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Finally, a funny book about Groucho Marx! You Bet Your Life was unique in two respects. Is comedy was based not on actors performing sketch material, but on the personalities and experiences of real people, drawing on their normal lives and occupatons. The program's distinction and quality, however, resulted primarily from its giving Groucho Marx an opportunity to exercise his unique skills without the restraints that broadcasting at that time otherwise imposed. Groucho's principal resource was his talent as an improviers of verbal comedy. Dwan will keep the reader giggling with his stories about You Bet Your Life.

Imogen Hassall's brief life ultimately paralleled the tumultuous 1960s-the freedoms, the joy of life, the reckless excesses and the searing uncertainty of life itself. This is not a traditional showbiz biography. It is not a celebration of a long and illustrious career, or the brief but brilliant life of some bright and fleeting comet that blazed unforgettably across the Hollywood firmament. It is the human tragedy of a warm and caring, loving individual, who was broken inside and was lost. "She would be delighted to know that we're still talking about her."

In the late 1800s, a scientist working for Thomas Alva Edison invented an easy-to-use motion picture camera. Soon, people all over the world were using similar cameras to shoot “actuality” films, or films of people engaged in everyday activities, as well as excerpts from live plays. Things changed in 1896, however, when a French stage magician named Georges Méliès struck upon the idea of using motion picture cameras to create fantastic and unbelievable images. A series of short films featuring a bevy of incredible monsters followed. Before long, filmmakers all over the world were doing much the same, but it wasn’t until the real-life horrors of World War I that movie producers saw the potential of cinema to truly provide escapist entertainment. D.W. Griffith in the United States made the first feature-length dramas, while Paul Wegener and Robert Weine in war-torn Germany applied the artistic movement known as Expressionism to film. Together, these and other filmmakers established the horror genre as we know it, influencing it for decades to come. TOME OF TERROR is a series of books detailing the history of the horror genre, from the mid-1890s to the present day. Never before has such a series been attempted … or been so comprehensive. This entry, HORROR FILMS OF THE SILENT ERA, covers more than 1,000 films, beginning with the earliest known horror film, Trilby Hypnotic Scene from 1895, and concluding with The Woman in White from 1929. In addition to well-known horror classics from the United States and Great Britain, authors Christopher Workman and Troy Howarth also analyze films from Germany, France, Japan and Mexico, among other nations. The series is lavishly illustrated with original stills, lobby cards, newspaper articles, and poster art.

For many horror film fans, the name Lucio Fulci conjures images of gore and depravity. Derided by critics as a hack and an imitator and lionized by others as the "Godfather of Gore," Fulci remains a polarizing and controversial figure. However, many fans are unaware of the scope and breadth of his filmography. From his early days writing material for popular comics like Totò and Franco and Ciccio to directing films in such genres as the musical and the Spaghetti Western, Lucio Fulci was a filmmaker of great diversity. When he attained international notoriety with the release of his gory epic ZOMBIE, Fulci already had years of experience in the film industry; that film's success established him as one of Italy's premier masters of the macabre and he would continue to shock and delight fans until shrinking budgets and failing health began to compromise some of his later work. When he died in 1996, he was on the cusp of a major comeback, but in the years following his death the cult surrounding his legacy has continued to grow. Unfortunately, most studies of Fulci and his work have elected to focus only on a small part of his career. SPLINTERED VISIONS changes all of that by providing an in-depth exploration of Fulci's filmography, beginning with his work as a screenwriter and extending through all of his films as a director. The popular horror films and thrillers are given ample coverage, but the lesser-known works are finally put into their proper context. Author Howarth provides a detailed portrait of a complex man using newly conducted interviews with actors such as Richard Johnson and Franco Nero, which allows the reader a sense of who the director was and how he worked. The end result is the most comprehensive overview of Fulci, the man and Fulci, the filmmaker that has been published in English-making SPLINTERED VISIONS a cause for celebration among serious Fulci fans. The book is also lavishly illustrated with a number of rare stills, posters and advertising materials.

