicals were not put together as well as MGM's, that her combination of tomboyish sensuality was irresistable, that she put her business affairs in the hands of a husband who eventually made enough bad decisions to impoverish her and tarnish her artistic opportunities? He reviews every film in too much detail, seeing homosexual hints in the plots of nearly all of them. Many of his criticisms and praises are right-on, but oh, so repititious and pretentious. He analyzes most of her two-minute single vocal releases in detail that takes four minutes to read. I learned a lot I did not know about Ms. Day by reading this, but instead of it being a joy to savor, it became a chore to finish, because the tone and style of his narrative got almost obnoxious. She deserves a book like this, just not this one, even though the author adores the star as much as I do.
Missed Opportunities - Drew Savage, Author.......2007-07-28
I found this a difficult book to read. Instead of the usual narrative format adopted by most biographers, Mr. Santopietro has chosen instead to divide his book into sections. After an introduction covering Miss Day's early life and initial rise to fame as a singer with the Big Bands, there are chapters on her movies, recordings, and television shows. The latter part of the book focuses on her transition away from the role of top flight entertainer to that of animal welfare champion.
Unfortunately, the chapter on movies vascillates between what seems like an endless repetition of Mr. Santopietro's adulation for Miss Day, and a dissection of each film production into a myriad of mind-numbing minuitae. Most of these comments are at best unflattering, at worst downright damning. To be candid, if I had not already seen most of the movies, the author's comments would be enough to make me reach for the 'off' button on my remote control every time one was scheduled.
This is very disconcerting,as,equally candidly,I find most of her movies very enjoyable indeed, and some are just delightful.
Only in the section on Miss Day's recording career does the book really come to life for me. The comments here are insightful, interesting and even intuitive as the author speculates on some of the recordings that might have been, as well as presenting a worthwhile interpretation of those that came to fruition.
With the section on the TV shows falling somewhere between these two extremes, it's almost as if the book was written by three different people.
I am too young to have fully appreciated Miss Day's talents the first time around, but I do have a good ear for music. I also have an in depth interest in the genre that has prompted me to study, write about, and present a number of aspects of 'The Golden Age' of popular music. As I'm writing this review, the 2-on-1 CD coupling of 'What Every Girl Should Know' and 'I Have Dreamed,' is playing in the background. It remains, along with many other examples, a superlative example of a multi-talented artiste.
This book should have been a new and much needed window on those talents. What a pity it is not. In a way this is, perhaps, a little ironic. We are left with a piece of work that, as with certain aspects of Doris Day's own career, reflects some missed opportunities.
Opinionated, repetitive, annoyingly pompous.......2007-07-15
I've always felt that Doris Day has never received her proper due from the film community, even though the public has embraced her during her active career and in the decades since her retirement. I was hoping this biography would shed some light on why this might be. Instead, Santopietro bemoans the fact that she was made the subject of ridicule in the late sixties by the very folks who were her fans a decade earlier. But where's the analysis of why Day has never received any of the prestigious awards - AFI Life Achievement, Life Achievement Academy Award, etc? Sure... her films were mostly light comedies, but Day was excellent in them, displaying an innate sense of comedy. And at this point in her life, why not honor the actress with a token of the industry's gratitude for the body of her work? Santopietro gets many things dead wrong, For instance, he praises her performance in Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much," far from her best role, while endlessly overpraising "Love Me or Leave Me," a fine film with a strong co-star (James Cagney), but not the benchmark film the author paints it to be. Cursory attention is given to an enormously popular Day film, "Calamity Jane," made under her Warners contract. Yes, "Calamity Jane" was made three years after "Annie Get Your Gun," but it is a FAR superior film, though the subject matter is similar. "Calamity Jane" doesn't have an Irving Berlin score, but it does boast the Academy Award-winning song, "Secret Love," which became a Doris Day signature song. But so many of her early films are attacked as if Day herself had a say in their content. She was a Warners contract player, under the iron hand rule of Jack Warner. You can check Judy Garland's roster of films to see that that icon, too, made her share of clunkers. A major omission: a discussion of HOW the role of a lifetime eluded Day -- Nellie Forbush in the screen version of "South Pacific." Did Day want this role? Was she offered the role? Were there conflicts that prevented her from accepting the role? Was she afraid of being compared to Mary Martin, who originated the role on Broadway? Was money the issue? You won't get the answers to any of trhe questions from Santopietro's book. I'd recommend Day's autobiography. Though it doesn't answer all of these questions, at least you can "hear" Day's voice as you read. The definitive Doris Day biography has yet to be written.
Not a whole lot new!.......2007-07-09
For Doris Day fan's there is not much new in this book which is really more of a dissection of every song, movie and television show Doris ever did. The author raves on and on about how wonderful Ms. Day was (is) and how talented, how real, etc. He then proceeds to break down every aspect of every thing she has done (show business wise)into an overly detailed personal critique. How bad the script was for each movie, how silly the co-stars, how bad the director was, how stupid the songs! Somehow the whole thing is unbalanced. It would be better to read Doris' own autobiography. There are very few interesting antecdotes in this overly opinionated volume. I gave it a 3 because there are some great pictures (though not many) and there is a complete listing of recordings, movies and television apearances along with awards statistics...a great deal of research went into it as well as a great deal of personal opinion.
