Film guides and reviews Books

Book SynopsisBeginning with early trailblazers like Different from the Others, Kyle Turner has selected 100 of cinema’s greatest queer films to guide you through the eras. From Hitchcock’s Rope and cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show through the New Queer Cinema movement of the 90s to the present day, where LGBTQIA+ narratives have increasingly made their way into the mainstream and dominated award seasons with films like Carol, Tangerine, and Moonlight. From scrappy auteurs to Academy Award winners, The Queer Film Guide celebrates LGBTQIA+ stories and artists, offering a fresh take on what defines great cinema, and lending a voice to the diverse creators and characters who have shaped the artform.

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Book SynopsisWithnail and I sank almost without a trace when it was first released in 1987. Financed by HandMade Films, the late George Harrison’s production company, and drawing heavily on first-time writer-director Bruce Robinson's experiences, this virtually plot-free story follows two out-of-work actors (Withnail, played by Richard E. Grant, and 'I', played by Paul McGann), eking out a living in a run-down London of the late 1960s, and embarking on a booze-fuelled weekend in the country which takes various unexpected turns. Although it initially failed to find an audience, it did not take long for the film to attract a dedicated cult following which still persists today. Lines from the film such as 'we've gone on holiday by mistake!' and 'Bring me the finest wines known to humanity!' have become popular favourites and the subject of countless internet memes. Kevin Jackson's in-depth study gives a full account of the film's origins and production history. But his main focus is the mood and magic of the film, its aesthetics and sensibility, seeking to show, without ever detracting from the film's comic brilliance, just how much more there is to Withnail and I than drunkenness and swearing. 'It is an outstandingly touching yet witheringly unsentimental drama of male friendship,' Jackson writes, 'a bleak up-ending of the English pastoral dream, a piece of ferocious verbal inventiveness' - and, without question, one of the greatest of all British films. In his new foreword to this edition, writer Bharat Tandon pays tribute to to both Withnail's peculiar genius and enduring appeal, and to his close friend Kevin Jackson.Trade ReviewBruce Robinson's first and most famous outing as a writer/director, Withnail & I has gone down in history as the student film...this book is lively with enthusiasm and full to bursting point with anecdotes and analysis...He doesn't try to come across as anything more than what he certainly is: a die-hard Withnail fan with a keen eye for detail and a delightful nose for a story. -- FilmwerkTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword to the 2022 edition Introduction: Withnail and Me 1. A Terrible Cult? 2. The Arena of the Unwell 3. A Kingdom of Rains 4. The Last Island of Beauty 5. The Company of Wolves Notes Credits

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Book SynopsisAlan J. Pakula’s political thriller All the President’s Men (1976) was met with immediate critical and commercial success upon its release, finishing second at the box office and earning seven Academy Award nominations. Through a close reading of key scenes, performances and stylistic decisions, Christian Keathley and Robert B. Ray show how the film derives its narrative power through a series of controlled oppositions: silence vs. noise; stationary vs. moving camera; dark vs. well-lit scenes and shallow vs. deep focus, tracing how these elements combine to create an underlying formal design crucial to the film’s achievement. They argue that the film does not fit the auteurist model of New Hollywood film-makers such as Coppola and Scorsese. Instead, All the President’s Men more closely resembles a studio-era film, the result of a collaboration between a producer (Robert Redford), multiple scriptwriters, a skilful director, important stars (Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman), a distinctive cameraman (Gordon Willis), an imaginative art director (George Jenkins) and ingenious sound designers, who together created an enduringly great film.Trade ReviewAn exemplary analysis of the workings of Pakula’s film, a truly insightful study of the way it has been put together and of the sense that its formal details make … I can’t recommend it highly enough. * Film Alert 101 *This stealthy dissection of Alan J. Pakula's seminal political thriller promises to "imitate" reporters Bernstein and Woodward by "asking questions and taking notes and making connections". Job Done. Strong on context, the book really takes flight with its often shot-by-shot analysis, which places everything from bicycle wheels to banjos under the microscope. -- James Mottram * Total Film *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1.Who’s in Control? 2.The Scripts and Their Ellipses 3.Cast Performance Styles 4.Découpage and Dialectics Conclusion Notes Credits

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, apocalypse fiction has explored social injustice through fantasy, sci-fi and religious imagery, but what can we learn from it? Why do we escape very real disaster via dystopia? Why do we fantasise about the end of the world?The word apocalypse has roots in ancient Greek, with apo (off) and kalýptein (cover) combining to form apokálypsis, meaning to uncover or reveal. In considering apocalypse fiction across culture and its role in how we manage, manifest and imagine social, economic and political crises, Goh navigates what this genre reveals about our contemporary anxieties, and why we turn to disaster time and again. From blockbusters like War of the Worlds to The Handmaid's Tale and far beyond, we venture through global pandemics to the climate crisis, seeking real answers in the midst of our fictional destruction. Let's journey to the end.