With the re-emergence of Hammer and their new releases including Let Me In (2010), which received critical praise, and their forthcoming 2012 release of The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe already garnering interest, we wanted to take a look back at our old faves and wallow in fond memories -even as we anxiously await their new films. So, for all those fans, who were vampire, Frankenstein and werewolf fans before it was cool, we offer a series of chapters on our favorite Hammer films. This book is not a complete listing of Hammer films-that's been done. Nor is it a chronological listing of their cinematic output. Rather it comprises articles from Midnight Marquee as well as several new entries that we think Hammer fans will enjoy. Chapters include: VAMPIRES Hammer Films and the Resurrection of Dracula Peter Cushing, Terence Fisher and Hammer's Vampire Christopher Lee, Count Dracula and Hammer Films Peter Cushing and Van Helsing The Dracula Films with No Dracula! Hammer's Hunt For A New Vein of Vampire Film: Three Semi-Classics from the 1970s Why the 1970s Bite Let Me In: The Return of Hammer and the Spirit of Val Lewton FRANKENSTEIN Evolving Worlds of Hammer's Baron Frankenstein SCI-FI X-The Unknown Val Guest and Nigel Kneale: Hammer's Dynamic Duo FANTASY Surviving the Lost Worlds of Hammer The Hammer Factory: Hammer Films, Corman Style The Abominable Snowman The Curse of the Werewolf The Devil Rides Out MUMMIES Christopher Lee Is The Mummy; Peter Cushing Is Kharismatic Hammer Films Unearth The Mummy PSYCHOS The Phantom of the Opera Paranormic and Nightmare To the Devil… a Daughter WAR Hammer Declares War Night Creatures

Includes a study of Alien and  A History of the Horror Film Portmanteau,Re: Aleien: Some of us find it hard to believe that 2011 marks the 32nd anniversary of Ridley Scott’s landmark science-fiction picture, Alien, which 20th Century Fox released on May 25, 1979 (exactly two years after the studio premièred George Lucas’s phenomenal Star Wars, although it’s hard to imagine two more different s.f. movies). This article was originally presented as a paper at the Fourth International Conference on the Fantastic (Boca Raton, Florida, March 26, 1981).. Since that time, there have been some major contributions to Alien studies, including David Thomson’s book-length study, The Alien Quartet (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 1999)—not to mention the commentary that can be found on the various DVD issues of the Alien films. But none has ever looked at the movie the way that “In Space, No One Can Hear Your Primal Scream” does. Thus, for the first-time publication of the complete text of this article, I have, for the most part, used as references those articles and interviews that came out shortly after the movie played theatrically, as they have the advantage of “freshness”—of being critics’ and filmmakers’ initial thoughts before the sequels and many imitations got in the way

The history of ghost cinema, as well as the haunting literature upon which the films are often based, is a noble tradition. Ghost films go back as far as the era of the Silents. This Midnight Marquee Press volume presents respected film writers' personal analyses of their favorite ghost films. Not necessarily the best of the genre, but always films of merit. The Mt. Everest of ghost films-the acclaimed classics-The Uninvited, The Innocents, The Haunting-are of course included. But also many neglected cinema specters are covered: Carnival of Souls, Lady in White, Portrait of Jennie, High Plains Drifter, etc. Most of these films are known by the average film buff, but several titles included may not be recognized (but are equally of merit and should be sought out). Often Ghost films have been overlooked by film historians and critics alike. This revised collection of Cinematic Hauntings hopes to remedy the situation.