Highly Recommended!.......2007-06-19
The book is an extensive critique of Ms Day's work including her films, recordings, and television appearances. I don't believe he missed a film or an album of hers, and he has a great appreciation for Ms Day's remarkable talents. After so many years of reading compliments that are left-handed or almost apologetic, it's great to read the opinion of one who truly knows the wonderful contributions Ms Day has made throughout her illustrious career. I recommend this book to all Day fans and to those who are interested in knowing more about the wonderful contributions Ms Day has made to the entertainment world, as well as her tireless work as an animal advocate.
Average customer rating:
- Superstar Edie!
- The Girl Is On Fire
- Edie: Girl on Fire Review
- Edie: Girl on Fire
- Edie:Girl on Fire!
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Edie: Girl on Fire
David Weisman , and
Melissa Painter
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
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Edie Factory Girl
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ASIN: 0811855260 |
Book Description
Model, film star, socialite, friend, lover, addict, Edie Sedgwick was the first "it" girl of the Andy Warhol Factory scene and later muse to Bob Dylan. The arc of Edie's life traced the rise and fall of the 1960s from idyllic experimentation to dissolute recklessness. After being toasted by the whole of New York City, Edie died alone of a drug overdose in California at the age of 28. David Weisman (with John Palmer) filmed Edie for the last five years of her life in his cult film Ciao! Manhattan. When he recently uncovered lost footage of Edie, David was inspired to create Edie: Girl on Fire, a book and a documentary film that explores Edie's true story. He and coauthor Melissa Painter have tracked down and interviewed many of Edie Sedgwick's surviving intimates, including Danny Fields, Baby Jane Holzer, and Ultra Violet. They also unearthed hundreds of never-before-published photos portraits, professional ad shoots, and heartbreaking snapshots of the girl who won New York's heart and nearly burned down the Chelsea hotel. The book also features a CD with Edie's last interview ever, a riveting account of a rollercoaster life. Sure to be seen as a rebuttal to Hollywood's highly fictionalized film Factory Girl (coming this fall), Edie: Girl on Fire creates an insightful and startling portrait of a woman that nobody quite knew.
Customer Reviews:
Superstar Edie!.......2007-05-13
I adored it...full of photo's I'd never seen before of Edie...new quotes, etc. Really gave me insight into her whole vibe & electricity. major fun! and it comes with a great CD with an interview.
The Girl Is On Fire.......2007-04-23
Edie: Girl On Fire is chalked full of rare pictures and new commentary from the people who knew Edie the best, her husband, friends & family. The co-author of the book, David Weisman, not only shares never-before-seen pictures of Edie but, also marvels at the Edie obsession some 36 years after her death. Weisman & Painter do an excellent job of portraying the real Edie through pictures & stories shared by Edie's family & friends. They don't romanticize Edie as being an victim. In fact, they show that Edie was just like the rest of us. A flawed human being who was trying to find a place in the world during a turbulent time period. Edie's flaws are not glossed over or explained away. Instead, they show what a disturbed and lost young woman she was. Weisman himself knew Edie personally for years. Weisman saw Edie at her zenith and watched her fall apart and ultimately lose her life because of her own addictions & obsessions.
One of the best parts of the book is the pictures. After years of seeing the same Edie pictures over & over, there are finally pages & pages of glorious "new" pictures including scrapped "Life" magazine photoshoots and newspapers covering one of the many fires that Edie started at various hotels due to her speed usage. Another awesome part is the cd of audio interviews Edie conducted towards the end of her life for what would be her last movie "Ciao! Manhattan!" (made by co-author Weisman). Edie talks about her many drug trips and her time at the Factory. She's candid, well spoken and heartbreaking. When listening to this cd of Edie's voice and looking at the pictures, you almost want the ending to change. You want Edie to pull through all this garbage and rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Just like any story, the ending never changes and there's really no happily ever after.
Edie: Girl on Fire Review.......2007-03-25
The book is filled with many great photos of Edie. Many I've never seen before. The text if fine, mostly quotes from many different people. I think I would have given this book a 5 if it contained more of a narrative type of text vs. many quotes.
Edie: Girl on Fire.......2007-03-21
This book is excellent. The pictures really tell the story of
Edie Sedgwick, '60's Warhol groupie, actress, model who lived a "roller coaster" life. Comments by those who knew her make the tale of her life
interesting & real.
Edie:Girl on Fire!.......2007-03-18
Hot coffee table book with lots of rare Edie interviews & photos! A must for all Edie fans & a great companion to the Ciao Manhattan DVD! Brilliant!
Book Description
A charming guide to finding elegance in every aspect of life, featuring rarely seen photographs and revelations about the actress who perfected gracious living.
Propelled by popular titles such as Swell: A Girl's Guide to the Good Life and Three Black Skirts: All You Need to Survive, the decorum category touts plenty of trendy advice. But no one has demonstrated the power of poise as memorably as Audrey Hepburn, whose enchanting essence on and off the screen has easily withstood the test of time.
Inspired by a beloved icon who balanced sensibility and sex appeal, celebrity and humanitarian efforts with evident ease, How to Be Lovely examines the art of being a woman. More philosophy than biography, Hepburn fans will uncover the deeply thinking, deeply feeling woman who found success on the silver screen, in her own home and in the world at large. Through Hepburn's own words from interviews, what her friends said and behind-the-scenes stories, readers will develop a new outlook on their own careers, love lives, families, wardrobes, finances, health concerns, friendships, and the world at large.
Published to coincide with Audrey Hepburn's would be 75th birthday, How to Be Lovely features an elegant design worthy of the book's namesake. For the millions who continue to delight in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday, and the woman behind them all, this is the guide to living genuinely with glamour and grace.