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Book SynopsisProduced in the aftermath of the Second World War, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's A Matter of Life and Death (1946) stars David Niven as an RAF pilot poised between life and death, his love for the American radio operator June (Kim Hunter) threatened by medical, political and ultimately celestial forces. The film is a magical, profound fantasy and a moving evocation of English history and the wartime experience, with virtuoso Technicolor special effects. In the United States it was released under the title Stairway to Heaven, referencing one of its most famous images, a moving stairway between earth and the afterlife. Ian Christie's study of the film shows how its creators drew upon many sources and traditions to create a unique form of modern masque, treating contemporary issues with witty allegory and enormous visual imagination. He stresses the teamwork of Powell and Pressburger's gifted collaborators, among them Director of Photography Jack Cardiff, production designer Alfred Junge, and costume designer Hein Heckroth, and explores the history of both British and international responses to the film. Christie argues that the film deserves to be thought of as one of the greatest achievements of British cinema, but of all cinema.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. Beginnings 2. Production 3. Responses Epilogue: Afterlife Notes Credits

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Book SynopsisWith season 2 now released, don't miss out on getting the perfect gift for any Stranger Things fan in your life. Grab your Eggos and prepare to enter Hawkins, Indiana – just don't forget your fairy lightsIf you devoured Stranger Things and you're looking to fill the demogorgon-sized hole in your life, then look no further than Notes From the Upside Down. This fan handbook is here to tell you more about the origins of the show, including the mysterious Montauk Project conspiracy theory, get you clued up on the inspirations behind the characters, and assess the show's DNA. If you've ever wondered why Spielberg is such a huge influence, which Stephen King books you need to read (HINT: pretty much all of them) and how State Trooper David O’Bannon earned his name, then this book is for you. Guy Adams is a superfan and this is his amusing and informative guide to everything you're going to need to know to understand Stranger Things.

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Book SynopsisOffering a fresh perspective on The General, arguably one of the most successful American films of the silent era, this insightful text analyses its initial critical reception and the thematic and stylistic characteristics of the film that made it difficult for critics to appreciate at the time, but led to its celebration by later generations.

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Book SynopsisThe Star Wars galaxy is a dangerous place. Be prepared! Would you survive in the spice mines of Kessel?Could you escape from a giant space slug?From tackling extreme weather and finding shelter, to avoiding social pitfalls, learn what to do to stay alive in a galaxy far, far away. & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.Trade ReviewTongue-in-cheek and pleasingly crammed. * SFX *When something as fun and light-hearted as How Not to Get Eaten by Ewoks comes along, it's something to be treasured. * Starburst Magazine *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"If you already enjoy settling in at night with a glass of wine and your favorite rom-com, this book will evoke the same sensation of fun escapism. Who knows if Meslow did that on purpose or if it was just a happy accident. Either way, I’ll have what he’s having." — Joshua Axelrod, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "A sprightly homage to a popular, seemingly evergreen film genre." — Kirkus Reviews "Meslow tells lots of engaging making of stories (for example, how Pretty Woman was transformed from a fallen-woman tragedy into a Disney fairy tale), but it’s his overarching theme, that romantic comedies are much more than lovey-dovey fluff, that really holds our interest." — Booklist “Fans of the popular but often under-appreciated genre of romantic comedy will appreciate Meslow’s book, which offers insight on the development of landmark films and how some of Hollywood’s biggest names launched their careers.” — Library Journal "A lively history of the modern rom-com, Scott Meslow's book reveals the often surprising ways that films like Pretty Woman and Waiting to Exhale got made, and why they continue to matter." — Melissa Maerz, author of Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused “From Hollywood With Love gives rom-coms the analysis and respect they finally deserve, especially since part of the snobbery around them is rooted in misogyny.” — Rachel Bloom, comedian, actress, writer and author of I Want To Be Where The Normal People Are "A romantic comedy is bigger than two people working towards a climactic kiss. It's dozens of people—writers, producers, actors and their director—falling in love with an idea and coming together to walk it down the aisle into theaters. What Scott Meslow reveals here is that the making of each of these landmark rom coms is itself a tumultuous story of heartbreak, trust, and serendipity. The arguments and seemingly magical coincidences behind the scenes are as riveting as the hijinks onscreen." — Amy Nicholson, film critic and co-host of the Unspooled podcast “If you miss and love romantic comedies as much as I do, this book will scratch that itch!” — Judy Greer, actress and author of I Don't Know What You Know Me From

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Book SynopsisThe definitive guide to classic films from one of America's most trusted film critics Thanks to Netflix and cable television, classic films are more accessible than ever. Now co-branded with Turner Classic Movies, Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide covers films from Hollywood and around the world, from the silent era through 1965, and from The Maltese Falcon to Singin’ in the Rain and Godzilla, King of the Monsters! Thoroughly revised and updated, and featuring expanded indexes, a list of Maltin’s personal recommendations, and three hundred new entries—including many offbeat and obscure films—this new edition is a must-have companion for every movie lover.Trade Review“A must-have for movie buffs, but also… a standard reference for industry insiders.”—Clare Swanson, Publisher's Weekly"Indispensable."—Los Angeles Times "Head and shoulders above the rest."—The New York Times "Belongs next to every TV in every home."—USA Today "The single most important reference book in every American home."—Esquire

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Book SynopsisPresents a wide-ranging selection of Kehr's criticism from the Reader-most of which is reprinted here for the first time-including insightful discussions of film history and his controversial Top Ten lists.Trade Review"Dave Kehr is one of the most gifted film critics in America." -Roger Ebert "Dave Kehr belongs in the pantheon of film critics who have been associated in one way or another with the city of Chicago-in fact, he's one of the best writers on film the country as a whole has ever produced. This collection of his work for the Chicago Reader constitutes an important act of cultural recovery, which provides insights into a crucial period of transition in the film industry. Not only a critic but also a public intellectual, Kehr teaches us about film style, calls attention to pictures that have received too little attention, and makes us care more about an art form. When Movies Mattered is a great pleasure." -James O. Naremore, author of More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts"