My previous book on the subject of horror, science fiction, and fantasy films, "You're Not Old Enough Son," chronicled my journeys through the British fantasy cinema scene during the 1950s and 1960s. These were golden years as I viewed them. Years when fantasy fare spanning the decades 1930 to 1960 (but mostly the 1950s) was served up continuously week after week, month after month, and year after year I realized that an audience in the new decade of the 1970s couldn't (and wouldn't) possibly expect to put up good money to sit through a double bill of "Attack of the Crab Monsters" and "The Beast with a Million Eyes," which only a few years earlier would have drawn a full house on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Leatherhead's Crescent cinema. Maybe, just maybe, I should join them and stop burying my head in the past, however glorious that past may have been. So I endeavored to put a brave face on things and think more positively-for all one knew, what was around the corner might not be quite as bad as I imagined it to be. These, then, are my continued travels through the fantasy cinema in England from 1971 to 2005. The views on all films mentioned, as in my last book, are entirely my own!

This Blood Spattered Book will spotlight a selection of genre film writer Chris Alexander's favorite-filmed fever dreams; underrated horror, dark fantasy and cult genre pictures that aren't quite mainstream and in some cases are woefully obscure and/or unfairly maligned by many. Includes: Alice Sweet Alice, Angel Heart, Anthropophagus, Bloody Moon, A Bucket of Blood, Chosen Survivors, City of the Living Dead, The Company of Wolves, Count Dracula's Great Love, Daughters of Darkness, Demon Seed, The Devil's Nightmare, In the Folds of the Flesh, The Keep, Lair of the White worm, Land of the Minotaur The Last Man on Earth, Legend of the Werewolf, Lifeforce, The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue, Maximum Overdrive, Nomads, Nosferatu, Psychomania, Psycho III, Ravenous, /the Sentinel, The Shout, Sole Survivor Interviews with Mickey Rourke; composer Fabio Frizzi; Norman J. Warren; Roger Corman; Stephen Rea; Harry Kumel; Danielle Ouimet; composer Allesandro Allessandroni; Amanda Donohoe; writer Richard Matheson; Tobe Hooper; Mark Damon; composer John Cameron; director Michael Winner; composer Paul Zaza

When it comes to the icons of the horror/science fiction film genre, the popularly coined phrase "Mad Doctors" becomes one essential component of just what makes horror movies so fantastic. For every popular monster, behind each skulking, hulking terror, lies one or more monster makers, usually audacious men (and more frequently, women) of science who dare to dabble in God's domain. Whether these whack cases are attempting to create new life from sewing together assorted body parts of the dead, restore disfigurement to normalcy, mount an army of monsters capable of conquering the world or maintain youth and vitality and thus avoid the deteriorating rigors of old age and death, our favorite mad doctors always forge new avenues of discovery. As far as movies go, mad docs drive the world of horror cinema and often become just as charismatic as the evil fiends they create. Here at last is a celebration of the mad doctor in the movies. As movies teach us in such instances, it takes two to tango and terror from beyond often cannot come to reality without the active participation of the dreaded mad doc-the deluded mind that precipitates all the mayhem. In the world of fantastic cinema, it's such evil minds that we celebrate!

2007 IPPY BRONZE MEDAL WINNER IN PERFORMING ARTS William Fox: A Story of Early Hollywood 1915-1930 is a fascinating look at the behind-the-scenes workings of early Hollywood and the power plays that led to the downfall of one of Tinsel-Town s brilliant pioneers, William Fox, founder of Fox Films which evolved into 20th Century Fox. The story of Fox's rise and fall is an eye-opening look at the cutthroat dealings of everyone from Fox's close business associates to the telephone companies who worked together to force the founder of Fox Films out of his own company. It is a gripping story that you will not be able to put down.

Vera-Ellen should have been one of Broadway and Hollywood’s most enduring stars. She was a fine dramatic and light comedic actress, and was considered by a number of authorities to be the greatest all-around dancer of her generation. And for a brief moment in 1950, she was an American household name, as famous as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio or General Douglas MacArthur. She could do tap, toe dancing, adagio, modern dance (formerly known as dramatic dancing), comic dancing, partnered dancing, prop dancing, Apache dancing and advanced acrobatics. She could also sing well enough to be featured on Broadway and television. Her obsessive perfectionism was legendary; nobody worked harder on a routine or accomplished it with greater attention to detail. Not only were each of her steps perfect but the transitions from step to step were flawless and remarkably beautiful to observe. Like Fred Astaire, who admired her, she had the ability to make each complex routine seem effortless, as if she were expressing herself spontaneously. Vera-Ellen's work in films such as On The Town, White Christmas, Words and Music, Three Little Words, The Belle of New York and Call Me Madame will never be forgotten by film musical fans. This much anticipated biography will not disappoint those fans.

