A big Hurrah for Jerry!
350491
I've been reading Jerry Belland's single cartoons, about Walker, on Facebook and they are so funny.  When Scott Walkier in Hell and Other Delights came out, I bought it immediately.  Walker has made me so angry, over the years, and this book just tickles my soul.
160144
Big cheers to the stellar duo whose combined talents birthed Revival. It's compelling, very well written, inspiring and witty. My favorite bit was when Donald met Jerry Springer and had to quell his urge to shout "Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!" Braswell and Koopmans clearly found a synchronicity and even playfulness through their combined efforts. I'd give the book a 4.5 if I could. Only one thing nagged a bit at me. I would suggest this book could soar if marketed more specifically for a Christian audience. While I'm a "believer," and I believe in all of Jesus' teachings, the insertion of God and messages about "divine intervention" and the like did not work for me. As a Jew, I believe in personal accountability; it's up to us to make our lives and the world better. We chart our own course. So verbiage about a master plan took away from my enjoyment of the book. I would've liked to learn more about Donald's internal strengths and resiliency - what pushed him out of the ditch and back onto the stage? It may be a matter of semantics. I sometimes call my internal strength "God." At any rate, I'm blessed to have read the book and will be following both Braswell's and Koopmans' successes. Bravo!
296012
Finally, Seinfeld on DVD! But not just the episodes (uncut of course),but packed with tons of special features such as deleted scenes, outtakes and bloopers. Plus scenes from the Tonight Show, commentaries and how it all began. It seems now a days, studios want to rush things out on DVD and make the fast buck, skimping out on all the extras. Not this set though. My one single complaint about the set: I wished they would have printed the DVD disc number on the spine of the DVD Case. Minuet I know, but it's a pain to pull them all out each time to figure which disc I want. Definitely worth the purchase if your into Seinfeld.
3823455
"Brilliant" doesn't even begin to describe the astounding, frenzied energy of Phil Silvers in this show. These were one-take live performances in front of an audience, so you get the flaws and all - including Silvers' incredible improvised one-liners which are unbelievably hysterical! It's like watching a 25-minute comedy-farce piece of theater - I was literally choking with laughter at times! Considering this show was from the 1950's, the DVD transfers are magnificent. Bravo to everyone involved in this project! (Next in line for all-time funniest TV shows: "The Honeymooners" and "I Love Lucy" - but "Sgt. Bilko" rules!!!)
2498799
This is an amazing collection of artwork by Jerry Garcia.  Many people are aware of Jerry's musical talent, but not as many have seen his visual artwork.  This book gives a spectacular glimpse into yet another facet of his creativity!!
1785902
I didn't really get into Seinfeld until it went off the air, but now that TBS shows it every night for an hour, sometimes for two, I can't get enough of it. From yada yada yada-to the soup nazi episode. It is hillarious. You have to wonder how George got a date sometimes, because he was so moody, but he was one of my favorite characters, he told it how it was. Jerry was always the one to pay because he was a "minor" celebrity, Kramer was always full of nervous energy, and Elaine was always gorgeous. If it wasn't how she looked, it was her wonderful acting abilities. I love this show, and I know it took a long time to come out, but when it does, I will be standing in line for my copy. Excellent comic relief after a day full of hassles, watch a comedy about nothing!
1312153
The Avery cartoons didn't get the digital restoration treatment but is nothing compared to his best work while at MGM. Jerry Beck definitely blew it out of the park with all the cartoons contained on this release.

I'm missing the collectible goodies packed on the Vol 1, but with all the animation goodies I got, I simply don't care.
4635890
IF YOU ARE A  FAN,,,,,,,,,YOU MUST READ THIS GREAT BOOK......JERRY'S LOVE FOR DEAN, REALLY SHOWS THRU......IT WAS SO INTERESTING AND DETAILED......LOV IT!!!
4924155
Clearly, the best JGB disc. For those looking for pure Jerry, when his playing and vocals are at his best, then this is a must purchase. The solos were magnificent and went on and on, something that I long for in more recent recordings. Obviously, Jerry wasn't able to perform at such a high level in his later years, and I always disagreed with those who thought the late 80s and early 90s was Jerry's best, or at least some of his best stuff.  Ironically, that period was the only time I was able to see the GD in person, and when I did I loved them, but in retrospect I admit that his finest days were in the late 70s and very early 80s.  I always preferred JG's stuff in GD and I have always been on the lookout for his best stuff, and I think it is solidly displayed here, albeit in JGB.

