Description
Book Synopsis Strippers, zombies, fugitives and jewel thieves. These were just some of the characters who inhabited the weird, wild films of director Stephen C. Apostolof in the 1960s and 1970s. But Apostolof''s own life was every bit as improbable as the plots of his lurid movies. Escaping the clutches of the communists in his native Bulgaria, he came to America in 1952 and decided on a whim to reinvent himself as a Hollywood filmmaker, right down to the cigars, sunglasses and Cadillacs.
He produced a string of memorable sexploitation classics, including the infamous Orgy of the Dead. Along the way, he married three times, fathered five children and forged a personal and professional relationship with the notorious Ed Wood, Jr. Drawing on rare archival material and interviews with those who knew him best, this first biography of Apostolof chronicles the life and career of a cult film legend.
Trade ReviewI enjoyed the hell out of this book. It's just great! Delightfully informative, ripely hilarious—and sleazy! I gobbled up everything on
Orgy of the Dead, one of cinema's truly strange masterpieces!" —;Filmmaker Guy Maddin
"If you've never heard of Stephen Apostolof (aka A.C. Stephen) buckle in for one hell of a ride that takes readers from Bulgaria to Hollywood where Apostolof made some of the wildest films you've (probably) never seen. Blevins and Todorov have given proper scholarly attention to a pillar of the sexploitation genre!" —Mike White,
The Projection Booth"An unashamed peek behind the faded, and often stained, velvet curtain that separates the shiny gloss of mainstream Hollywood and the smokey backrooms of exploitation cinema." —Filmmaker Fred Olen Ray
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Prologue: On the Trail of Stephen C. ApostolofPart One. Journey to Freedom (1928–1962) 1. The Burgas Years (1928–1948) 2. Passage to Istanbul (1948) 3. A Stranger in Paris (1948–1950) 4. Onward to Canada! (1950–1952) Part Two. Adventures in La La Land (1952–1978) 5. The Man About Town (1952–1957) 6. The Propagandist (1957) 7. The Family Man (1958–1965) 8. The Director of the Dead (1965–1966)Orgy of the Dead (1965) 9. The Prince of Confidential (1966–1968) Suburbia Confidential (1966) Motel Confidential (1967) Bachelor's Dream (1967) College Girls (1968) Office Love-In, White Collar Style (1968) 10. The Executive Filmmaker (1969–1972) Lady Godiva Rides (1969) The Divorcee (1969) 11. The Master of Mayhem (1972–1978)The Snow Bunnies (1972) Drop-Out Wife (1972) The Class Reunion (1972) The Cocktail Hostesses (1973) Fugitive Girls (1974) The Beach Bunnies (1976) Hot Ice (1978) Part Three. The Last Mile to El Diablo (1979–2005)12. In Exile (1979–1986)13. The Resurrection (1987–1997) 14. State of Fear (1998–2005) The Dying of the Light The End of the End Appendix: The Immoral Artist (unused story outline) TimelineFilmographyChapter NotesBibliographyIndex
