Maria Colavito's Books

The Encyclopedia of Epic Films

By: Constantine Santas,James M. Wilson,Maria Colavito,Djoymi Baker

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The Encyclopedia of Epic Films

By: Constantine Santas,James M. Wilson,Maria Colavito,Djoymi Baker

Soon after film came into existence, the term epic was used to describe productions that were lengthy, spectacular, live with action, and often filmed in exotic locales with large casts and staggering budgets. The effort and extravagance needed to mount an epic film paid off handsomely at the box office, for the genre became an immediate favorite with audiences. Epic films survived the tribulations of two world wars and the Depression and have retained the basic characteristics of size and glamour for more than a hundred years. Length was, and still is, one of the traits of the epic, though monolithic three- to four-hour spectacles like Gone with the Wind (1939) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962) have been replaced today by such franchises as the Harry Potter films and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Although the form has evolved during many decades of existence, its central elements have been retained, refined, and modernized to suit the tastes of every new generation. The Encyclopedia of Epic Films identifies, describes, and analyzes those films that meet the criteria of the epic—sweeping drama, panoramic landscapes, lengthy adventure sequences, and, in many cases, casts of thousands. This volume looks at the wide variety of epics produced over the last century—from the silent spectacles of D. W. Griffith and biblical melodramas of Cecil B. DeMille to the historical dramas of David Lean and rollercoaster thrillers of Steven Spielberg. Each entry contains: Major personnel behind the camera, including directors and screenwriters Cast and character listings Plot summary Analysis Academy Award wins and nominations DVD and Blu-ray availability Resources for further study This volume also includes appendixes of foreign epics, superhero spectaculars, and epics produced for television, along with a list of all the directors in the book. Despite a lack of overall critical recognition and respect as a genre, the epic remains a favorite of audiences, and this book pays homage to a form of mass entertainment that continues to fill movie theaters. The Encyclopedia of Epic Films will be of interest to academics and scholars, as well as any fan of films made on a grand scale.

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Page Count

713

Publisher

Scarecrow Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0810882485

ISBN 13

9780810882485

A Most Felt Life: The Memories and Lessons of a Successful Dreamer

By: Mihalis Philotimo,Maria M. Colavito

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A Most Felt Life: The Memories and Lessons of a Successful Dreamer

By: Mihalis Philotimo,Maria M. Colavito

Mihalis Philotimo, a native of Greece, wasn't born with riches, but he inherited what many of us lack: a fierce determination to succeed. The author pays homage to the values he was taught growing up in a small village in Greece in the 1940s and 1950s, including calculated action, presence of mind, attentiveness, and mental agility during fluid times. On a shepherd's mountaintop across the ocean and a world apart from the United States of America, he dreamt of a better life. In 1961, he left for Germany to work in a factory so he could earn money and acquire an education. Then he headed to Canada-a move that brought him one step closer to his dream of living in the United States. Once there, he began his quest to achieve his version of the American Dream. The first part of this book is filled with autobiographical entries from the author's diary-handwritten in his native Greek tongue and translated by the acclaimed film critic and professor, Constantine Santas, a fellow Hellene.

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Page Count

134

Publisher

Lulu.com

Published Date

ISBN 10

1684701678

ISBN 13

9781684701674

The New Theogony

Mythology for the Real World

By: Maria M. Colavito

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The New Theogony

Mythology for the Real World

By: Maria M. Colavito

This book is a sustained focus of on those original human acts that gave us the gods, the human psyche, and the stories about them. Dr. Colavito divides myth into four distinct but inseparable "acts": first is the original power to create; second, the stories about the manifestation; third, the imitation and duplication of the manifested images; and four are the theories regarding the first three. Development of these four "acts" provides the foundation for studying and interpreting myth cross-culturally.

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