BearManor Media News
"George Pal: Man of Tomorrow" - Book Review
BOOK REVIEW: Willis Buhle's Bookshelf Synopsis: The authoritative biography of the twentieth century's most influential science fiction filmmaker! George Pal: Man of Tomorrow chronicles the life and films of the trailblazing producer/director/ animator who fathered modern science fiction cinema. George Pal's classics like Destination Moon, When Worlds Collide, The War of the Worlds, and The Time Machine were a quantum leap forward for the genre's quality, intelligence, and special effects wizardry. When few people in Hollywood - or elsewhere - took science fiction seriously, Pal steadfastly stood by it, paving the way for SF's enormous future popularity and...
Q&A with Jeffrey L. Carrier on the Patsy Ruth Miller letters
carrier letters patsy ruth miller q&a
(Q) These letters are more than thirty years old. Why are you sharing them now? (A) Patsy Ruth Miller made a lot of films in her career as a silent movie star but the only one that is still well-known today is THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. It is regarded as one of the hallmarks of silent cinema and it was released in October of 1923, one hundred years ago. That sort of an anniversary seems an appropriate time to publish letters from one of its stars. She was Esmeralda, and Lon Chaney was Quasimodo. It’s too bad I...
Library Journal review of "Connery, Sean Connery"
"The phrase “Bond, James Bond” introduced 1960s moviegoers to the sophisticated, worldly Ian Fleming character played by Sean Connery. But the actor did not start out with those traits. He grew up in a hardscrabble Scottish neighborhood, left school, and joined the Royal Navy. Later, without much money or education, he turned to bodybuilding, placing third in a Mr. Universe contest. He was even a nude model for artists until he made his mark in 1962’s Dr. No. Pilato (Retro Active Television) describes Connery as having a love/hate relationship with the Bond character. Though handsome and virile, Connery was an...
Starred Review of Billy Wilder's Films & Scripts
Billy Wilder’s legendary career yielded an enduring cinematic output, with his directorial genius behind such works as Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, and The Apartment. Here, Jordan (Robert Wise: The Motion Pictures) studies thirty of Wilder’s works, from early collaborations, through numerous memorable popular hits (Some Like It Hot, The Seven Year Itch, Witness for the Prosecution), and on to his final film Buddy Buddy. He delves deeply into each, offering comprehensive plot summaries and contextual background as well as analyses of Wilder’s signature style, directorial techniques, and unique treatment of characters and scenes. Skillfully interspersing biographical details throughout, Jordan builds...
NEON NIGHTMARES Q+A WITH AUTHOR BRAD SYKES
NEON NIGHTMARES Q+A WITH AUTHOR BRAD SYKES1. Your latest endeavor is a new book entitled NEON NIGHTMARES: L.A. THRILLERS OF THE 1980s. What can you tell us about the inspiration behind it?Brad Sykes: In 2017, around the time I was finishing up writing my first book, TERROR IN THE DESERT: DARK CINEMA OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST, I started watching a lot of urban thrillers made in the 1980s– many of which were set in Los Angeles - as kind of a counterbalance to all the rural desert films I’d been devouring. I was having a lot of fun watching these...