|
Rating:  -
If Jensen were a racehorse, someone would put him out of his misery. The same courtesy should be extended to unsuspecting readers of his book.
If you are or ever have been a fan of TDOH or any of the actors involved in the show, ignore this book completely. The book does not tell you about the show, its actors, stunt people or stunts. Instead, the author, who was friends (ha!) with John Schneider when both were in their late teens, has an axe to grind - and grind it he does on John Schneider's back the entire length of the book.
Jensen is a bitter, vengeful author (he fervently believes that he would have been a much better Bo Duke and will probably go to his grave bemoaning the fact that he didn't get the role that John Schneider made famous). He is jealous of John's success.
When push comes to shove, the author really doesn't have much nice to say about anyone associated with TDOH or very many people in general... not even his own mother. Jensen finds fault with most of the actors who spoke to him and belittles their talent at every turn. He also manages to find fault with those who barely spoke to him.
Jensen makes a habit of name dropping throughout the book. He mentions every single `famous' person he has ever crossed paths with in his lifetime in a miserable attempt to make himself sound important and worldly.
While the facts Jensen presents may be true, the author bases his book's focus on a young Schneider's mistakes and indiscretions while glossing over his own (like his infidelity). He will compliment Schneider one moment and then tear him apart the next.
What is most troubling and disturbing is that all the events that Jensen presents happened so long ago (roughly 25 years) and many lives and the people living them (including John Schneider) have changed tremendously yet the author finds it necessary to rehash the past.
Obviously, Jensen resents Schneider and just about everything associated with the Dukes of Hazzard and his book comes off as nothing more than a grown-up (debatable) man's bitchfest.
P.S. I only gave the book one star because leaving it blank was not an option.
Rating: -
I had been reluctant to read this book. After all the Dukes of Hazzard is my all-time favorite television show. I have wholesome, pure image of the actors and show and would like to believe that they are all decent people. Being such a die hard fan, I decided that I needed to know the truth.
The description on the back cover of the book states: Richard Jensen's "Trespass In Hazzard County is the shockingly true story of the sex, drugs, intrigue, petty jealousy, back-biting, infighting and inflated egos on the set of The Dukes of Hazzard."
After reading, I breathed a sigh of relief. Jensen did not deliver the juicy details that he promised. The entire book is about the friendship Jensen had from 1975-80 with Dukes star John Schneider, barely mentioning the other Dukes co-stars.
I expected to read about Daisy Duke sleeping around the set, or Boss Hogg doing lines of coke off the General Lee. Instead he just bashes Schneider page after page.
The sex? Jensen writes about Schneider having sex with female after female. What a shock - an 18-24 year old television star (or simply enjoying lots of sex! How scandalous! The drugs? Schneider and Jensen attended many Hollywood parties and witnessed frequent drug use. However Jensen says they both turned down any offers. Very outrageous!
Petty jealousy? The guilty party is Mr. Jensen himself, using the entire book to grind his axe against Schneider, who got the part of Bo Duke and rose to superstardom while Jensen could barely get small roles. He continuously critiques Schneider's acting abilities, forgetting to realize that the show failed without fellow Duke boy Tom Wopat and Schneider after their walkout over merchandising. (Everyone is quick to forget the awful Coy & Vance episodes)
Overlooking the tiresome bashing of Schneider, the thin book doesn't offer much to keep the reader's interest. Taking breaks between giving another uninteresting comment about Bo Duke, Jensen writes about boring times he met celebrities.
If you are a Dukes of Hazzard, John Schneider, or TV fan, the book doesnt offer much to you - I would suggest not buying it. However if you are a fan of mediocrity and bitterness, the story of Richard D. Jensen's friendship with John Schneider would be a nice quick read.
Perhaps Jensen could have titled the book, Tresspass in Hazzard County: I Used To Know John Schneider!
Rating: -
This book should have the title "How to Insult a Friend:My Life as a Jealous Companion of John Schneider". The author tells it all in his dedication. He dedicates the book to undiscovered actors who are more talented than those who find fame. The entire book gives examples of his belief that he is more talented than John Schneider. First this author is jealous of the fact that John had help from his mother. He states that she paid his bills. He's talking about a time when John was going to high school and doing summer stock theater. I would hope that his mother would pay his bills while he was this age! He won the role of Bo Duke when he was barely 18. What is this author talking about?
