Alan Eisenstock

I am old enough to remember a little bit about Elgin Baylor's career. I remember the 1960s Lakers had Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor. It's a shame that Baylor was not able to win an NBA title. Throughout the book, you can tell it was very important for him. There are a lot of interesting stories in the book including Baylor's experiences with racism. There were also a number of interesting anecdotes about different NBA players including Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Hot Rod Hundley and other players that he competed with and against.

The book focuses primarily on his playing experiences both in college and in the NBA. He makes short thrift of his time as general manager in San Diego and working for Donald Sterling. Baylor recounts a story about a women executive who had to pick up her child to which Sterling said that when she returns, tell her she is fired. Enough said about Donald Sterling.

A good read for someone like myself in his 60s and who remembers Elgin Baylor and the players he referenced in the book.… (meer)

Imagine this. A few kids in Louisiana decided to re-shoot the movie 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'! Not a remake, but a faithful shot by shot homage to their favorite action film.

Scouting locations, finding (and in some cases building) props, designing realistic special effects, casting and story boarding each shot in painstaking detail. A summer project that started in their early teens and lasted seven years!

Doggedly pursuing their goal thru relationships beginning and ending, breakups, drug use, boarding school, ever changing parental support (sometimes interference), local laws, weather and more could not stop them.

Best friends who became enemies and some relationships that deepened, turning into life long friendships.

Of course as they began this incredible task, sometimes the production is saved by a sudden flash of brilliance (the rolling boulder scene) or sabotaged from the most unlikely places (trying to get permission to film a scene on a submarine). Even parents Trying to keep the insanity under some control refusing permission to shoot the burning bar scene in the basement of one of the guys home (what do you mean we can't set him on fire? C'mon!)

These kids, local neighborhood friends (some just acquaintances) struggled on til the labor of love is complete. And then what? Just stick it in a closet and forget it? I won't go into any of the delicious detail that keeps you entrapped in this story. I think it's just as good as watching the film itself. Let your inner kid out to enjoy themselves. It's worth it!!… (meer)