Ty Burr

Burr, the film critic for The Boston Globe, does a great job listing movies from the golden age of cinema that kids of different ages will appreciate. He also has a good approach to introducing children to these movies. He suggests starting with comedies, and I agree with him. In fact, the day I bought the book I came home and put in Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush without telling the kids or inviting them to watch. Like a moth to flame, all four of our kids eventually drifted into the TV show more room to see what was on, and they all ended up watching most of it.

I like most of Burr’s film suggestions, and his comments on the films are very helpful. He gives little bits of trivia that might interest the kids (the shoe that Chaplin ate was made of licorice) and occasionally guides the reader to the best DVD version to buy.

If you like old movies and want your kids to like them, you need this book. And if you think you don’t like old movies and want to see what all the fuss is about, buy this book for yourself and pretend you’re young again. You won’t be disappointed. show less

Burr's book begins as a fascinating history of the early years of film, spending a lot of time on the silents and the first big Hollywood stars. As we transition into the "talkies", the stars are emulated by adoring masses. Slowly Burr takes us through "stardom" and into contemporary "celebrity" discussing what the differences are. Although I will be shelving it with the movie books in my library, Gods Like Us is a much broader look at society and the meaning of celebrity than its title show more might suggest. An intriguing and thought-provoking study, well-written and very readable. Highly recommended! show less

I'm not sure Ty Butr is breaking new ground here, but his book about the history of celebrity is a very good, easy read. He writes in the style of his columns and reviews for the Boston Globe. It was very easy to pick this up and put it down again over the course of two months, and I enjoyed it every time.

Burr provides a wonderful recommendation -- show your children good movies from the golden age of cinema, even if they're in black and white or show things that don't exist anymore.

He admits that his advice is slightly biased toward movies girls will like as he is the father of two girls, but he includes movies for all ages and all interest levels.