This book examines Brainstorm (1983), considering multiple drafts of the screenplay by three different screenwriters, the production history including the death of star Natalie Wood, the career of director and special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull, and the film's influence on future storytellers like James Cameron.
“The next time I teach Eliot to undergrads I will assign this swift, witty, enjoyable invitation to T. S. Eliot’s work and thought. Maddrey knows everything about Eliot, but he grinds no axe which frees professors and students to grind their own. Scrupulously footnoted for professional use, not short but concise, it is stuffed with unfamiliar and apt quotations. Maddrey quotes a 1949 interview about The Cocktail Party, in which Eliot said, ‘If there is nothing more in the play than what I was aware of meaning, then it must be a pretty thin piece of work.’ There’s the New Criticism in 25 words, 21 of them monosyllables. Eliot asks us to quit asking what he thought and to do some thinking ourselves. This book will help.” —George J. Leonard, author of Into the Light of Things and The End of Innocence. Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities, San Francisco State University Though he was born in St. Louis, Missouri and attended Harvard University, at the age of 26, Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888–1965) emigrated to England, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. Influenced equally by his formative years in the New World and his experiences in London during and after World War I, Eliot strove to reconcile a variety of conflicting ideas while trapped in an unhappy marriage—a struggle that gave rise to some of the greatest poems of the 20th century. In Simply Eliot, Joseph Maddrey plumbs the emotional and intellectual life of the man whom critic Edmund Wilson called "one of our only authentic poets.” Taking The Waste Land (written in the aftermath of World War I) and Four Quartets (published 1936–1942) as reference points, Maddrey chronicles Eliot's attempts to create a coherent worldview, and explores how his religious conversion in 1927 led to a spiritual rebirth that allowed him to produce his ultimate poetic statement. Making use of previously unavailable materials, including over 5,000 personal letters, Maddrey offers an intimate and incisive portrait of Eliot, and illustrates his continued relevance as both a Romantic and Classical poet, as well as a religious and spiritual thinker.
What's weighing on Americans? Look to horror movies for your answer--they're one of the best measures of the American consciousness. From an early fascination with the Gothic, to the mutant horrors of the Atomic Age and alien enemies of the Cold War, to the inner demons of the psyche and the American Dream turned nightmare, the history of American horror films is a reflection of changing American cultural attitudes and values--and the fears that accompany them. This survey of the pivotal horror films produced in America examines the history of the genre as a reflection of cultural changes in the United States. It begins with an exploration of the origins of the genre, and follows its development until the present, using various films to document the evolution of Hollywood horror flicks and illustrate their cultural significance. The second part focuses on eight pivotal directors whose personal visions helped shape the genre--from early pioneers like Tod Browning and Alfred Hitchcock, to modern masters like John Carpenter and Wes Craven. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
Stephen King's fiction has formed the basis of more motion picture adaptations than any other living author. Over half a century since his earliest publications, Hollywood filmmakers continue to reinvent, reimagine, remake, and reboot King's stories, with mixed results. This book, volume 1 in a series, examines the various screen adaptations of King's first three novels: Carrie, Salem's Lot, and The Shining. Reaching further than questions of fidelity to the author and adherence to directorial visions, it charts the development of each individual adaptation from first option to final cut. Through old and new interviews with the writers, producers, and directors of these films--as well as in-depth analyses of produced and unproduced screenplays--it illuminates the adaptation process as an intricately collaborative endeavor. Rather than merely synopsize the resulting stories, its goal is to compare, contrast, and contextualize each of these adaptations as the products of their creators.