Grab the popcorn and get ready for an action-packed read as we explore the cinematic adventures of Tarzan, the King of the Jungle, Super Spy James Bond, Wyatt Earp and the OK Corral, Hammer s Dracula and Werewolf, plus a dashing assortment of Hollywood s Western Heroes and Villains. Celluloid Adventures will tickle the fancy of action film fans everywhere.

British author Barry Atkinson chronicles his childhood adventures as an underage horror film fanatic, who, along with his best chums, schemed to sneak into X-rated horror films such as Them!, Tarantula, Rodan, Dracula, Atom Age Vampire, and many other horror and sci-fi classics. Boomer horror film fans longing for those filmic glory days of yesteryear won t want to miss this heartfelt tribute.

Actress Rosemary DeCamp writes with wit and charm of her life and work in films and television in her delightful autobiography. Fans of radio, film and television will not be able to put down this engaging work by one of Hollywood's consummate professionals.

If you are only interested in reading about old science fiction movies, then this book is not for you. For this book contains a lot of dull stuff about a man who touched the beating heart of another; stepped into the cold of outer space; witnessed the horrors of Dachau; directed some of the first TV shows; called one of the most famous opera singers of the century "father"; became a war hero; was knighted; had himself arrested for drunk driving; worked with laser beams; jumped out of airplanes; "infiltrated" an American city; broke a 400 year-old cipher; wrestled lions; had the fangs of a leopard at his throat; picked up a prostitute; learned how to kill with a pencil; rode an African elephant; sorted 50,000 beetles; stage-managed ice shows; worked with rockets and the Rockettes. A man who was a spy and counterspy, an actor, stage manager, singer, set designer. He speaks six languages; is a novelist and has been a gourmet chef; helped sail a tall ship and... and-incidentally-wrote or directed a bunch of science fiction movies that many of us have enjoyed! Several of which have become both cult movies and earned a respectable place among mainstream viewers. So perhaps you'll want to read this book after all.

Italian sword and sandal burst upon worldwide screens in 1957/8 with the release of Steve Reeves’ The Labors of Hercules/Hercules. Eight years and over 300 films later, peplum, as it was termed, died out as quickly as it had begun. Author Barry Atkinson brings this sadly neglected and misunderstood area of cinema to vivid life, exploring the genre’s origins, roots and major influences, and its myriad of offshoots encompassing swashbuckling, costume and historical dramas, among many. So welcome to a brash, exciting, colorful lost cinematic world of mythical musclemen heroes, gladiators, cavaliers, knights of old, pirates, ancient Egyptians, ancient Romans, Greek gods, Vikings, barbarians and fabulous monsters, not forgetting Robin Hood, Zorro and the Three Musketeers! Follow the amazing adventures of Hercules, Maciste, Ursus, Samson and Goliath; have the senses roused by bloody gladiatorial combat; journey to fabled lost civilizations and Hades; tremble at cataclysmic scenes of mass destruction; admire copious amounts of both male and female flesh; gape at huge armies on the march engaged in mighty battles; shudder to the sounds of ships’ cannonade; revel in evil villains and exotic queens; admire mammoth sets built by the hand of man; applaud at all those outlandish creatures; wonder how a long-forgotten classic epic like Suleiman the Conqueror can languish in the vaults; and giggle as Robin Hood takes on a gang of pirates in Italy’s version of Sherwood Forest! With the publication of this volume, it is hoped that Italian pepla cinema, and all those who took part in it, will reach the wider audience this rarely discussed genre so richly deserves.