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Book SynopsisJoin Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, and the Guardians of the Galaxy on a stunning journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe! DK is bringing its expertise in creating beautiful illustrated non-fiction to this modern pop culture phenomenon; Marvel Studios: The Visual Dictionary shows the world of the Avengers as it has never been seen before.Iron Man''s armour, S.H.I.E.L.D.''s helicarriers, the soaring towers of Asgard, Hawkeye''s bow, Thor''s hammer, mighty Thanos and the Infinity Stones, Star-Lord''s quad blasters - each subject is shown using beautiful movie stills and stunning prop photography, accompanied by engaging text explaining their key features and role in the Marvel saga. A unique and captivating showcase of the first ten years of Marvel Studios, this is the book that every Marvel movie fan has been waiting for! 2018 MARVELTrade ReviewDK is bringing its expertise in creating beautiful illustrated non-fiction to this modern pop culture phenomenon * Books Monthly *

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Book SynopsisExplore the Wars in Star Wars as never before!Enter a galaxy ravaged by conflict and discover the complete story of the epic struggles that define the Star Wars movies. This ambitious book presents major galactic conflicts from an in-world historical perspective: each battle is depicted with captivating imagery, explored with newly commissioned maps, and explained through detailed analysis of tactics, famous commanders, legendary warriors, key moments, and its impact on wider galactic history.This is the perfect book for any Star Wars fan, budding military historian, or would-be rebel hero! AND TM 2021 LUCASFILM LTD.

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Book SynopsisUncover the secrets of the Skywalkers: the family that shaped a galaxy far, far away...The Skywalker story has everything: passion, intrigue, heroism, and dark deeds.This revelatory biography explores every twist and turn of the Skywalker dynasty: the slow seduction to the dark side of Anakin; his doomed marriage to Padmé Amidala; the heroics of Luke and Leia; the fall and redemption of Han Solo and Princess Leia''s son, Ben; and the struggles of his dyad in the Force, Rey.Leaving no stone unturned in tracing the dynasty''s trials and tribulations, this definitive biography of Star Wars'' first family explores and explains the deeper, more personal story of the Skywalkers, their characters, motivations, and, against seemingly impossible odds, their ultimate triumph. AND TM 2021 LUCASFILM LTD.

