These collected tales - some taller than others - offer revealing glimpses into how and why West Texans are different. Rugged enough to make the harshest of environments their own, this species thrives in hundred-degree-plus heat and near-zero humidity. Folks like the crop duster who nearly sets his plane down in the bed of a pickup, the 'boll weevil' whose naivete is tested in the oil patch, and Frank the 'Goofy Roofer', who enters a bullfight with nothing more than a denim jacket and a bottle of beer, are far from rare. All these yarns contain a grain of truth, and some of them actually happened just as related. Most of them have a humorous bent; some are reasonably serious; a few are totally outrageous. But all of them illustrate the character of this distinctive region of the Lone Star State. Whether they concern ranchers, farmers, or oilfield hands; weather, work, or play, all reflect the essential nature of West Texans. Weaver's lively anecdotes prove several truths about Texas west of the hundredth meridian: you may learn how not to haul hogs, ride in rodeos, conduct bullfights, or drill oil wells - and you may well meet petroleum promoters, coon hunters, chuck-wagon cooks, cotton farmers, and even college professors - but you won't encounter an uninteresting character where things get hotter than Pecos.

Collection of crime-themed feature films and made-for-TV movies. In 'Kiss Daddy Goodnight' (1987) amoral thief Laura (Uma Thurman) adopts various disguises in order to fleece various middle-aged men out of their money. She teams up with musician Sid (Paul Dillon), an old acquaintance, when she learns that her upstairs neighbour, William, is the perfect victim. A poet, writer and connoisseur, William would seem ripe for the taking, except for the fact that Laura resembles his long-lost daughter, to whom he owes a murderous debt... In 'View of Terror' (2003) a successful businesswoman becomes the target of a stalker. Life is good for New York restaurant owner Celeste (Shannen Doherty). With a successful business, a great love-life, and a new uptown apartment with panoramic views, things are certainly on the up. But the good life turns sour when she becomes the victim of a stalker, responsible for sending her suspicious packages and making disturbing phone calls in the middle of the night. As the nightmare continues, Celeste begins to suspect everyone - especially one of her neighbours across the street, whose window looks into hers. 'Ruby's Dream' (1982) stars Joe Pesci as Ruby Dennis, the small-time owner of a bowling alley and nightclub in a working-class area of New Jersey, who dreams of making it big in the glitzy world of Las Vegas. In the pursuit of his dreams, however, he ends up losing a lot more than he gains, and comes to realise what is truly important in his life. In 'Shattered Silence' (1972) a woman is tormented by mysterious phone calls. When Helen Connelly (Elizabeth Ashley) starts receiving calls from her long-dead nephew, she's naturally a little on edge. But when the people he criticises in the calls start dying in suspicious accidents, panic sets in, and fearing she's next on the supernatural hit-list, Helen seeks help from her ex-husband (Ben Gazzara). 'The Mogul' (1984) stars Danny DeVito as New York trucking owner Vic De Salvo. Sure that he can do better than what's being served up on his local TV channel, Vic sends his ideas off to the station boss. With his head already on the block, the outgoing station programmer decides to throw a spanner in the works by giving one of Vic's third-rate ideas the green light. But when his new show becomes an overnight ratings success, Vic soon finds himself the saviour of a corrupt industry. In 'Who Killed Joy Morgan?' (1981) police inspector Lou Corbin (Robert Culp) is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a young woman, Joy Morgan (Ann Dusenberry). Two high-profile doctors and their shared love interest, Laury Medford (Kim Basinger), become central to his investigation...