Stephen King, Wes Craven and George Romero are known for tales of ghosts, zombies and madmen - but their power as storytellers extends far beyond things that go bump in the night. At the deepest level, their stories are about the light that emerges from darkness, guarded hope for the future, and faith in the great unknown. Beyond Fear draws on decades of interviews to reveal the worldviews of three modern masters of horror - from the romantic idealism of George Romero to the intellectual spirituality of Wes Craven to the hard--won humanism of Stephen King. Joseph Maddrey is the author of Nightmares in Red, White and Blue and The Making of T.S. Eliot, co--author of Not Bad for a Human: The Life and Films of Lance Henriksen and the graphic novel To Hell You Ride, and editor of A Strange Idea of Entertainment: Conversations with Tom McLoughlin. He has also written and produced a variety of TV shows, including seven seasons of the Discovery Channel series A Haunting. Joe lives in Studio City, California, with his wife Liza and daughter Olivia. "A rewarding an intelligent book, one that's guaranteed to enlighten as much as it entertains." - Tim Ferrante, Videoscope magazine (Fall 2014) "What's really impressive about Maddrey's writing is how he makes you, the reader, feel for the material... There is such an underlining passion about each of the three subjects being critiqued." - Zac Thompson, bloody-disgusting.com (7/14) "Maddrey writes sensitively and authoritatively about the creative process of these artists [and] goes much deeper than just discussing the ouevre: he exposes the souls of these artists for all to see... A truly engrossing read." - Jon Towlson, Starburst magazine (9/14) "Fans of horror and sci-fi literature will undoubtedly enjoy Maddrey's keen ability to tap into some really interesting aspects of [Stephen] King's own fascinations as an author and I don't think you'll see a better examination of the prolific storyteller's career than what Maddrey does in Beyond Fear." - Heather Wixson, dailydead.com (8/14) "Beyond Fear is winning stuff. The familiar material is presented concisely, but the section on [Wes] Craven gives the book its must-read status. By exploring the humanity and even the optimism found in the works of these three horror icons, Maddrey links their seemingly disparate horrors into a cohesive and compelling read." - Adam Clarke, Rue Morgue magazine (10/14)
A deadly curse plagues a small Colorado town, melting the flesh from its victims -- the violent revenge that four warriors set in motion when their sacred burial grounds were disturbed for the sake of gold miners' greed! Now, one self-destructive hero holds the fate of the town in his hands! A new horror story written by actor Lance Henriksen (Aliens) and Joseph Maddrey (Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film), with art by Tom Mandrake.
This chronological survey of major influences on T.S. Eliot's worldview covers the poet's spiritual and intellectual evolution in stages, by trying to see the world as Eliot did. It examines his childhood influences as well as the literary influences that inspired him to write his earliest poetry; his life as an American expatriate living in London from 1915 to 1930, including his ill-fated marriage and his intellectual engagement with the literary traditions of his new country; and the ways in which his intellectual pursuits fostered a spiritual rebirth that simultaneously reflected his past and revealed his future, demonstrating how the early Romantic revolutionary became a staunch defender of tradition.
For well more than a century, Western films have embodied the United States' most fundamental doctrine--expansionism--and depicted, in a uniquely American way, the archetypal battle between good and evil. Westerns also depict a country defined and re-defined by complex crises. World War II transformed the genre as well as the nation's identity. Since then, Hollywood filmmakers have been fighting America's ideological wars onscreen by translating modern-day politics into the timeless mythology of the Old West. This book surveys the most iconic and influential Westerns, examines Hollywood stars and their political stripes and reveals the familiar Western tropes--which became elements in popular action, science fiction and horror films. This then sets the stage for the Western revival of the 1990s and a period of reinvention in the 21st century. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
Stephen King's fiction has formed the basis of more motion picture adaptations than any other living author. His earliest short stories, collected in the Night Shift anthology, have been adapted into hit features including Creepshow, Children of the Corn, Cat's Eye, Maximum Overdrive, Graveyard Shift, Sometimes They Come Back, and The Mangler. Through his "Dollar Baby" program, King licensed several Night Shift stories to aspiring filmmakers for just one dollar each, resulting in numerous student film adaptations. This book critically examines and contextualizes adaptations of the Night Shift short stories, from big box office features to relatively unknown student films. It illuminates how each film is a uniquely and intricately collaborative endeavor, and charts the development of each adaptation from first option to final cut. Through old and new interviews with the creators, the work explores how filmmakers continue to reinvent, reimagine, remake and reboot King's stories.
Lynn Bari was Hollywood's consummate contract player during the golden age of movies. Beautiful, immensely talented and popular with moviegoers and co-workers alike, she had seemed destined to become a major star - but her ascent was sabotaged by unresolv
Tom McLoughlin's reel life began in 1957 at the age of seven, making 8mm movies in the back lots of MGM studios. He was a magician during the 1950s, a Rock musician in the 1960s (opening for groups such as The Doors), a mime in the 1970s (studying in Paris with Marcel Marceau), and an Emmy Award-nominated writer for his work with Dick Van Dyke & Company. In the 1980s, Tom fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a filmmaker. He has directed more than forty feature film and television projects, including Friday the 13th: Jason Lives and the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated miniseries In a Child's Name. Today he continues to pursue his eclectic passions, touring worldwide as the lead singer of the Rock band The Sloths while preparing for postmortem appearances at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. This is the behind-the-scenes story of the strange business of creative obsession . . . and one man's strange idea of entertainment.
Not Bad For A Human' is a biography of Lance Henriksen. The book, in addition to telling a great life story, features work by some of the world's best comic artists.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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