The iconic image of King Kong climbing the Empire State Building has been a pop-culture staple since the original King Kong film premiered in 1933. Since then, there have been King Kong remakes, comic books, television series, and even a musical. King Kong also inspired other films, such as the Planet of the Apes franchise and big-ape documentaries. This resource will take readers behind the scenes of these thrilling movies with posters and stills from each era of the King Kong phenomenon, discussion of special effects, and more.
Looks at the depiction of King Kong and other monstrous apes in motion pictures, including "Rango," "The Lost World," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," and "Mighty Joe Young.".
The iconic image of King Kong climbing the Empire State Building has been a pop-culture staple since the original King Kong film premiered in 1933. Since then, there have been King Kong remakes, comic books, television series, and even a musical. King Kong also inspired other films, such as the Planet of the Apes franchise and big-ape documentaries. This resource will take readers behind the scenes of these thrilling movies with posters and stills from each era of the King Kong phenomenon, discussion of special effects, and more.
The iconic image of King Kong climbing the Empire State Building has been a pop-culture staple since the original King Kong film premiered in 1933. Since then, there have been King Kong remakes, comic books, television series, and even a musical. King Kong also inspired other films, such as the Planet of the Apes franchise and big-ape documentaries. This resource will take readers behind the scenes of these thrilling movies with posters and stills from each era of the King Kong phenomenon, discussion of special effects, and more. Glossary, Index, Full-color photographs, Web Sites, Detailed Table of Contents, Bibliography, Sidebars, For Further Information Section.
From vampires and demons to ghosts and zombies, interest in monsters in literature, film, and popular culture has never been stronger. This concise Encyclopedia provides scholars and students with a comprehensive and authoritative A-Z of monsters throughout the ages. It is the first major reference book on monsters for the scholarly market. Over 200 entries written by experts in the field are accompanied by an overview introduction by the editor. Generic entries such as 'ghost' and 'vampire' are cross-listed with important specific manifestations of that monster. In addition to monsters appearing in English-language literature and film, the Encyclopedia also includes significant monsters in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, African and Middle Eastern traditions. Alphabetically organized, the entries each feature suggestions for further reading. The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters is an invaluable resource for all students and scholars and an essential addition to library reference shelves.
In recent years, zombies have become perhaps the most talked about monsters in popular culture worldwide. In these pages, readers will learn the legendary origins of the living dead, including the development of zombie tales in Haitian folklore and how those tales made it back to the United States—where Hollywood quickly took over. From there, the text traces out the various manifestations of zombies in film, including such classics as White Zombie, Night of the Living Dead, and the contemporary hit TV series The Walking Dead. A filmography supplements the text with a thorough list of the big screen’s zombie offerings!
As the success of the recent Transformers movies proves, the movie-going public can’t get enough of robots. Cyborgs—close kin to the robot—also continue to fascinate, appearing in several popular movie franchises. Readers will learn about the rich history of robots and cyborgs on film and television, from the robots that featured in the silent movies of the 1920s to today’s high-tech creations. Learn about the endearing R2-D2 and C-3PO, the formidable adversaries Megatron and Optimus Prime, the well-nigh unstoppable Terminator and many, many more.
Through his famous ransack of Tokyo, Gojira—or Godzilla, to Western audiences—became the definitive movie monster. But the original Godzilla delivers more than just thrills—the fictional monster represents Japan’s very real reaction to nuclear war. Attracting new generations of fans decades after his 1954 debut, Godzilla’s popularity launched a franchise of over two dozen films and paved the way for numerous other B-movie kaiju (monsters), including Rodan and Mothra, to take the silver screen. This lively volume provides a behind-the-scenes look at the various Godzilla films and the monster’s pop culture legacy both in Japan and abroad.
From cinema's earliest days, being scared out of your wits has always been one of the best reasons for going to the movies. From B-movie bogeymen and outer space oddities to big-budget terrors, Monsters in the Movies by horror film maestro John Landis celebrates the greatest monsters ever to creep, fly, slither, stalk or rampage across the Silver Screen. Landis also surveys the historical origins of archetypal monsters, such as vampires, zombies and werewolves, and takes you behind the scenes to discover the secrets of the special-effects wizards who created such legendary frighteners as King Kong, Dracula, the Alien, and Freddy Krueger. Monsters in the Movies by John Landis is filled with the author's own fascinating and entertaining insights into the world of movie-making, and includes memorable contributions from leading directors, actors and monster-makers. The book is also stunningly illustrated with 1000 movie stills and posters drawn from the unrivaled archives of the Kobal Collection. Contents Introduction by John Landis... Explore a timeless world of fears and nightmares as John Landis investigates what makes a legendary movie monster • Monsters, chapter by chapter... Feast your eyes upon a petrifying parade of voracious Vampires, flesh-eating Zombies, slavering Werewolves, gigantic Apes and Supernatural Terrors • Spectacular double-page features... Thrill to the strangest, scariest, weirdest, and craziest movie monsters ever seen • The ingenious tricks of movie-making... Marvel as the special-effects wizards reveal how they create movie magic • A monster-movie timeline... Discover John Landis's personal selection of landmark horror films
