(Applause Books). In the year 2002, An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith was the first book to gaze at the cinema of one of New Jersey's favorite sons, the independent and controversial auteur of Clerks (1994), Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999) and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001). Now, a full decade after that successful original edition, award-winning author John Kenneth Muir returns to the View Askewniverse to consider Kevin Smith's second controversial decade as a film director, social gadfly, and beloved media "talker." From Jersey Girl (2004) to the controversial Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), from the critically derided Cop-Out (2010) to the incendiary and provocative horror film Red State (2011), An Askew View 2 studies the Kevin Smith movie equation as it exists today, almost two full decades after Smith maxed out his credit card, made Clerks with his friends, shopped it at Sundance, and commenced his Hollywood journey. In addition to Kevin Smith's films, An Askew View 2 remembers the short-lived Clerks cartoon (2000) and diagrams the colorful Smith Lexicon.

I want my films to explode with life. aMira Nair. This the first book to examine the films of the acclaimed and popular Indian-born and Harvard educated filmmaker Mira Nair. A unique voice in cinema today she is one of the few female directors who made it to the top of a male-dominated profession. Her films feature an incomparably sensuous visual style yet at the same time often record the injustice of the disenfranchised and the cross-pollination of East and West. Her twin themes of realism and romance make for dazzling cinema.THJohn Kenneth Muir analyzes all of Nair's work including:THU ESalaam Bombay!E (1988) the groundbreaking story of a young boy abandoned by his family on the streets of Bombay.THU EMississippi MasalaE (1991) an interracial small town romance between an Indian woman (Sarita Choudhury) and an African American businessman (Denzel Washington).THU EMonsoon WeddingE (2001) featuring a Bollywood carnival atmosphere one of the most successful foreign films ever released in the United States.THU EHysterical BlindnessE (2002) the HBO film featuring Uma Thurman and Juliette Lewis looking for love in all the wrong places.THU The big-budget Hollywood adaptation of the Thackery novel EVanity FairE (2004) starring Reese Witherspoon Gabriel Byrne and Eileen Atkins.

EBest in ShowE is the first in-depth look at the method behind film director and actor Christopher Guest's madness a and genius. John Kenneth Muir focuses his attention on the acclaimed Guest-directed trilogy of what some call mockumentaries : EWaiting for GuffmanE EBest in ShowE and EA Mighty WindE. In these films Guest has escorted rapt audiences into the purportedly real worlds of a small-town theatrical company dog show competition and folk music festival. Muir also details the events that lead to Rob Reiner's influential and legendary EThis Is Spinal TapE which ERolling StoneE called the best rock and roll movie of all time and in which Guest played the part of guitarist Nigel Tufnel.THMuch of EBest in ShowE exemplifies the unique process by which Guest directs films. He employs a common repertory company improvises scenes often without any rehearsal and does not use any screenplay with dialogue instead following a detailed outline often co-authored with his ace actor/writer Eugene Levy. Company members that have been interviewed for this book include Fred Willard Harry Shearer Bob Balaban and Michael Hitchcock.THGuest's influences a ESaturday Night LiveE ENational LampoonE a as well as his more conventional comedies such as EThe Big PictureE and EAlmost HeroesE are studied. EBest in ShowE is general enough to bring new fans to the table yet detailed enough to satisfy the most in-the-know Guest fan and film student. A complete filmography with Guest's directing acting and writing credits is included as is the appendix You Know You're in a Christopher Guest Film When ... THGuest once commented I am drawn to people who have dreams that are slightly out of reach. Now thanks to John Kenneth Muir the fascinating world of Christopher Guest and company is substantially more within reach.

