John McTiernan

John McTiernan PDF Author: Larry Taylor
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476632332
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 223

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Book Description
John McTiernan is one of the most influential action filmmakers of his generation. Educated at the American Film Institute and influenced by European cinematic style, he made his name with a trio of groundbreaking action films--Predator, Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October. His later output was a mixture of successes and failures, including Last Action Hero, one of the most colossal misfires in Hollywood history. His career and personal life unravelled when he was indicted and briefly imprisoned for involvement in a wiretapping scandal. Drawing on extensive research, the author covers McTiernan's tumultuous life and career, from his early triumphs through his extensive legal battles and his multiple attempts at a comeback.

Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History

Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History PDF Author: James Mottram
Publisher: Insight Editions
ISBN: 9781608879731
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Yippee-ki-yay . . . Discover the explosive story behind the creation of the Die Hard saga in this visually stunning, behind-the-scenes look at the adventures of detective John McClane. Thirty years after the release of the groundbreaking action film, Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History takes an in-depth look at the entire Die Hard saga, from the original movie through to the hit sequels, comics, video games, and other extensions of hero John McClane’s story. Loosely based on Roderick Thorp’s novel Nothing Lasts Forever, Die Hard, released in 1988, saw Moonlighting star Bruce Willis seamlessly make the transition from TV success to movie stardom in a film so taut, explosive, and full of suspense that it would come to define the action movie genre for decades to come. Directed by John McTiernan (Predator), Die Hard also starred revered British stage actor Alan Rickman who turned lead villain Hans Gruber into a presence so deliciously malevolent, audiences didn’t know whether to love him or hate him. For the first time, Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History tells the complete story of the making of Die Hard and its sequels, through exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of each film and a wealth of rare and unseen imagery, including set photography and concept art. Also exploring Die Hard comics, video games, and other merchandise, this book will tell the full story of the saga and its remarkable thirty-year legacy.

Nothing Lasts Forever (Basis for the film Die Hard)

Nothing Lasts Forever (Basis for the film Die Hard) PDF Author: Roderick Thorp
Publisher: Graymalkin Media
ISBN: 193516984X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description
High atop a Los Angeles skyscraper, an office Christmas party turns into a deadly cage-match between a lone New York City cop and a gang of international terrorists. Every action fan knows it could only be the explosive big-screen blockbuster Die Hard. But before Bruce Willis blew away audiences as unstoppable hero John McClane, author Roderick Thorp knocked out thriller readers with the bestseller that started it all. A dozen heavily armed terrorists have taken hostages, issued demands, and promised bloodshed — all according to plan. But they haven’t counted on a death-defying, one-man cavalry with no shoes, no backup, and no intention of going down easily. As hot-headed cops swarm outside, and cold-blooded killers wield machine guns and rocket launchers inside, the stage is set for the ultimate showdown between anti-hero and uber-villains. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fight... to the death. Ho ho ho!

The Star System

The Star System PDF Author: Paul McDonald
Publisher: Wallflower Press
ISBN: 9781903364024
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 148

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Book Description
Looks at the development and changing organization of the star system in the American film industry. Tracing the popularity of star performers from the early "cinema of attractions" to the Internet universe, Paul McDonald explores the ways in which Hollywood has made and sold its stars. Through focusing on particular historical periods, case studies of Mary Pickford, Bette Davis, James Cagney, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, and Will Smith illustrate the key conditions influencing the star system in silent cinema, the studio era and the New Hollywood.

Reel Views 2

Reel Views 2 PDF Author: James Berardinelli
Publisher: Justin, Charles & Co.
ISBN: 1932112405
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 627

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Book Description
Thoroughly revised and updated for 2005! Includes a new chapter on the best special edition DVDs and a new chapter on finding hidden easter egg features.

Fiasco

Fiasco PDF Author: James Robert Parish
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 0470358645
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 330

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Book Description
A longtime industry insider and acclaimed Hollywood historian goes behind the scenes to tell the stories of 15 of the most spectacular movie megaflops of the past 50 years, such as Cleopatra, The Cotton Club, and Waterworld. He recounts, in every gory detail, how enormous hubris, unbridled ambition, artistic hauteur, and bad business sense on the parts of Tinsel Town wheeler-dealers and superstars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Clint Eastwood, and Francis Ford Coppola, conspired to engender some of the worst films ever.

Hollywood Remaking

Hollywood Remaking PDF Author: Kathleen Loock
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520976223
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 317

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Book Description
From the inception of cinema to today’s franchise era, remaking has always been a motor of ongoing film production. Hollywood Remaking challenges the categorical dismissal in film criticism of remakes, sequels, and franchises by probing what these formats really do when they revisit familiar stories. Kathleen Loock argues that movies from Hollywood’s large-scale system of remaking use serial repetition and variation to constantly negotiate past and present, explore stability and change, and actively shape how the film industry, cinema, and audiences imagine themselves. Far from a simple profit-making exercise, remaking is an inherently dynamic practice situated between the film industry’s economic logic and the cultural imagination. Although remaking developed as a business practice in the United States, this book shows that it also shapes cinematic aesthetics and cultural debates, fosters film-historical knowledge, and promotes feelings of generational belonging among audiences.

Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino PDF Author: Ian Nathan
Publisher: White Lion Publishing
ISBN: 1781317755
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 179

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Book Description
Get an intimate look at the cult filmmaker of our generation. Packaged in a handsome slipcase and loaded with stunning pictures from the Kobal archives, this biography explores the genesis of Tarantino's unique directorial style and provides insight into his inspirations and his frequent collaborations with favored actors. An 8-page foldout timeline presents Tarantino’s entire filmography in the heart of the book. Through in-depth and informative text written by renowned film journalist Ian Nathan, this book examines the entirety of Tarantino's work, including his early writing on screenplays such as True Romance and Natural Born Killers, his break-out directorial debut Reservoir Dogs and the career-defining Pulp Fiction, as well as his later iconic films, such as Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2, Inglourious Basterds, and Django Unchained. You'll also go behind the scenes of Tarantino's latest epic, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. As you make your way through Tarantino's incredible career, discover what inspired him, his working methods, and the breadth of his talent. With a visually arresting design that mimics Tarantino's approach to film-making and chapters organized by film, the pages are brimming with images taken on set and behind the scenes. This is the ultimate celebration for any Tarantino fan.

Framing Law and Crime

Framing Law and Crime PDF Author: Caroline Joan "Kay" S. Picart
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1611477069
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 539

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Book Description
This cutting-edge edited collection brings together 17 scholarly essays on two of cinema and television’s most enduring and powerful themes: law and crime. With contributions by many of the most prominent scholars in law, sociology, criminology, and film, Framing Law and Crime offers a critical survey of a variety of genres and media, integrating descriptions of technique with critical analysis, and incorporating historical and socio-political critique. The first set of essays brings together accounts of the history of the Law and Cinema Movement; the groundbreaking genre of “post-apocalyptic fiction;” and the policy-setting genesis of a Canadian documentary. The second section of the book turns to the examination of a range of international or global films, with an eye to assessing the strengths, frailties, and possible functions of law, as depicted in fictional cinema. After an international focus in the second section, the third section focuses on law and crime in American film and television, inclusive of both fictional and documentary modes of narration. This section’s expansion beyond film narratives to include television series attempts to broaden the scope of the edited collection, in terms of media discussed; it is also a nod to how the big screen, although still a dominant force in American popular culture, now has to compete, to some extent, with the small screen, for influence over the collective American popular cultural imaginary. The fourth section, titled brings together various chapters that attempt to instantiate how a “Gothic Criminology” could be useful, as an interpretative framework in analyzing depictions of law and crime in film and television. The fifth and final section covers issues of pedagogy, epistemology, and ethics in relation to moving images of law and crime. Merging wide-ranging analyses with nuanced scholarly interpretations, Framing Law and Crime examines key concepts and showcases original research reflecting the latest interdisciplinary trends in the scholarship of the moving image. It addresses, not only scholars, but also fans, and will heighten the appreciation of connoisseurs and newcomers to these topics alike.

Sentence Diagramming 101

Sentence Diagramming 101 PDF Author: Dr. Jenifer Paquette
Publisher: Accomplishing Innovation Press
ISBN: 1644505940
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 466

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Book Description
"A surprisingly fun jaunt into the convoluted wilds of the English language!" Sentence Diagramming 101: Fun with Linguistics (and Movies) explores the relationship between words using traditional sentence diagramming and amusing movie references. Inside this textbook, you’ll find detailed explanations as well as 50+ film-focused practice exercises, and on the companion website, you can explore the answer key, informative videos, additional practice, and lively discussions about the English language. One abiding question often accompanies any discussion of traditional sentence diagramming (Reed & Kellogg): does sentence diagramming create better writers? This book’s answer: Maybe. If you think of the English language as a car, think of this book as a look under the proverbial hood of the language. Someone may know the names of all the parts and how they work together to make the vehicle move when the gas pedal is held down–but does that knowledge create a better driver? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps that driver will explain spark plugs while they drive straight off a cliff. Such is also true of writing. English can be messy, filled with archaic bolts and cobbled coils, but somehow, it still manages to get users where they want to go. Hop in and enjoy the ride! A great primer for writers, word enthusiasts, and those seeking to understand the fundamentals of English grammar, this textbook breaks down complicated ideas into digestible pieces. Topics include: - The Basics: Parts of Speech and Word Function - Sentence Patterns - Phrases, Verbals, and Clauses - Sentence Types - Weirdness: Questions, Commands, Expletives, Poetry, Made Up and Repeated Words Additional features: ADA Compliant Free Companion Website with Video Overviews, Answer Keys, Practice Explanations, Additional Practice, and Language- Focused Discussions