Please do yourself a favor and read this wonderful book. Chuck Jones is an American treasure and a fantastic artist. The Warner Brothers Cartoons were directed to audiences of all ages, they do not talk down to children, nor do they pretentiously preach to adults. Unfortunately, we only seem to recognize as "great" those artists who do these things. If you believe an artist has to be "serious" to be a genius, I hope this book will change your mind! Check out his new book, "Chuck Reducks" too

To read "Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist" is to be transported back to the days when Termite Terrace turned out the most popular cartoons the world will ever know. Not only does Chuck (how can we call someone we know so well "Mr. Jones" or just "Jones"?) explain the childhood, adolescence and career life that brought him to where he is, he also takes the reader into that wonderful nether-world in a neglected corner of the Warner Bros. Studios lot where Leon Schlessinger ruled a bunch of underpaid, barely appreciated cartoonists. And they actually LOVED what they were doing! The people who gave the world Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies come to life so vividly, one can almost smell the ink and paint.

Profusely illustrated with doodles, sketches, caricatures and photographs, "Chuck Amuck" is a literary and visual delight. And, as an added bonus, there's even an actual Wile E. Coyote cartoon that you can enjoy without a VCR or a movie projector!

The book's only low point is that the foreword was written by Steven Spielberg, whose "Tiny Toons" and "Animaniacs" are little more than flagrant rip-offs of Chuck's (and Tex Avery's and Bob Clampett's) best material.

The world lost an animation genius recently with the death of Chuck Jones. Luckily, there is a book like this that celebrates the animation genius he was. Arguably, Jones was the father of some of the best Warner Brothers cartoons ever made, including "Duck Amuck," "Duck Dogers in the 24th and 1/2 Century," and my personal favorite "What's Opera Doc?" He also is responsible for giving us such great pieces of pop culture as the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Part autobiography, part instruction, part tribute, this book shows us the man behind the screen, or should I say behind the pencil? We often wonder where a genius comes from - Chuck seems to say from anywhere. His mark on the development of the cartoon is undeniable, and monumental. But just as you cannot appreciate art fully until you know about the painter, so it is with Chuck's cartoons. I have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into developing these 8 minute masterpieces. Yes, it's true that Jones gave us some of the clunkers in the 60's as the Warner Brothers studio (and the MGM studio) animation division gasped what seemed to be its last breath. But it's all the more amazing that Chuck could produce such works given what little he had to work with. The world would be poorer were it not for the gives Chuck has given us, including Wile E. Coyote (super genius!),and the Road Runner, Pepe Le Pew, Marvin the Martian and many others. His style was distinctive, his contributions monumental and behind it all, he was a fascinating and talented man. This book stands as a tribute to this genius now that he's no longer with us.

Words and photos to the Catch Me If You Can screenplay document the action which takes place behind camera and script for this re-creation of a con artist's life. This official pictorial moviebook includes over a hundred color production photos along with archival photos from Abagnale's personal collection, making for a keepsake for avid fans.

At the time I read it, I thought it would make a fascinating "made-for-TV" movie. This guy is a trip! He got away with so much for so long, always just an inch away from getting nailed, then squeaking away (barely). I have not yet seen the movie, but plan to see it ASAP. If the movie is anything at all like the book, I'll be seeing it twice. I couldn't put the book down until I had read it ALL. I give it a 5-star rating.

I've misplaced the book (darn it) and now I am back at Amazon.com to purchase another copy. Oh well, I don't mind. This book is worth it and THIS time I won't lose it!!

Great book of classic Disney songs from the 30's to the 80's, but this is an EASY PIANO songbook. Don't be fooled into thinking this is the "New Illustrated Disney Songbook" like I was! :)

This book of songs contains music from tons of Disney movies which range from Mary Poppins to some of their newest hits. I would definately reccomend this book to anyone with an interest in the kinds of classic songs that Disney creates. My edition (1986)contains a forward by Steven Speilberg.

This book is a great read for the major films of Spielberg. It is done with a great deal of research by the author, who puts together a very good story line of the producer/director and how he and his films progressed over time. The author also provides excellent background information on the films, from both a technical point of view and also the creative story line. The text layout, photos, and great front and back cover photos are there to flesh out the films. It is also a fun book to read. All put together, this is a very good book to understand Spielberg, his movies, his life, and his impact on very successful creative and commercial 20th century movies.

Douglas Brode's biography of the films of Steven Spielberg is an informative and interesting book that covers the life and films of Hollywood's most commercially successful film director. From his early T.V films to Saving Private Ryan, this book covers all the facets of Spielberg's work including unknown facts about the production of his films and supplementary information. With rare color production photos and stills, this book is a must- have for any Spielberg or film enthusiast.

