REVIEWS (cont'd)
The Search for Charlie Chaplin by Kevin Brownlow. Silent Film Archeology at its Finest. -- The Search for Charlie Chaplin tells the story behind the brilliant, award-winning three-part documentary, Unknown Chaplin (Photoplay Productions, Ltd., 1983). Comprised entirely of never-before-screened footage from Chaplin's silent films (1916 to 1931), the program is a revelation--especially for a seasoned film collector like myself. One iconic scene from the Mutual two-reeler, The Pawnshop, wherein Chaplin exercises his improvisational genius using several everyday props, including a hammer, is as familiar to me as anything I have ever seen on a screen. So when Chaplin dropped that same hammer in one outtake, I almost jumped--the effect was that startling. Now, with the DVD of Unknown Chaplin readily available, I have viewed that episode so many times that when I see the original version of The Pawnshop, it almost seems wrong when he doesn't drop it.
Just how the documtentarians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill came upon that amazing footage, and what metaphorical hoops they had to jump through in order to get their living subjects to tell their Chaplin-related memories on camera, is nothing short of incredible. Kevin Brownlow's first-hand narrative (which is as honest as it is compelling) has only heightened my appreciation of the completed documentary. Accompanying the text are some rare photographs and razor-sharp frame blow-ups. The slim, 209-page volume does not waste the reader's time with endless details of Chaplin's life and career, all of which have been exhaustively covered in over 300 previous books. Instead, the material is fresh, candid--and fascinating.-- Lon Davis, Author and Film Historian.
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"...Fascinating, satirical and erudite, Chandola's novel THE DHARMA VIDEOS OF LUST; A Book Of Indian Religious Mysteries touches on Hinduism, Sikhism, yoga, rationalism, religion, a woman's right to choose and 9/11, creating a rich and ever-changing tapestry of experience. Each story becomes a thread added to the shining whole, as the past intersects the present with stories of pleasure, betrayal, lust and pain. Generous, humorous and full of linguistic pleasures, Chandola brilliantly melds the myths of ancient religions with the mysteries of modern life, immersing us in an entirely new and hypnotic world." -- Ellen Tanner Marsh, New York Times Best Selling Author
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IN A WORD by Andrea Lowne -- "...a joyous and abandoned foray into the world of comic verse and I have no doubt that it will entertain and delight everyone who wisely chooses to own a copy...the book reminds me of ...a book of Spike Milligan poems that has accompanied me through life ever since I discovered it in my early teens and is guaranteed to cheer me up or bolster good humour...' -- John Webber, author of Slowboat to Moscow, Private Histories and Had Van Gogh Had A Day Job
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HIDEOUS GIFTS by Liz Laighton -- "Liz Laighton has a style to die for" -- UK Crime Writers
"A killer close at hand...the lethal mind warp that ends in murder...I could not put the book down" -- Maureen Ross, Leopard Magazine, Aberdeenshire
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A NECESSARY KILLINGby Hilary Lloyd -- "I cannot thank Hilary Lloyd enough for writing this book. Not only is it a great read that grips you by the throat from the first paragraph, it's hugely informative about a subject people outside of the rural community know virtually nothing about - foot and mouth disease. I was one of those townies who sat tutting at the news night after night knowing what was going on couldn't be right - the cull first, test later mentality - but until I read 'A necessary killing' I had no idea how very badly wrong the government got things. Everyone who cares about the countryside should read this, so should every vet. And it should be required reading for all the pen pushers at Defra." -- Cambridgeshire Review
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EVERY GIRL HAS HER LIMITS by Jolen Whitworth -- "Whitworth's poetry is rhythmic, focused, sure of itself, as is the poet. Her voice is a voice of someone who has lived, who has known light and darkness, who retains a dignity and strength that endears her to true lovers of poetry." -- L. Ward Abel, Author of The Heat of Blooming, and Jonesing for Byzantium
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JONESING FOR BYZANTIUM by L Ward Abel -- "...a beautiful collection not only for its musicality, but also for the things its musicality illustrates. Not surprisingly, the things that make this collection a success are also the things that make any song a success: harmony, musical precision and a commitment to the wants and needs that make us human." The Pedestal Magazine
Full review HERE
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