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Book SynopsisKelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in the Seattle area and the author of Marvel Studios: Be More Spider-Man, Star Wars: Be More Obi-Wan, and Marvel Monsters. She contributes to the official websites for franchises like Star Wars, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics. She also writes for pop culture reporting sites including Nerdist and IGN. Kelly specializes in entertainment news and features and creating original DIY and craft projects for all ages.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR CRITICISM 2019From the MAN BOOKER PRIZE- and WOMEN''S PRIZE-SHORTLISTED author of Changing My Mind and Swing Time - discover a second unmissable collection of essays from Zadie Smith''Generous, courageous, and tough-minded... [A] classic English essayist in the vein of Orwell, Woolf and Angela Carter'' Financial Times''Engrossing, astute... Should you read this brilliant book? Absolutely'' Independent''Generous and curious'' Evening Standard''Brilliant, lively and frequently hilarious... She''s one of the brightest minds in English literature today'' NPRNo subject is too fringe or too mainstream for the unstoppable Zadie Smith. From social media to the environment, from Jay-Z to Karl Ove Knausgaard, she has boundless curiosity and the boundless wit to match. In Feel Free, pop culture, high culture, social change and political debate all get the Zadie Smith treatment, dissected with razor-sharp intellect, set brilliantly against the context of the utterly contemporary, and considered with a deep humanity and compassion. This electrifying new collection showcases its author as a true literary powerhouse, demonstrating once again her credentials as an essential voice of her generation.Trade ReviewA writer so insistent on the possibility of imaginative connection, so generous and curious with regard to her readers * Evening Standard *Refreshingly insightful on any number of topics, from Martin Buber to Justin Bieber...Reviewing a book by her countryman Geoff Dyer, [Smith] writes that she is most struck by 'his tone. Its simplicity, its classlessness, its accessibility and yet its erudition-the combination is a trick few British writers ever pull off.' Without question, Smith is one of them * TIME Magazine *Brims with a wide-ranging enthusiasm...[Smith's] open-mindedness gives the whole of Feel Free a lively, game-for-anything spirit...Enchanting * USA Today *Fascinating stuff! * Love It! *Charmingly digressive...Smith sets an unpretentious tone...As the pages pass, there's a palpable absence of self-certainty. In its place are ample reserves of curiosity and empathy * Minneapolis Star Tribune *The joy of this collection is Smith's straightforward phrasing, often summing up her thesis with a single thoughtful sentence. Her words are not overwritten; they do not distract from her purpose, nor are they a barrier to her argument; they are welcoming. I found myself re-reading the brightest of these sentences over and again, marveling at her humor and her brevity * Associated Press *The strongest essays showcase Smith's skills as an art, literary and cultural critic...One of the pleasures of reading Feel Free is in savoring Smith's joy when she writes about formative cultural experiences. As with any book of opinions, Feel Free makes claims one might dispute...But a collection of essays that doesn't prompt disagreements would be a dull book, and Feel Free is anything but dull * Houston Chronicle *Getting In and Out' is the kind of essay that sheds light on a whole career, and it would justify this collection even if Feel Free didn't include a handful of more perfectly crafted pieces of prose * Chicago Tribune *For years, [Smith] has been one of the most important literary journalists we have. This is why * Buffalo News *Smith writes [ . . . ] with such infectious zeal and engaging accessibility that it makes you want to turn up at her house and demand tutoring * Dazed and Confused *Publisher's Description: Dazzlingly insightful, explosively funny and ever-timely, essential writer Zadie Smith is back with a second unmissable collection of essays, following up her critically acclaimed collection, Changing My Mind * Penguin *It's good to know that, while my body rusts, I can keep my mind stretched and nimble by reading Zadie Smith * Observer *A preturnaturally gifted writer with a voice that's street-smart and learned, sassy and philosophical all at the same time * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisThe first critical study of Disney films.Trade Review"... a wealth of local insights into many specific Disney projects, from their animated classics up to and including their work produced and distributed under their various other corporate names ..." - American Quarterly "The Disney book with a difference! ...These tightly structured and passionately but thoughtfully argued points should provoke lively debate..." - Brave New WorldTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Walt's in the Movies—Elizabeth Bell, Lynda Haas, and Laura SellsSection I: Sanitizations/Disney Film as Cultural PedagogyBreaking the Disney Spell—Jack ZipesMemory and Pedagogy in the "Wonderful World of Disney": Beyond the Politics of Innocence—Henry A. GirouxPinocchio—Claudia CardDisney Does Dutch: Billy Bathgate and the Disneyficationof the Gangster Genre—Robert HaasThe Movie You See, The Movie Don't: How Disney Do's That Old Time Derision—Susan Miller and Greg RodeSection II: Contestations/Disney Film as Gender ConstructionSomatexts at the Disney Shop: Constructing the Pentimentos of Women's Animated Bodies—Elizabeth Bell"The Whole Wide World was Scribbed Clean": The Androcentric Animation of Denatured Disney—Patrick D. MurphyBambi—David PayneBeyond Captain Nemo: Disney's Science Fiction—Brian AtteberyThe Curse of Masculinity: Disney's Beauty and the Beast—Susan JeffordsSection III: Erasures/Disney Film as Identity Politics"Where Do The Mermaids Stand?"Voice and Body in The Little Mermaid—Laura Sells"Eighty-Six the Mother": Murder, Matricide, and Good Mothers—Lynda HaasSpinsters in Sensible Shoes: Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks—Chris CuomoPretty Woman Through the Triple Lens of Black Feminist Spectatorship—D.Soyini MadisonPachuco Mickey—Ramona FernancezContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisProvides a comprehensive introduction to and resource for cinema of the "Maghreb". This book examines the political and cultural context of the films and the film industry in the post-independence era. It includes a dictionary of more than 135 North African filmmakers and a chronological filmography.Trade ReviewArmes (Middlesex Univ., London) scrutinizes the formation and characteristics of filmmaking in the Maghreb (Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria), the area of North Africa once colonized by France. The book is the product of years of precise, systematic research, which the author deploys in an effective organization that is almost encyclopedic. Armes divides the contents into two parts: Histories, a chronological, decade—by—decade account of the development of film in all three countries; and Themes and Styles, with ten full—scale analyses of significant films from the region. As a factual history of postcolonial moviemaking in the Maghreb, this book will not soon be superseded, but it is also important for its theory. The author distinguishes among the film cultures of the three nations while allowing their basic similarities, and he also distinguishes the Maghreb movies from French cinema—once again, noting similarities. He concludes that nationalism and colonialism are not simply antagonistic opposites. North Africans become French in the cinema, but they are principally engaged in changing the meaning of the two terms. One of the finest recent studies of national cinemas, this book includes two valuable appendixes: Dictionary of Feature Filmmakers and a complete list of films (1965, 2002). Summing Up: Essential. Lower—division undergraduates and above.R. D. Sears, Berea College, 2005oct CHOICE"Roy Armes's new book Postcolonial Images: Studies in North African Cinema provides an extremely useful survey of films from Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco, as well as films made by filmmakers of the North African diaspora in the postcolonial or politically post—Independence period..." —H-Net, April 2005"Roy Armes's new book Postcolonial Images: Studies in North African Cinema provides an extremely useful survey of films from Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco, as well as films made by filmmakers of the North African diaspora in the postcolonial or politically post—Independence period...—H—net, April 2005" —"The book is the product of years of precise, systematic research, which the author deploys in an effective organization that is almost encyclopedic....One of the finest recent studies of national cinemas..." —Choice, October 2005"... Armes's well-researched book provides the reader with a major text on a neglected, important, and vibrant cinema." —Ali Abdullatif Ahmida, University of New England, INTNL JRNL MID EAST STD - IJMES, Vol. 40 2008Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsList of AcronymsIntroductionPart I. Histories1. Beginnings in the 1960s2. The 1970s3. The 1980s4. The 1990s5. Into the PresentPart II. Themes and Styles6. An Indigenous Film Culture: El Chergui (1975)7. History as Myth: Chronicle of the Years of Embers (1975)8. A Fragile Masculinity: Omar Gatlato (1976)9. Memory Is a Woman's Voice: La Nouba (1978)10. Imag(in)ing Europe: Miss Mona (1987)11. Defeat as Destiny: Golden Horseshoes (1989)12. Sexuality and Gendered Space: Halfaouine (1990)13. A Timeless World: Looking for My Wife's Husband (1993)14. A New Future Begins: Silences of the Palace (1994)15. A New Realism? Ali Zaoua (1999)ConclusionAppendix A. Dictionary of Feature Filmmakers Appendix B. List of FilmsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisA FRONT-ROW SEAT TO A YEAR'S WORTH OF MUST-SEE FILMSDirector, producer, screenwriter, author, actor, and film critic, Peter Bogdanovich knows movies. Now, in this unique new book, he shares his passion with a connoisseur's insight and delight by inviting the reader to join him for a year at the movies--fifty-two weeks, fifty-two films, fifty-two reasons to watch. Which films does Peter Bogdanovich call . . .'The most hauntingly chilling, strangely prophetic science-fiction picture ever made.'(You'll be treated to it on Halloween)'A scintillatingly directed comedy.'(Discover it with someone you love on Valentine's Day)'A bittersweet human comedy of vintage genius [that] only becomes more precious as the years pass.'(Ringing in the New Year with it is reason enough to celebrate)With recommendations specific to the seasons and holidays--from sparkling comedies, timeless musicals, landmark foreign films, powerful dramas and thrillers to l

