Frank's Film Library

Where the reading is cinematically fundamental!!

Folks, welcome to Frank's Film Library! This is a section dedicated to highlighting capsule reviews of a few movie-related books. Originally, these book reviews appeared in my fanzine publication The Voicemakers. These are a scant collection of critiques based on several books I have randomly reviewed for the sole purpose of recommending what I consider worthy, stimulating reading. I look at whatever is deemed appropriate--old books, new books...whatever strikes me in the mood to make my literary assessment. So enjoy Frank's Film Library and whatever you do, quiet down a bit...I hear the wonderful noise of pages turning! Here's a handful of suggested reading material:

FRANK'S FILM LIBRARY presents:

Holy Smoke: Anna and Jane Campion/Miramax/$22.95

Filmmaking siblings Anna ("Loaded") and Jane ("The Piano") Campion collaborate in bringing the reading audience the hypnotic tale of an American cult deprogrammer hired to rescue a young woman from a mind-numbing Indian cult in HOLY SMOKE. The cinematic sisters conjure up a jolting and stimulating novel that will rattle your nerves and test your limits. The journey into the deprogramming of this young woman's thought process is indeed riveting and chaotic. The Campions delve into the passion and provocative intensity of the protagonists involved in this web of mystical mischief and devouring deception. The concept is glaringly unique and the tale of mind control mixed in with sexual suspense makes HOLY SMOKE worth all its weight in glimmering gold. Let's hope that the movie version of this torrid tale starring Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel is as penetrating and seethingly sensual as the captivating book of the same name.

Hitchcock Poster Art: by Tony Nourmand & Mark H. Wolff, editors/Overlook Press/$35.00

From a literary standpoint, words are not the focus so much as the splendid and vivid art this book radiates with confidence and style. In the book HITCHCOCK POSTER ART, we get to finger through some breathtaking and neatly printed movie posters from the late director Alfred Hitchcock's classic films. As a master of suspense, artful intrigue and elegance, Hitchcock reigned supreme. So in checking out this vibrant, glossy, and nostalgic images that this book proudly boasts, one gets that same feeling of jarring and jaunty exuberance that a Hitchcock film would solicit with cinematic satisfaction. Credit eye-popping glamour of such memorable movie posters as Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" which features a sky-blue background highlighted by Grace Kelly's yellow shadowy figure desperately reaching for the phone. What's so exceptional about this poster art book dedicated to the late British director's films is that the posters represent his films in all forms (American and foreign) and eras (from the '20s through '70s). Just the thought of glancing at the lively and animated portraits of the Polish version of "Vertigo" to the Italian showcase for "Marnie" makes for some exciting viewing. Although words do not do much of the talking to describe HITCHCOCK POSTER ART, the intimate and provocative posters that stare you in the face certainly make for some self-explanatory enjoyment. This bouncy and illustrious poster book will keep the reader busy with "aw shucks" admiration and photographic forethought.

The Academy Awards Handbook: winners and losers from 1927 to today! (a revised and updated edition) by John Harkness/Pinnacle Film 1999/$5.99 USA $7.50 Canada

This exciting read makes itself clear that it is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. That's a shame because such an inviting and knowledgeable read such as this would have someone believe that this compact book came right from where the action is...right in the heart of A.M.P.A.S. Author John Harkness delves into the world of The Oscars with mitigated enthusiasm and a rejuvenated appreciation for the Academy Awards in all its glitzy glory. This easy-to-carry handbook does more than just recap who the nominees and winners were throughout the 72 years of Hollywood's historic celebration. Harkness adds an indelible personality to his vastly intrepid and intricate entertaining book by offering more than just the conventional set up of winners and losers. He lets loose by serving up a cornucopia of miscellaneous facts geared to the Oscar fanatic. Included are an impressive listing of nomiations, did-you-know type trivia offerings ("Jessica Lange won a best actress award in 1994 for a movie she made in 1991"), an easy-to-use indexing so you can reference your favorite stars/movies, inside tidbits and gossip about the behind-the-scenes politics of the Oscars, and a fun-filled impromtu method for picking Oscar winners. In the jaunty and excessive Academy Award Handbook, Harkness provides an abundance of black and white photos and head-on insights and explanations for the existing curious mind. Overall, this book is thoroughly enjoyable for movie fans who appreciate a palpable peek at the American movie industry's most coveted high honor--The Academy Award. Highly recommended!!

To Kill A Mockingbird: Harper Lee Popular Library published in March 1962 copyright @1960 by Harper Lee

Recently had the urge to reread one of my all-time favorite books in Harper Lee's absorbing, poignant novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. If they haven't already made Lee's intensifying novel mandatory reading in today's public school system, they ought to consider doing so...plain and simple. It's embarassing to admit that I never considered reading the novel until I first laid eyes on the motion picture version starring Oscar-winner Gregory Peck. Soon I would come to cherish both the Academy Award-winning film and Pulitzer Prize winning book of the same name. What Lee does with her powerful, startling book is recall a magnificent Southern childhood scarred by hostile racial tension and absolute disregard for human recognition, particularly if you were black. Attorney Atticus Finch triumphantly tries to defend an innocent black man from bogus charges that he raped a hysterical young white woman set in an obviously hostile, rigid Southern town. A tomboyish girl named Scout must witness the indignity that her lawyer father goes through in defending this wrongly accused disabled black man. Harper Lee's vivid account of an innocence in her childhood balanced by a polarizing society is nothing short of moving, shocking, and hauntingly breathtaking. The writing is vitally sharp and riveting. Reading TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD after all these years feels that you are immersing yourself in another period of time. This is certainly one exception where both the book and movie versions are of equal supreme billing. Clearly one of the great reads of the last century!

Los Angeles based author Harlan Lebo mesmerizes the reader with his insatiable and insurgent behind-the-scenes look at one of the most critically acclaimed motion pictures to ever grace the big screen: The Godfather. In THE GODFATHER LEGACY, Lebo has the demanding task of presenting a clear cut background profile of the Corleone clan. The saga of this extraordinary family has been the fascination throughout the history of contemporary cinema. We get a close up of the key players behind the indomitable Godfather experience. We are introduced to the humble beginnings of writer Mario Puzo, the Hell's Kitchen-raised literary talent who would change the course of American filmmaking (and novel writing) with his creation of The Godfather. The film's director, the efficacious-minded Francis Ford Coppola, is profiled as a highly-spirited filmmaker who is determined to bring Puzo's crime-ridden family masterpiece novel to life. Photos and narrative passages dutifully explain the whole concept behind what we now cherish as a significant American film. Tidbits, analysis, recollections, commentary, dialogue samplings, and never-before-seen still photos of the actors at work and play. No true Godfather enthusiast should be without this remarkable book. For a so-called fan of The Godfather series to be without this read is unimaginable. Lebo's book captures the aura of The Godfather films with an in-depth probe that definitely is unmatched. This book was put on the shelves at the time of the film's 25th anniversary (1972-97). Whether you are a film critic or filmgoer, THE GODFATHER LEGACY simply makes an offer nobody can refuse.