The best-selling, official, and definitive guide to the characters of the dynamic, ever-expanding Marvel Universe.

Compiled by a team of comic book experts in close collaboration with Marvel Comics, this fully updated and expanded edition features more than 1,200 iconic Super Heroes and villains, with hundreds of expanded entries detailing their adventures since the previous edition (2019).

Major new characters have also been added, and the latest Marvel Universe crossover events, such as Judgment Day, Empyre, and War of the Realms, are included as in-depth features. With every character illustrated with superb artwork from the original Marvel Comics, this is the one book every Marvel fan has to own.

© 2024 MARVEL

Official retrospective hardback book telling the story of the making of Total Recall (1990), including new interviews with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven, as well as other members of the crew, and featuring behind-the-scenes photography from the shoot.

In 1990, after years of lurking in development hell, Total Recall was finally released. In the creative hands of renowned director Paul Verhoeven, this thrilling, intriguing, and occasionally violent sci-fi action movie, adapted from the Philip K Dick short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, more than justified its huge budget by becoming a massive worldwide box-office hit.

“Get ready for a surprise!” as this lavish hardback book presents the full story of the making of this remarkable film. Incredible concept art and behind-the-scenes photography sheds new light on the production, while new interviews with key cast and crew capture their experiences on the notoriously difficult shoot in the Mexican heat. An in-depth look at the making of a sci-fi film classic.

This thought-provoking work examines the dehumanizing depictions of black males in the movies since 1910, analyzing images that were once imposed on black men and are now appropriated and manipulated by them. Moving through cinematic history decade by decade since 1910, this important volume explores the appropriation, exploitation, and agency of black performers in Hollywood by looking at the black actors, directors, and producers who have shaped the image of African American males in film. To determine how these archetypes differentiate African American males in the public's subconscious, the book asks probing questions-for example, whether these images are a reflection of society's fears or realistic depictions of a pluralistic America. Even as the work acknowledges the controversial history of black representation in film, it also celebrates the success stories of blacks in the industry. It shows how blacks in Hollywood manipulate degrading stereotypes, gain control, advance their careers, and earn money while making social statements or bringing about changes in culture. It discusses how social activist performers-such as Paul Robeson, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and Spike Lee-reflect political and social movements in their movies, and it reviews the interactions between black actors and their white counterparts to analyze how black males express their heritage, individual identity, and social issues through film. Discusses the social, historical, and literary evolution of African American male roles in the cinema Analyzes the various black images presented each decade from blackface, Sambo, and Mandingo stereotypes to archetypal figures such as God, superheroes, and the president Shows how African American actors, directors, and producers manipulate negative and positive images to advance their careers, profit financially, and make social statements to create change Demonstrates the correlation between political and social movements and their impact on the cultural transformation of African American male images on screen over the past 100 years Includes figures that demonstrate the correlation between political and social movements and their impact on cultural transformation and African American male images on screen

This book is open access and available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. It is funded by Knowledge Unlatched. This innovative collection of essays on twenty-first century Chinese cinema and moving image culture features contributions from an international community of scholars, critics, and practitioners. Taken together, their perspectives make a compelling case that the past decade has witnessed a radical transformation of conventional notions of cinema. Following China's accession to the WTO in 2001, personal and collective experiences of changing social conditions have added new dimensions to the increasingly diverse Sinophone media landscape, and provided a novel complement to the existing edifice of blockbusters, documentaries, and auteur culture. The numerous 'iGeneration' productions and practices examined in this volume include 3D and IMAX films, experimental documentaries, animation, visual aides-memoires, and works of pirated pastiche. Together, they bear witness to the emergence of a new Chinese cinema characterized by digital and, trans-media representational strategies, the blurring of private/public distinctions, and dynamic reinterpretations of the very notion of 'cinema' itself.

The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the only book to provide an inside look at the magic behind the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge themed lands at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, documenting the art and innovations that led to the creation of Galaxy’s Edge. Featuring hundreds of full-color concept artworks, sketches, blueprints, photographs, and more, the book will reveal Walt Disney Imagineering’s creative process.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge invites guests to explore Black Spire Outpost, located on the remote Outer Rim planet Batuu―a spaceport bustling with First Order and Resistance activity where guests can interact with droids, creatures, and fan-favorite characters. Alongside Black Spire Outpost’s vibrant cantina and marketplace, a new and original score composed by John Williams accompanies guests as they seek out the land’s two major attractions: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, which allows guests to commandeer the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, in which guests find themselves in the crossfire of a ferocious battle between the Resistance and the First Order.