Customer Reviews:
I just love this book!!.......2006-11-04
This is such a wonderful book and a staple for how to deal with everyday things that life brings on. Audrey Hepburn was not only beautiful...but very wise. There is so many great quotes in this book...definitely a must read!!
Where have all the LADIES gone?.......2006-05-27
If pop star Pink sings "Where oh where have all the smart people gone, where oh where could they be?"... then this book cries "Where oh where have all the LADIES gone? Where oh where could they be?" If ever there is a role model for a renaissance in being a lady (not to be confused with a bombshell)... it is Audrey. Her grace, aristocratic sophistication, refinement, depth, humanitarian spirit, and genuine posh-like glamour was real as much as it was regal. In a world of cheap bombshell images the statement: that which is least seen is most beautiful is truer than ever. Audrey was an archetype of an era where being a lady was respected and advocated.
The Ultimate Guide to Loveliness, Both Inside and Out........2006-01-11
A lot of people misuse the term "hero." Lots of people think it's an athlete, an actor, or a singer. I regard Audrey Hepburn as my hero and a great role model. She was a rare and unusually timeless beauty with her gamine looks and a gorgeous accent, often mistaken as British, that also belied part of her time in Nazi occupied Holland. With the grace of a dancer and a princess to add to her intoxicating manner of speech, she had consistently excellent taste in clothes, impeccable hairstyles, and an approach to living that more people in this world would do well to adhere to.
Hepburn isn't a hero because of her time on screen; that's just an admirable sort of glamorous display. She fought the resistance as a brave young girl with her mother during WWII, helping the allies escape to freedom. Later in her life, when her career as an actress had more or less played itself out, she took her fame and used it to help give aid to children of third world countries who were starving as she and her fellow Dutchmen had all those years earlier. She was generous, humble, uncomplicated, and beautiful beyond the physical sense. Sure, she chain smoked and was insecure, she had that one crooked tooth and insisted she had a square face, but her physical beauty came from the simple brightness inside of her that was often illuminated by those large, exotic brown eyes. Je ne sais quoi, indeed! Audrey was a woman who knew how to be the consummate woman by keeping her approach to life simple and uncomplicated, yet managing to make people place her on a pedestal of goddess-like status. That is a gift few people possess, but she was able to utilize it with seemingly little work. Melissa Hellstern's book takes several quotes by Hepburn and friends, lots of great b&w photos, and turns them into something of a positive handbook to help women, regardless of any age, learn to possess simple, optimistic, life-affirming class.
Perfect Stocking Stuffer.......2005-12-01
I gave this book to my mom for Mother's Day and haven't stopped hearing how much she likes it. I highly recommend it as the perfect stocking stuffer, especially for the price on Amazon. Just ordered two more for my sisters.
Great transaction.......2005-09-09
The book was as described and received in a timely manner. Thank you!
Amazon.com
Before Men, Women, and Chain Saws, most film critics assumed that horror (especially slasher) films entail a male viewer sadistically watching the plight of a female victim. Carol Clover argues convincingly that both male and female viewers not only identify with the victim, but experience, through the actions of the "final girl," a climactic moment of female power. As the Boston Globe writes, Men, Women, and Chain Saws "challenges simplistic assumptions about the relationship between gender and culture... [Clover] suggests that the 'low tradition' in horror movies possesses positive subversive potential, a space to explore gender ambiguity and transgress traditional boundaries of masculinity and femininity." Be forewarned, though: Clover addresses an academic audience, so her language can be heavy going.
Related title: The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film by Barry Keith Grant
Book Description
Do the pleasures of horror movies really begin and end in sadism? So the public discussion of film assumes, and so film theory claims. Carol Clover argues, however, that these films work mainly to engage the viewer in the plight of the victim-hero, who suffers fright but rises to vanquish the forces of oppression.
Clover, a medievalist, had written extensively on the literature and culture of early northern Europe, especially the Old Norse sagas. From her expertise in formulaic narrative grew her interest in contemporary cinema, which is, after all, yet another form of oral storytelling. Men, Women, and Chain Saws investigated the appeal of horror cinema, in particular the phenomenal popularity of those "low" genres that feature female heroes and play to male audiences: slasher, occult, and rape-revenge films. Such genres seem to offer sadistic pleasure to their viewers, and not much else. Clover, however, argued the reverse: that these films are designed to align spectators not with the male tormentor, but with the female tormented--with the suffering, pain, and anguish that the "final girl," as Clover calls the victim-hero, endures before rising, finally, to vanquish her oppressor.
The book has found an avid readership from students of film theory to major Hollywood filmmakers, and the figure of the final girl has been taken up by a wide range of artists, inspiring not just filmmakers but also musicians and poets.
Customer Reviews:
No opinion either way........2005-04-04
The book is undeniably well written. Alot of the author's points are valid, and her(?)ideas about the role of gender in horror films are interesting. What really burns me is that I'm not too sure that she actually watched some of the films she mentions. Or if she did, she didn't really pay too much attention.
I think that if one were to write a book about character study, they should probably pay closer attention to the characters they study. Make sense to me.
Overall, reading this book was helpful in the way it describes a relativly small audience....not horror fans, but people who want to pick apart horror movies in order to make sense of horror fans. For the academics, who don't know how to shut their brains off in order to just kick back and enjoy a good old fashoined "Killin' Movie", this book could really come in handy. For those of us who need no help in enjoying the genre, this book might help you speak the language of people who don't. This new ability could be useful when you get dragged into either an argument or a sophist's conversation on the subject. (Sophist being different than sophisticate...sophists only pretend to know what they're talking about when they are around people whom they believe to not know any better.)
