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There is no cinema with such effect as that of the hallucinatory Italian horror film. From Riccardo Freda's I Vampiri in 1956 to Il Cartaio in 2004, this work recounts the origins of the genre, celebrates at length ten of its auteurs, and discusses the noteworthy films of many others associated with the genre. The directors discussed in detail are Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Mario Bava, Ruggero Deodato, Lucio Fulci, Umberto Lenzi, Antonio Margheriti, Aristide Massaccesi, Bruno Mattei, and Michele Soavi. Each chapter includes a biography, a detailed career account, discussion of influences both literary and cinematic, commentary on the films, with plots and production details, and an exhaustive filmography. A second section contains short discussions and selected filmographies of other important horror directors. The work concludes with a chapter on the future of Italian horror and an appendix of important horror films by directors other than the 50 profiled. Stills, posters, and behind-the-scenes shots illustrate the book.
"Epic" films, those concerned with monumental events and larger-than-life characters, cover the period from the Creation to the A.D. 1200s and have been churned out by Hollywood and overseas studios since the dawn of filmmaking. Cecil B. DeMille, a master of the genre, hit upon the perfect mixture of sex, splendor, and the sacred to lure audiences to his epic productions. The 355 film entries include casts and credits, plot synopsis, and narratives on the making of the films. There are 190 photographs in this editon.
For many people, the cinematic vigilante has been shaped by Charles Bronson's character in Death Wish and its sequels. But screen vigilantes have taken many guises, from Old West lynch mobs and rogue police officers to rape-avengers and military-trained equalizers. This book recounts the varied representations of such characters in films like The Birth of a Nation, which celebrated the violence of the Ku Klux Klan, and Taxi Driver, Falling Down and You Were Never Really Here, in which the vigilante impulse was symptomatic of mental instability. Also considered is the extent to which fictional vigilantism functions as social commentary and to what degree it is simply stoking popular fears.
The birth and rise of popular Italian cinema since the early 1950s can be attributed purely to necessity. The vast number of genres, sub-genres, currents and crossovers and the way they have overlapped, died out or replaced each other has been an attempt, in postwar years, to contain the invasion of U.S. product while satisfying the demands the American industry had created in Italy. The author explores one of the most multi-faceted and contradictory industries cinema has ever known through the careers of those most closely associated with it. His recorded interviews were conducted with directors and actors both well-known and upcoming.
In the twentieth century in Italy, there was a man who during his lifetime (1903-1994) became a legend for those who did not know him, and a great spiritual Teacher for those who were lucky enough to meet him. His name was Gustavo Rol, and he was an upper class gentleman who dressed elegantly, possessed an encyclopedic body of knowledge, the soul of an artist and the spirit of a mystic. As a young man, like Prince Siddhartha, he obtained enlightenment, even though he never declared as much openly. One of the consequences was that he began to manifest an impressive range of "possibilities" that are generally referred to as "paranormal" clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition, bilocation, levitation, telekinesis and many more. This anthology collects all of the anecdotes recounted over more than 60 years from numerous witnesses, including famous personalities from the Italian and international cultural scene. According to Rol, in the future science will be capable of explaining these phenomena...
The Character-based film series, each complete on its own but sharing a common cast of main characters with continuing traits and a similar fituation format and stars include Abbott & Costello, Alan Ladd, Batman, Calamity Jane, Elvis Presley, Harry Callahan, Harry Palmer, Hercules, Indiana Jones, James Bond, John Wayne, Laurel & Hardy, Martin & Lewis, Matt Helm, Nick Carter, Red Ryder, The Saint, Sinbad the Sailor, Spider-Man, Star Trek, Texas Rangers, The Thin Man, The Three Stooges and Tony Rome, plus so many more character-based series. The third book in the series of 3. See the other Books in the series.
Zombies are cautionary forms of humankind's most universally cherished ideal--life after death. Ragged, ill-spoken, rotting zombies (or the post-dead) seem socially awkward beside the more popular and aristocratic undead, like Count Dracula. The humble zombie remains, for the most part, unappreciated and unacknowledged--until now. The first exhaustive historical overview of zombie films, this book's lengthy entries evaluate more than 200 movies from 16 countries over a 65-year period from the early 1930s to the late 1990s. It covers everything from large studio films to backyard videography, and touches on memorable television episodes and miscellaneous shorts. An introduction traces the evolution of the genre and interprets the broader significance of the zombie in contemporary Western mythology.
In 1970s Italy, after the decline of the Spaghetti Western, crime films became the most popular, profitable and controversial genre. In a country plagued with violence, political tensions and armed struggle, these films managed to capture the anxiety and anger of the times in their tales of tough cops, ruthless criminals and urban paranoia. Recent years have seen renewed critical interest in the genre, thanks in part to such illustrious fans as Quentin Tarantino. This book examines all of the 220+ crime films produced in Italy between 1968 and 1980, the period when the genre first appeared and grew to its peak. Entries include a complete cast and crew list, home video releases, a plot summary and the author's own analysis. Excerpts from a variety of sources are included: academic texts, contemporary reviews, and interviews with filmmakers, scriptwriters and actors. There are many onset stills and film posters.
The 1980s had more than its share of both emerging stars and final tributes paid to luminaries, as well as smash hits and bombs, memorable and boring performances, and new trends and tried-and-true formula offerings. The Film of the Eighties includes numerous examples of all of these. Each entry has the year of release, production company, country of origin (U.S., U.K., Australian, Canadian), leading performers and the characters they portrayed, and comprehensive credits. A brief description, review, and evaluation of the film's cinematic values (if any) are also provided.