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.
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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).
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