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Book SynopsisThe definitive, lavishly illustrated reference guide to the universe of the first six films! This comprehensive boxed set of three hefty volumes covers every aspect of Star Wars, from the original six movies to The Clone Wars, radio dramas, comics, novels, cartoons, short stories, and video games. With a treasure trove of information on more than thirty years of Star Wars—and a millennia in the galaxy far, far away—this is the must-have centerpiece for every Star Wars library. Abundantly illustrated with full-color artwork and photos, and now in a new three-volume edition to accommodate its wealth of detailed entries, the Star Wars Encyclopedia encompasses the full measure of George Lucas’s creation. Here’s just a sampling of what’s inside: • character portraits of both the renowned (Luke Skywalker, Queen Amidala, Darth Vader) and the obscure (Tnun Bdu, Tycho Celchu, Bib Fortuna) • the natives and customs of planets as diverse as Tatooine and Hoth, Dagobah and Kashyyyk • the rituals, secrets, and traditions of Jedi Knights and Sith Lords • a timeline of major events in Star Wars history, from the Clone Wars and the inception of the Empire to the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker and the invasion of the monstrous Yuuzhan Vong Scrupulously researched and written by leading authorities Stephen J. Sansweet, Pablo Hidalgo, Bob Vitas, and Daniel Wallace, this landmark work is the must-have centerpiece of every Star Wars library.

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Book SynopsisRecognised as one of America's leading film historians and critics, Leonard Maltin has become a household name and media personality due to his regular appearances on the highly successful syndicated TV program Entertainment Tonight and the Encore cable-TV service, his syndicated radio program, Leonard Maltin's Video View, his monthly reviews in Playboy magazine, and the featuring of Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide on the World Wide Web, via the popular Amazon.com website. He lives in Toluca Lake, California.Trade Review“A must-have for movie buffs, but also… a standard reference for industry insiders.”—Clare Swanson, Publisher's Weekly"Indispensable."—Los Angeles Times "Head and shoulders above the rest."—The New York Times "Belongs next to every TV in every home."—USA Today "The single most important reference book in every American home."—Esquire

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Book SynopsisFeaturing a host of unpublished interviews, this is the first book to explore the greatest year in Hollywood's history - 1971

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Book SynopsisA guide to 52 prime examples of must-see cinema, The Essentials Vol. 2. -- based on the Turner Classic Movies series -- is packed with behind-the-scenes stories, insightful commentary, moments to watch for, and hundreds of photos spotlighting films that define the meaning of the word classic.Featured films:Sunrise (1927)Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)Freaks (1932)Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)Twentieth Century (1934)Top Hat (1935)Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)Dodsworth (1936)Awful Truth, The (1937)Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)Stagecoach (1939)Women, The (1939)Great Dictator, The (1940)Philadelphia Story, The (1940)Maltese Falcon, The (1941)Ball of Fire (1941)Sullivan''s Travels (1942)Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)Cat People (1942)Laura (1944)Mildred Pierce (1945)Brief Encounter (1945)Notorious (1946)Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (1947)Treasure of the Sier

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Book SynopsisFrom Turner Classic Movies, this fun and challenging game offers film lovers 400+ questions to test their movie knowledge! The perfect game to accompany your next  movie night. Set includes: 104 Card Trivia Deck: 104 full-color printed cards filled with trivia questions (4 per card) Broad Range of Questions: Questions encompass behind the scenes details as well as the stars and stories that have lit up the screen from the silent era through modern times; cards measure 3 x 5 inches Keepsake Box: Cards are house in a deluxe full-color printed keepsake box with magnetic closure Entertain like a Pro: This game works for solo play as well as groups of 2, 3, or more Perfect Gift: A movie lover's dream game Officially Licensed: Trivia from the film buff's network Turner Classic Movies

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Book SynopsisFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 52 cinema classics and the literary works that served as their inspiration. I love that movie!But have you read the book?Within these pages, Turner Classic Movies offers an endlessly fascinating look at 52 beloved screen adaptations and the great reads that inspired them. Some films, like Clueless-Amy Heckerling''s interpretation of Jane Austen''s Emma-diverge wildly from the original source material, while others, like One Flew Over the Cuckoo''s Nest, shift the point of view to craft a different experience within the same story. Author Kristen Lopez explores just what makes these works classics of both the page and screen, and why each made for an exceptional adaptation-whether faithful to the book or exemplifying cinematic creative license. Other featured works include:Children of Men The Color Purple

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Book SynopsisIn 2018, the critical and financial success of Crazy Rich Asians ignited new fires in Hollywood to create and back Asian-centric stories. Since then, the number of movies featuring Asian Americans, either in front or behind the camera, has boomed and ushered in a new era of filmmaking. But many films, like The Joy Luck Club in 1993, paved the way for Asian American-led films before Crazy Rich Asians and to today. The Golden Screen is an in-depth look at those films, and the factors that played into their success.The Golden Screen includes commentary and conversations from Hollywood''s most visible faces, such as Simu Liu, Lulu Wang, Daniel Dae Kim, Janet Yang, Ronny Chieng, Alice Wu, and Ken Jeong. See the movies that inspired today''s modern stars to enter moviemaking, and how they''re paying it forward to the next wave of creators.Featuring beautiful, original artwork from nine esteemed Asian illustrators, including: Toma Nguyen,