All things being equal though...its an allright book.
P.S.
I secretly wonder sometimes, when people talk about how its always women being beaten, tortured and killed in horror films.
99% of these slasher films are about slashers. Duh...ok with that out of the way, let's ask ourselves who these slashers are.
Maniacs, (Almost always male) with some sort of abhorrent social disfunction. Sounds alot like our real life serial killers.
As bad as Jason Voorhese is, he doesn't even compare to the Green River Killer, or Edmund Kemper. As witty and Terrifying Freddy Kruger might be, his evil genius pales in comparison to guys like Carl Panzram or H.H. Holmes. As ruthlessly deranged Michael Meyers seems to be, he can't hold a candle to guys like Richard Speck or Richard Ramierez. Now, what do all these fellas, (real or screen character) have in common? THEY ALL KILLED WOMEN. Point of fact, our onscreen killers are much more equal opportunity than our real life madmen. So, is it any wonder that women are victims in these movies? Also, the women in most of these films tend to get off with just a nasty death. In most instances, the real life killers would do some fairly terrible things to their victims before they killed them.
Slumming academics.......2005-01-01
It's amazing that horror films, of all the genres, have undergone such 'serious' analysis in the academic film studies arena. It tells you a lot--considered to be a kind of low art form, it attracts serious scholars who, rather than applying common sense or rational thinking, literally invent whole vocabularies to disguise their utter lack of knowledge and general cluelessness with regards to these staples of 'pop' culture for the 'little people'.
It's classic academic constructs. It's obvious that Clover, and she's not alone, is either incapable or unwilling to just say what she means. Instead, and in order for a university press to pick these things up, the ideas have to be draped in dense, unreadable, and often laughable language.
Are there interesting ideas here? Yes, certainly. Are they easy to understand? They can be, but not here. You may feel like a moron after reading about your favorite slasher, but don't worry--you haven't been exposed to the careerism and isolation of the cinematic ivory tower yet.
The book can be half as long if they tried to make it accessible to the people who actually WATCH horror films, but it is instead geared toward people who want to study the people who watch horror films, from a detached perspective, armed with a dictionary and a black turtleneck.
I would actually recommend this book for horror fans, but with reservations. It does try to get at what is happening in this genre, and why we watch these movies. But don't feel bad if you laugh at some of it--that's part of the real world.
Good in spite of itself.......2004-08-09
The author is obviously an academic, and seeks to dignify her pop-culture subject with ludicrous rhetorical tropes borrowed from the grad school version of pop psychoanalysis. She says "gender" when she means sex. She is capable of writing phrases like "the killer's phallic purpose. . ." and sentences like "What -is- clear is that where there is -Wiederholungszwang- there is historical suffering --- suffering that has been more or less sexualized as 'erotogenic masochism.'" Clarity, it seems, ain't what it used to be. Charlatans like Gilles Deleuze and hatemongers like Susan Brownmiller appear in the bibliography, and the book is obviously addressed to an audience that has not yet learned to laugh at them.
Still, the central thesis of the book is in fact a cogent analysis of the ritual of the 1980s variety "slasher" film, and if you overlook the bogus jargon she gets it mostly right. The book convincingly goes through the rituals involved in this highly stereotypical variety of film. Even the vaguely radical academic version of sexual politics has some purpose in this: these slasher films, like all accepted exercises in gore and the temporary suspension of tabooed subjects, attempt to justify their existence by claiming in some obscure way to reinforce social norms. It would be a much better book if it were written in workaday English, but it is nevertheless an interesting read, and insightful almost despite itself.
One-sex theory? Anal birth?.......2004-01-02
Really doesn't sound like the beginnings of a discussion of horror films. The language used in this book is so far over my head that I begin to feel stupid, and that what I thought I knew about movies (which is more than most people I know) must certainly not be enough to even be allowed to watch them. What's disappointing is that I want to agree with the theories in the book. Clover's premise is that watching horror movies is not a sadistic act, and that the young men who watch them are really identifying with the female victim-hero, instead of just gawking at boobies. I like the idea that the viewer identifies with the monster and the victim. But I don't think the author can really identify with... humanity! The word 'psychobabble' does come to mind. It makes me wonder what she's hiding from, or who she's trying to impress. I don't think she has any grasp at all of these films or why I watch so many of them.
It just seems to me like this woman has put every word she knows into a theory I think I can sum up in less than fifty pages. Sentences don't need to be that long to get a point across.
To sum up, if you are a horror film fan with an IQ of 160 or less, do not read this book! It was written for high-brow, academic types who are fascinated by the rituals and habits of us lower creatures, but wouldn't be caught dead in a theatre with less than eighteen screens. However, if you are a high-brow, academic type who is fascinated by the rituals and habits of us lower creatures, but wouldn't be caught dead in a theatre with less than eighteen screens, you might like it.
She just does not get horror movies, that's all........2001-02-26
I bought this book hoping to read a balanced and insightful analysis of gender in horror. What I got was the same trite "analysis" that seems so fashionable today. This book is profoundly feminist, in a very offensive sort of way. I am terribly sorry, but the author really needs more than a few months' worth of watching horror (see her own admission on p.19) and more than rudemintary understanding of pop psychology, to make a compelling case.
Briefly, her "analysis" of the female in modern horror slasher movies goes like this. Clover begins with the observation that most of these (American) films concentrate on the abuse, victimization, and triumph of a woman. The author then asks (i) why a woman and (ii) why do mostly male viewers watch these films. Her interpretation is that the "Final Girl" in these movies is really a male! It seems that in Clover's world, most males are homosexual, or at least bisexual, and they seem to have some bizarre beating fantasies. Because showing a male in this position would be uncomfortable for the male viewers (it would expose their forbidden fantasies too close for comfort), an unfemale female is substituted.
