Looks like another fascinating month at McFarland, publisher of exquisite film and TV reference books. I see on the slate an interesting effort on Hitchcock (focusing on his less-famous or celebrated works...), and a text I'm certain the readers here would really enjoy...a book that gazes at the Hellraiser films and their legacy (which arrives with a foreword by Pinhead, Doug Bradley, himself!).
If you have a film "reader" on your Christmas list, consider these McFarland titles:
In this book the author examines how women detectives are portrayed in film, in literature and on TV. Chapters examine the portrayal of female investigators in each of these four genres:the Gothic novel, the lesbian detective novel, television, and film.
Best-selling horror novelist Clive Barker had a rocky start with the first attempts to convert his stories into a visual medium. Directors and screenwriters turned the film adaptations of Underworld and Rawhead Rex into something barely recognizable—and box office failures as well. Consequently, when he approached film companies about Hellraiser, Barker insisted that he be involved in every step, including the direction. The resulting 1987 film has become an undisputed horror classic, spawning a movie franchise that to date includes eight films.This volume explores not only the cinematic interpretations of the Hellraiser mythos but also its intrusion into other artistic and cultural forms. Beginning with the unconventional sources of Clive Barker’s inspiration, the book follows Barker from his pre–Hellraiser cinematic experience through the filming of the horror classic. It examines various themes (such as the undermining of the traditional family unit and the malleability of the flesh) found throughout the film series and the ways in which the representation of these themes changes from film to film. The religious aspects of the films are also discussed. Characters central to the franchise—and the mythos—are examined in detail. Included is a foreword by actor Doug Bradley, who portrayed the infamous Pinhead.
Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz —all were unforgettable characters who played an integral part in some of Hollywood’s most memorable productions. For over three decades, from the 1930s to the 1950s, character actresses who brought such roles to life were one of Hollywood’s great but little acknowledged assets. Often lured from Broadway yet billed fifth or sixth (if at all), these talented ladies received little acclaim for their roles in film industry productions. Still, what they lacked in promotion and perhaps adulation they made up for in longevity. While a screen star’s career was generally limited by age and physical appearance, character actresses often worked well into their seventies, eighties or even nineties. Signed to contracts by major studios just like the stars they supported on screen, character actresses made hundreds of films over their careers.From the early days of sound film through the end of the studio era, this volume documents in detail the lives and careers of two score of Hollywood’s most talented character actresses. It presents information regarding birth, death, film credits and prizes and analyzes each player’s unique talents, signature roles and overall career development. Forty individual profiles are provided from a representative range of backgrounds, character types and career experiences. These include actresses such as Marjorie Main, Agnes Moorehead, Thelma Ritter, Fay Bainter, Beulah Bondi, Lucile Watson, Sara Allgood, Lee Patrick and Jessie Ralph, among others. A fascinating tour through Hollywood’s big studio era and the lives of its characters.
In 1891, William Dickson, a researcher at Thomas Edison’s firm, developed the Kinetograph, a motion picture camera that used Eastman Kodak’s new celluloid film. Almost immediately, an industry was born. The new artistic and technical discipline of motion picture photography matured as the film industry grew. From the beginnings of the movie camera, developments in film production and exhibition have been inextricably linked to the evolution of motion picture photography.This work traces the history of motion picture photography from the late 19th century through the year 1960, when color photography became the accepted standard. Generously illustrated, it covers each decade’s cameras, lenses, cameramen, film processing methods, formats, studios, lighting techniques and major cinematographic developments. Each chapter concludes with examples of the decade’s outstanding cinematography.
Alfred Hitchcock made many great films, but he also made many that critics and audiences largely dismissed. These least celebrated films, despite their admitted flaws and relative obscurity, offer much to reward the open-minded viewer.This critical study examines and reappraises fifteen such films generally overlooked by scholars and Hitchcock aficionados: Juno and the Paycock, The Skin Game, Waltzes from Vienna, Jamaica Inn, The Paradine Case, Under Capricorn, I Confess, Torn Curtain, Number Seventeen, Rich and Strange, Secret Agent, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Stage Fright, The Wrong Man, and Topaz. Each film is discussed and analyzed in detail, revealing the master’s touch in many previously unheralded ways. Brief assessments of the films from popular review compendia introduce each one, and excerpted highlights of numerous works of scholarship are liberally sprinkled throughout the text. In addition, wonderful rare still photographs from each film are included. Readers will come away with a richer sense of the director’s talents in these films, adding to their appreciation of his work in unexpected ways.
“He always is very, very close to the camera, and he is terribly inspiring. I don’t know what his magic is, but it is something that makes you want to give everything you have. He has respect for actors and for everybody. A bad director very often doesn’t have that respect.” Liv Ullman’s words about Ingmar Bergman hint at the consummate director he was, one who knew the business, the strengths and weaknesses of actors and crews, the arrangement of the set, the framing of the camera, and all other particulars of the fine art of directing. This work presents Bergman’s life and work, beginning with his youth in Uppsala, Sweden, and covering his formative years, his development as an artist, and his career as a world-renowned director. A brief synopsis for each of Bergman’s films is provided, with such information as producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, art director, music sound credits, running time, casts, Bergman’s own comments, and the reactions of critics.
No comments:
Post a Comment