Out of print for more than 30 years, now available for the first time as an eBook, this is the controversial story of John Wooden's first 25 years and first 8 NCAA Championships as UCLA Head Basketball Coach. This is the only book that gives a true picture of the character of John Wooden and the influence of his assistant, Jerry Norman, whose contributions Wooden  ignored and tried to bury.

Compiled with more than 40 hours of interviews with Coach Wooden, learn about the man behind the coach. The players tell their their stories in their own words.

Click the book to read the first chapter and for ordering information. Also available on Kindle.

Lovelace (9/10)

by Tony Medley

Runtime 90 minutes.

Not for children.

Amanda Seyfried as Linda Lovelace? A 21^st Century sweetheart equivalent to Doris Day playing a notorious porn star? Questions have to be answered. Will there be nudity? Will there be graphic sex? Will it be titillating? Will it be sexy? Will it be as disastrous to her career as Meg Ryan’s descent into softcore porn was to hers?

So I saw it and the answers are yes, no, no, somewhat, and no.

Most people my age saw Deep Throat (1972), as did I. I walked out two thirds of the way through because it was so boring. It was, basically, 61 minutes of graphic oral sex, and a little bit of watching that goes a long way. Even so, estimates that it grossed over $600 million seem ludicrous. It made a lot of money but I’m dubious it made that much.

This is really two films in one. The first half shows what everybody thought happened, and the second half shows what Lovelace alleged really happened, a tale that apparently was confirmed by a lie detector test that her publisher forced her to take.

This is a fascinating film that opens the blinds on how the porn film industry broke into the mainstream. It features an outstanding cast, giving top-flight performances, including Peter Sarsgaard, Sharon Stone, Chris Noth, Hank Azaria, Chloë Sevigny (who is notorious herself for having been filmed giving graphic oral sex in 2004’s The Brown Bunny), and James Franco, among others. I often recall Sarsgaard’s award-quality performance in Shattered Glass (2003), and he equals that here.

Even though Sarsgaard gives a terrific performance as Lovelace’s husband, Chuck, who actually pimps her out, Seyfried carries the film. She gives a moving, emotional performance as an abused woman, a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination. Even though she does appear topless, contrary to Susan Sarandon’s dictum her breasts do not upstage her (that’s not to be interpreted as a criticism of her physical endowments, rather a comment on just how exceptional her performance is).

Sharon Stone is almost unrecognizable in giving a surprisingly effective performance as Lovelace’s overly strict mother. There is one heart tugging scene between the two of them that is a classic of fine acting.

This is not an easy movie is watch because of the ordeal that she goes through. She lived a tough life.

Linda gave several versions of her life. This is the one she stuck with at the end.

June 26, 2013