A. Parham

Fascinating and hilarious!

Revisado: 12-18-24

This is a great companion piece to the documentary of the same name. It not only covers the making of the Star Wars Holiday Special, but also the entire history of the weird transition Lucasfilm was going through between Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back, as well as the late 70s entertainment landscape more generally. On top of that, it's often laugh out loud funny!

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A great performance of a valuable book

Revisado: 10-19-23

It's amazing how many of these writing tips are still widely used today. Aristotle gives pointers on how to streamline your story, write vivid characters, plan great plot twists, and aim your whole script at creating an emotional effect in your audience.

The narrator is perfect, capturing my mental image of Aristotle as a gruff, wise, and sometimes sarcastic professor.

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A great novel in its own right

Revisado: 07-10-23

There was a basic novelization of Big Wednesday in the 70s, but this 2020 edition is a revision and expansion by co-screenwriter Dennis Aaberg, with input from John Milius. So it's essentially a new book, and a fresh take on the classic movie.

The book expands on many scenes from the movie, as well as adding whole new ones. It helps flesh out the characters, and even has fascinating facts about the history of surfing in Malibu, that make it all seem like a mythical fairy land of heroes and outlaws.

All the things that made the movie great still shine through, and, for my money, are improved in this new version. The prose is beautiful, and you can tell a lot of care and craft went into writing this love letter to the film, to surfing, and to the fans.

Highly recommend!

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The early life of Kurosawa

Revisado: 06-26-23

This book covers the life of Akira Kurosawa from his birth to the release of his film Rashomon, which launched him to international fame.

Only the last third or so actually deals with his experiences as a director, and it only covers the first 11 of his 30 films, excluding many of his most famous films, like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. Of course, I would have preferred a book that offered his insights into these works. And the movies he did discuss usually only get a brief chapter each, with only one or two anecdotes or discussions of his thought process when making the film.

BUT his musings on his childhood in pre-WW2 Japan are beautiful and moving in their own right. They read like a great novel, full of mood and psychological insight. Kurosawa is very frank with his audience, and isn't afraid to talk about his own weaknesses and embarrassments.

Fans of his films may be disappointed in the lack of deep discussion of his films. But if you think of this as a book about the filmmaker, and only secondarily about the films, you will really enjoy this book.

The narration is excellent, and really captures the essence of Kurosawa's personality.

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Fascinating and well-performed!

Revisado: 06-16-22

The book is very scholarly and well-sourced. The narrator was perfect, and even did some pretty amusing (and convincing) impressions of Lucas and many of the other players involved when quoting them!

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Exceptional life, exceptionally told

Revisado: 03-12-22

McAfee was deeply flawed but endlessly fascinating. You really do get the feeling that the "master of disinformation" was finally letting his guard down and telling the real story...or as close to it as he was willing to get.

Even if it's all fake, he was a hell of a storyteller, and I alternated between fits of laughter, jaw-dropped awe, and outright disgust as he told about his wild and crazy life.

Highly recommended.

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Great insights!

Revisado: 04-10-20

I learned a lot about human behavior, much of it I can immediately apply in my dealings with people.

The format isn't the best for an audio book (making use of lots of bullet points and abbreviations) but for people like me who prefer audio books to physical, it's still well worth the time!

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Chilling tale, beautifully narrated

Revisado: 03-04-20

I really enjoyed this audiobook...especially at such a competitive price!

The narrator's accent is pleasing (though, technically, the narrator would likely be American) and he has a good command of Lovecraft's formal style.

Highly recommend!

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Interesting introduction to controversial movement

Revisado: 04-02-19

Interesting topic, engaging author, perfect narrator! Leading anarchist Emma Goldman advocates for syndicalism, a worker's movement based on direct action rather than political strategies. At the very least, it's a fascinating snapshot of a radical perspective on an interesting historical period.

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One of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to!

Revisado: 07-17-18

Great story, well told, and narrated with passion! The story of an unlikely General, his rag-tag army, and a band of pirates fighting off the British empire.

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