The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Hammer Complete: The Films, The Personnel, The Company
Howard Maxford
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476670072, $95.00, PB, Volumes 1 & 2, 992pp
McFarland & Company is a premier publisher of books in the field of cinemat=
ic history. Now they have published film historian Howard Maxford's "Hammer=
Complete: The Films, The Personnel, The Company" a two volume history of t=
he British movie company Hammer Film: "Hammer Complete: Volume One, A-L" an=
d Hammer Complete: Volume Two, M-Z.
Think you know everything there is to know about Hammer Films, the fabled "= Studio that Dripped Blood?" The lowdown on all the imperishable classics of=
horror, like The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula and The Devil Ri= des Out? But what about the company's less blood-curdling back catalog? Wha=
t about the musicals, comedies and travelogues, the fantasies and historica=
l epics -- not to mention the pirate adventures?
This lavishly illustrated two volume encyclopedia definitively covers every=
Hammer film and television production in thorough detail, including budget=
s, shooting schedules, publicity and more, along with all the actors, suppo= rting players, writers, directors, producers, composers and technicians. Bo=
th volumes are simply packed from cover to cover with quotes, behind-the-sc= enes anecdotes, credit lists and production specifics.
Critique: This large format edition of Volumes 1 & 2 of "Hammer Complete: T=
he Films, The Personnel, The Company" is a comprehensive, detailed, and ful=
ly informed reference work of a cherished, British cinematic institution wh= ose impact on 20th Century popular culture was worldwide. Exceptionally wel=
l organized and presented, and also available in a paperback edition (97814= 76693446, $49.95) and in a digital book format (9781476629148, $49.99), "Ha= mmer Complete: The Films, The Personnel, The Company: Volume 1 & 2" is unre= servedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and un= iversity library 20th Century Cinematic History collections and supplementa=
l curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Currently residing in London, England, Howard Maxford is a = freelance entertainment journalist who has contributed reviews, interviews,=
features and retrospectives to a variety of UK magazines, including Film R= eview, Starburst, Shivers, Replay, Tower Records' Top, London After Dark, V= ideo Now and HMV Choice.
Cliffhanger!: Cinematic Superheroes of the Serials: 1941-1952
Christopher Irving, author
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605491196, $39.95, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cliffhanger-Cinematic-Superheroes-Serials-1941-1952/= dp/1605491195
Synopsis: With the publication of "Cliffhanger!: Cinematic Superheroes of t=
he Serials: 1941-1952" popular culture historian Christopher Irving deftly = explores the origins of the first on-screen superheroes and the comic creat= ors and film-makers who brought them to life.
"Cliffhanger!" touches on the early days of the film serial, to its explosi=
on as a juvenile medium of the 1930s and '40s. Readers will see how the cre= ation of characters like Superman, Captain America, Spy Smasher, and Captai=
n Marvel dovetailed with the early film adaptations.
Along the way, the reader will be introduced to the stuntmen, directors (Sp= encer Bennett, William Witney, producer Sam Katzman), comic book creators (= Siegel & Shuster, Simon & Kirby, Bob Kane, C.C. Beck, Frank Frazetta, Will = Eisner), and actors (Buster Crabbe, George Reeves, Lorna Gray, Kane Richmon=
d, Kirk Alyn, Dave O'Brien) who brought them to the silver screen - and how=
that resonates with today's cinematic superhero universe.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout, "Cliffhanger!: Cinematic Superh= eroes of the Serials: 1941-1952" by Christopher Irving is essential reading=
for dedicated fans of the now legendary superhero characters that influenc=
ed popular culture for a mid-20th century decade through comics and movies.=
Exceptionally informative and impressively organized/presented, "Cliffhang= er!" must be considered as a core and mandatory addition to personal, profe= ssional, community, and academic library Popular Culture and Cinematic Hist= ory collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: There is an online and comprehensive listing of a 'Curricul=
um Vitae' of Christopher Irving works at (
http://www.christopherirving.com/= p/curriculum-vitae.html)
Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film
Steve Matteo
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
www.halleonard.com
9781493059010, $24.95, PB, 350pp
https://www.amazon.com/Act-Naturally-Beatles-Steve-Matteo/dp/1493059017
Synopsis: The Beatles produced five films during their time together: A Har=
d Day's Night, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine, and Let It Be=
.. Some were cinematic successes, and some were not, but (along with subsequ= ent reissues, bonus material, and Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back, a = documentary companion to Let It Be) they comprise an endlessly fascinating = document of key phases in the group's career.
With the publication of "Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film", their fans ar=
e offered a comprehensive deep-dive into the band's movies, by author and l= ongtime music journalist Steve Matteo who follows the origins, filming, and=
often frenzied fan reception of projects from the 1964 premiere of A Hard = Day's Night through 1970's Let It Be to the release of Get Back in 2022.
Matteo also explores the production process, original theatrical film relea= ses, subsequent VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray releases, and bonus materials, along = with the US and UK soundtracks. In addition to copious anecdotes and behind= -the-scenes details, he also places these films in their larger context, a = period of unprecedented artistic and commercial innovation in British and w= orld cinema.
Filled with stories and insights that will satisfy collectors, buffs, and c= asual fans alike, this is the definitive account of an underappreciated par=
t of the Beatles' creative output.