The life and work of legendary cult-film director Sam Raimi Raimi has three film in production/post-production for 2004-5 release Film historian and popular writer JK Muir turns his attention to the life and work of legendary cult-film director Sam Raimi who exploded onto the movie scene in 1982, when he was 23, with the audacious, independently produced horror film The Evil Dead. There were two Evil Dead sequels, the critically acclaimed A Simple Plan starring Billy Bob Thornton (1999), The Gift starring Kate Blanchett (2000), and in 2002 Raimi's Spider-Man had the biggest opening weekend in film history - netting USD114 million at the box office. The Unseen Force also features a sneak peek at the much-anticipated Spider-Man 2. Raimi's influence on other filmmakers continues to be enormous - from the "shaky cam" shots of the Coen brothers to the early oeuvre of Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, both of whom have been termed the "direct progeny" of Raimi's works.

(Applause Books). When CLERKS opened at cinemas across the country in 1994, it took everyone, especially the film industry, by surprise. Filmed on a shoestring budget after hours at a convenience store, it was crude (in technique and language), realistic and, above all, hilarious. The movie's nationwide success helped launch the indepedent film boom of the 1990s and catapulted its director, Kevin Smith, to full-fledged stardom. Smith's work is explored in AN ASKEW VIEW, the first ever study of his films. John Kenneth Muir examines all of Smith's movies. including MALLRATS, CHASING AMY, and the hugely controversial and variously interpreted DOGMA. Muir discusses Smith's themes and obsessions in depth: his New Jersey boosterism, the cast of characters that pop in and out of all of his films, and the references to STAR WARS and other icons of pop culture. AN ASKEW VIEW is a fascinating and detailed history of the art of this visionary filmmaker, New Jersey's favorite local-boy-makes-good since Bruce Springsteen.

Since its inception in November 1963, the British science fiction television series ""Doctor Who"" has exerted an enormous impact on the world of science fiction (over 1,500 books have been written about the show). The series follows the adventures of a mysterious ""Time Lord"" from the distant planet Gallifrey who travels through time and space to fight evil and injustice. Along the way, he has visited Rome under the rule of Nero, played backgammon with Kublai Khan, and participated in the mythic gunfight at the O.K. Corral.Predating the ""Star Trek"" phenomenon by three years, ""Doctor Who"" seriously dealt with continuing characters, adult genre principles and futuristic philosophies. Critical and historical examinations of the ideas, philosophies, conceits and morals put forth in the ""Doctor Who"" series, which ran for 26 seasons and 159 episodes, are provided here. Also analyzed are thematic concepts, genre antecedents, the overall cinematography and the special effects of the long-running cult favorite. The various incarnations of ""Doctor Who"", including television, stage, film, radio, and spin-offs are discussed. In addition, the book provides an extensive listing of print, Internet, and fan club resources for ""Doctor Who"".

When the space drama ""Battlestar Galactica"" debuted on ABC in 1978, it was expected to be the most popular new program of the year. Instead, it was attacked as a Star Wars rip-off and canceled after a mere 17 stories. The author acknowledges the show was full of dramatic cliches and scientific inaccuracies, but despite these shortcomings, ""Battlestar Galactica"" was a dramatically resonant series full of unique and individual characters, such as Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) and ace warrior Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch). The author contends that ""Battlestar Galactica"" was a memorable attempt to make science fiction accessible to mainstream television audiences. The brilliant work of artist John Dykstra brought a new world of special effects to network television. ""Battlestar Galactica"" also skillfully exploited legends and names from both the Bible and ancient mythology, which added a layer of depth and maturity to the weekly drama.

Starring internationally renowned actors Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse and Catherine Schell, the British-made Space: 1999 was the only truly original space adventure of the mid-1970s. Sandwiched between the demise of the original Star Trek and the opening of the Stars Wars series on the big screen, Space: 1999 featured a richly-visualized world where space was terrifying and mysterious, where not all problems were solvable by technology and the space travelers were very human. From the science fiction show's conception in 1973 to its cancellation in 1977, this reference work covers each of the 48 episodes in depth, including a full plot synopsis, writer, director, guest star credits, and critical commentary that examines both the episode and other shows that have used similar plotlines. The popularity of Space: 1999 memorabilia and its many fan clubs are fully discussed, along with the possibility of a future movie or reunion show that would tie up the loose ends caused by the show's abrupt cancellation.

