Movie History

Melody Ellison loves singing and gardening, and is inspired by friends and family and the Civil Rights Movement to make changes in her community. Melody's story of leadership and making one's voice heard is sure to engage today's readers as they learn what it was like to be a girl in 1964. This Step 3 Step into Reading leveled reader is great for American Girl fans ages 5 to 8. This exciting Step into Reading is based on an American Girl story by Denise Lewis Patrick.

Movie fans and spiritual seekers, unite! In Cinema Nirvana, veteran meditation teacher and film critic Dean Sluyter illuminates the hidden enlightenment teachings of Casablanca, Jaws, The Graduate, The Godfather, Memento, Easy Rider, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Big Sleep, Fistful of Dollars, and half a dozen more classic films, revealing spiritual wisdom in everything from 007's secret weapons to the colors of the Seven Dwarfs' eyes. So grab your popcorn, sit back, and prepare to have your mind opened. Cinema Nirvana is a funny but wise, practical but wildly entertaining guide to finding enlightenment...one movie at a time.

In It's Only a Movie, the incomparable Mark Kermode took us into the weird world of a film critic's life lived in widescreen. Now, The Good, The Bad and the Multiplex takes us into the belly of the beast to ask: 'What’s wrong with the modern movie business – and how can we make it right?'

Historians still agree about the date of Columbus' voyage. But did this European adventurer discover America? We now know that certain explorers from other parts of the globe set foot on American shores long before 1492: and that others may have done so. And "discovery" takes on a different meaning when the new land already has people living in it.

Looking for a spooktacular Halloween activity? Put your frighteningly fun trivia knowledge to the test with this spine-tingling book of 100 trivia questions all about Halloween! Inside you'll find an engaging mix of questions covering everything from the history of Halloween, its origins and traditions, symbols and costumes, scary movies and TV specials, favorite candies, and so much more. From easy questions to ones that'll make your head spin faster than a flying witch on a broomstick, this book has something for everyone! With fun facts about Halloween traditions around the world, sweet ...

As any actor, producer, director, or screenwriter can attest, working in the movie business isn't easy. After Jack Nicholson filmed his first screen test for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, studio mogul Louis B. Mayer politely told him afterwards: "I don't know what we can use you for, but if we ever do need you, we'll need you real bad.” In the late 1960s, Paul, John, George, and Ringo–better known as The Beatles–were set to star in a movie version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings, until Tolkien objected over the loudness of their music.

One-Eyed Jacks, a quintessential western. The only film directed by the iconic actor Marlon Brando. Not a financial or critical success at the time, however now with attention rekindled by a re-master by Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese my belief it's one of the finest westerns ever made is fortified by the most film knowledgeable in the industry. The film is not listed among the top 100 westerns by my peers in Western Writer's of America. I take umbrage with that conclusion, as it's at or near the top of my list.

When Brian DePalma's operatically violent and profane Scarface debuted in 1983, the film drew almost as much fire as the relentless gunfire in the film itself. The movie was a remake of 1932's Scarface—revamped for a new era of drugs, sex, and graphic violence. Attacked as both a celebration of cocaine-fueled excess and a condemnation of it, the film's reputation only grew as the years went by. But the real story of its success started nearly a century ago—when Hollywood first fell in love with the American gangster....

Based on characters created by Archie Comics, Josie and the Pussycats was a box office disappointment for MGM and Universal who produced and distributed the movie but has gone on to become a cult classic in the years since. Best Movie Ever is the product of dozens of hours of interviews with members of the movie’s cast and crew, as well as industry analysts, comic book creators, and the fans who helped keep the movie alive after the filmmakers had been told it was “dead on arrival".

Ranging from the shattered gentility of Edith Wharton's heroines to racial confrontation in the songs of Nina Simone, American Rhapsody presents a kaleidoscopic story of the creation of a culture. Here is a series of deeply involving portraits of American artists and innovators who have helped to shape the country in the modern age. Claudia Roth Pierpont expertly mixes biography and criticism, history and reportage, to bring these portraits to life and to link them in surprising ways.

Based on very real and practical commentary, life experience, and occasionally, tongue-in-cheek-misfortunes of horror legends, Necessary Death explores how the horror genre offers individuals a unique opportunity for insight and understanding of their own lives.

An examination of African American imagery and participation in American movies includes a timeline of important African American events in film history and discusses the achievements of noted celebrities.

Louise Lovely: Australia’s First Movie Star is a captivating biography that delves into the life and career of Louise Lovely, Australia's first Hollywood star of the silent era. Born Nellie Louise Carbasse, Lovely's journey from her beginnings in Sydney when she first appeared on stage at the age of 9 in 1904, to her career as a world-renowned actress is nothing short of extraordinary. The book explores her early days, shrouded in mystery, and her rise to fame in both Australia and Hollywood. Lovely appeared in over fifty-five motion pictures between 1911 and 1922, becoming a ...

The moviegoing experience is well known for the exciting sights and sounds provided by the Hollywood magic flickering on the silver screen. But what about the atmospheric aromas and lip-smacking flavors that people cherish when they are in their seats? Steve Foley explores the history of cinema concessions and the relationship between audiences and the snacks consumed while the film rolls.

Updated information about every instrumental recording that reached number one on Billboard's popular recorded music charts from 1950 to the present. There is a great deal of information about every instrumental song that topped the pop charts, as well as every one of the recording artists, and each recorded song’s songwriters. The author conducted massive research to compile the interesting stories found in this book. The text covers the instrumentalists from Anton Karas’ recording of “Third Man Theme,” which reached number one in 1950, through Baauer reaching the top of the charts...

Whether for game night with family and friends, preparing for the competition at the local pub, or passing the time during long family car trips, this is the book for you....

We've all heard that you learn more from failure than you do from success. Which means that all those hours spent watching crappy movies wasn't a waste of your precious and ever-dwindling life span; it was an education! And Better Living Through Bad Movies can show you how to extract the profound, life-affirming lessons from films like Battlefield Earth, Coyote Ugly, and Indecent Proposal.

Paul Newman, the Oscar-winning actor with the legendary blue eyes, achieved superstar status by playing charismatic renegades, broken heroes, and winsome antiheroes in such revered films as The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Verdict, The Color of Money, and Nobody’s Fool. But Newman was also an oddity in Hollywood: the rare box-office titan who cared about the craft of acting, the sexy leading man known for the staying power of his marriage, and the humble celebrity who made philanthropy his calling card long before it was cool.

The 10 best Bond movies...ever? It doesn't get much more subjective than this. Or much more fun!

Warren Beatty guarded his privacy even before he became a movie star, when he burst onto the screen in 1961 as the earnestly handsome all-American boy in Splendor in the Grass. When he started acting, Beatty kept secret the fact that actress Shirley MacLaine, already a star, was his older sister. Over time, he has cultivated a mystique, giving few interviews and instructing others not to talk about him. Until now.