Book Review: It All Began with a Scream

Fans of the Scream franchise have been given a rare glimpse behind the curtain in Padraic Maroney’s “It All Began with a Scream.” The text covers the creation of the first four films of the series (the original films that were helmed by Wes Craven), and it is surprising how much information is packed inside a fairly brief 227 pages of text. Frankly, this reader was a bit skeptical as to whether a comprehensive look at the creation of four films could be properly covered in a single volume, but it is nice to report that these pages are full of great information. Maroney interviewed 30 different firsthand participants (producers, actors, editors, and etcetera) and draws from a host of other sources in an effort to bring fans closer to the making of this landmark series, and the result is a worthwhile and very enjoyable reading experience.

Book Review: Martin Scorsese — A Retrospective (Revised and Expanded Edition)

Publisher: Insight Editions

Release Date: November 01, 2022

Since his emergence in the early 1970s, Martin Scorsese has become one of the most respected names in cinema. Classics such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas are regularly cited as being among the finest films ever made (and there are several others that deserve to be but aren’t). This lavish retrospective is a fitting tribute to a remarkable director, now into his seventh decade in cinema and showing no signs of slowing up.

The book’s author, Tom Shone, is responsible for a number of other books in this series — notably “Woody Allen: A Retrospective” and “Tarantino: A Retrospective” — and a number of other cinema-related titles (such as Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer). His passion for film (Scorsese’s work in particular) comes across here as he offers in-depth commentaries on all of the director’s twenty-six main features (from Who’s That Knocking at My Door to The Irishman) while also touching on his work as a documentary filmmaker. It’s a beautiful book packed with plenty of information, production stills, and “behind the scenes photographs.” Those who enjoyed “Tarantino: A Retrospective” and also admires the work of Martin Scorsese should have this beautiful volume on their shelves as well.

 

Book Review: Christopher Nolan — The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work

Publisher: Quarto Press

Release Date: November 08, 2022

Ian Nathan’s “Iconic Filmmakers” series continues to impress with this latest volume on Christopher Nolan. Those who have already discovered this wonderful series of coffee table books know that they can expect a “complete and intimate study of the life and work of one of modern cinema’s most truly unique directors, whose distinct aesthetic and imagination are unmatched in contemporary film.” In this case, Nathan hopes to “crack open the magic box of Nolan’s twisting universe,” a task that isn’t easy considering the body of work in question.

Examining both the making of and the inspiration behind his many, many hit films, from The Prestige (2006) to the hugely successful Batmanfilms, through to his mind-bending science fiction works such as Inception (2014) and Tenet (2020). Those who have read previous volumes in this series will not be surprised to learn that this earns an easy recommendation for anyone who admires Nolan’s work.

Book Review: James Cameron — A Retrospective

Publisher: Palazzo Editions

Release Date: November 20, 2022

James Cameron has been called the most successful filmmaker of all time (although it really depends on how one is measuring their success). As the book’s marketing information announces:

“The question at the heart of the book, isn’t only how this came about, but what is it about Cameron that makes him such a universal storyteller? Cinema has had its godlike directors, lifting it up into new spaces, but he is their Zeus. The man who made the biggest film of all time, Titanic, then topped that by making the next biggest film of all time, Avatar.

Encapsulating not only the magnitude of James Cameron as a filmmaker but the minutiae too — the incredible stories of an artist whose commitment to the medium knows few bounds. The tales behind the films are as epic as the films themselves. The astonishing making of The Abyss, much of it shot submerged in a decommissioned nuclear plant, could fill a book on its own.”

“James Cameron: A Retrospective” is the first book of this series that I have read not to have been written by Tom Shone, but his approach is very similar to the Shone volumes. The author, Ian Nathan, is also responsible for the volumes in the “Iconic Filmmakers Series” (which includes volumes on Quentin Tarantino, The Coen Brothers, Guillermo del Toro, Wes Anderson, Tim Burton, and Clint Eastwood), and his approach to this series is honestly almost identical. This is actually his third entry of the “Retrospective” series as he was also responsible for “David Lynch—A Retrospective” and “Ridley Scott—A Retrospective.” It’s also worth noting that he is responsible for authoring “Terminator Vault: The Complete Story Behind the Making of The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day” as this text focuses on two of Cameron’s most beloved movies.

Those who enjoy James Cameron’s work and found the books in Nathan’s “Iconic Filmmakers Series” worth their while will probably cherish this volume as well.

Book Review: There’s a Body in the Window Seat! — The History of Arsenic and Old Lace

Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield / Applause

Release Date: November 2022

The scope of this excellent book by Charles Dennis extends beyond the making of the classic film by Frank Capra. The marketing accurately describes it as “a detailed history of one of the most beloved American murder-mysteries and comedies.” This means that Dennis takes us through the true crime case concerning Amy Archer-Gilligan that inspired Joseph Kesselring’s original draft of the play, we learn about the evolution of the play as “Bodies In The Celler” was finessed into a Broadway smash by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The various drafts are detailed at great depth so that one really understands how it evolved. We learn of the play’s success on Broadway and in Chicago, biographical information of those involved (including the various casts), and finally learn quite a bit about Frank Capra’s offbeat classic. This is a great book for anyone who likes the play or the film!