Filmmaker Wes Craven has consistently and imaginatively scared movie audiences since the early 1970s. His films encompass a variety of styles, elements and themes, from the nihilistic existentialism of The Last House on the Left to the successful A Nightmare on Elm Street (which sent horror in a bold new direction), to the hallucinatory dreamscapes of The Serpent and the Rainbow. And in the nineties, Craven returned with the Scream films, which were simultaneously funny, clever and scary films that overturned the horror cliches of the eighties. The present work provides a history of Craven's film career since 1972, examining all the themes and techniques the filmmaker explored. For each film, a synopsis, cast and credits, historical context, and critical commentary are provided. Also covered in detail are Craven's forays into television, including movies such as Stranger in the House and work on such series as The New Twilight Zone.

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 Vampires. Complete cast and production information is provided for each. The book also covers those films written and produced by Carpenter, such as Halloween II and Black Moon Rising, as well as Carpenter's work for television. Appendices are included on films Carpenter was offered but turned down, the slasher films that followed in the wake of the highly-successful Halloween, the actors and characters who make repeated appearances in Carpenter's films, and ratings for Carpenter's work. Notes, bibliography, and index are included.

This filmography covers more than 300 horror films released from 1990 through 1999. The horror genre's trends and cliches are connected to social and cultural phenomena, such as Y2K fears and the Los Angeles riots. Popular films were about serial killers, aliens, conspiracies, and sinister "interlopers," new monsters who shambled their way into havoc. Each of the films is discussed at length with detailed credits and critical commentary. There are six appendices: 1990s cliches and conventions, 1990s hall of fame, memorable ad lines, movie references in Scream, 1990s horrors vs. The X-Files, and the decade's ten best.

Providing a career-spanning view of everyone's favorite geek writer and director, Joss Whedon FAQ offers answers to fans' questions about one of the most significant pop culture auteurs of the past twenty-five years. The book gazes at Whedon's early work in Hollywood as a script doctor on films such The Quick and the Dead (1995) and Waterworld (1995), and follows his career as he became the cult-favorite creator of such sensations as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. In addition to looking at Whedon's ascent to blockbuster superhero filmmaking with titles such as The Avengers, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Justice League, this eminently readable compendium explores Whedon's lesser known but no less fascinating forays into the world of Shakespeare (Much Ado About Nothing) and even big-screen romantic fantasy (In Your Eyes). The book closes with discussions of Whedon's politics and feminism, as well as a catalog of his (unofficial) repertory company and a list of the most memorable on-screen character deaths in his canon.

Horror films have always reflected their audiences' fears and anxieties. In the United States, the 2000s were a decade full of change in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the contested presidential election of 2000, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These social and political changes, as well as the influences of Japanese horror and New French extremism, had a profound effect on American horror filmmaking during the 2000s. This filmography covers more than 300 horror films released in America from 2000 through 2009, including such popular forms as found footage, torture porn, and remakes. Each entry covers a single film and includes credits, a synopsis, and a lengthy critical commentary. The appendices include common horror conventions, a performer hall of fame, and memorable ad lines.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Films of the 1970s by John Kenneth Muir is a detailed history and analysis of more than 100 genre films produced between the span of 1970 - 1979. The book looks at the historical context of dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and outer space movies of the day, and reveals how these movies are both a look at tomorrow and a product of their times.

If you've ever wished you could learn more about the Planet of the Apes mythos... if you've devoured the films and TV series, but have never read the comic books or novels that continued their story... if you're tantalized by time travel and titillated by trivia... if you think you know all there is to know about simian society... then Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes, from Hasslein Books, is meant for you. Designed for both casual readers and those who devour encyclopedias from start to finish, Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes will help you learn everything there is to know about the upside-down world of Planet of the Apes.