Exclusive interviews with the key creative minds who shaped the lands’ design provide commentary on what it’s like to dream and then build a life-size Star Wars adventure.

Plus, the book offers an inside look at the upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience, a first-of-its-kind immersive two-night adventure.

Lauded by his peers, Van Heflin won a place in the hearts of cinemagoers with his portrayal of a resolute homesteader in George Stevens' timeless classic Shane. But there was far more to this superlative actor than one role. He impressed in all genres and could convincingly portray every kind of character from a heel to a hero and each shade in between. This first full-length work about him provides a full commentary of all his films with insights into his life as a sailor and his stage career. The aim is to restore him to his rightful place among the gallery of stars of Hollywood's Golden Age to whose luster he added a stage craftsman's unique talent. He first caught the public attention as the sensitive drink-addicted friend of gangster Johnny Eager for which he won the Academy Award and contributed notable performances in a string of terrific noirs, dramas and westerns. He was especially memorable as the psychotic cop in Joseph Losey's masterpiece The Prowler but equally at home as the doubtful executive in Negulesco's smart satire Woman's World. A restless spirit whose heart never left the sea he learned early on about life and human motivations sailing the oceans of the world; this undoubtedly informed his natural acting instinct. A versatile risk-taking actor he was never concerned with popularity or comfortable with the trappings of stardom. However he brought to every role a rare emotional intensity which made all his portrayals real and ensured they should live for all time.

In 1980, the film Flash Gordon was released, becoming an instant cult favourite. One of the most quotable and beloved sci-fi films ever, it is legendary for its unique look, tone and iconic soundtrack. This beautiful, first-of-its-kind coffee table book will delve into the making of the movie and celebrate its legacy. Featuring brand new interviews with cast and creative, including stars Sam Jones and Brian Blessed and director Mike Hodges, this stunning book features never-been-seen-before concept artwork and behind-the-scenes photography that makes it a must-have for any classic sci-fi fan.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to soar through space like a leaf on the wind in a Firefly spaceship, this is the manual for you. The Firefly-class transport ship was originally created by the Allied Spacecraft Corporation, but since the Browncoats' Independence War, it has become a favourite among smugglers on the Rim worlds. The aircraft's many nooks, crannies, and hidden compartments give it an incredible cargo capacity, and its speed and small size make it the perfect getaway vehicle. The many secrets of Serenity are revealed in this fascinating crew-created owner's manual, which features in-depth technical specifications and insightful commentary from the entire crew. Designed as an in-world crew-made manual for the ship, this book will allow fans of Firefly and Serenity to explore the iconic Firefly-class Series 3 ship in a whole new way.

To say that children matter in Steven Spielberg's films is an understatement. Think of the possessed Stevie in Something Evil (TV), Baby Langston in The Sugarland Express, the alien-abducted Barry in Close Encounters, Elliott and his unearthly alter-ego in E.T, the war-damaged Jim in Empire of the Sun, the little girl in the red coat in Schindler's List, the mecha child in A.I., the kidnapped boy in Minority Report, and the eponymous boy hero of The Adventures of Tintin. (There are many other instances across his oeuvre). Contradicting his reputation as a purveyor of 'popcorn' entertainment, Spielberg's vision of children/childhood is complex. Discerning critics have begun to note its darker underpinnings, increasingly fraught with tensions, conflicts and anxieties. But, while childhood is Spielberg's principal source of inspiration, the topic has never been the focus of a dedicated collection of essays. The essays in Children in the Films of Steven Spielberg therefore seek to address childhood in the full spectrum of Spielberg's cinema. Fittingly, the scholars represented here draw on a range of theoretical frameworks and disciplines-cinema studies, literary studies, audience reception, critical race theory, psychoanalysis, sociology, and more. This is an important book for not only scholars but teachers and students of Spielberg's work, and for any serious fan of the director and his career.