Italian sword and sandal burst upon worldwide screens in 1957/8 with the release of Steve Reeves' The Labors of Hercules/Hercules. Eight years and over 300 films later, peplum, as it was termed, died out as quickly as it had begun. Author Barry Atkinson brings this sadly neglected and misunderstood area of cinema to vivid life, exploring the genre's origins, roots and major influences, and its myriad of offshoots encompassing swashbuckling, costume and historical dramas, among many. So welcome to a brash, exciting, colorful lost cinematic world of mythical musclemen heroes, gladiators, cavaliers, knights of old, pirates, ancient Egyptians, ancient Romans, Greek gods, Vikings, barbarians and fabulous monsters, not forgetting Robin Hood, Zorro and the Three Musketeers! Follow the amazing adventures of Hercules, Maciste, Ursus, Samson and Goliath; have the senses roused by bloody gladiatorial combat; journey to fabled lost civilizations and Hades; tremble at cataclysmic scenes of mass destruction; admire copious amounts of both male and female flesh; gape at huge armies on the march engaged in mighty battles; shudder to the sounds of ships' cannonade; revel in evil villains and exotic queens; admire mammoth sets built by the hand of man; applaud at all those outlandish creatures; wonder how a long-forgotten classic epic like Suleiman the Conqueror can languish in the vaults; and giggle as Robin Hood takes on a gang of pirates in Italy's version of Sherwood Forest! With the publication of this volume, it is hoped that Italian pepla cinema, and all those who took part in it, will reach the wider audience this rarely discussed genre so richly deserves.

Mad About Movies #9 features:TARZAN: Lord of RKO; THE WHISTLER: Mystery, Shadows and Suspense on the Cheap; FRED MacMURRAY: Hollywood's Invisible Legend; Get Your Kicks on ROUTE 66; THRILLER: Season One’s Best in Crime and Suspense; A Comparison of ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON and THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE; plus Book and DVD Reviews

Beginning with the release of Mario Bava's THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH in 1963, Italian filmmakers developed and perfected their own peculiar brand of mystery-thriller known as the giallo. Named after the yellow (giallo in Italian) covers of the murder mysteries published by Mondadori, the giallo is awash in fetishistic imagery. For many fans, these films-popularized in the works by writer-director Dario Argento, whose name is synonymous with the genre, thanks to such films as THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and DEEP RED-focus on stylized images of violent death: killers dressed in black stalking glamorous-looking victims through baroque architecture, literally painting the walls red with their blood. This is only one aspect of the giallo, however. With their groovy soundtracks by legendary composers like Ennio Morricone and Stelvio Cipriani and glamorous damsels-in-distress like Edwige Fenech, Rosalba Neri and Asia Argento, these films offer a heady mixture of sex, horror and suspense; at their best, they took excess to a hypnotic level. Troy Howarth, the author of THE HAUNTED WORLD OF MARIO BAVA and the co-author of the up-coming THE TOME OF TERROR series, examines the genre from its inception through its inevitable decline. Covering everything from popular fan favorites by the likes of Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento to lesser-known gems by Cesare Canevari, Massimo Dallamano and Paolo Cavara as well as the worst of the worst by the least inspired of hacks, SO DEADLY, SO PERVERSE provides an in-depth examination of a genre that has too often been marginalized in other studies of the horror film and the thriller. In addition to reviews of every giallo made between 1963 and 2013, this two-part study of the giallo-with volume two (covering 1974 onwards) coming later in the year-is also lavishly illustrated with rare and colorful stills and poster art.