Bottom line: this is the best representation of the JGB. If you can have only one, then this is it.
4738684
Amazing story about the "cat" with more-than-nine-lives Jerry Castaldo!  I could not put this book down until I was on the last page.  Every chapter was a new interesting facet in Jerry's life, one as fascinating as the next. Very easy read and never gets bogged down in boring biographical detail - he keeps to the interesting stuff. I recommend this book enthusiastically.
4192548
Jerry West is arguably one of the greatest figures in basketball, not only for his talent as a player, but his skills as a general manager. Like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and others, he had a competitive fire inside that never burned out. He not only wanted to win, it was necessary to win at all times. If he could no longer win, either as a player or a GM, he was done. Besides being a competitor, West was a man with a lot of anger and sadness. This anger and sadness lead to a life where relationships and friendships were testy and never fully close. West by West is a great insight into the life and mind of Mr. Clutch himself.

Two events in Jerry's childhood shaped him into the hardened, depressed figure he is today. The first was the death of his brother David. David was, in Jerry's eyes, the "golden child" of the family. He was the glue that kept the family together. When he was killed during the Korean War, the dynamic in his family was never the same. The other event was standing up to his abusive father, telling him that if he ever physically abused him again that he would kill him. These two things still torment West today. He is still sad about the death of his brother and he still has a lot of anger towards his father. Both people have long passed away, yet Jerry doesn't seem any closer to resolving the issues and coming to peace with both events. I think that's a sad way to go through life and the burden it places on his family is probably unwarranted.

The book has a lot of interesting content. Besides his childhood, I liked the stories of Jerry's time in college at West Virginia, his time in the Olympics in Rome (which was his favorite memory), his move to Los Angeles to join the Lakers, his adjustment from small town life to the big city, his constant failure against the Boston Celtics, his national championship, his brief coaching career, his feud with former Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, his up and down relationship with new owner Dr. Jerry Buss, championing friend Pat Riley for the head coaching job (his first), becoming the new GM and putting together both the Showtime era and the Shaq/Kobe era, his fallout with the Lakers, leaving L.A. for Memphis and his short time there, and his friendships with former teammates (Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlin, etc.), fellow staff (he liked Chick Hearn, Pat Riley, and Mitch Kupchak, but has a deep resentment for Phil Jackson, possibly the reason he left the Lakers), and other people in his life. I like that Jerry told the stories with honesty and sincerity. Too many autobiographies can be too happy happy or skip over the more controversial aspects. This book doesn't, which I appreciated. I also liked the scope of coverage and enjoyed hearing his thoughts on different parts of his career.

However, the organization of this book was the biggest flaw for me. One minute, we're talking about his childhood in West Virginia, the next we're talking about how players today are too spoiled and  coddled, and then all of a sudden we're back to his childhood. There were too many instances of this happening in the book and it got irritating and stunted the flow of the book. Also, the last few chapters, about the deaths of people he was close with, got boring and bland to read after a while. It felt more like funeral obituaries and changed the tone of the book for me. I think the book would have been better of these chapters were cut and the book better organized.

Jerry West might be Mr. Laker more than even Magic Johnson or Kobe Bryant. At the same time, I feel sadness that he never found contentment in his life. He seems to have a loving family, he's had success in his professional life, and he seems to have a lot of people who believe in him, yet he still holds a lot of past baggage that he refuses to let go of. Holding a grudge is unhealthy and that he hasn't let go disappointed me. West by West has great content in many ways, but the flow and later chapters make it hard at times to get through instead of hard at times to put down.
2556892
I purchased this as a gift for Christmas, and I have to say it is really tremendous.  It comes packed in a neat little box shaped like an IPS truck, has literature on all the episodes and an entire collection of DVDs with scenes you have never seen. It is the funniest show since Seinfeld!!!
2173351
Another wonderful Rhino boxed set. This 6 CD set includes all 5 of Jerry's studio solo albums, smartly remastered and plastered with bonus tracks. In addition there's a bonus disc of alternate takes and jams.  The albums "Garcia". "Compliments", "Reflections", "Cats Under The Stars" and "Run For The Roses" are here, all sounding better than ever.
447001
I've been periodically checking back on this Herman & Katnip dvd release (Paramount Pictures answer to Tom and Jerry).  I've been looking for a review from some insider who might have seen this disc, but nobody yet.  All I can say is I HOPE the cartoons are uncut, with the beginning/end titles intact.  Complete with the Harveytoons logo, the correct music, and no edits.  The running time for this disc reads 60 min.  How can that be?  The cartoons featuring this cat and mouse team would certainly run past that...like two hours, not one.  So this causes me great concern.  I bought the Harveytoons boxed set years ago from Sony, and these classic toons were chopped to pieces.  Why doesn't Classic Media respect these cartoons?  Well who knows maybe this set will be different.  Surprise us classic animation fans Classic Media!  Please don't disappoint us...again. UPDATE! the cartoons, as I previously mentioned, are edited.  That said, the original Herman & Katnip theme song "Skiddle, diddle dee, skitddle diddle day, it's just like a holiday," is also missing from each toon.  But you can hear snippets of it in NORTHWEST MOUSIE," near the end.  Herman the mouse himself sings it in SURF AND SOUND.  My favorite is OF MICE AND MAGIC. with the cat and mouse battling it out in a magician's atmosphere. Magic does abound, especially at the end!  As usual, Winston Sharples gives a great score to each and every 'toon. He wasn't as well regarded as Scott Bradley at MGM, or Carl Stalling as Warner Bros., but his musical pieces are excellent. I believe thee are 33 cartoons on this disc for a running time of 3 hours, 25 min.  Arnold Stang provides the voice of Herman.  Stang went on to even further glory as "Top Cat," in 1962.  For some odd reason he doesn't provide the voice of Herman in the final Herman/Katnip vehicle, KATNIP'S BIG DAY, from 1959.  Guess he was gone by then.  That cartoon, a this-is-your life-type  story, has all the characters, or rather his on-screen co-stars ribbing Katnip about various high-jinks.  Footage is shown from various cartoons.  Herman, and even Buzzy the crow are on hand.  Interesting and pleasing.  It does provide the complete series of the NO. 2 cat and mouse team of the fifties (7 time Oscar winners Tom and Jerry were No. 1), and the episodes are indeed enjoyable and fun to watch!
35638
As an extreme fanatic of this show I had to get this book. First, impeccable quality. I'd easily pay $50 for this book. Second, all the character development and interesting little handwritten notes and white board inclusions are great. This is definitely a book to own to experience.... The front n back covers with the glow in the dark artwork are phenomenal. I love this book. I love this show and I cannot say enough great things about either. I also fell in love with the smell of the book the second I cracked it open....