He states that John had talent and charisma, was star quality, in 1975, at age 15. But then when John became a star he writes repeatedly that John's acting was awkward, wooden, and mugged. He can't understand why their agent sent John to audition for the "Dukes of Hazzard" role and not him. Apparently the agent knew who had the talent and this anthor still hasn't realized his limited potential.
Before the "Dukes of Hazzard" audition this author states that John had a beautiful, rich, baritone singing voice. After he became jealous the author claims that John was not successful after the "Dukes" - his movies bombed and he only had minor hit records on the country charts. He doesn't tell the fact that John had many country hits in the top ten, four hit #1, and even had a #1 album! The author also states that John became a host for the Children's Miracle Network Telethon. He is more than a host. He and Marie Osmond were the cofounders. There's a big difference between being a host and a founder! This author writes as though John's current role in "Smallville" is so minor that it shouldn't be mentioned. Why then was he considered for an Emmy nomination for this role?
If you are looking for a book about the "Dukes of Hazzard", this book isn't about that series. If you are a John Schneider fan, this book isn't for you. If you are someone who just wants the facts, this book isn't for you either. If, however, you want to know how to insult someone because they have more talent than you and you can't accept that, then this book should be high on your list.
In my opinion every copy of this book should have been in that outhouse with Luke's car magazines when Bo Duke blew it sky high with that dynamite equipped bow and arrow!
Rating: -
This book has actually has very little to do with the Dukes of Hazzard and more to do with the authors bruised feelings about the sad ending of his friendship with John Schneider. The fact that his ex-friend Mr Schneider was cast in a starring so early in his career is a bone of contention that the author should really deal with.
When reading the book it is good to remember that the author and Mr Schneider at the time were both between 18 and 20yrs old. Mr Jensen left Hollywood at 20 and admits that he didn't keep in contact with Mr Schneider and so cannot know what sort of man he would really become. Since Schneider found fame so early it would be a real feat of accomplishment for any young man to keep both feet on the ground and come out of the sudden plunge into the spotlight unscathed. Some room has to be given for the boy to become a man. Mr Jensen even goes so far as to criticise Mr Schneider's mother for supporting him financially before his role in the Dukes (a period of a maximum of a year since he gained the part at 18) and for being heavily involved in her sons life, while his own mother charged him rent therby forcing him to a day job while John was free to attend auditions. Real sour grapes. He also trivialises Johns work with the Childrens Miracle Network Telethon by calling him nothing more than the 'host' of the show. The book appears to have been given enough facts to give this authors bias view of the 'truth' some credability.
As I said earlier, the book has very little to do with the Dukes and appears to have been given the title to sell more copies. The only refrences to the cast is to applaude the acting of the older cast members,some of which he admits have never spoken more than 10 words to him, and to put the context of the show down. In the later parts of the book he refers to the show as embarrasing and obviously cannot understand why it was, and still is, so popular. He also claims that Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke) cannot act at all. If you want to but this book as a Dukes fan I do not recommend it since there is no other information about the show contained in it.
On a final note, the books selling point of it being the true story of "sex, drugs and intrigue" is covered by the author telling us that he and John Schneider never took drugs and John was laid alot due to male teenage hormones, and fame going to his head (or other places!).
Rating:  -
This is a book that all fans of the Dukes of Hazzard should read. Jensen tells stories about the show that you will not find anywhere else. Although some fans of John Schneider may not like to learn about some of his flaws, they will enjoy hearing the stories about Schneider's youth and especially about how he became a star before he was out of his teens. Jensen and Schneider were best friends as teenagers and they started their acting careers together, so Jensen is in a unique position to write on this subject. Some of the book is rather sad, especially reading about how the friendship between Schneider and Jensen deteriorated and eventually ended. I enjoyed this book more than any other "Hollywood insider" book I have read. Any fan of the Dukes of Hazzard who wants to hear the "real" stories about the show should read this book.
Television Show
Collectibles
Movie Searches
|
|
|
Search for posters,
art prints, photos, collectables, merchandise, toys, t-shirts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join the Nielsen//NetRatings Research Panel and you could win a new car, a dream vacation, a dream home makeover or $50,000 Cash!
TV Guide
Program listings, celebrity profiles, industry
gossip, movie reviews, puzzle.
More
Entertainment
& TV Magazines
This site is
Hosted
by Bluehost
Read
my Bluehost Review
Original Superhero & other designs for t-shirts, bumper
stickers, prints, mugs, and other cool merchandise. |
|
