Movie History

A tour of Christmas through the years from the first film about the holiday in 1898 through a certain Red nosed Reindeer and a too rich Scrooge of a cartoon character in 1949. Short write-ups about movies, radio shows, magazine covers and more that are good for a few minutes snatched here and there during your busy Christmas season.

With remembrances from J. K. Rowling's editors, agents, publicists, fans, and Rowling herself, Melissa Anelli takes us on a personal journey through every aspect of the Harry Potter phenomenon - from his very first spell to his lasting impact on the way we live and dream.

In this intensive, intimate, and anything-but-glamorous behind-the-scenes account, film insider and cinephile Paul M. Sammon explores how Ridley Scott used his creative genius to transform the work of science fiction's most uncompromising author into a critical sensation, a commercial success, and a cult classic that would reinvent the genre.

Roger Ebert, the famed film writer and critic, wrote biweekly essays for a feature called "The Great Movies," in which he offered a fresh and fervent appreciation of a great film. The Great Movies Collection features two hundred of these essays, each one of them a gem of critical appreciation and an amalgam of love, analysis, and history that will send listeners back to that film with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm–or perhaps to an avid first-time viewing.

From a longtime Vanity Fair writer and editor, a delightfully entertaining, intelligent, and illuminating history and tribute to teen movies—from Rebel Without a Cause to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and on to John Hughes, Mean Girls, The Hunger Games, and more.

From former screen legends who have faded into obscurity to new revelations about the biggest movie stars, Valderrama unearths the most fascinating little-known tales from the birth of Hollywood through its Golden Age. The shocking fate of the world's first movie star. Clark Gable's secret love child. The film that nearly ended Paul Newman's career. A former child star who, at 93, reveals her #metoo story for the first time. Valderrama unfolds these stories, and many more, in a volume that is by turns riveting, maddening, hilarious, and shocking.

A passionate celebration of cinema's most perfect predator. Funny, insightful, and unapologetically obsessive, "That Lovely Lovely Shark Movie" takes you on a scene-by-scene journey through one of the most influential films ever made. This isn't your typical analysis – it's a love letter written by someone who would marry Jaws if it were human. From the haunting two-note theme to the triumphant final explosion, this book explores the countless "quiet moments" that make Spielberg's masterpiece endure fifty years later. Discover how a mechanical shark that barely worked created cinematic ...

I was a “Monster Kid” and “The Weird Kid, The Horror Movie Kid.” I found out early…horror is always personal. Now I make horror for a living. It shouldn’t just be WATCHED. Horror should be ENJOYED. This isn’t some stuffy analysis telling you what’s good or bad. Instead, it’s a tour of the 1930s through the 1980s—a personal account of how the best and worst of this era gave us so many memories and experiences that impacted our own lives. It’s fun…just how horror should always be.

In 1969, Illeana Douglas' parents saw the film Easy Rider and were transformed. Taking Dennis Hopper's words - "That's what it's all about, man" - to heart, they abandoned their comfortable upper-middle-class life and gave Illeana a childhood filled with hippies, goats, free spirits, and free love. Illeana writes, "Since it was all out of my control, I began to think of my life as a movie, with a Dennis Hopper-like father at the center of it." I Blame Dennis Hopper is a rollicking, funny, at times tender exploration of the way movies can change our lives.

In Your Favorite Scary Movie, entertainment journalist Ashley Cullins examines the making and impact of the Scream films with behind-the-scenes insight from cast, creators, and crew, as well as sharp analysis on how the movies’ special blend of gruesome violence and humorous self-awareness rewrote the horror playbook.

Unearth the terrifying and true tales behind some of the scariest horror movies to ever haunt our screens, including the Enfield poltergeist case that was retold in The Conjuring 2 and the serial killers who inspired Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs. Behind the Horror dissects these and other bizarre tales to reveal haunting real-life stories of abduction, disappearance, murder, and exorcism.