Clover simply misses several very simple things, which leads her to the mental acrobatics necessary to account for the phenomenon. Why does she dismiss the directors when they say that having a woman suffer is essential to horror? I don't know, but it is obvious that (i) out culture regards men as active, that is, when men are victimized, there's little sympathy for them---we expect them to react, strike back, and die in the attempt---which means that if you want emotions in the audience, you better go after a girl; (ii) our society focuses on female beauty much more than male beauty---from an aesthetical perspective, destroying something beautiful is much more painful; (iii) the reason why The Final Girl is not too feminine is because these horror films are American---one characteristic trait of this culture is the belief that the outcast, the underdog, can succeed through his/her own efforts---that's why the main character is seen as an outcast; (iv) the basic plot of these films is a variation on the ancient myths of the hero---someone who goes through incredible ordeals, and wins against all odds---this sort of story, however, is mostly attractive to males, which is why you don't tend to see many women at these films. This is a brief synopsis of a larger argument where every step is substantiated, but it illustrates why Clover's view is plain wrong.
It would have been helpful if she had viewed some European or Japanese horror films: she would have found out that many of the features characteristic of US films are simply missing. It would have been helpful if she did not regard horror as low art (she does, her posturing to the contrary notwithstanding). It would have been better if she avoided the turgid prose common to texts where the author either has little to say or tries to disguise wrong ideas.
Finally, Clover completely misses an important consequence of horror being made idependently of Hollywood. It's not just that it can cater shamelessly to the most exploitative taste (which some do), but low-budget cinema is a more accurate reflection of trends in contemporary society. While Hollywood produces slick and ultimately empty movies, B-flicks incorporate things the way the authors see them---the Final Girl in horror is nothing less than an acknowledgment of the achievements of gender equality. There are now female heroines (much more resourceful than the bungling males in these movies) and they triumph over adversity, and against the onslaught of maniacal males. This seems like a good statement of the fact that our society has come to accept women in roles that traditionally were not available to them.
Customer Reviews:
Order at a lower price.......2006-07-07
This and all the other Jean Hunnisett Period Costume titles can be ordered directly from the publisher, Players Press, Inc., Studio City, CA for ONLY $59.00 each.
Ah, yes, grid reference............2004-05-26
I received this book as part of a group of textbooks received for my costume design course at FIDM. I used a nice, red, ballpoint pen (this would've been 1990, y'know, before acid/lignin-free - and especially non-bleeding - pens were freely available) to mark out my ten-grid grid. Anyway, I used the Phoenix (Elizabethan or Jacobean) corset pattern to make one of my projects, and it turned out beautifully (if only it still fit me!). I also drafted a Tudor corset from one of the patterns, and we did a panier petticoat from this text as well.
You might say the book is well-loved. Really, really, well-loved.
Which, I would think, goes far in stating how useful this book is, and how much information, especially in the form of period patterns, is available within. I couldn't have done without it, and I don't think anyone else should have to.
very useful book.......2001-08-09
When I look at the few period costumes I made (I'm only a beginner), I really think this book helped me to improve my cutting abilities, sewing tips and above all, the authentic period feeling when the garment is worn and moves on stage. Jean Hunnisett tells you what you're expecting to find at the end of your work and helps you to understand the historical background of period costume. This is the only book which explains in detail the draping method over a corset and guides you step-by-step in the construction of the costume but it is sometimes a bit confusing in her sewing instructions and she gives the impression there's only one way to realize something (ex: 18th century corset). Anyway, I learned a lot and she's a very good teacher. (Don't be tempted to enlarge her scaled patterns,it doesn't work very well( too many corrections) and it's easier to make your own patterns by the flat or by draping.)
A must have for theatrical designers!.......2000-01-07
This is a superb tool for any theatrical designer/period pattern maker! Jean Hunnisett's experience with the BBC is unmatched and this book is the standard of perfection. It's a clearly defined guide for the correct shape and cut of any era of costume, whether it be Tudor or Georgian. The information and tips that she 'unlocks' will give you a total sense of what each garment should look like in complete detail, with outstanding illustrations and descriptions, from the draping process, fitting, constructing, and trimming. Jean Hunnisett is a master in her craft, and her attention to period accuracy is clearly shown in all three books.
An excellent resource for the serious costumer.......1998-09-22
Hunniset gives scale patterns of garments that are functional and provide a period sillhouette from the foundation up. The scale is something you have to be careful with, however, because different patterns are drawn on different scales.This book is for the experienced sewer and should be considered a technical manual rather than a research resource but I have not found its equal in clarity, correctness and completeness. I reccomend the whole set!
Product Description
Olive Thomas was one of Hollywood's first true movie stars. Born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, in 1894, she moved to New York at age sixteen and began to pursue an acting career. By 1915, she had landed a job as one of Ziegfeld's famous "Follies" girls. Before long her beauty was discovered by Hollywood, where she quickly became one of the biggest names in motion pictures. Her marriage to film star Jack Pickford further enhanced her popularity. Olive's death by poison on September 10, 1920, created a media circus. This biography begins with Olive's birth, follows her trip to stardom, and covers in detail the circumstances surrounding her mysterious death at age 25. Rare and beautiful photographs and a complete filmography are included.
