38. STEPHEN KING REALLY CALLS IT QUITS!
In last February's issue of The ICS Files (issue
37) there was a story called "Stephen King is calling it quits." It's taken
some months to confirm it but confirm it we did. Stephen King publicly
announced that he will indeed hang up his pen for good after he completes
several more books. First, his new novel about a troop of Pennsylvania
state policemen and their relationship with a possessed vintage car, From
a Buick 8, will come out.
After that, King said he will finish the final
three installments of his projected seven-volume fantasy series The Dark
Tower. "This finishes it. It's the sequel to everything. And in a sense,
once these books are done, there's nothing else to say," King explained.
"People are going to say a year and a half from now that the talk of retirement
was ridiculous, because those will come out, but after that. . . . I'd
never stop writing, because I don't know what I'd do between nine and one
every day. But I'd stop publishing. I don't need the money."
King added that he'd just as soon file the manuscripts
in a drawer. "Why not?" he asked. "What's wrong with that? J.D. Salinger's
been doing it for years! There's a story I heard about this lady who works
in a bank in New Hampshire, where Salinger has a safety deposit box. And
every year he'd go in with a wrapped box. And if you've ever worked in
publishing, you know what an 8-by-10 box is - it's a manuscript. So she
said, 'Are those books you're putting away?' And he said yes. And she said,
'Are you ever going to publish them?' And he looked down his nose at her
and said, 'What for?' And it's one of those stories where you gotta say,
'If it ain't true, it oughta be.'"
He must have been smiling when he said, "I've
killed enough of the world's trees."
39. THE ACKERMANSION IS BEING SOLD
"I Am Legend" would be as good a title as any
for the amazing life story of Forrest J. Ackerman. He's the man who coined
the term, "sci-fi." He was the former literary agent for such authors as
Ray Bradbury. He may be best known as the founding editor of the cult magazine
"Famous Monsters of Filmland." He's also very famous for his amazing collection
of movie memorabilia. He loved to give private tours of his home (which
he named the "Ackermansion"). Ackerman led more than 50,000 fans on personal
tours of the house and his amazing collection of memorabilia, including
movie posters, paintings and masks of screen legends like Boris Karloff,
as well as costumes and props from classic movies. Some members of our
club have been on that tour. That era has sadly come to an end.
Ackerman is selling off his legendary Hollywood
house, (or as he calls it "Horrorwood," located in "Karloffornia") and
his collection of movie memorabilia to pay legal bills. The two-story,
5,800-square-foot mansion, perched on a winding street in the hills above
Hollywood, once had more than 300,000 sci-fi and horror film items crammed
into every corner.
Ackerman is selling the house, which was listed
for $1.3 million and is now in escrow. In addition, Ackerman, 85, said
he is liquidating his memorabilia collection to raise money to pay for
an expensive legal fight against his onetime business associate, Ray Ferry.
Ackerman now lives in a rented five-room house
in Los Angeles. He still has a few of his most-treasured items, including
a replica of the female robot from his favorite film, METROPOLIS.
40. THE MUGGLES GROW RESTLESS
Elaborate plans to coordinate the marketing of
the new Harry Potter book to fit neatly between the release of the DVD
and video of HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE and the November premiere
of the second movie, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, have gone
up in smoke. To her rapacious public J.K. Rowling is seemingly under some
sort of spell. The British author hasn't been able to finish her fifth
installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in time to be published
this summer, as fans had hoped.
Rebecca Salt, the London-based spokeswoman for
Rowling, said the eagerly anticipated book might not be ready until 2003.
"It could be this year and it could be next year," said Salt, while rejecting
the notion that the now very rich and married Rowling was suffering from
writer's block.
Salt also insisted there had never been a specific
deadline, although Rowling had produced a book a year between 1997 and
2000 and was believed to have promised to keep doing so, in step with the
seven years Harry's enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Rowling has previously admitted to feeling the
pressure of her worldwide success. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
has grossed more than $317 million in the U.S. alone, and that doesn't
include the vast amount of tie-in merchandise crowding store shelves. Her
last book missed the prescribed deadline by two months after she made changes
to the plot. Still some fans were blaming hasty work for big mistakes,
notably an error in the timing of Potter's parents' deaths, which conflicted
with reports of the tragedy in the earlier books.