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Book SynopsisTurner Classic Movies presents a collection of monster greats, modern and classic horror, and family-friendly cinematic treats that capture the spirit of Halloween, complete with reviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and iconic images. Fright Favorites spotlights 31 essential Halloween-time films, their associated sequels and remakes, and recommendations to expand your seasonal repertoire based on your favorites. Featured titles include Nosferatu (1922), Dracula (1931), Cat People (1942), Them (1953), House on Haunted Hill (1959), Black Sunday (1960), Rosemary''s Baby (1968), Young Frankenstein (1976), Beetlejuice (1988), Get Out (2017), and many more.

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Book SynopsisFor well over a century, those who create motion pictures have touched our hearts and souls; they have transported and transformed our minds, intoxicated and entranced our senses. One artist''s vision is the single most prominent force behind the scenes: the director. The Essential Directors illuminates the unseen forces behind some of the most notable screen triumphs from the aesthetic peak of silent cinema through the New Hollywood of the 1970s. Considering each artist''s influence on the medium, cultural impact, and degree of achievement, Turner Classic Movies presents a compendium of Hollywood''s most influential filmmakers, with profiles offering history and insight on the filmmaker''s narrative style, unique touches, contributions to the medium, key films, and distinctive movie moments to watch for. The work of these game-changing artists is illustrated throughout by more than 200 full-color and black-and-white photographs.In The Essential Directors you''ll read how Cecil B. DeMille revamped religion to define an era, and how Oscar Micheaux broke barriers to become the most influential Black filmmaker of the 1920s. You''ll marvel at the efficient artistry of One-Take Woody Van Dyke and fall in love again with the sophisticated studio-era classicsof George Cukor. You''ll gain insight into how women like Dorothy Arzner and Ida Lupino built thriving careers in an industry ruled by men and discover what drove Mike Nichols to mix comedy with tragedy, becoming the highest-paid director of his day in the the process. The Essential Directors presents the work of these game-changing artists and dozens more in this stunning volume.

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Book SynopsisThis revised and expanded edition of Eddie Muller's Dark City is a film noir lover's bible, taking readers on a tour of the urban landscape of the grim and gritty genre in a definitive, highly illustrated volume. Named by The Hollywood Reporter one of the '100 Greatest Film Books of All Time!'Dark City expands with new chapters and a fresh collection of restored photos that illustrate the mythic landscape of the imagination. It's a place where the men and women who created film noir often find themselves dangling from the same sinister heights as the silver-screen avatars to whom they gave life. Eddie Muller, host of Turner Classic Movies' Noir Alley, takes readers on a spellbinding trip through treacherous terrain: Hollywood in the post-World War II years, where art, politics, scandal, style -- and brilliant craftsmanship -- produced a new approach to moviemaking, and a new type of cultural mythology.

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Book SynopsisIn this photo-filled viewing guide, Turner Classic Movies presents a festival of sunshine classics -- movies that capture the spirit of the most carefree season of the year through epic beach parties, road trips, baseball diamonds, summer camp, or some intangible mood that brought the heat.Packed with reviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and a trove of images, Turner Classic Movies Summer Movies takes an in-depth look at thirty films from the silent era to the present that reflect the full range of how summer has been depicted on screen, both by Hollywood and by international filmmakers. Featured titles:Lonesome (1928)You''re Only Young Once (1937)Moon Over Miami (1941)State Fair (1945)Key Largo (1948)Summer Stock (1950)Mr. Hulot''s Holiday (1953)Rear Window (1954)Summertime (1955)The Seven Year Itch (1955)Picnic (1955)Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)Gidget (1959)The Parent Trap (1961)The M

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Book SynopsisHosts and best friends Brandon Gray, Daniel Panda Pandolph, and Dan Thompson share reviews that make you feel like you''re watching these holiday favorites with your best buds, discussing warm Christmas feelings and absolutely bonkers plot twists with equal enthusiasm. And thanks to original interviews with the movies'' stars and creators, fans will find out insider information on the making of the movies and learn answers to pressing questions: Why do the lead characters keep coming down with amnesia? Why do so many female stock brokers and lawyers find themselves forced to plan parties? And do all of the stories take place within something called the Kennyverse?To complete the perfect Christmas package, the book is also chock-full of ideas for hosting your own holiday movie-watching party, complete with delicious recipes. Featuring dozens of full-color photos throughout, I''ll Be Home for Christmas Movies is as cozy and sparkly as the movies themselves.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewQuite frankly this is a guide book that fans of the sub-genre really need just for the sake of finding films out there that they may not have seen before. That someone out there has managed to not only see all of these but catalogue them in this amount of detail is a film-buffs dream come true. Anything even remotely end of the world related gets a look in. And not just high budget, or 80s Mad Max rip offs, but all of the low brow titles you are likely to have never heard of down through the past few decades get covered (yes Albert Pyun fans he even gets his own index). Its amazing that even in the pages that have A-Z lists that they still find space for colour photos to keep you leafing through, staving off any boredom the eye might find. This is a real film nerds collectors item written by one, for the many. This is time well spent on a great book! Steven Hurst, Filmwerk.co.uk June 2015

