BearManor Media

Creatures of the Screen - The Uncensored (and Unofficial) History of Kissploitation on Film, Television & Home Video

$43.00

Shipping calculated at checkout.

Creatures of the Screen - The Uncensored (and Unofficial) History of Kissploitation on Film, Television & Home Video

by John Harrison

676 pages

6x9 size

CREATURES OF THE SCREEN

The Uncensored (and Unofficial) History of KISSploitation on Film, Television & Home Video
By John Harrison

From the real thing to the rip-offs, and everything in-between, Creatures of the Screen examines the fifty-year history of the rock group KISS on film, television, and home video, as well as the movies and TV shows which were informed and inspired by – and exploited – the band’s striking visual imagery, popularity, and pop culture impact.

While KISS themselves were captured in television projects like The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976) and the infamous KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978), not to mention exposing their own inner turmoil for all to see on a 1979 episode of The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder, the band’s unique visual image was also being "borrowed" by a number of movies and episodic TV shows. From Sonny Bono playing shock rocker Deacon Dark on The Love Boat, to the Scooby-Doo villain the Diabolical Disc Demon. From the grimy XXX hardcore of Devil Inside Her (1977), to the predictable but warming TV movie schmaltz of Pop Rocks (2004)…the KISS influence runs wide and deep.

Told from the viewpoint of a passionate lifelong fan of both KISS and genre cinema, Creatures of the Screen presents the history of KISS as seen from the perspective of their film, television, and home video appearances, as well as exploring the varied works which capitalized on their success. In between, coverage is also given to some of the more interesting and revealing documentaries that have been produced on the band over the years (both official and unauthorized), as well as examining KISS’ history with televised sporting events, and much more. Gene Simmons’ 1980s exploitation acting career is also covered, as are the non-KISS related films and televisions shows produced by Casablanca Records and Filmworks (KISS’ label).

Interviewees in Creatures of the Screen include Christoper K. Lendt (KISS' business manager during the 1970s and '80s), Gary Sherman (who directed Gene Simmons in Wanted: Dead or Alive), Lydia Criss (former wife of original KISS drummer Peter Criss), Michael Bell (prolific voice actor who dubbed Peter Criss in KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park), actor (and original KISS Army member) Alex Winter, Gordon Hessler (director of KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park), documentary filmmaker Andrew Sgambati, and more.

Among the guest contributors to the book are Chris Alexander, Brett Bartlett, Justin Beahm, Daniel Best, Robin Bougie, David Michael Brown, Lee Gambin, Jarret Gahan, Paul Garner, Andrew Graves, Richard Klemensen, David Nolte, Mitch O’Connell, and Staci Layne Wilson.

Creatures of the Screen is bound to leave you wanting to rock and roll all night, and watch movies every day!

“From sitcoms and sportscasts to Scooby-Doo, John Harrison leaves no instance of KISSploitation unmasked. It’s consistently entertaining and exhaustively researched. Two tongues up!”
—Rod Lott (Flick Attack)

"Just when you thought everything that could possibly be written about KISS had been put to print, Harrison finds a rich vein to tap––one that details the band in a fascinating new light. He tempers open idolatry with his astute knowledge and insight into film, TV and cinema, which gives this book its unique flavor. Fans of KISS will lap it up, but it's equally as satisfying for those interested in popular culture, especially when it comes to the marriage of music and the movies."
—Emma Westwood (emmawestwood.net)

“John Harrison’s CREATURES OF THE SCREEN is a page-turning voyage from the first sentence, a beautifully-written and exhaustive look at the numerous film and television appearances from the pop culture phenomenon that was KISS. Harrison’s writing radiates with infectious enthusiasm, and not only does he capture his personal journey through the various facets of KISSploitation, but a long-gone and pivotal decade in the evolution of modern music. Endlessly fascinating and must-read!”

- Dennis Capicik of Unpopped Cinema

"This impressive 676-page volume opens with author John Harrison recalling his initial exposure to KISS — hearing Alive! at a Melbourne party when he was twelve years old, and instantly becoming a fan — and now, nearly fifty years later, he’s penned the first book chronicling that group’s on-screen presence, as well as how the media capitalized on their fame and image. Following a “KISS primer” (for those unfamiliar with the band’s bumpy early history), we get a breakdown of their various television appearances (THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW, DON KIRSHNER’S ROCK CONCERT, THE PAUL LYNDE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL, et cetera). Harrison also touches upon the quartet’s career highlights, as KISS became a mainstream name in the late-‘70s — coupled with a merchandising explosion that included a Marvel comic, lunch boxes, bubblegum cards, and the excruciating KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK. Although I was never a KISS fan, Harrison manages to enthusiastically encapsulate the band’s ups and downs, as teen-idol status blunted their edginess, half-baked projects floundered and tours stalled out. In addition to several KISS-themed essays by guest contributors, interviews are weaved throughout, including PHANTOM OF THE PARK director Gordon Hessler and DETROIT ROCK CITY writer Carl V. Dupré. Let’s not forget entertaining chapters on Gene Simmons’ acting career and KISS influenced films and TV. No question, this is well worth a look for KISS aficionados and pop culture completists, who’ll find a wealth of information within its pages."
- Shock Cinema