🎉 Rediscover the Magic of the Past with the Ultimate Trivia Experience! 🎉 Do you ever find yourself reminiscing about the golden days: Elvis, Beatlemania, groovy 70s disco nights, 80s big hair & neon colors? Now you can relive all those cherished memories while this one-of-a-kind trivia quiz book takes you back in time, decade by decade! 🎤 Must Have for Every Baby Boomer & Your Whole Family - Grandparents to Grandchildren!: ✨ 331 Pop Culture Questions: Dive into extensive questions covering every aspect of the 50s to 80s. From unforgettable music & blockbuster movies to classic ...

Roger Ebert, the famed film writer and critic, wrote biweekly essays for a feature called "The Great Movies," in which he offered a fresh and fervent appreciation of a great film. The Great Movies collects one hundred of these essays, each one of them a gem of critical appreciation and an amalgam of love, analysis, and history that will send listeners back to that film with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm–or perhaps to an avid first-time viewing.

‘Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, my window on the world was film, and as a filmmaker, teacher and film critic, I have encountered many people for whom the cinema fulfils the same function.’ This memoir by acclaimed film critic Jon Towlson reflects on the various ways in which film provides a ‘window on the world’ for the author, his students, people he has known and the community to which he belongs. Discussing a range of cinema-related activities, from film societies to film workshops, cine clubs, film education classes, repertory cinemas and home video, Towlson explores the ...

Of all the celebrities who served their country during World War II - and they were legion - Jimmy Stewart was unique. On December 7, when the attack on Pearl Harbor woke so many others to the reality of war, Stewart was already in uniform - as a private on guard duty south of San Francisco at the Army Air Corps Moffet Field. Seeing war on the horizon, Jimmy Stewart, at the height of his fame after Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and his Oscar-winning turn in The Philadelphia Story in 1940, had enlisted several months earlier.

Hollywood Haunted was the definitive book on Hollywood ghosts and an instant hit when it was published in 1994; and its popularity has never waned. Recently Author Laurie Jacobson discovered chapters meant for the original book but cut for length. She has restored these chapters in this volume as well as additional information in original chapters to create the most complete version of the book – the way she and Marc Wanamaker originally envisioned it…Hollywood Haunted – Authors' Cut. HH Authors' Cut covers 100 years of ghostly goings-on in Tinseltown. Fascinating new stories enhance ...

Anne Lister was extraordinary. Fearless, charismatic, and determined to explore her lesbian sexuality, she forged her own path in a society that had no language to define her. She was a landowner, an industrialist, and a prolific diarist whose output has secured her legacy as one of the most fascinating figures of the 19th century. Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister follows Anne from her crumbling ancestral home in Yorkshire to the glittering courts of Denmark as she resolves to put past heartbreak behind her and find herself a wife.

The Undead Legacy: A Complete Guide to the History of Zombie Movies is the ultimate guide for horror fans, film buffs, and pop culture enthusiasts who want to explore the terrifying, thrilling, and thought-provoking evolution of the undead on screen. Spanning nearly a century of cinematic history, this engaging and comprehensive book takes readers on a journey from the voodoo-inspired zombies of early black-and-white films to the modern global blockbusters and binge-worthy zombie TV series that dominate today’s entertainment. Each chapter breaks down a specific era—from 1930s voodoo ...

Japanese animation—or anime—holds a special place in the hearts of countless fans around the globe. Since the early days of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy to Makoto Shinkai’s astounding success with Your Name, anime has left an undeniable impact on our culture. Anime Impact explores the impression the medium has left on various fans with detailed discussions on television shows and movies from the 1960s all the way to the present.

In her acclaimed 1993 book, Denying the Holocaust, Deborah Lipstadt called David Irving, a prolific writer of books on World War II, "one of the most dangerous spokespersons for Holocaust denial". The following year, after Lipstadt's book was published in the United Kingdom, Irving led a libel suit against Lipstadt and her publisher. Denial, previously published as History on Trial, is Lipstadt's riveting, blow-by-blow account of this singular legal battle.