Critique: Featuring occasional black/white illustrations, a ten page Select=
ed Bibliography, and a nineteen page Index, "Act Naturally: The Beatles on = Film" is an impressively informative, meticulously researched, exceptionall=
y well organized and presented study that will be of special appeal and int= erest to the continuing legions of Beatles fans. While a highly recommended=
addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library 20th C= entury Cinematic Studies and Pop-Music History collections, it should be no= ted for students, fans, and academia that "Act Naturally" is also readily a= vailable in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Steve Matteo is the author of the books Let It Be and Dylan=
and contributed to the collection The Beatles in Context. He has written f=
or such publications as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, New York=
, Time Out New York, Rolling Stone, Spin, Elle, and Salon. He often appears=
on radio in his capacity as a music journalist and author. A complete list= ing of his books is available at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/173= 990.Steve_Matteo
Enchanted Disney
Spencer Wright
BearManor Media
PO Box 71426, Albany, GA 31708
BearManorMedia.com
9798887711751, $42.00, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Disney-Stories-Hollywood-Live-Action/dp/B0= C5PTLV65
Synopsis: In its centennial year, "Enchanted Disney: Stories of Walt, Holly= wood, and Live-Action Film" by Spencer Wright take the reader on a journey = through the history of the Walt Disney Company as viewed through the lens o=
f the studio's live-action films, and the life of its co-creator Walt Disne=
y. By discussing the life and work of fifteen people who contributed to liv= e-action features, Walt Disney fans will learn about what influenced the st= udios' films, and how they related to Hollywood as a whole.
How did Walt's experience in 1920's Los Angeles compare to others, such as = silent queen Pola Negri? How did major celebrities see Walt and his studio,=
as it fit into the landscape of the industry? Which star was inspired to h= elp preserve Hollywood memorabilia as a result of spending time with Walt i=
n Disneyland at the Park's opening? These questions and a great many more a=
re answered in fifteen informative chapters, each of which takes the reader=
on a fascinating journey from the early 1900's and into the 21st Century.
Critique: A simply fascinating and extraordinarily informative combination =
of biographic and cinematic history, "Enchanted Disney: Stories of Walt, Ho= llywood, and Live-Action Film" is an extraordinary read from cover to cover=
.. Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a section of black/white il= lustrations, an informative four page Introduction, a three page bibliograp=
hy of Further Reading, five pages of Notes & Resources, and a four page Ind= ex, "Enchanted Disney: Stories of Walt, Hollywood, and Live-Action Film" is=
a strongly recommended and enduringly popular addition to personal, commun= ity, college, and university library Movie History/Criticism and American B= iography/Walt Disney collections. It should be noted for students, academia=
, and the legions of Walt Disney fans that "Enchanted Disney: Stories of Wa= lt, Hollywood, and Live-Action Film" is also available in a paperback editi=
on (9798887711744, $32.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Spencer Wright is passionate about Disney History and Old H= ollywood.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/spencer-wright-ba769869_enchanted-= disney-stories-of-walt-hollywood-activity-707232775 7552082944-3s0K
Back to the Body
Jean-Louis Rodrigue and Scott Weintraub
Alexander Techworks
9798218058951, $22.00 Paper/$12.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Back-Body-Infusing-Physical-Characters/dp/B0C39MCM44
Back to the Body: Infusing Physical Life Into Characters in Theatre and Fil=
m explores the Alexander Technique as it relates to performing arts bodywor=
k, drawing spirited, exciting connections between the Alexander approach an=
d the fine art of producing a play that uses movement transitions and trans= formations to transcend the usual performance effort.
The story of how one play evolved to represent the success of applied Alexa= nder requires no prior familiarity from the reader in order to prove inviti=
ng and enlightening. From the start, the authors reveal a draw to learning =
it that is supported by a vivid representation of its strengths: "It was ne= ver about success, for we had no idea that would happen. It was the exquisi=
te experience of creating, working through the play, as each character chan= ged, sometimes in mid-sentence, into someone else. This was accomplished as=
Pam's weight shifted, as did her arms, torso, head, and posture, along wit=
h her voice and accents. This was a class in and of itself, exploring each =
of the 23 human beings' personal behavior. This experience was the perfect = example of the wonder of the Alexander Technique, for without it this play = would not have been possible."
Drama students, followers of the Alexander Technique, and newcomers to both=
will find these instructions and directions compelling as the connections = between movement and creative results are fostered. From breath work explor= ations and exercises that encourage mind/body connections and personal obse= rvation of changes to mental, physical, and philosophical reflections on ho=
w these techniques can not only lend to creativity, but change lives, Back =
to the Body comes infused with hope and opportunity for thinking readers wh=
o would move both into and beyond the stage of performance and life: "A rel= ationship between two human beings is experienced in space, in time, and in=
their bodies, through movement. Relationships depend on the exchange of en= ergy between two people, demanding a give-and-take of ideas, thoughts, and,=
ultimately, emotions. Intimacy can be reached only through personal connec= tion. The chemical synergy between two human beings is what thrills and eng= ages us as an audience because this is what fuels our own lives. We need ea=
ch other to successfully exist in our world."
These kinds of reflections are rarely seen in either drama or psychology bo= oks which don't use Alexander Technique principles, and therefore tend to p= roduce disconnections between mind, body, and interpersonal spatial and men= tal awareness. Chapters cover working with props, sets, and costumes or ste= pping into alternative roles and choices in the course of depicting scenes = and characters. Each movement description also translates to life encounter=
s and choices in a manner that constantly invites the reader to absorb both=
the Alexander Technique and its possibilities for new life and art interac= tions. Exercises motivate readers to hone their own awareness of movement a=
nd form.
Jean-Louis Rodrigue and Scott Weintraub have created a winner in Back to th=
e Body that ideally will become a mainstay in performing arts libraries, as=
well as a book club discussion choice for those interested in acting, move= ment, or the psychology and physiology of action-based movement choices.
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Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
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Midwest Book Review
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