Customer Reviews

Manhattan on Film Updated Edition : Walking Tours of Hollywood's Fabled Front Lot

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The author of this book had a terrific idea, but the book disappoints because of its overwhelming emphasis on post-1980 movies. Manhattan locations for Hitchcock's North by Northwest, and The Godfather, among others are either left by the wayside or sorely underrepresented. Ghostbusters, on the other hand seems to pop up on each page.

Manhattan on Film is a collection of thirteen walking tours that take you to New York City locations and sites used in some of Hollywood's most popular films. Each tour is set up by neighborhood and designed to take no more than two hours. Each section starts with a brief neighborhood description, has an easy-to-follow map, has clear transportation instructions to get you to your starting point, and includes concise directions that take you to each location. You can also take a quick peek at the movie index to find out where your favorite film has been shot.

Katz's book hits on all levels. General walking tour enthusiasts will find this guide a refreshing and excellent alternative to the standard, traditional guides. Tourists and visitors (Katz says that Israeli cabinet members are big fans of his book) to the city will get the feeling that they've tapped into a secret side of the city, somehow escaping the same old tourist itineraries. At the same time, ardent film fans will appreciate the trivia factoids and the concise capsules describing famous scenes that easily evoke an, "Oh yeah, I remember that!"

A wonderful find for any film fan, resident New Yorker, or visitor to the city.

Chuck Katz's Walking Tours is an enchanting way to see New York. It's fun, light and humorous. I was charmed and delighted with my tour. A past resident and current occasional visitor to New York, I relived some of my favorite movie scenes and felt a part of them at the same time. If you're a New Yorker, you'll never see the places you visit on the tour without feeling a little nostalgia. If you're a visitor, each time you see a New York movie scene, you'll relive your New York visit. It's really great fun! I highly recommend this clever, witty, well written, and entertaining book.

A very entertaining way to get to know New York, or to rediscover it. Instead of the usual tour books that will take the reader to the standard, well known sights, this book offers the possibility to get to know Manhattan's various neighborhoods by walking to different movie locations. The movies are ones we have all seen, which make the scenes come vividly to life when you get to them. Although the book also has tours of midtown, that will take the reader through the more common tourist attractions, the real joy for me came from walking through the narrow streets of neighborhoods like the West Village or the upper West Side.

An unexpected benefit was that, unlike most guidebooks that tend to give you a dry recitation of descriptions and facts about the different tourist destinations, Chuck Katz' dry wit and genuine affection for his material makes reading about the locations a pleasure.

I have done several of the walking tours in Chuck Katz' Manhattan on Film, and really found them very relaxing and entertaining. I have lived in New York for a long time, but love to find out new things about the city, especially in neighborhoods I thought I was very familiar with. That's just the kind of opportunities this book offers. I was first drawn to the book because I like to take walking tour books with me when I travel -- as I follow the tour, I slow down and really look at things I could otherwise miss. Following the Manhattan on Film tours, I found I noticed things not only about the movie site itself, but also about things nearby the site. Thanks to this book, and the infomative, engaging style in which Chuck Katz writes, my appreciation for the city has grown. I look forward to doing the rest of the walking tours this spring. Of course, it'll be on the agenda when guests come to town!

Comming into New York for a long weekend, a friend of mine suggested taking "The walking tour". We were only able to do two of the tours but it was a great way to spend the day. The author writes with humor and provides alot of very interesting locations that really brought back memories. The tour was great, and the book was really fun to read. I loved it, and can't wait to finish the other tours....

Browsing throught the myriad of books on New York, I came across this unique selection. I was skeptical at first but found to my delight the well written and structured tours that allowed me to pick and choose the areas I wanted to explore. As I took a few of the tours I discovered things about movies and New York that I never knew before. Being a New York native for over 20 years I found it hard to beleive but seeing is believing! It's a great gift and I ended up giving the book out to the folks at the office. It's come in handy for those who like both New York and film. And talk about triva tips. My friends now call me for answers to triva questions and all I do is take out the New York On Film for quick reference. I'd personally like to see books on San Francisco and LA, as well. A tip-o-the-hat to Katz and the tours!

Whenever acquaintances from outside the New York City area come in for a visit, they usually tell me: "Show me New York, but not the tourist traps." I tell them, "With pleasure." This book provides my people with an interesting activity which they heartily enjoy. "Manhattan on Film: Walking Tours of Hollywood's Fabled Front Lot" by Chuck Katz is a great concept and, for the most part, represents a wide range of films. I understand there will be omissions, and many of the sets have long since been demolished, but there is still plenty to choose from. And for us New Yorkers, takes a little bit of the tourism off our shoulders.

A wonderful way of revisiting New York, even after living there for years. Came for a visit from Australia, and Manhattan on Film gave me a completely new and different perspective on the city that I thought I knew as well as the back of my hand. The book is written in an easy to read and engaging style. For any movie lovers and/or New York lovers, this is a book that you must read

The author has put together a wonderful collection of places in New York where famous movie scenes were filmed. The photos and other graphics are terrific, the writing is witty and to the point, and there are enough reminders about the scenes to jog your memory. This reviewer also appreciated the travel guide size of the book; easy to carry with you as you work your way from one movie memory to another.