Examines Director Martin Scorsese's career from the beginning to Cape Fear (although it seems that the book had to go to press before Cape Fear was actually released, as there's a discernable lack of substance in that chapter).

To gather wonderful tales of how Scorsese works, Kelly interviews the director's friends, family members, casts, and crews. Oh, and the Secretary to the President of Cyprus!! (See details about The Last Temptation of Christ). Quoted stories, observations, and comments all contribute to a fine portrait of one of our greatest active cinema artists. (And, to the delight of film buffs everywhere, text shows that Scorsese is first and foremost an unabashed movie fan)! Kelly's system provides the reader to form own opinions about Scorsese, rather than making a lot of critical conclusions.

In pursuit of my undergrad degree, I used this book quite a bit for research toward essays I wrote about Scorsese's films. Not at all a chore to read, it was a very enjoyable book, great for the fan as well as the film scholar.

Good index, good filmography. Brief forewards by Michael Powell and Steven Spielberg hint at more than a bit of pure jealousy!

this is one of the best, in-depth bio's that I have read. And what a subject! Martin Scorsese is a god-like director that has made such films as Good Fellas Casino and Taxi Driver. The book is filled with interveiws from fellow directors and drew/cast etc. Great format! It's like reading a behind the scene's documentry.

BUy it!

Great book---it really describes Steven's life well, including lots of little details, which makes it fun to read! Not like a textbook at all...at times I found myself just sitting and reading the book instead of using it as planned to help me write a report on Steven Spielberg. Again, a great book this is, defintely get it! Go Steven Spielberg!

In the past few years millions have marveled at the genius of Steven Spielberg. At least this many people should run out to their nearest book emporium and purchase Virginia Meachum's biography of the man behind the man behind the man. From his humble upbringing to his Hollywood triumphs, Spielberg's life is wonderfully and insightfully reveiewed by Meachum. A must-read.

It's shocking to discover how much of real American history gets glossed over in schools. What's the point of teaching history at all if it's edited? At that point it might as well be folk tales, interesting stories lacking any real facts. Alexs Pate's version of the events surrounding the slave ship La Amistad are easy to follow thanks to his simple, direct writing style and unique ability to describe much in a few words. While a "fictionalized" account of true events, the story is nonetheless riveting and heartwrenching, astounding and sickening to behold. I am saddened and even a little angry I have so little knowledge of how the vast majority of Africans found their way to America and the truth of how my ancestors may have considered and treated them. The author does a fine job of remaining mostly neutral on the topic himself, letting the story unfold and almost tell itself. While some Africans had it a little better than others, during pre-Civil War days and even in some cases still today, no black man was ever truly free. Amistad is a brilliant book about suffering and the strength it may bring, about how hope may prevail under the direst of circumstances, about how mistakes can save lives and doing "the right thing" might end them. A quick, powerful read anyone of any color or belief may enjoy. An excellent book for anyone readying to delve into the truth of the past instead of blandly accepting some outdated school textbook of it. Masterpiece.

This was a great book. i had to read it for a book report. To tell you the truth I hate reading. This is the first time I read the whole book for a book report, it had me hooked. Now I get to see the movie. But, I understood the wording in the book, and It's just a good book the read. And I recommend it for all age groups.

There is not even close to enough words to discibe this novel by Alexs Pate which is based on the motion picture. The movie I thought was great. Take my word for it the book "Amistad", brings you into even more detail than the movie. I have read a lot of books, but this book really grabbed me into really feeling like I was there. It is a sensational and emotional book that will touch your heart and show you exactly what slavery was really like. How humans went through with this unhuman way to treat people. Filled with action and emotion this is one book that has it all.

I saw the movie & was blown away by it. I wouldn't recommend this book to people who haven't seen the movie or read SPR: THE NOVEL. This book isn't good for people who can't stand seeing gory pictures. Seeing them really brings back memories from the film. The horrors of war can be found in this book, the film, & novel. It also has some of the actor's feelings about the film & what they went through with the making of Saving Private Ryan. GET IT!

Saving Private Ryan and The Triumph and the Glory have sparked an interest in me about WWII. The novel isn't quite as good as the movie but anyway this book is a great behind the scenes look at the making of a terrific movie.