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Book SynopsisPeople celebrate the magical holiday of Halloween in a wide variety of ways, but most will, at some point, turn off the lights and allow a movie to take the excitement to the next level. Pumpkin Cinema recommends over 100 titles that are guaranteed to make your Halloween fun and frightening! Halloween only comes once a year, so you can''t afford to waste precious thrill time on a lousy movie! However, a great horror movie doesn''t necessarily translate into a great Halloween flick, and Pumpkin Cinema uses a simple set of guidelines to help you avoid the boo! blues: the films included here are fast paced, have essences of autumn (if they aren''t set on Halloween itself!), and have a trim run time (under two hours). Avoiding the mean-spirited and cruel movies more typical of horror offerings, Pumpkin Cinema also includes Halloween treats from multiple genres, in addition to horror: comedy, animation, science fiction, silent era, and foreign films, all ranging in popularity from blockbusters to the obscure. The films included are, above all, fun to watch and share with others! In addition to descriptive film reviews, you''ll also find plenty of quirky trivia, various Top 5 lists, and a special chapter devoted to the greatest Halloween television episodes of all time.Trade ReviewA Youtube trailer will whet your appetite for Pumpkin Cinema - link below!

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Book SynopsisTrade Revieweach fan should still come away rating the book highly and recommending that solid action fans get hold of it. It will not only educate you on a lot of films you may have yet to see, but take you down that sweet paradise called memory lane with people a team of writers and interviewees who themselves have lived and loved it. David J Moore, Filmwerk.co.uk

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Book SynopsisIt isn't every film that features man-eating zombie sushi. But for those searching for just that and more strange things in their viewing queue, this film guide is for you. Organized by genre, including comedy, horror, action, drama, fantasy, and sci-fi, this title offers 300 reviews of genre films from all over the world, 160+ photos, and exclusive interviews and quotes from the people behind some of the most offbeat films ever made. Alongside this curated list of viewing recommendations, longtime fans and new comers to strange cinema gain bits of fun and informative trivia. For example, David Caruso's film debut was Without Warning (1980), a carefree trip into the woods thwarted by killer flying alien discs. Lurking in these so-bad-they're-good-films, you'll find other familiar actors like David Carradine, James Brolin, , Martin Landau, and Ryan Gosling in films like Death Race 2,000 (1975), The Car (1977), The Being (1983), and Lost River

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Book SynopsisThe perfect small-format, one-stop resource to appreciating and understanding films from Hollywood to Bollywood. Following the success of Isms: Understanding Art and Isms: Understanding Architectural Styles, this guide sorts the great classic films and directors according to the significant movements that have shaped the development of cinema. Beginning with the early silent era, it spans the entire range of movie history up to the present wave of indie films and the growing fascination with international cinema. Each spread is devoted to a distinct movement and explains when it first emerged, the principal directors, themes, and representative films, and is illustrated with film stills, posters, and photos. Important international cinematic breakthroughs are also highlighted, as well as the careers of international auteurs like Kurosawa, Fellini, and Almodóvar. From prewar Expressionism to twenty-first-century Dystopianism, Film Isms… offers an engaging, new way of understaTrade Review“For your favorite film buff: a handy little resource guide about movie history.” ~LAmag

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Book SynopsisThis book offers an eclectic look at how rock ‘n’ roll and its fans have been represented in B-movies, blockbusters, biopics, documentaries, and experimental films. David Sterritt explores how rock ‘n’ roll movies kept pace with rapidly changing musical trends, helping to fuel a worldwide revolution in youth culture. Trade Review"The rock ‘n’ roll movie made its inauspicious debut in 1955 when a second-rate rockabilly record by Bill Haley and the Comets played ironically over the opening credits of the earnest melodrama, Blackboard Jungle. But as David Sterritt thoroughly and engagingly shows us, the movie industry soon produced a kaleidoscopic array of variations on the theme. Rock ‘n’ roll has dominated flashy fan pics, thoughtful documentaries, avant-garde obscurities, and bizarre animated films, but also monuments from auteurs like Martin Scorsese. They’re all here in this highly readable little book." -- Krin Gabbard * author of Jammin’ at the Margins: Jazz and the American Cinema *"Brandishing expert chops in the rhythms of rock and the grammar of cinema, film critic David Sterritt is uniquely qualified to illuminate the beautiful music made by the merging of two great American art forms. Never less than fascinating, Rock ‘n’ Roll Movies offers an all-access backstage pass to the production backbeats and cultural meanings of a gleaming motion picture jukebox stacked with pop musicals, band biopics, star vehicles, concert films, rock docs, and mock-rock docs." -- Thomas Doherty * Brandeis University *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 1 The Fabulous 1950s 6 2 The Swinging 1960s 23 3 The Slippery 1970s 73 4 From the 1980s to Now 113 Epilogue: The Hits Just Keep on Coming 118 Further Reading 121 Works Cited 123 Index 131

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Book SynopsisThis book offers an eclectic look at how rock ‘n’ roll and its fans have been represented in B-movies, blockbusters, biopics, documentaries, and experimental films. David Sterritt explores how rock ‘n’ roll movies kept pace with rapidly changing musical trends, helping to fuel a worldwide revolution in youth culture. Trade Review"The rock ‘n’ roll movie made its inauspicious debut in 1955 when a second-rate rockabilly record by Bill Haley and the Comets played ironically over the opening credits of the earnest melodrama, Blackboard Jungle. But as David Sterritt thoroughly and engagingly shows us, the movie industry soon produced a kaleidoscopic array of variations on the theme. Rock ‘n’ roll has dominated flashy fan pics, thoughtful documentaries, avant-garde obscurities, and bizarre animated films, but also monuments from auteurs like Martin Scorsese. They’re all here in this highly readable little book." -- Krin Gabbard * author of Jammin’ at the Margins: Jazz and the American Cinema *"Brandishing expert chops in the rhythms of rock and the grammar of cinema, film critic David Sterritt is uniquely qualified to illuminate the beautiful music made by the merging of two great American art forms. Never less than fascinating, Rock ‘n’ Roll Movies offers an all-access backstage pass to the production backbeats and cultural meanings of a gleaming motion picture jukebox stacked with pop musicals, band biopics, star vehicles, concert films, rock docs, and mock-rock docs." -- Thomas Doherty * Brandeis University *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 1 The Fabulous 1950s 6 2 The Swinging 1960s 23 3 The Slippery 1970s 73 4 From the 1980s to Now 113 Epilogue: The Hits Just Keep on Coming 118 Further Reading 121 Works Cited 123 Index 131

