Category: Movie books
Biology Runs Amok! The Life Science Lessons Of Science Fiction Cinema by Mark C. Glassy (book review).
Ah! A writer after my own heart. Cancer immunologist/writer Mark C. Glassy uses his book, ‘Biology Runs Amok! The Life Science Lessons Of Science Fiction Cinema’, to explore how real science was used in SF films can date when they were made and the accuracy to their display. These articles first appeared in the American […]
Sci-Fi: Days Of Fear And Wonder (book review).
The initial flick test I do on any illustrated books had me spotting some film stills I hadn’t seen before. Always a good sign when picking up a book. The ones that I initially spotted included a full page photo from ‘Close Encounters Of The Third Kind’ as Neary is being groped by the aliens […]
Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making Of Cujo by Lee Gambin (book review).
In the pantheon of great horror films, ‘Cujo’ seems a little out of place. Based on Stephen King’s 1981 novel, the film adaptation directed by Lewis Teague appeared when King’s ubiquity on the bookshelves meant that everything except his laundry list was made into a film. Released to modest reviews, the story about a rabid […]
Cube: Inside The Making Of A Cult Classic by A.S. Berman (book review).
Before reading this book, if you haven’t seen the 1997 film ‘Cube’ in a while, pick up a copy and watch first. I pulled the boxset of the trilogy, mostly because I hadn’t seen the other two films, so expect a review of it when I complete watching it. Even without re-watching it, I remembered […]
The Art Of Walt Disney by Christopher Finch (book review).
Christopher Finch originally wrote this book 40 years ago. The Disney Studios has done a lot since done and needed an update and so on my table is this very large updated hardback from 2011, ‘The Art Of Walt Disney’. It isn’t the kind of book you can take to bed and read because it […]
The Art Of Star Wars: The Last Jedi by Phil Szostak, foreword by Rian Johnson (book review).
Please note, there are mild spoilers below for ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, you have been warned! As the dust (salt?) settles on the latest ‘Star Wars’ release ‘The Last Jedi’, this is a great time to pick up Abrams’ latest concept art and design collection focusing on Rian Johnson’s masterpiece. ‘The Art Of Star […]
The Coffee Break Screenwriter Breaks The Rules by Pilar Alessandra (book review).
If you read Pilar Alessandra’s previous book, ‘The Coffee Break Screenwriter’ then you will want its sequel, ‘The Coffee Break Screenwriter Breaks The Rules’. What she says in the introduction is that all the supposed scriptwriting rules aren’t that at all, just guidance as to what to be careful of. Interestingly, throughout the book, she […]
Augmented Reality Alien Survival Manual by Owen Williams (book review).
This is the first time I’ve come across an augmented book. It gives you access to an App that you can put in your mobile phone so you can try out various scenarios. As the title of this book by Owen Williams is called ‘Augmented Reality Alien Survival Manual’, it might be easier to watch […]
The Art Of Coco (book review).
‘Coco’ is the latest film from Pixar. ‘Coco’ is the surname of a Mexican family and they are celebrating the dead at the Dia de los Muertos. The events are seen through the son Miguel. As explained throughout this book, the Mexicans celebrate and parade around their graveyards with joyous abandon with their ancestors usually […]
Funny! Twenty-Five Years Of Laughter From The Pixar Story Room (book review).
A common misconception is that when any comedy films are made that all the right jokes are selected at the scripting stage. With animation, where so much of it is visual gags, then as John Lasseter describes, egos are left at the door when his team enters the Pixar Story Room and each of the […]
