Are Walter’s “uncles” really ex-bank robbers? He’s about to spend a summer with them and find out! Poor Walter! His mom, Mae, an irresponsible beauty past her prime and down on her luck, has dumped him off with his two eccentric old “uncles,” Hub and Garth. Mae’s convinced that the old men have millions stashed away from bank robberies—and she’s determined that she and Walter deserve a piece of the pie. So while Mae’s off trying to find a husband, Walter tries to make himself at home in the company of these older, grumpier men—and some other relatives that are equally determined to get their share of the family assets. Soon Walter is transfixed and transformed by the stories Garth tells of his and Hub’s dashing younger years: how they were in the French Foreign Legion and how Hub won the love of the Sultan’s daughter and evaded the jealous Sheik’s assassins. Are Hub and Garth sitting on a fortune, or is that a story too? And who’s going to get it if they are?

Thoroughly revised and updated for 2005! Includes a new chapter on the best special edition DVDs and a new chapter on finding hidden easter egg features.

From one of the funniest minds -- and pens -- of our time, at last, the definitive collection of the very best of Opus, everyones favorite maladjusted penguin.One of Americas most beloved comic geniuses is back, with this collectible 25th anniversary compendium of the best of Opus, joined by his hilarious supporting cast, including Binkley, Milo, Bill the Cat, Steve Dallas, Ronald Ann, and the rest of the residents of Bloom County and Outland. From Antarctica to Omaha, Opus has cavorted with space creatures, impersonated rock stars, fended off accusations of penguin lust, and even campaigned for office. Now, in addition to the classic strips, Berkeley Breathed also brings us never-before-collected Bloom County cartoons and original all-new material from his Opus comics. Brace yourself for the sidesplitting, table-pounding, milk-through-the-nose-spewing laughter that only Opus and his outlandish friends can generate. The perfect collection for both die-hard fans and those discovering the matchless humor of Berkeley Breathed for the first time.

Featuring candid conversations with screenwriters, directors, and producers who make films that explore spiritual themes and ask probing spiritual questions, this book provides an exclusive look into the motivation behind the themes contained in their art.

Winner, RUSA 2019 Outstanding References Source Winner and named a Library Journal Best Reference Book of the Year 2018 From D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation in 1915 to the recent Get Out, audiences and critics alike have responded to racism in motion pictures for more than a century. Whether subtle or blatant, racially biased images and narratives erase minorities, perpetuate stereotypes, and keep alive practices of discrimination and marginalization. Even in the 21st century, the American film industry is not “color blind,” evidenced by films such as Babel (2006), A Better Life (2011), and 12 Years a Slave (2013). The Encyclopedia of Racism in American Film documents one facet of racism in the film industry, wherein historically underrepresented peoples are misrepresented—through a lack of roles for actors of color, stereotyping, negative associations, and an absence of rich, nuanced characters. Offering insights and analysis from over seventy scholars, critics, and activists, the volume highlights issues such as: Hollywood’s diversity crisis White Savior films Magic Negro tropes The disconnect between screen images and lived realities of African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asians A companion to the ever-growing field of race studies, this volume opens up a critical dialogue on an always timely issue. The Encyclopedia of Racism in American Film will appeal to scholars of cinema, race and ethnicity studies, and cultural history.

“Nothing will be the same again.” Americans scarred by the experience of 9/11 often express this sentiment. But what remains the same, argues Jack Shaheen, is Hollywood’s stereotyping of Arabs. In his new book about films made after 9/11, Shaheen finds that nearly all of Hollywood’s post-9/11 films legitimize a view of Arabs as stereotyped villains and the use of Arabs and Muslims as shorthand for the “Enemy” or “Other.” Along with an examination of a hundred recent movies, Shaheen addresses the cultural issues at play since 9/11: the government’s public relations campaigns to win “hearts and minds” and the impact of 9/11 on citizens and on the imagination. He suggests that winning the “war on terror” would take shattering the centuries-old stereotypes of Arabs, and frames the solutions needed to begin to tackle the problem and to change the industry and culture at large.

The words contained within the covers of this book are intended to speak to some of lifes ups and downs. Life encompasses a multitude of components that require daily maintenance and/or managementand your judgment in those areas will drive the direction of your existence. Life will, sooner or later, introduce you to the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in-betweenhumor, joy, sadness and the always-present mystery. The author believes the words in this book to be universalalthough not universally spoken nor acknowledged. Richards odyssey has been continuous from the denial of his rural Arkansas roots to his acceptance in Phase Three. While the Greyhound bus physically transported him away from his disdainand provided the escape from his dysfunctional family, the relocation only skewed his perspective. California was a world apart from Arkansas, and without an education and/or a craftlife would severely test the authors fortitude and determination. It would resemble a scavenger hunt as he chased his always-moving, always-fading demons for personal understanding. This book began simply enough as letters to his son (the second of two from the authors second marriage) who was/is also seeking self-understanding. The son was serving prison time for drug usage and drug-related crimes stemming from twenty years of abuse. Added to that, his son, Landon, is afflicted with epilepsy and the combination (epilepsy and heroin) can produce deadly consequences. His sons first letter not only requested that his father correspond with him, but that he fill in the gaps of his lifehis words were, Dad, I know nothing of you before our family. The father was taken abackhe had rarely, if ever, thought about his past lifemuch less verbalized it to others. Initially, as he reflected on the request, he wondered if he even remembered anything about his pastor had he buried it so deeply (through denial) that he would never be able to resurrect the information that his son was requesting. The book chronicles the authors early years in Arkansas and his own drug abuse during his twenties as he struggled in California. The book reveals the authors insecurities regarding his lack of a formal education. How he created a faade to conceal his perceived deficiencies as he managed a challenging career (the majority of those years at the supervisory level) within the oil industry. One cannot read just one of the letters, encapsulated between the Foreword and the last page, and fully comprehend the purpose and/or intent of this collaboration between the writers present life and his long-buried past. Singularly, none of the enclosed correspondence is capable of standing alonebut linked together, they provide a measure of insightfulness and understanding (you decide about what). There are common threads woven throughout the writingand there are also subliminal messages, advice, thoughts, insight, understanding, encouragements and reconciliation embedded within the dynamics of this endeavor. From the author: Landon and I have come a long way with our burdens; and while neither of us have arrived yetI believe we are both on the correct path and approaching the other side. But only time will tell