Movie posters have undergone a significant transformation over the past century, evolving from mere advertisements into sophisticated works of art. While early posters were predominantly text-heavy and resembled newspaper advertisements, the widespread adoption of color lithography in the early 20th century enabled more vibrant and visually engaging designs, including hand-drawn portraits of film stars. During […]
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Category: B. R. Film
The Blaxploitation Horror Film. Adaptation, Appropriation … by Jamil Mustafa (2023)
Whenever film genres blend, the outcome usually represents more than the sum of its parts; a completely new set of aesthetics comes forward. In this case, author Jamil Mustafa takes a close look at the intersection of vampire horror and “Blaxploitation” films. Owed to the peak of such productions, his focus is on the […]
From the Moment They Met It Was Murder: Double Indemnity … by Alain Silver and James Ursini (2024)
When in July 1944 Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity hit American cinemas, it was only moderately successful. The movie performed well enough at the box office to be considered reasonably profitable, with estimated earnings between $2.2 and $2.6 million, which was sufficient to return a good profit for Paramount Studios. The film ranked 51st in box […]
Alien Abduction in the Cinema: A History from the 1950s to Today by Paul Meehan (2023)
Paul Meehan’s new title delves deeply into the portrayal of alien abduction and UFO phenomena in cinema, covering decades of films and cultural shifts that reflect evolving public perceptions of extraterrestrials. Certainly, the phenomena takes note of all the hysteria and sensationalism that is typical for such coverage. As such, UFO sightings and the development […]
One Tough Dame. The Life and Career of Diana Rigg by Herbie J. Pilato (2024)
The remarkable British actress Diana Rigg, who was awarded the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1994, is the subject of this biography. Her reputation as being ‘tough’ and a long career as the star of plays, movies, and the TV show The Avengers, where she excelled from […]
HR Giger by Hans Werner Holzwarth (ed.) (2024)
At the tenth anniversary of his death, legendary Swiss painter, sculptor, and designer HR Giger (1940–2014) is once again celebrated for the haunting power and dark psychedelia that informs his objects and paintings in an updated XXL edition by Taschen. Edited by Hans Werner Holzwarth, a book designer specializing in contemporary art and photography with […]
Dirty Real: Exile on Hollywood and Vine With the Gin Mill Cowboys by Peter Stanfield (2024)
The American film industry of the 1970s was very particular and bold. The period under inspection in this title covers a style named “dirty realism” that came up in roughly the late 1960s and lasted until 1974. That period of unusual gritty esthetics was part of the American New Wave cinema. Its directors usually rejected […]
Journeys into Terror: Essays from the Cinematic Intersection of …by Cynthia J. Miller and A. Bowdoin
Let’s face it, what would a travelog, either from the 16th century or last year, be worth, if one could foresee this journey’s beginning and end, as well as anything that happened in between would it be an amiable and beautiful experience, a safe travel to a secure area which read like the perfect holiday […]
The Monkees: Made in Hollywood by Tom Kemper (2023)
When it comes to music appreciation, originality, authenticity and the masterful use of instruments, traits and abilities associated with musicians, are usually important selection criteria for consumers, who choose by those aforementioned elements whether or not to buy the artist’s products. Usually, that is. In the case of the Los Angeles-based mid-1960s band The Monkees, […]