Customer Reviews:
Well Worth A Read.......2007-08-24
I certainly enjoyed this book. The vicious reviewers love to hack up other people's style of writing and research. They miss the point. That being said, kudos to Vogel for her great book. Olive Thomas was a very enigmatic figure in silent movies and her tragic end worth reading about. I love how Vogel leaves the reader the chance to decide how it all really ended. The book is focused and very in depth. Really enjoyed it. It's not a long read and that's better for stars of the silent era that fans don't remember. When they are not too long, readers really do get a better fix on them. If I could give Vogel and this book more than 5 Stars I would!
Worthwhile.......2007-07-25
As being pretty much the ONLY Olive Thomas biography out there, I can't really say anything bad about it. The book is well written, and there are some very lovely pictures of Olive. But the magazine article quoting got to be too much because it was on every page.
AT LAST! Regaining an almost lost star........2007-06-12
There are so many interesting actors and actresses who have been among the most famous people and have been called great stars at their time which are now almost forgotten in the sands of time.
One of them is beautiful Olive Thomas (1894-1920)- the original Flapper-girl. Her name would probably be completely unknown had not fate provided an early death for her at the young age of 25. Yet most of her films are indeed forgotten or actually lost and have hardly been watched by anybody for more than 85 years.
This book helps to trace the life and career of the charming Follies-girl, the highly gifted movie actress and wife to Mary Pickford's little brother Jack. It gives insight into her life and tries to sketch her personality. Her mysterious death is extensively dealt with as well and you may find an answer for yourself among all the different stories offered regarding what really had happened in that fatal night in Paris when Olive Thomas met her fate.
A very well researched and well written biography with many photos and interesting anecdotes. A biography that has been overdue for decades. Now at last there is a book about this outstanding silent star. And hopefully it will help to keep her name and face from falling into oblivion or being merely remembered for her tragic early death.
Not Worth the Price.......2007-05-01
Olive Thomas is a mystery in modern times to those who are familiar with her story. She began on the Ziegfeld stage as one of the most talked about beauties. Her looks led her to the silver screen where she was hailed as the princess of Selznick Studios. She married into Hollywood royalty when she wed rambunctious Jack Pickford who eventually was the only source for clues to her demise. Thomas died at age 25 thanks to swallowing mercury bichloride pills in a Paris hotel during their second honeymoon. Whether this was a suicide, a murder, or an accident is left to history.
Also included at the end of Olive's story is a filmography for her career including synopsis, cast lists, and the status of the film today.
One major flaw with this book is that Vogel seems unfocused. There is a lot of information about Jack Pickford and Marilyn Miller, information that really has little to do with Thomas. The story jumps around chronologically and suggests many different conclusions to Thomas' death, but no solid explanation. Also, her early life is barely touched upon; her stage and screen career and early death are the focus. Granted, the information is valuable because so little is available, but the format of the book is disappointing, especially for its price. Vogel seemingly did not intend to create the definitive biography on Thomas as she often isolates her information to a time period. She references the "recent" release of The Flapper on DVD and has a fascination with translating dollar amounts into modern prices.
This book is certainly entertaining, though brief, but hardly stands as a worthy evaluation of Olive Thomas' career.
Terrific Tribute To A Forgotten Star.......2007-04-07
Olive Thomas must be thrilled that 87 years after her death there is finally such a wonderful tribute to her. This biography tells you everything you need to know about her rise to fame, her sad marriage to Jack Pickford, her mysterious final hours, and even where you can catch a glimpse of her ghost! After you have finished reading it you feel like you got to know the real Olive. Her fans won't be disappointed and classic movie buffs will love learning about this tragic star. It's an easy book to read filled with rare photos and a very detailed filmography. It's worth every penny of the price.
I would also recommend Michelle's latest book Hollywood Blondes: Golden Girls of the Silver Screen
Book Description
"Before Bond, the parts I used to play in films were demure, sweet, antiseptic and antisex. I wasn't even allowed to think like a woman. Pussy Galore and 007 worked wonders for me."-Honor Blackman, Pussy Galore, Goldfinger
Sexy, stunning, bold, and brazen, the women in James Bond movies are among the most interesting females in films. Attacked by some feminists in the 1960s and 1970s as sex objects, the Bond women today are seen as self-con?dent, sexually assured role models. Teeming with anecdote, first-person testimony, intelligent commentary, and a wealth of visual material, from film stills to memorabilia, Bond Girls Are Forever explores the mystery and mystique behind the Bond women-as heroes and villains, as actors and characters, as love objects and mother figures, as steely bureau-crats and trained killers.
From Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) rising from the sea in her sexy bikini in Dr. No to secret agent Jinx (Halle Berry) in Die Another Day, the Bond women have had a lasting impact on 007, on the lives of the actresses who played them, and on pop culture. Looking at these icons from both the male and female perspective, this elegant book shows us that no matter how they have changed over time, Bond girls are forever-in the fantasy lives of us all.
Customer Reviews:
complete!.......2007-05-22
this book is fantastic. in a very beautiful and big format, it's complete with all the bondgirls in a great description. very good if you are a bond fan or at least a woman lover!
good bad girls.......2007-01-18
great pictures and an in depth look at each girl and her relationship to the movie
Not bad, but more photos needed.......2006-11-05
Overall the book is ok, however for a coffee table sized book (It's rather tall, which makes it awkward to store in a bookcase - well mine anyway) there's not enough photos, and a bit too much text. Almost all of the photos I'd seen before, so while most people new to the Bond world might be impressed, there's not enough unique content to make the book a must have. Actually come to think of it most of the text does seem like filler, too generic to be interesting. A book this size shouldn't be a novel, it should be mostly photos. With only one or two photos per actress there definitely needs to be a lot more photos.
good but could have been better.......2006-03-21
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but when I had read other reviews I hoped for the best. This is not the best. So, what one is the best? It is the one yet to be published. yet I will admitt that this one is the best out there that I have seen. A book on Bond women should have a lot more pictures, and more inside stories would help as well; yes, more photos, that would do the trick.
