American filmmaker Ted V. Mikels holds a unique position as one of the most unconventional directors of exploitation cinema. Famous for his eccentric home life (he once lived with a harem in a castle with secret passage-ways) and promotional gimmicks (he was known for having nurses and ambulances on hand to assist "scared-to-death" movie-goers), Mikels is considered a pioneering master of low-budget movie making. This unique work examines each of Mikels' 19 major film or video productions,...

American filmmaker Ray Dennis Steckler may forever be remembered for his cult classic The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? but his career path is even more fascinating than his strange signature film. Between 1962 and 1986, Steckler wrote, directed, edited and occasionally acted in nine more underground feature films. After his live oddities roadshows helped propel the director to even greater cult infamy, Steckler turned his camera to...

More of the Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic's most scathing reviews.A Horrible Experience of Unbearable Length collects more than 200 of his reviews from 2006 to 2012 in which he gave movies two stars or fewer. Known for his fair-minded and well-written film reviews, Roger is at his razor-sharp humorous best when skewering bad movies. Consider this opener for the one-star Your Highness:" Your Highness is a juvenile excrescence th...

If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor Here we are together in the digital universe. Somehow, you've clicked yourself to this page. If you came here of your own free will and desire, you and I are going to get along just fine.Life is full of choices. Right now, yours is whether or not to download the autobiography of a mid-grade, kind of hammy actor.Am I supposed to know this guy? you think to yourself.No-and that's exactly the point. You can down...

An expanded glossary of movie clichés from the Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic.The popular film critic offers a compilation of witty and wise observations about the film lexicon, including "Fruit Cart," a chase scene through an ethnic or foreign locale, or "The Non-Answering Pet," referring to a dead pet in a horror movie.

You'll scream with delight while reading this fun and engaging book that discusses fright flicks all horror fans need to see to ascend to the level of a true Horror Freak -from classics (Dracula and Psycho) to modern movies (Drag Me to Hell) and lesser-known gems (Dog Soldiers).Movies are divided into various categories including Asian horror, beginners, homicidal slashers, super...

Movies made for television were in their infancy when ABC came up with a novel idea: a weekly series of films made exclusively for the small screen. The ABC Movie of the Week became a great success and a cultural touchstone for a generation of Americans.In this loving tribute to the classic series of TV films, more than two hundred films in the series are reviewed, including well-remembered titles such as Duel, Tribes, The Six Million Dollar Man, Go Ask Alice, Brian's ...

The films of John Carpenter cover a tremendous range and yet all bear his clear personal stamp. From the horrifying (Halloween) to the touching (Starman) to the controversial (The Thing) to the comic (Big Trouble in Little China), his films reflect a unique approach to filmmaking and singular views of humanity and American culture. This analysis of Carpenter's films includes a historical overview of his career, and in-depth entries on each of his films, from 1975's Dark Star to 1998's Vamp...

Roger Ebert's "criticism shows a nearly unequaled grasp of film history and technique, and formidable intellectual range. . . ." — New York TimesPulitzer Prize–winning film critic Roger Ebert presents more than 600 full-length critical movie reviews, along with interviews, tributes, and journal entries inside Roger Ebert ' s Movie Yearbook 2013.It includes every movie review Ebert has written from January 2010 to July 2012.Also inclu...

Richard Crouse film critic and host of television’s award-winning Reel to Real takes you on a journey through 70 years of cinema history choosing his favorite overlooked films. From the sublime – Monsoon Wedding – to the ridiculous – Eegah! The Name Written in Blood – The 100 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen covers a wide spectrum of films from the 1930s through to present day. Complementing the reviews are detailed descriptions of the movie’s plots trivia and interviews with the actors and f...

A movie guide for film and comedy fans, by filmmakers and comedians, for the movie lover with a good sense of humor.Tired of the usual boring, dry movie discussion? The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies is something new. Is it serious movie discussion? Is it funny? Do the writers know what the hell they are talking about? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Okay, that's too many yes's, but you get the point. Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini, both professional filmmaker...

This cinefile’s guidebook covers the horror genre monstrously well! Find reviews of over 1,000 of the best, weirdest, wickedest, wackiest, and most entertaining scary movies from every age of horror!Atomic bombs, mad serial killers, zealous zombies, maniacal monsters lurking around every corner, and the unleashing of technology, rapidly changing and dominating our lives. Slasher and splatter films. Italian giallo and Japanese city-stomping monster flicks. Psycholog...