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PLEASE NOTE: If you need an item quick, don't order from us; amazon is your best bet. We do appreciate you ordering from us directly (the author and the publisher make more from the sale this way), but due to the increased number of orders and covid-related shipping changes, our shipping takes considerably longer than it used to. Please be patient, as it can take 2 to 3 weeks to process and ship orders. Please email us about an order only if it's absolutely necessary. We REALLY appreciate your patience for this, and appreciate your business! THANK YOU!
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Creatures of the Screen - The Uncensored (and Unofficial) History of Kissploitation on Film, Television & Home Video
BearManor Media

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

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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