This book offers a history of films with Biblical, spiritual, and supernatural themes. This volume follows the evolution of one of the Hollywood's longest running thematic concerns. From the silent era to the present, Sacred Profanity: Spirituality at the Movies examines the rich diversity of films with spiritual themes-films that reflect our own fascination with the divine and supernatural, while evoking the specific times in which they were created. From Birth of a Nation to Angels and Demons, Sacred Profanity discusses over 180 films with an insightful, movie lover's approach. Coverage encompasses Biblical stories like King of Kings; films about spiritual characters, such as The Nun's Story; foreign masterpieces like The Seventh Seal; movies that incorporate spiritual symbolism, such as Taxi Driver and Cool Hand Luke; horrifying visions of the Satanic like The Exorcist, and controversial works like The Last Temptation of Christ. The book also looks at the history of Hollywood's attempt to maintain moral order through censorship, as well as the growing influence of filmmakers' own spiritual beliefs on the movies we see. Comprises discussions of 184 films with religious, spiritual, or supernatural themes Includes quotes from over 100 actors, producers, directors, and critics Presents 22 seminal images from Biblical epics, films featuring priests and nuns and also films dealing with symbolic sacramental themes Offers an extensive bibliography of print and online sources for further reading Provides a comprehensive filmography of all movies discussed in the book

This new biography contains excerpts from interviews and articles by and about Curtis all the way from his teens in the Bronx to his death at 85 in 2010. Many of these are little known and provide insights into his complex relationship with fame, family and females, the three obsessions of his life. The book also documents his many struggles with substance abuse, his disenchantment with Hollywood when it failed to take him seriously as an actor despite his best efforts, the violent deaths of his two brothers, the failure of four of his marriages, a heart attack, the death of a son from a drug overdose and, most importantly, the manner in which his resilient spirit saw him through these challenges and tragedies. It's a revisionist biography which adds significantly to the received wisdom on his life and times, not only through personal interviews but also revelations from two recent books not yet available in English, one written by his daughter Allegra and the other by his ex-wife Christine Kaufmann.

"Women stars in Hollywood were invariably in one of two categories," said director Otto Preminger. "One group was made up of women who were exploited by men, and the other, much smaller group was composed of women who survived by acting like men." Beginning with silent film vamp Theda Bara and continuing with icons like Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch, this study of film industry misogyny describes how female stars were maltreated by a sexist studio system--until women like Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis fought for parity. The careers of Doris Day, Brigitte Bardot, Carole Landis, Francis Farmer, Dorothy Dandridge, Inger Stevens and many others are examined, along with more recent actresses like Demi Moore and Sharon Stone. Women who worked behind the scenes, writing screenplays, producing and directing without due credit, are also covered.

Writers and alcohol have long been associated-for some, the association becomes unmanageable. Drawing on rare sources, this collection of brief biographies traces the lives of 13 well known literary drinkers, examining how their relationship with alcohol developed and how it affected their work, for better or worse. Focusing on examples like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Bukowski and Raymond Carver, the combined biographies present a study of the classic figure of the over-indulging author.

This reference helps readers navigate the perilous odyssey those of an LGBTQ orientation had to face in an age less enlightened than our own, when an attraction to members of the same gender could lead to horrendous abuse. Just as American society has changed dramatically from decade to decade, so has queer cinema. Taking us from a time when LGBTQ characters were often represented as either caricatures or figures of farce, this lively yet authoritative reference explores the sea change ushered in by such stars as Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich in the 1930s and '40s, androgynous figures such as Montgomery Clift, James Dean, and Marlon Brando in the '50s, and closeted gay men such as Rock Hudson and Liberace, whose double lives were exposed by the scourge of AIDS. Included are alphabetically arranged entries on stars, directors, films, themes, and other topics related to queer cinema in America, including films and persons from outside the U.S. who nonetheless figured prominently in America popular culture. Entries cite works for further reading, sidebars provide snippets of interesting trivia, a timeline highlights key events, and a selected, general, end-of-work bibliography cites the most important major works on the topic. A timeline highlights key events in LGBTQ cinema history. An introduction overviews the history of queer cinema in America. Alphabetically arranged reference entries provide fundamental and critical information about films, directors, actors, themes, and other topics related to queer cinema in America. Fascinating anecdotes bring LGBTQ cinema history to life. Sidebars provide interesting trivia. Entry bibliographies direct readers to additional sources of information.

No self-respecting dog owner should be without a copy of this book of quotations about man's best friend. Compiled by dog lover Aubrey Malone, The Little Book of Dog Quotes brings together hundreds of quips and quotes about canines. Actors, writers, politicians - even Sigmund Freud - all famously share an appreciation for those faithful friends who have left a lasting impression not just on our lives, but on our language and laughterlevels too. This collection of quotes is humorously illustrated by the cartoonist Richard Jolley. If you and your best friend want a good laugh, this irresistible little book is just what you need. A dog wags its tail with its heart. Martin Buxbaum A Canadian psychologist is selling a video that teaches you how to test your dog's IQ. Here's how it works. If you spend $12 on the video, your dog is smarter than you are. Jay Leno What's the difference between a dog and a cat? Dogs have owners. Cats have staff. Fay Weldon If a film of mine wasn't going well I always put a dog into it. It worked every time. Walt Disney

Aubrey Malone was born in Ballina and lived there until his father, the well-known solicitor Hugh Dillon-Malone, retired in 1969 and the family moved to Dublin. Ballina Stories and Poems is a mixture of fact and fiction in which he reminisces on the people and places he encountered during his formative years.

Many wise words are spoken in jest but many more stupid ones are said in earnest, as this book demonstrates. How about this comment on a football match from Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance: 'The reason we lost is because we didn't win.' Or Ian Wright's, 'It took a lot of bottle for Tony Adams to admit he was an alcoholic.' Or Dave Woods' remark, 'The silence is getting louder.' It makes you think, doesn't it? There are many others: 'Abstinence is the thin end of the pledge.' 'A comedian who repeats old gags is a clear case of the tale dogging the wag.' 'It is kisstomary to cuss the bride.' 'Cannabalise legalis.' A cavalcade of equally regrettable utterances form the basis of this melange of spoonerisms and spectacular ignorance. Aubrey Malone has written a bumber of nooks.

Aubrey Malone is the youngest of nine children born to Hugh Dillon-Malone, a solicitor from Ballina, a town in the West of Ireland, in 1953. In this detailed memoir he documents his father's problems with alcohol, many of which were transmitted to himself, causing feelings of depression, lack of self-esteem, and on one notable occasion, a night in jail after a drink-induced car accident. He became a teacher after graduating from college but suffered much stress and ill-health during this time. Afterwards he turned to a life of writing and this too he documents in a book which also acts as a valentine to a lost world of innocence, both in himself and an Ireland he looks back on with a mixture of nostalgia and regret.

This bumper collection of Irish humour covers topics such as Absenteeism and Zoos and everything in between. It would be disappointing should such a large collection not include the best of famous Irish wits such as Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, but the emphasis is very much on contemporary Irish humour from the likes of Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran, Ardal O'Hanlon and Dara O'Briain, to name just a few. Lunatic, iconoclastic and, as Spike Milligan might have put it, involving 'sideways thinking', this is Irish humour at its very best.