Book Review: Songs My Mother Taught Me by: Marlon Brando & Robert Lindsey

Tags

Acting, Actor, Autobiography, Biography, Book, Book Review, Brando, Celebrity, Cinema, film, Marlon, Marlon Brando, movies, review, Robert Lindsey, Songs My Mother Taught Me

I have decided to tell the story of my life as best I can, so that my children can separate the truth from the myths that others have created about me, as myths are created about everyone swept up in the turbulent and distorting maelstrom of celebrity in our culture” – Marlon Brando, Songs My Mother Taught Me

Initial Thoughts: After reading George Englund’s biography of Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando: The Way It’s Never Been Done Before, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Brando’s biography. Finally, I thought, I am going to hear Brando’s story as told by the man himself.
Songs My Mother Taught Me by Marlon Brando

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

The Review

I had developed a fascination with Marlon Brando after seeing him as Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls. For me, and for the rest of the world, Brando was an iconic figure larger than life. To me, Brando is different from other celebrities because, in spite of his success, he would be the first one to shun Hollywood for its artificiality. 

Advertisement

Book Review: Marlon Brando: The Way It’s Never Been Done Before by: George Englund

Tags

Actor, Biography, Book Review, Brando, Celebrity, Cinema, film, George Englund, Marlon, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando: The Way It's Never Been Done Before, movies, non-fiction, review, The Way It's Never Been Done Before

Initial Thoughts: The first ever movie I had ever watched with Marlon Brando was Apocalypse Now. I was assigned to writing an essay on this movie by comparing it to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. I remember that I spent most of the time with my hands covering my eyes (because I am that much of a wimp). Brando’s portrayal of Kurtz felt dead on to what I was imagining when I read Heart of Darkness. He was able to project an unwavering amount of charisma onto the screen. For once, I couldn’t look away.

Summary

Marlon Brando: The Way It’s Never Been Done Before by George Englund
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an intimate and exceptionally candid memoir of the reclusive superstar Marlon Brando and a portrait of his decades-long friendship with the author, George Englund. Since bellowing and blustering his way into the spotlight with A Streetcar Named Desire, Marlon Brando has been one of the most revered performers in the world. He was also incredibly reclusive, having shied away from the spotlight for decades. Marlon Brando, written by Brando’s close friend George Englund, offers an intimate glimpse into the life and death of the amazing theatrical legend and a portrait of the friendship the two men shared. This book is one of the most compelling inside views of an epic friendship between two dynamic, eloquent men that has ever been written. It is as unique as Brando was. The author wanted to write the book that Brando deserved — one that would do him justice and portray him as he really was. Marlon Brando honors Brando’s memory and paints a portrait of the true man behind the legend.

The Review

After watching Apocalypse Now, I ended up forgetting about Marlon Brando completely in spite of his performance. For me, he was just another brilliant actor. My interest in Brando was piqued when I watched Brando as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls.  This ended up triggering a phase where I have been reading and watching countless interviews about Marlon Brando, or by Marlon Brando himself. Marlon Brando was an enigma with a personality larger than life. The moment I think that I have been able to uncover what sort of person he was, I end up realizing that I was farther away

Book Review: The Princess Diarist by: Carrie Fisher

Tags

Autobiography, Biography, Book, Book Review, Carrie Fisher, Celebrity, non-fiction, review, The Princess Diarist

What expression did Madame Tussauds choose to embalm on my face? Impassive Leia/ me. Staring stoically into the future with Jabba the Hutt giggling peacefully behind me. Why shouldn’t he giggle? What’s he got to worry about? Surely not his weight. He’s big boned or no boned. He could do with some toning, but why bother? With impassive, sweaty-looking me as his slave and that annoying little rat in drag to amuse him, he’s got a great life. One that Leia and I hope/plan to put an end to very shortly” – The Princess Diarist, Carrie Fisher

Initial thoughts: When I was about four years old, my parents decided that it was a great time to expose me to Star Wars. I became a fanatic during my childhood. I even made my own Princess Leia costume (minus all the sewing). I even began wearing my hair in the Princess Leia style with the two cinnamon rolls attached to my head a month before Halloween… Oh, what was I thinking… But, I did not know the person behind Princess Leia. Carrie Fisher, to me, was just another actress. It was only, unfortunately, when she passed away that I became interested in finding out who Carrie Fisher was.

Summary 

When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved—plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a (sort-of) regular teenager.

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time—and what developed behind the scenes. And today, as she reprises her most iconic role for the latest Star Wars trilogy, Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.” – Goodreads

The Review

So, as I had mentioned, I grew up as a Star Wars fan. I watched the movies so many (too many) times. Today, the latest Star Wars movie will be out in theatres, Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi. When I had seen The Force Awakens nearly two years ago. I remember at the end of the movie, I found myself gazing longingly at the ending credits. What! I will have to wait another two years! Noooooooo! Somehow, two years has flown by rather fast.

It is rare that I will become interested in an actor outside of their movie. I may enjoy an actor’s work, but I am not one to learn all about them and fill my head with the names of their favorite pets. When Carrie Fisher passed away, I remember reading a quote she had said in response to how much she had changed since she was in the initial Star Wars movies….

Please stop debating about whether or not I’ve aged well.  Unfortunately, it hurts all 3 of my feelings. Youth and beauty are not accomplishments. They are temporary, happy by-products of time and/or DNA. Don’t hold your breath for either. A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, someone else might have given a ****” – Carrie Fisher, NBC Today Show, December 2015

After reading this, I was extremely happy to hear a celebrity addressing the masses that beauty doesn’t last. What drew me to Carrie Fisher was her honesty, which is found in abundance in her last book The Princess Diarist. 

The Princess Diarist is not about what it was like to be on the set of Star Wars. Instead, it is a coming-of-age autobiography with some journal excerpts about Carrie Fisher’s relationship with Harrison Ford. Believe it or not, Harrison Ford

Book Review: If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) by: Betty White

Tags

Autobiography, Betty White, Book, Book Review, Celebrity, Memoir, non-fiction, review

That’s when you have to remember that image in the mirror and not let success get to you. It is important that you not believe your own publicity. Be grateful for whatever praise you receive, but take it with a grain of salt” If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) by: Betty White

Initial thoughts: Who doesn’t love Betty White? Honestly, whenever I see her appear in a movie or television series, I find myself grinning from ear to ear. For decades she has been sharing her acting talents with the world. Even now, at her age, she is still going strong. I ended up listening to the audiobook version of Betty White’s autobiography If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t).

Summary

Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White’s wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity. If You Ask Me mixes her thoughtful observations with humorous stories from a seven- decade career in Hollywood” Goodreads

 

The Review

This book was an absolute delight to read. I adored every minute of it. Unlike most celebrities who have an ego higher than the Empire State Building, Betty White is a down-to-earth lovable woman who I wish could be immortal. Wouldn’t this be awesome to have an immortal Betty White to grace the silver screen forever and ever and