Saving Private Ryan is purely unique. The movie itself was breathtaking, making you wake up and realize that these people, mere teenagers, were risking all they ever knew to rid the world of the Nazi terror. It blew me away to think that this really happened in our world, that we could kill our brothers without knowing why. This book is truely a great companion to the film. It gives you the little things you may have missed while watching the movie, and helps you understand the movie better. I reccommend this book to the Saving Private Ryan enthusiast, and to anyone who wants to know more about this period in history. I congratulate the makers of the film and the writers of the book for helping the world to remember the events and tragedies of the Second World War. I pray that through great accomplishments like these masterpieces, we shall not forget how lucky we really are and how important it is for this not to happen again, for the good of all mankind.

For 25 years Industrial Light and Magic has woven magic into countless films, either subtle images through 'invisible' effects such as matte paintings or through eye-popping visuals that stand out vividly against the film backdrop. ILM has made it's mark on history, for not only have they been and still are the premiere effects house in Hollywood, they have innovated and invented more technology than any other studio, additionally they have won awards for the processing and compositing technology they have created. ILM had to be the best at special effects, because their flagship title - STAR WARS - demanded the best, because that's what Lucas wanted.

'Into the Digital Realm' isn't so much an abandonment of ILM of the traditional methods of special effects, rather a point of departure for the new technology and all of things that led up to it. Indeed, ILM's work on 'The Hunt For Red October' submarine work involved flying the submerged vessels from wires in a smoky room - effects do not get any more traditional than that. Released in 96, the book doesn't mention that Phantom Menace or even that the film is in production. It does have some revised images from the Star Wars special edition. As with the previous tome, this one is packed with hundreds of color photos, plus the same beautiful gate fold images.

If the center piece for the previous book was Star Wars, Digital Realms' focus is obviously Jurassic Park, because it was the first film to use CG on so large a scale, even more than Terminator 2, which ILM also did. Jurassic Park was also the test bed and showcase piece that convinced Lucas that computers had finally matured enough to bring what he had in mind to the screen for the new Star Wars films. More is the pity, because I came to loathe most of the aliens in the Phantom Menace. Digital Realm clearly explains in easy to understand terms how effects - both new and old - are accomplished, be it something as simple as making it appear as if buildings are actually much taller than they or having a velociraptor walk _behind_ a plant situated in the foreground. I have both of these wonderful books, and I strongly recommend them to anyone who is curious about ILM's history and the process of how effects are made.

An extraordinary book about an extraordinary company. You will know all you want to know about special effects wizardry. The book is well published, even watching its pictures is joyful.

If you want to know about special effects, this is the book. Simple as that.

Put yourself in the shoes of the victims of slavery. Allow yourself to really, really feel what it would be like to have every aspect of your culture, values, language stripped from you. Imagine having to sit by while someone rapes your wife, mother, 11 year old daughter. Imagine having to eat an animal which you have been taught is poison. Imagine not having freedom to marry and having to watch your baby being driven away in a wagon, never being seen again, because one man has taken it upon himself the right to sell another. Sit there, close your eyes and then you will be brought into a deeper understanding of the people of the Amistad.

Just like his film on it, Steven Spielberg's work on this book, "Amistad: 'Give Us Free'", was well-executed. It reminds one of Alex Haley's "Roots". Both stir emotions. Every bit of the story shows how cruel a man can be to his fellow man. And, I disagree with all those who term this true story "a story of illegally enslaved Africans", (Mr Spielberg didn't). We are shying away from the truth, which is that no African, (not even one), was a legal slave. There is nothing that made one slave legal, and the other illegal. There is no legality in slavery. Absolutely! That treacherous and heartless people overpowered, kidnapped, and transported, (in the most inhumane manner), their fellow human beings to America and other places does not, in any way, make those victims of inhumanity "legal slaves". Regardless of all the face-saving tales that those who defiled our lands with the innocent blood, tears, and sweat of millions of Africans will like us to believe, the truth is that not even a single African volunteered to become a slave in any circumstance. They were all forced into it: with no option but death. Those who ripped and enjoyed the bloodied fruits of slavery merely sought cheap excuses in order to justify what they did. But we know that there is nothing legal in kidnapping and subjecting human beings to such a horrible condition.
'La Amistad' tells a soul-eroding story. Cinque and his cohorts are true heroes. They are heroes of freedom, heroes of justice, and heroes of human rights. Songs have been composed about them. Books have been written about them. Films have been made about them. And, history will forever appreciate their gallantry.

The intercut of the church & prison was strange yet wonderful. The abolitionists gave Yomba an illustrated Bible and he gave his heart to Jesus[alternate version]. Cinque was the man who subsequently gave his life for his clan...Yomba was the informer who died beside Cinque in remorse. Cinque did what he did because he had to.