Book Interview: Nothing to Fear — Alfred Hitchcock and The Wrong Men

Alfred Hitchcock Master

Publisher: Fayetteville Mafia Press

Release Date: January 14, 2023

A Conversation with Jason Isralowitz

“Hitchcock had made many films that featured wrongfully accused protagonists. In the director’s breakthrough hit, The 39 Steps (1935), tourist Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) is framed for the murder of a woman found dead in his flat. For the rest of his career, Hitchcock returned to the theme of mistaken identity so often that it became his trademark. ‘I use the ‘‘wrong man’’ theme a lot because it is something everyone can identify with easily,’ he said in 1978. ‘Each of us has at one time or another been wrongly blamed for something we were innocent of.’

A factory worker goes on the run after police falsely accuse him of sabotage (Saboteur, 1942). A psychiatrist struggles to clear an amnesiac wanted for murder (Spellbound, 1945). A tennis pro inadvertently strikes a deal…

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Book Announcement: The Architecture of Suspense — The Built World in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock Master

Publisher: University of Virginia Press

Release Date: September 08, 2022

The inimitable, haunting films of Alfred Hitchcock took place in settings, both exterior and interior, that deeply impacted our experiences of his most unforgettable works. From the enclosed spaces of Rope and Rear Window to the wide-open expanses of North by Northwest, the physical worlds inhabited by desperate characters are a crucial element in our perception of the Hitchcockian universe. As Christine Madrid French reveals in this original and indispensable book, Hitchcock’s relation to the built world was informed by an intense engagement with location and architectural form — in an era marked by modernism’s advance — fueled by some of the most creative midcentury designers in film.

Hitchcock saw elements of the built world not just as scenic devices but as interactive areas to frame narrative exchanges. In his films, building forms also serve a sentient purpose — to capture and…

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Book Interview: The Young Alfred Hitchcock’s Movie Making Masterclass

Alfred Hitchcock Master

Publisher: Sabana

Release Date: October 31, 2022

“Today’s modern audiences may be more familiar with contemporary directors such as Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Sam Mendes, Kathryn Bigelow, Christopher Nolan, Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Paul Schrader, David Lynch, Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, Steven Spielberg, and Peter Jackson. All these filmmakers routinely have big budgets at their disposal, and their films are often driven by action sequences, special effects and CGI, often planned using previsualization. But they were all inspired by Hitchcock and his methods of meticulous planning which has been emulated in the years since his death. There is no director whose films are taught more than Hitchcock’s, and whole courses are built around him at schools and universities across the country. Hitchcock believed that film schools should teach the history of cinema as much as anything from the beginning. ‘I’m a puritan and believer in the visual,’ said Hitchcock. ‘And…

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Book Review: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: August 16, 2022

Quentin Tarantino’s debut novel of has been called a “novelization” of his film of the same name, but those who have read about the genesis of that film know that the screenplay for that film began as a novel (presumably a rough version of this novel). Tarantino fans should be thrilled to find out what original concept would have been. It is also an opportunity to dive a bit deeper into the world of the movie. This is the sort of audacious book one should expect from Tarantino! Here is Hollywood, both the fairy tale and the real thing, as given to us by a master storyteller who knows it like the back of his hand.

Book Review: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial — The Ultimate Visual History

Publisher: Insight Editions

Release Date: August 30, 2022

Those who have had the pleasure of reading Michael Klastorin “Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Ultimate Visual History” will have a good idea as to what they can expect with Caseen Gaines’s E.T. — The Extra-Terrestrial: The Ultimate Visual History. In some ways, it can be seen as something of a sequel or at least a part of the same series (even though it has been published by Insight Editions and not Harper Design). We opened our review for the former title as follows:

“There are two kinds of coffee table books. The first category includes books that are quick cash-in products and have been built around a generous helping of still photography that includes the occasional quote or caption spread throughout the pages. If these books offer text, it is usually generalized fluff that offers very little in the way of actual information. Needless to say, these books are quite disappointing to the discerning reader.

The second category is quite different… The images mix organically with textual information in a way that creates a relationship between these two ingredients, and the result is incredibly informative and extremely entertaining. It is our pleasure to assure readers that ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Ultimate Visual History’ belongs to this second category.”

We are happy to report that this new book belongs in the same category and offers the same experience while detailing a comprehensive account of the creative journey behind the making of the film while also discussing its reception and legacy.

The rare archival production documents included within enhance and elaborate upon the textual information, and the exclusive interviews with key members of the creative team create a first-hand commentary about the making of the classic. It comes as no surprise that we can recommend this beautiful book to fans of the film or devotees of Steven Spielberg without any qualifications.