Don't be a Jerry..... Buy it already.
1945957
Jerry, in doing service for his country, came home with memories that changed his life.  Once you begin reading this book you will have a hard time putting it down.
3242796
***This review may contain spoilers***

With successive direct-to-video releases, Tom and Jerry have convincingly proven that they can support and enhance plots that last more than five minutes. However, Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon (hereafter Lost Dragon) really puts even our energetic duo through their paces. Seeing the DVD cover, one might conclude that Tom and Jerry only have to worry about taking care of a baby dragon that hatched from a missing pearl-like egg (and has imprinted upon Tom) until they can return it to his frantic, ferocious mother. Ah, but the plot is more involved than this.

Lost Dragon actually begins in a medieval elf village where the Gandalf-like wizard Kaldorf (voice of the dependable Jim Cummings) bans the sinister, threatening witch Drizelda (voice of Vicki Lewis) from the town. Drizelda tries to entice her niece Athena (voice of Kelly Stables) to follow her into exile, but the tender-hearted girl prefers to stay with Kaldorf and the elves. Of course, Drizelda vows revenge.

In spite of her good nature and love of animals (including Tom and Jerry), the elf citizens, especially the vain, shrewish Elf Elders wife (voice of Lauraine Newman), who loves hideous hats, prejudicially distrust Athena. Therefore, with Tom and Jerry (mostly Jerry) as assistants, Athena retires to the woods and runs a sort of animal menagerie hospital/refuge. Athena tries her best to win over the townspeople, and is on the verge of doing so, but you-know-who (plus a manic warthog) keep messing things up.

Meanwhile, Drizelda has sent her henchmen (henchcats) Tin (voice of Greg Ellis), Pan (voice of Jess Harnell), and Alley (Richard McGonagle) to steal the pearl/egg from the forbidden, treasure-filled mountain lair of a fire-breathing dragon. She seeks the pearl-egg to increase her magic power. They succeed but the mother dragon gives chase and makes them lose the pearl-egg, where Tom and Jerry find it floating down the river.

So as I said before, taking care of a mischievous, flying, fire-breathing dragon that thinks the lazy, kinda-chicken Tom is his mother is just the beginning of the duos adventures. Can Tom and Jerry put aside their eternal bickering and one-upmanship to get the baby (named Puffy, also voiced by Kelly Stables) safely to its mother before the angry mother torches the countryside looking for it, AND before Drizelda steals the dragons fire to become a super-dragon herself, AND help Athena gain the villages acceptance?

Lost Dragon answers these burning (no pun intended) questions with a lively medieval plot that borrows from both The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Dragonslayer chock-full of thunderous action, suspenseful danger, and evil incantations. Of course, Tom and Jerry do what they do best, but they are not out of place in this energetic tale, and in their own reliable slapsticky way try to help Athena, the village, Puffy, and his mother to their respective happy endings.

Tom and Jerry fans should get their quota (and more) of cat-and-mouse shenanigans and pratfalls (including the scene where Tom and Jerry are falling from a great height and Tom looks at his watch to see when theyll hit the ground), while medieval/Tolkien fans should get a pleasant homage and send-up of their obsessions. Lost Dragon is an eventful and ultimately satisfying animated journey.

P.S.: Despite the fire-and-brimstone aspects of the story, Lost Dragon shouldnt really disturb children, even sensitive ones, although what happens to baby Puffy and mama dragon after Drizelda steals their fire might be considered shocking. Otherwise, everybody should be able to enjoy this latest Tom and Jerry adventure without nightmares.