Where in the World are Mick Martin and Marsha Porter?
Saturday, January 26, 2008
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Normally by now I’d have my hands on the latest version of my favorite reference manual, “DVD & Video Guide 2008“ by Mick Martin and Marsha Porter. But for some reason, it’s not out yet! Further, you can’t find information about the duo’s next effort on www.ballantinebooks.com, the publisher of previous editions or by doing a search on GOOGLE. What gives?
I can’t find very much information out there about Marsha Porter.
But I did discover this snippet: Mick Martin plays Blues music and has his own radio show out of Sacramento, CA. The station is 90.9 and his show, entitled “Mick Martin’s Blues Party”, is on Saturdays from 1-5PM. Here is the website for that. He looks like a friendly guy. If you happen to be able to catch that station you should check out his show.
If you do happen to know when, if at all, the next DVD & Video Guide is coming out, please email us or use the comment form.
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24 Responses to “Where in the World are Mick Martin and Marsha Porter?”
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Ed says:
January 26th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Thank you, Kevin.
I thought I was the only one who was searching in vain for the ‘08 Video Guide. I posted a question at Random House (the parent company of Ballantine Books,) re: whether they were planning to publish an ‘08 version of the guide, but thus far, no response.
Interestingly, Mick Martin doesn’t show up in their search engine.
I e-mailed the address in the ‘07 guide (at some CA university, as I recall) asking the same question, but, here again, no response.
I plan to try to contact Martin through the radio station you mentioned.
The quest continues!
Ed Flesch
Healdsburg, CA
Kevin says:
January 26th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Thanks for your comments! I did a search for them on the site and nothing. You can’t even get old copies there! Please let us know how your quest goes.
Ed says:
January 28th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Kevin:
Mick Martin responded to the note I e-mailed him in care of the radio station you identified. Here’s what he had to say:
Hello Ed — Random House surprised us on 9/11/06 by deciding not to publish “The DVD & Video Guide” anymore. Their rationale was that “people can get the same information on the internet.” We disagree and are trying to get it published by Sterling Publications, which owns Barnes and Noble. We’ve been “on the hook” for eight months now, but we’re not giving up! — Mick
Not very encouraging!
I’m going to ask Mr. Martin if he thinks it would help if his readers contacted Sterling Publications and/or Barnes & Noble to lobby them on behalf of the book, and, if so, how we should go about it.
I’ll keep you posted.
Ed Flesch
EdFlesch@comcast.net
FYI, his e-mail address is: HarpMick@aol.com
Alicia says:
February 16th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
What a bummer! I have been buying these books for the past 5 years or so! I use them to update my movie collection and keep track of what I have. They will be missed :unhappy:
sam says:
February 17th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Very sad – i’ve been buying those books since the early 90s…
But now at least i know what happened. Been looking for information about the 2008 release for some time now.
This really sucks
DrDeb says:
March 4th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Have been buying this book every year for at least 10 years, and will miss it terribly! It’s by far the best movie review book out there. I took Ed’s suggestion to contact Random House, and will also send an email to Mick Martin (see Ed’s comment) to find out how we can help to get this fine resource back in print.
Dave says:
March 13th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
If not in print then how about a downloadable version? There is a version of Leonard Maltin Movie Guide for Palm OS.
Ralf says:
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:41 pm
I hope that Mick and Marsha are able to get 2008 published through Barns and Noble. They should also consider a downloadable version, say as of 2009!
Mark W says:
November 3rd, 2008 at 6:44 am
i am in agreement with everyone else. i have been buying martin and porter’s guide every year in august and could not even find a whisper as to what happened to the ‘08 edition. that book was my source. sorry, mick and marsha, i feel like i’m losing family.
Barbara L says:
November 14th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Glad I have comrades in the quest for an 07 and 08 edition—no offense but
Leonard Maltin doesn’t come close!
Thanks for the email address, Ed. I will certainly let both Mick and Random House know
how much my favorite reference is missed. I agree with Mark—it was my source! and as Sam says, ‘it really sucks’ if annual editions are a thing of the past.