British author Barry Atkinson (You’re Not Old Enough Son; Indie Horrors!) plunges us into a cinematic world dominated by the atomic bomb and presents us with a buffet of delights, from the rare to the unusual. Although the classics get a deserved mention, the author concentrates mainly on the neglected lesser titles, many not seen for decades, giving them a much-needed public airing. Readers will indulge in chapters devoted to: Key actors, companies, directors and composers! Comparisons between Japanese monster movies and their Americanized counterparts! Scarce, unseen American, British and foreign horror, sci-fi, fantasy features! Stone Age women of the “B” variety! A couple of out-and-out schlock classics! The Abominable Snowman in the 1950s! A reappraisal of much-maligned, but much-loved, guilty pleasures! Toho’s forgotten monsters! Dr. Jekyll’s evil offspring! British science fiction and noir thrillers of the ’50s! Jungle Jim! Chaney, Karloff and Lugosi in the 1950s! Best entrant in Universal’s Creature trilogy! Does colorization enhance a black-and-white favorite? How do monster special effects rate before CGI? Do Regal International’s widescreen program fillers really add up to that much? Which scenes constitute the decade’s most memorable fantasy moments? Does dialogue matter? What impact did New Age science have on the vampire and werewolf myths of old? All this and much, much more in a fresh evaluation of what most fans and critics now recognize as the pivotal decade for horror, sci-fi and fantasy.

Turner and Price turn back the curtains of obscurity and peer into Hollywood's Forgotten Horrors in this long awaited update to their original ground-breaking work. The authors do their best to expose Grim Reapers such as Ghosts, Phantoms, Jungle Manglers and Old-fashioned Murderers as they examine Cinematic Horrors from 1929 through 1937 in Forgotten Horrors: The Definitive Edition.

Price and Turner provide another addition to the Forgotten Horrors series with this look at the not-so-forgotten horror film classics of the 1930s-1950s. Karloff's treasures such as The Old Dark House, The Mask of Fu Manchu, The Black Cat, The Black Room and The Walking Dead are included. Bela Lugosi's entertaining films such as Mark of the Vampire, Human Monster, The Boogie Man Will Get You, and Black Friday are exhumed for readers' examination. Lionel Atwill, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney, Frederic March, John Barrymore also have films included in this companion to the Forgotten Horrors series. The authors also cover some less well-known films, which, although more obscure are not forgotten. Films such as The Ancient Mariner, The Charlatan, Cross Country Cruise, Show Them No Mercy and The Spider's Web are a few examples. Horror film lovers will not want to miss this worthy addition to the world of Forgotten Horrors

Tailor Massimo "Max" Paganini is in trouble. His long-time rival Randall Pepper has been found shot dead in Max's own shop. Only Max's fingerprints are on the gun and there's evidence he arranged a meeting with Pepper. Still, Max insists he's innocent. But who could possibly believe him? Attorney Tracy Brubaker does. She's known Max since she was four years old and agrees to defend him. And she soon finds out there's a lot more to this murder than just a decades-old feud. Several of Max's own employees have secrets to hide. The FBI shows up at her office asking questions but refusing to give answers. The most disturbing element of all, however, is prospective client Charlie Betts, whose true identity puts Tracy in the cross hairs of career criminal Reginald Walters, who's gotten away with murder before. It doesn't help matters that Max isn't the most cooperative of clients, refusing to believe anyone close to him could be involved in Pepper's killing. In spite of everything, however, Tracy presses on, and gets close enough to the truth so that lives are threatened. But neither the FBI, Charlie Betts, nor Reginald Walters have ever dealt with anyone quite like Tracy. Willing to put her life on the line for Max, Tracy plans a dramatic courtroom reveal which not only exposes whodunit, but also how it was done.