Bond Girls are Forever: The Women of James Bond.......2005-09-04
If you are a James Bond lover...you will ENJOY this book!!! Great book!!!
Product Description
Inside Marilyn Monroe is an intense, personal memoir spanning more than a decade (1952-1962) by the then-actor John Gilmore, detailing his acquaintanceship with the most important movie star in the world, Marilyn Monroe. From Hollywood to New York, from New York back to Hollywood, the casual hello-goodbye friendship building to a point where Monroe and Gilmore were about to make a picture together but tragedy struck in Marilyn's life. Gilmore turned from acting to devote himself to writing and his memoir gathers Marilyn's personal life through many asscoaites and stars known to Marilyn and Gilmore. Revealed is a treasure-trove of facets of Marilyn's life previously unknown. Gilmore's memoir shuns the conspiracy theories as he instead focuses on Marilyn as she really was, not as the media-created, cardboard sexpot, but the living and breathing "wonder" that she was. IThis haunting, highly personal memoir contains many photographs never before published and are made public for the first time.
Customer Reviews:
Searching for Marilyn.......2007-08-22
I read this book with much interest as it is one of the few works (if not standing by itself), that has does not follow the tradition aimed at commercial priority, a dedication to harvesting "bucks" from "what's hot in the media." Rather, John Gilmore's memoir on Marilyn Monroe offers a painful interior view of a troubled, misunderstood, and grossly exploited young woman in possession of enormous potentialities and abilities never to be fully realized. I propose that it must be difficult for some readers and MM "conspiracy fans" to accept the devastating view this book tends to provide. However, it seems to round out a picture of a Marilyn we have been conditioned to ignore in favor of her cultural, societal value. One reviewer attempts to discredit the author's credentials, while another considers him a genius "of the heart". The latter reviewer has a point, considering that what Gilmore gives to us about MM goes to the heart, not only of his subject, but to the reader as well. For this, I applaud this author who has brought to me rekindled interest in all things Marilyn. I recently attended the Marilyn Monroe 45th Memorial Service in Westwood, California, where Gilmore gave an impressive and moving talk, an eloquent and glowing tribute for one who passed away 45 years ago. He was apparently swept off his feet by the Marilyn he met so long ago, and perhaps has carried a torch all these years. In my opinion, he has underplayed his past association with Marilyn considerably in the memoir, INSIDE MARILYN MONROE, yet the emotional content cannot be overlooked, nor can the reader avoid confronting it. For years, Marilyn's impact was blurred, earlier movies and the like having left little reverberation in the wake of her success. Now solidly resurrected into a media wonder, a ploy as deliberate and marketed as her blown-dress shot on Times Square, all of course to MM's credit, though the real person she was, long absent from the hoopla and commercial brouhaha, in fact overlooked or lost, emerges in Gilmore's book like a sudden gust of fresh sea air. She never saw the fortunes made in her name or the bartering of her few personal possessions for millions of dollars.
Gilmore's writing is superb, confidentially toned. He has provided for me a pipeline to deeper emotions. The work is anti-exploitive, a memoir following little or no formula, and thus reminding me of the line "genius is never loyal to patterns." It is possible that this author's work (I have read several of John Gilmore's books), conflicts with the commercially programmed approaches which by their nature cloud issues but at the same time to assure high returns. Another well-understood line is that truth often proves a bitter pill to swallow. Perhaps a day will come when we might "turn that dial" to a channel that gives us an unvarnished truth. Gilmore's memoir on Marilyn Monroe appears to do just that. He is certainly on the right path. Until such a time as we may "switch" to a more meaningful media avenue, it is the varnish that will be marketed, not the truth that lies beneath. In reading this memoir, I feel I am confronting an out-of-the-way view on this enormously popular subject. Marilyn, a refreshing yet a bitter pill Gilmore gives us. There is little "glam" writing here, and an absence of judgment, The reader may find beauty and happiness in life and rejoice in witnessing the loveliness that life offers. This is what real literature is all about, always tragic by nature. It is in this niche that author Gilmore seems committed, regardless of the toes he steps upon. INSIDE MARILYN MONROE is a literary achievement in a day of crass exploitation, and though it might prove that bitter pill for some, the rewards of being able to get this close to Marilyn, to who she was and what drove her, tortured her, far outweighs the harshness Gilmore reveals about us now, the frail, faulted, silly humans scrambling for the Almighty Dollar. A work well done, standing almost as a hallmark in a media awash with insincerity. This book, a treasure trove for Marilyn fans, should be required reading in every class on Popular Culture.
