Film History

Following her success with Playboy Swings, Patty Farmer looks at Playboy’s relationship with comedians and cartoonists in her new book Playboy Laughs. Playboy Laughs invites listeners onto the sets of the organization’s groundbreaking TV shows, Playboy Penthouse and Playboy After Dark. These popular variety series brought top-tier comedians, impressionists, and monologists—as well as the finest musicians—into people’s homes each week.

Wawrczeck zeichnet ein subjektives Porträt eines der größten Künstler des 20. Jahrhunderts. Man sitzt mit ihm vor dem Fernseher, wenn er den ersten Hitchcock-Film sieht, begleitet ihn ins Tonstudio zu den Aufnahmen der "Drei ???" und zieht mit ihm durch die Welt: Von Hamburg über New York, von Bodega Bay nach London, immer auf der Spur von Hitchcocks Meisterwerken. Er erzählt, wie ihm Hitchcocks Filme bei der Suche nach der eigenen Identität halfen und ihm zeigten, dass die Beantwortung der Frage "Bin ich verrückt oder sind es die anderen?" immer vom Standpunkt abhängt.

From the earliest episodes to speculation on the future of the franchise, author Patrick McCray celebrates the grand themes and iconic characters of Dark Shadows with a devout irreverence. Winner of the 2018 Rondo Award for Writer of the Year, Patrick McCray chronicles the unforgettable series by exploring its episodes in articles and asides, all originally written on the anniversary of their filming.

Test your knowledge or brush up on it with this unofficial Trivia Book. If you want to remember some of the great moments (with the expanse of time, we couldn’t remember them all!) of one of the most loved television shows ever, this book is for you.

Are you a fan of ThunderCats? Have you ever wondered why this classic animated series still resonates with audiences decades after its debut? Look no further than Unveiling Thundercats: Analysis Of The Classic Animation’s Main Themes, Life Lessons And Character Arcs. Whether you're a die-hard ThunderCats fan or a newcomer to the series, Unveiling Thundercats offers a fresh and insightful look at this beloved animated classic. Don't miss out on this essential guide to one of the most iconic cartoons of all time!

Ever wonder what the people who bring us our TV entertainment are thinking? Television and pop culture historian and author Herbie J Pilato has, and now takes listeners on a provocative and entertaining look into the agenda behind TV shows and the resulting trends. Even when it seemed television programming was primarily mindless, there was serious thought behind what audiences were presented. The networks, after all, believe in giving the people what they want, even when the people should have known better.

Al Jolson, born Asa Yoelson, immigrated from a shtetl in Lithuania to the United States in 1894 after his father secured a job as a rabbi in Washington, D.C. A poor, Yiddish-speaking newcomer navigating a racially segregated and antisemitic America, young Jolson dreamed of becoming a star, and he did. Through Jolson, Bernstein simultaneously breaks open the history and legacy of the cultural sensation The Jazz Singer. Not only was The Jazz Singer the first feature-length film with synchronized music and dialogue, but it was also taboo smashing in its content.

Throughout this audiobook's various chapters, listeners will explore the historical context of the Joker's creation, delve into the character's symbolic and iconic qualities, examine the psychological profile of the Joker, and analyze his relation to various philosophical theories such as Carl Jung's trickster and Nietzsche's will to power.

Reality TV's influence is seismic: twenty-five years ago, the concept didn't exist. Yet today, it is one of the most powerful cultural forces on earth; a multi-billion-dollar machine. Despite that, it is often derided as "trash"; a cultural McDonalds not worthy of examination. The truth is that reality TV offers a profound insight into who we are as human beings, questioning the very nature of what we deem to be entertaining. Writer, broadcaster and reality TV-obsessive Jacques Peretti goes behind the scenes of a world that has entranced and consumed him for two decades.

Since its publication in 1982, The Color Purple has resonated with generations of readers across the globe. The novel catapulted author Alice Walker to international fame, brought Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg acting acclaim in the 1985 film adaptation, and inspired theatrical productions around the world, including the Tony Award–winning Broadway musical. This cultural touchstone—which so profoundly touches on race, family, survival, spirituality, sisterhood, and love in all forms—continues to beget new iterations, most recently a feature film.

This book examines order and time in the classic noir film Touch of Evil.

Kino PRL-u. Możemy się zżymać na papierowe dialogi i natrętną propagandę, ale był to jedyny czas w historii polskiej kinematografii, kiedy zachodni recenzenci czekali na nowe obrazy z Polski. Scenariusze znad Wisły (jak np. „Kanał” Stawińskiego) podbijały serca włodarzy Hollywoodu, a termin „polska szkoła filmowa” został wpisany na stałe do światowego słownika popkultury. Polscy reżyserzy zażywali sławy porównywalnej z popularnością Antonioniego i Kurosawy, a polscy aktorzy stawali się gwiazdami festiwali filmowych.

Un repaso concienzudo a una época que algunos llaman dorada en el cine español, una época de agudeza, de ingenio y de esfuerzo por sacar adelante proyectos enmarcados entre dos crisis mundiales: la bursátil de 2008 y la sanitaria del covid en 2020. Un interesantísimo análisis a través de entrevistas y recuerdos de la década de 2010, los impedimentos y los escollos para hacer cine de calidad, de la mano de quienes los superaron.

Popular entertainment has frequently been hailed as the harbingers of social downfall, but is it really that simple? From public executions to theater, from ballet to video games, this brief essay examines the turmoil that surrounds history's most cherished forms of entertainment.

The inspiring true story of Loïe Fuller, a radical 19th-century art nouveau icon who turned artificial light into performance art and became the incandescent inventor of modern dance, is revealed in this transportive and hypnotic historical narrative.

Lena Horne’s life and career are truly remarkable in American film history. She was the first Black performer to become a true star—to receive the kind of glamour treatment at the fabled MGM that the studio had previously given to the likes of Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Lana Turner, and Ava Gardner.

Probablemente, Quentin Tarantino sea uno de los mayores cineastas de la historia, pero de lo que no hay atisbo de duda es de que estamos hablando del espectador que mejor puede contagiar su pasión entusiasta por las películas que ha visto. Ahora, por fin llega el libro con el que tantos años soñaron él y sus seguidores.

Cinema has had a hugely influential role on global culture in the twentieth century at multiple levels: social, political, and educational. The part of British cinema in this has been controversial—often derided as a whole, but also vigorously celebrated, especially in terms of specific films and film-makers. In this Very Short Introduction, Charles Barr considers films and filmmakers, and studios and sponsorship, against the wider view of changing artistic, socio-political, and industrial climates over the decades of the twentieth century.

El pueblo de Chinchero -a 28 kilómetros del Cusco- estaba, en 1970, en un territorio hermoso, todavía intocado por la maquinaria aplastante del turismo masivo. Hasta ahí llegó el joven y conflictivo Dennis Hopper para rodar la que vislumbraba como una obra maestra de la contracultura hippie: The Last Movie.

Even 150 years later, we are haunted by the Civil War---by its division, its bloodshed, and perhaps, above all, by its origins. Today, many believe that the war was fought over slavery. This answer satisfies our contemporary sense of justice, but as Gary W. Gallagher shows in this brilliant revisionist history, it is an anachronistic judgment.