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.

Thumbnails Jul 13

by Tony Medley

World War Z (9/10): After some annoying slice of life scenes establishing Brad Pitt and Mireille Eno and their children as a relatively normal Philadelphia (actually shot in Glasgow, Scotland) family, they hop in their car and all hell breaks loose, setting forth one of the tensest first 60 minutes of film I’ve seen in a long time, keeping me on the edge of my seat unable to relax. While it does strain credulity, it is extremely well done with spectacular special effects and directing by Marc Foster. Although it’s a zombie story it’s horror-lite, not particularly scary, but thrilling nonetheless.

Dorfman in Love (8/10): Produced by local resident Len Hill, the story of the coming of age of a young woman who has been taken for granted and taken advantage of all her life, resulting in her not knowing who she is, this is a poignant romantic comedy with wonderful performances by Sara Rue and Haaz Sleiman. Sensitively directed (Brad Leong) from an intuitive script (Wendy Kout) it will strike home to many people who suffer through the same agonies that Rue does here. Because they are living real life, however, their ordeals often do not have a happy Hollywood ending. (Available on cable and DVD).

The Purge (7/10): If you can suspend your incredulity and accept the premise this is a gripping thriller aided immeasurably by tension-enhancing music (Nathan Whitehead) and neo-Gothic cinematography (Jacques Jouffret), which keep this from descending into a camp horror film. It is produced by Michael Bay who knows his way around a thriller. Ethan Hawke, Lena Heady, Max Burkholder, Zoey Kane, and Edwin Hodge give fine performances, as does the main bad guy, Rhys Wakefield, who is unfailingly but frighteningly polite and well-dressed.

A Hijacking (7/10): Although you might expect a lot of action in a film about a hijacking, there is very little of it in this movie. Mostly it is about the drag of time and the pressure that’s put on one member of the crew, the cook Pilou Asbæk, and the CEO of the company that owns the ship, Søren Malling. It’s not an action/adventure film like, for instance, 1992’s Under Seige, which is probably the best of the hijacking genre. This, however, is a lot more realistic. Because of that it’s not nearly as cinematic, but it is interesting and educational. In Danish and English.

Now You See Me (7/10): Director Lewis Leterrier has produced an eye-popping film notable for exceptional production values. With fine performances by a terrific cast headlined by Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Ruffalo, Leterrier is ably abetted by cinematographers Larry Fong and Mitchell Amundson. A mystery with a twist using magic as its moving force, the magic shown in the film is as incomprehensible as it must be to be, well, magic.

Man of Steel (6/10): This is a two hour twenty minute display of interminable, mind-numbing special effects that is occasionally marred by a pretty good story and the appearance of A-List actors like Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, and Diane Lane giving fine performances.

Only God Forgives (0/10): Even God would find it difficult to forgive this piece of pseudo-stylistic rubbish. It’s little more than a craven display of stomach-churning graphic mayhem. Why a budding superstar like Ryan Gosling would attach his persona to a thing like this is beyond comprehension. Exacerbating its distastefulness are the opaque story-telling, the immoral message, and the zombie like movements of the characters. (Opens July 19).