Skimming Marilyn Monroe.......2007-08-21
I was hesitant to buy this , as the title of this book about one of the most continuously exploited beings who ever lived seemed faintly suggestive of vulgar possibilities, but bought it I did. I started out not liking it, then I kind of liked it, I really wanted to.... but then I decided that overall I wasn't at all crazy about it. I know little about John Gilmore except that his name is unknown to most, he wrote a fairly successful book about the famous Black Dahlia murder, and he was seemingly on the periphery of old 1950's Hollywood. He may very well have known James Dean intimately and he may very well be one of those kooks who has repeated his stories so many times that now he himself believes them. At the most, he is a man who admittedly met Marilyn Monroe half a dozen times and therefore wrote a book about her. There are things in this book that even I as an avid and lifelong M.M. student hadn't heard before, and rare photos that I have never seen. And his quotes re: M.M. from other people who knew her in New York and Hollywood are sometimes interesting and insightful, if being second hand rememberences. But, though this rememberance is overall a sympathetic portrait, my problem with this book, other than that he didn't really "know" Marilyn at all, is that it presents only a Marilyn so inarticulate and intellectually crippled as to being rendered almost mute. It has been established that M.M. was an extremely insecure person who spent her short life trying to overcome the emotional scars of her early life. But, as many newsclips , interviews, and rememberences of others through the years show, she was often confident, articulate, self aware, and objective about her "image" and herself during her lifetime, and, undoubtedly, a huge troubled screw up much of her life as well (gee, just like a "real" human being...). To me, this rememberence presents only the troubled, insecure creature. This is not the Marilyn who singlehandidly reunited the estranged Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan in full view of an Actors Studio benefit. Who wittily quipped "I'm the same person, it's just a different suit.." to the interviewer who queried M.M. on what she interpreted as a more "refined" M.M. style. Not the Marilyn about whom photographer Elliott Erwitt said "she was a very bright person...very rarely does one meet a truly witty woman. Marilyn Monroe was one." And to the interviewer who posed the question "What is your nightmare", she replied "The H bomb, what's yours?".. or to another interviewer who asked "How does it feel to be Marilyn Monroe?" she replied "Well...how does it feel to be yourself?" No, there is no sign here of the Marilyn who bravely pursued self growth and awareness much of her entire life, in the face of overwhelming odds and extreme and very public preconceived prejudices . And while this very well may be the only view of Marilyn that Mr. Gilmore may have been exposed to in his six brief encounters with her, I simply didn't find it interesting enough to warrant having purchased the book. It abruptly ends with what everyone already knows, of course, her death...with Mr. Gilmore informing us what Marilyn was thinking in her final moments.."she wondered if she was dying..." "she knew there was a kind of electrical impulse to do with the heart that was governed by nature..." I am curious as to how he knows this. Ultimately, though I think the author attempted to present a sympatetic portrait, it is simply too one sided and at best limited to the 50 year old rememberences of one who never really knew the person. It has all the feel of one attempting to make a whole cloth out of some very spare pieces of fabric, and the positive and glowing reviews of this book have all the feel of p.r. blurbs supplied by acquaintances. I would not bother buying it if I had it to do over again. But....as always, our dearest Marilyn oddly transcends all the facts, myths, lies,...and remains Hollywoods most beautiful, supernatural, legendary , most adored citizen and film icon, and her ghost still now and probably will forever haunt the early morning misty streets of that largely imaginary town, as well as the minds of more people than almost anyone else ever in existance. That is her triumph.
Better than I expected.......2007-08-13
I was surprised to find this book more appealing than I had expected.
It is a memior only of the author's interaction with Monroe. He does not
speculate about other aspects of her life, which I found refreshing. So,
while limited, it does give some good insight into MM and the author does
not claim to be more than he was in her life. If you are a fan, then I
think you will enjoy the book.
The Crème de la Crème of Marilyn Monroe Biographies.......2007-06-26
John Gilmore's genius is at its peak in this penetrating biography. Because of a fascination with Marilyn Monroe that began before puberty, I have read every single book ever written about her. I love her. But I'd long been frustrated that none of the books I read gave actual breath to the real human being that Marilyn/Norma Jeane was. Not until now. At long last the book I'd been searching for all my life has been written. Even better, it's been written by one of my favorite authors. And the prose is breathtaking: "Trying to reach Gladys [Marilyn's mother] was like stirring the air, floating her further away." Finally, I can experience what it truly was like to be inside the skin of Marilyn Monroe. Opening John Gilmore's book on Marilyn means stepping into a time machine that has the capacity for mingling and merging energies to the point where the reader becomes one with Marilyn/Norma Jeane. It's more than the ultimate Marilyn Monroe experience. Reading INSIDE MARILYN MONROE illuminates the mind to a greater compassion and understanding of the human condition. To my loved ones, friends and family, there is no other book about life that I'd more strongly recommend than this one. It is an awakening. Through Marilyn Monroe, John Gilmore takes us on a journey to greater enlightenment. He does so with integrity. Every phrase he writes reverberates with truth. He knows that no matter how hard some people try to twist reality to their vision, for whatever reasons, the truth remains. And he is not afraid of facing the truth, going deep, to the core. This is why I respect him so much as a writer. I do believe he is a genius of the heart. There is no other book than this one that captures so clearly what motivated Marilyn to become a star greater than Jean Harlow. Such insights make this book a treasure for aspiring stars everywhere. Thanks to John Gilmore, the light will always shine. Especially if he performs INSIDE MARILYN MONROE on an Audio CD made available to the public. For it's about time John Gilmore shares his acting talents with his fans. I've heard him read and he's amazing. Van Gogh's Ear: The Celebrity Edition
a very sensitive an touching book about Marilyn Monroe.......2007-05-22
This is one of the most sensitive and touching book I have ever read and owned about Marilyn Monroe. I recommend it to any Marilyn Monroe fan. It a most have.
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- He's Just Not That Into You (The Newly Expanded Edition): The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Hitchcock (Revised Edition)
- Hollywood Asian: Philip Ahn and the Politics of Cross-Ethnic Performance
- Hollywood Remains to Be Seen: A Guide to the Movie Stars' Final Homes
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