Catherine "Cat" Warburton is the black sheep of a rich and powerful family, who live on the West Coast. Blonde and beautiful, Cat's interests are Soul music, guns and fast cars. When she is not hanging out at the beach, Cat goes undercover as a daring crime fighter for a highly secret private agency. The teenage sons and daughters of wealthy parents who live on the good side of the track are running amok, committing mayhem and murder. Meanwhile a horned figure presides over strange midnight ceremonies where occult rites and blood sacrifices are performed. A leading moral crusader proclaims that the Day of Judgment is at hand. The notorious heavy rock band 666 may be able to provide a clue to the goings on. In the guise of a hooker, go-go dancer and bikini wrestler, Cat goes on the road with the band. She embarks on a wild ride of blood, lust and terror that takes her from quiet suburbs, hippie colonies and Indian Reservations to barren wastelands and down the "Devil's Highway" -Route 666. Cat's lurid escapades escalate into a weird way-out Bad Trip, as the world around her goes mad. Aided and abetted by "Soul Sister" Selena and the exotic Aiko, she encounters rednecks, Hell's Angels, trigger-happy cops, medicine men, guerilla fighters, strange cults, monsters, demons, and the legion of the living dead.

Tracy Brubaker is a successful Maryland attorney who doesn't handle murder cases-that is until her former lover, the man who broke her heart, is accused of murdering his father. Even though the evidence against Brian Shane seems strong enough to prove his guilt, Tracy comes to his defense. She finds herself playing detective-a lifelong ambition since she read her first Nancy Drew book. Despite the grim circumstances, Tracy finds she is enjoying the hunt for clues as she compiles a list of other possible suspects, all of whom had a motive for wanting Brian's father dead. She also finds herself reliving the past: memories both pleasant and painful. As she gets closer to the truth-of both the murder and her feelings for Brian-another murder is committed and Tracy's life is in danger. Can she figure out-and prove-who the true killer is before she becomes the next victim?

Issue #75 of Midnight Marquee magazine features Groundbreakers: The 13 Most Influential Horror Movies by Gary J. Svehla Lugosi vs. Karloff Eternally by Gary D. Rhodes Forum/Against Em-The Wolf Man Evelyn Moriarty Remembers Carl Laemmle, Jr. by Gregory Mank The Three Faces of Universal's Dracula by Brian Smith and over 35 pages of DVD reviews

Midnight Marquee magazine 40th Anniversary Issue, #69/70 contains articles: Sounds of Silents; Terror from 1963 and Beyond; The Spider; Things That Came: Significant Horror Movie Trends; Forum/Against 'Em: The Wicker Man; Return of the Ape Man; DVD Reviews

Issue 73/74 of Midmar contains: • The Ferociously Compelling Barbara Steele in Nightmare Castle by David J. Hogan • Frank Strayer: Poverty Row’s Dark Director by Kenny Strong • Forum/Against ’Em: The Devil Commands vs. The Man Who Changed His Mind edited by Anthony Ambrogio • Black Friday: Universal’s Horror Fraud by Nathalie Yafet • Bad Moon Rising: Ginger Snaps and Dog Soldiers by Gary J. Svehla • Monster That Challenged the World... and Jaws by Jeff Miller • DVD Reviews by Gary J. Svehla

Yes, it's true-Elegant and sophiscated Ballroom dancing is back, and bigger than ever. We've seen the magazine covers, talk show appearances, huge ratings and the launching of careers. Well the time has come to answer the question. "What's behind this worldwide ballroom dance phenomenon?" One of the answers is an American dance legend named Maxine Barrat. Her story is the stuff of dreams-riveting, exotic, passionate-fracturing her back as a child; sneaking into Radio City Music Hall as a teenager; meeting the perfect partner Don Loper and dancing into the arms of Gene Kelly in her first Broadway show. A stint at the glamorous Copacabana catapulted Loper & Barrat to international fame and a role in MGM's star-studded Thousands Cheer. She reinvented herself as a nightclub singer, donated her time and talents to the war effort and continued her stellar career as a model in the world of fashion. Then a new career in the up-and-coming medium of television. Maxine's sensational life is interlaced with those of the stars she befriended, from Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers, to those with whom she danced and romanced-from admiring South American caballeros, Hollywood moguls and stars, to an affair with Gone with the Wind matinee idol Clark Gable. Maxine Barrat is a performing arts legend who holds a vital key to the American dance story. She is a real star and it's time to put Maxine Barrat back on the dance floor.