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Book SynopsisWith more than 250 images, new information on international cinema, an expanded section on African-American filmmakers, updated discussions of new works by major American directors, and a new section on the rise of comic book movies and computer generated special effects, this is the most up to date resource for film history courses in the twenty-first century.Trade Review"This is the film history book we've been waiting for." -- David Sterritt * chairman, National Society of Film Critics *"A Short History of Film is a comprehensive and detailed overview of the last 100 years of international film history. It will prove to be a useful reference tool for all students of film, both in and out of the classroom." -- Paula J. Massood * Brooklyn College, CUNY *"A new history of international film at an affordable price. Nothing like those text book prices for a change. Includes perspectives on women and minorities in film along with innovations in technology, genres, studios, and conglomerates." -- Stephanie Ogle * Cinema Books *"This excellent introduction stands out in a crowded field with its lively, accessible writing, broad coverage, and particular focus on traditionally marginalized figures in film history...the most striking aspect of the book is the coverage of women, African Americans, and Third World filmmakers, which strongly complements its solid coverage of American and European film. Illustrations abound, and even the best-versed cineaste will find new films to track down after reading the breezy, enthusiastic analysis in this book. Highly recommended for all collections, this text would also make an excellent textbook for introductory film-studies courses." * Library Journal starred review *"With the goal of offering 'a fast paced tour' of movie history, Dixon and Foster have produced a study in the tradition of Paul Rotha's The Film till Now. The authors touch all the bases--they address new trends in international moviemaking, technologies, and critical theory and the emergence of new national and ethnic cinemas--and relate film history to social history. Each new technique, style, school, trend, and newly visible ethnic or feminist group takes its place in the larger history, and Dixon and Foster make it all accessible to the neophyte reader without ever breaking the pace. Uncommonly well-reproduced stills and a topically organized bibliography enhance the discussion. Highly recommended." * Choice *"Significant University Press Titles for Undergraduates, 2012-2013" * Choice *"One of the more important features is the focus on women directors who may not be well known to the general public; this makes the book timely and a welcome change from older film textbooks that are more implicitly biased. A good read for those who are just starting to learn more about the silver screen." * Choice *"A comprehensive and detailed overview of the last 100 years of international film history—what to watch while 'sheltering-in-place!'" * LitHub *Table of ContentsCONTENTS Acknowledgments Timeline 1832–2012 1 The Invention of the Movies 2 The Birth of an American Industry 3 World Cinema: The Silent Era 4 The Hollywood Studio System in the 1930s and 1940s 5 International Cinema through World War II 6 Postwar Challenges to the Movies 7 World Cinema in the 1950s 8 The 1960s Explosion 9 World Cinema 1970 to the Present 10 The New Hollywood Glossary of Film Terms Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisExplores the intersection between movies, reality, and fantasy; between subjective and objective representation. The book shows that surreal fantasies ground their images, sounds, and narratives in quotidian reality. On the other hand, even the most realistic documentaries rely on creative structures that are products of the human imagination.Trade Review"Plantinga gives us a unique, bold and incisive account of how movies blend reality and fantasy, conjoining soaring realms of the imagination with the empirical frames of everyday reality." — Stephen Prince, author of Digital Visual Effects and Digital Cinema “In both content and approach, Alternative Realities is revelatory in its exploration of the cinematic imagination and the ambiguities of realism and verisimilitude. It articulates cinema’s role in calling truths about our society to attention through the creation of realistic and fantastical worlds in screen stories that span documentary to science fiction.”— Jane Stadler, the University of QueenslandTable of ContentsContents Introduction 1 Realism and the Imagination 2 Fantasy and Reality 3 Subjective Realities 4 Ruptured Realities 5 Documentary: Art of the Real? Acknowledgements Further Reading Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisExplores the intersection between movies, reality, and fantasy; between subjective and objective representation. The book shows that surreal fantasies ground their images, sounds, and narratives in quotidian reality. On the other hand, even the most realistic documentaries rely on creative structures that are products of the human imagination.Trade Review"Plantinga gives us a unique, bold and incisive account of how movies blend reality and fantasy, conjoining soaring realms of the imagination with the empirical frames of everyday reality." — Stephen Prince, author of Digital Visual Effects and Digital Cinema “In both content and approach, Alternative Realities is revelatory in its exploration of the cinematic imagination and the ambiguities of realism and verisimilitude. It articulates cinema’s role in calling truths about our society to attention through the creation of realistic and fantastical worlds in screen stories that span documentary to science fiction.”— Jane Stadler, the University of QueenslandTable of ContentsContents Introduction 1 Realism and the Imagination 2 Fantasy and Reality 3 Subjective Realities 4 Ruptured Realities 5 Documentary: Art of the Real? Acknowledgements Further Reading Works Cited Index

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