Valerie says:
November 14th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I have been buying this book for my husband for years and he also loves it. Last year I had to get a different one and needless to say it wasn’t nearly as good. I hope you have luck getting it published with someone else.
Joe in Mexico says:
November 15th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
You are all completely correct. Mick and Marsha’s DVD guides are the best. Living in different countries for most of the last ten years I have come to rely on their guide for my mail order purchases. I have bought many other guides; Blockbuster’s, Video Hound, Maltin’s, etc. None of them are as good as the Mick Martin and Marsha Porter DVD guides.
Ron says - says:
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:59 pm
I’m not a religious man, but this is/was definitely my bible. All of my previous editions are so worn out that entire sections have started coming apart. Apart from reviews, it is absolutely indespensable for fact checking and referencing Stars, Directors, Release dates, you name it. It has a permanent place on my coffe table, always within arm reach. What can I say…I can’t live without it!
Tom says:
November 28th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
November 2008, I agree Leonard Martin”s reference isn’t a replacement. Martin and Porter are far superior. The absence of Martin and Porter’s names on their former publisher’s web site Makes you wonder how good the publisher’s material is.
Paul says:
November 29th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I recall my father owning the 1988 guide, and we’d regularly consult it when we went to the video store to get movies for the weekend. Of course, we got the updated versions throughout the 90s and into this decade. I was just thinking it was time to get another one, only to find out they are no longer. I know Maltin has a competing guide, but it’s not the same. Martin and Porter had great taste (most of the time. Of course there were more than a few disagreements too). I hope Sterling publications, is paying attention to this site and others. There’s obviously still a demand for this book, and Random House lost out on a good thing.
Sarah B says:
December 11th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Ah! I sold my 2006 at a rummage sale in hopes of getting a fresh copy. I am so upset! I was going to get one for my parents as well for Xmas! Anyone hear anything more as to who we should bug to get this published again??
Harrison says:
December 16th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I was in shock today when I found out from my local Barnes and
Noble store that a new 2009 Martin and Porter guide is no longer available.Fortunately I did not throw away or dispose of my 2006 edition; however it is getting a little long in the tooth. Please?!?! Sterling or Barnes and Noble: Publish the book !
Ruth says:
December 30th, 2008 at 11:50 am
I am glad to at least find an answer here. I could use this book to avoid the many turkeys I watched without it. Their opinions so closely follow my own, and there is no other guide that even comes close. I hope they change their mind and give us a 2009 edition, even if it is late!!! Can we petition this somewhere?
Ruth says:
December 30th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I found the related post on this website that gives a direct form to fill out and request this be published again. http://www.geekscribe.com/2008/05/13/help-us-get-the-dvd-video-guide-published-again/comment-page-1/#comment-844
Thank you, Kevin.
Bring back the DVD Movie Guide « As blog as it gets says:
January 5th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
[...] published. He and Marsha tried their best to find another publisher but to no avail. DMG has its fans. People want it back. The decision to cancel it, while Maltin’s and other yearly review books [...]
Thomas Blaisdell says:
January 13th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Me, too! This guide was the best. Really miss it. Was holding out one more year after being unable to find it last year but not seeing it again this year led me to this site. Guess we’ll have to choose from what’s left… Tom
naveen gopi says:
February 17th, 2009 at 3:33 am
i was also surprised not to find in 08′
They were the best in the business
i am from india ……..and i searched the entire southern belt.
Christin says:
March 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 am
I thought I was losing my mind. Where is my saving grace? I love having that book on hand to answer all my movie trivia needs. I have other guides such as Leonards which are not as thorough. Hope to see 2008 guide soon. We need it!
Donna says:
May 4th, 2009 at 5:59 am
Well, pooh! I realized that my version is out of date and attempted to order it through the bookstore where I work. OOPS! No such book, no such authors!!! Now, I understand. But, it doesn’t make the pain go away. Sterling, Random House, SOMEone has to pick this up again!