There is speculation that the increasingly darker
tone of Rowling's books might have given her pause, especially following
the terrorist attacks of September 11, and led to reworking preconceived
ideas for the fifth volume. And, with Harry and his pals now 15 and no
longer tweens, some think that Rowling might be having difficulty handling
their burgeoning sexuality.
41. THE HEADMISTRESS OF HOGWARTS RESPONDS
J.K. Rowling has some very good excuses for delaying
her new book. First of all she said that the lawsuit that claimed she stole
ideas from a series about a Larry Potter was distracting her. Rowling said
that she was enormously relieved after a U.S. court threw out rival author
Nancy Stouffer's claims that she stole words and characters from Stouffer's
books. With that suit behind her, Rowling said that much of the book has
been written and insisted, "I really am getting there." She added, "I'm
so relieved. This court case has dragged on for a few years. I'm a really
happy woman today."
As for the effect of the suit on her writing,
Rowling said, "It has affected it, obviously. Anyone who's been involved
in a court case will know that it's time-consuming. It plays on your mind.
There have been times when I've been writing, and that's been uppermost
in my mind, whereas what should have been uppermost in my mind is what's
going on with Harry and company."
One other possible reason for her being late
is that she's, uh, late. Very late. She and her new husband, Dr. Neil Murray,
are expecting their first child. The new addition is due this spring.
So when will Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix appear? "I'd rather not say, just in case I have a bus accident,
and things get knocked off track! It won't be too long. There's a lot of
the book done. That's all I want to say, because if I give it a date, and
then I pass it, everyone will be upset. I will say that I have a beginning,
a middle and an end. You could read it all the way through, and I know
a lot of Harry Potter fans will say just to give it to us. But I'm a perfectionist,
and I want a bit more of a tweak."
42. RECENT TITLES: BOOKS ABOUT MOVIES AND TELEVISION
Bite Me! An Unofficial Guide to the World of
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER by Nikki Stafford, $19.95
This is a revised and up-to-date guide to BUFFY. It includes an
episode-by-episode examination of both BUFFY and the first three season
of ANGEL.
Conrad Veidt on Screen: A Comprehensive Illustrated
Filmography by John T. Soister, $65.00
This book details the film career of Conrad Veidt. It lists all
movies that he was involved in and provides a synopsis, cast and crew credits,
and reviews of each film.
The Dinosaur Filmography by Mark F. Berry, Donald
Lessem; $65.00
This comprehensive filmography, arranged alphabetically by title,
contains entries that include basic facts (year of release, country of
origin, studio, and running time) followed by four primary sections: Plot
Summary, Commentary (the author's review of the film), People and Production,
and Causes and FX (information on the special effects). A separate section
contains capsule entries on films that deal only briefly with dinosaurs.
To be included, the movie must show on screen one or more creatures represented
as prehistoric, reptilian, and non-humanoid. Inaccurate portrayals are
included, as long as the intent is to represent a real or fictional dinosaur.
Mythical creatures are excluded.
The Frankenstein Archive: Essays on the Monster,
the Myth, the Movies, and More by Donald F. Glut, $28.50
Like Frankenstein, this work is made up of many individual parts,
some of which are quite different in their specific themes, but all of
which relate to Frankenstein in some way. They consider the untold true
story of Frankenstein, Glenn Strange’s portrayals of Frankenstein, the
portrayals of lesser-known actors who played the Frankenstein monster,
Peter Cushing and his role as Baron (and Dr.) Frankenstein, the classic
film YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the battles between do-gooders and Frankenstein
and other horror figures, Frankenstein in cartoons - and much more. Each
of the 15 essays, all written by the author, is prefaced with explanatory
notes that place the essay in its historical perspective, comment on its
origin and content, and where appropriate, supplement the text with new,
additional, or otherwise relevant information.
Horror: A Thematic History in Fiction and Film
by Darryl Jones, $16.95
This book tries to understand the appeal behind horror films and
literature. It includes chapters on horror, religion and identity; "mad
science," vampires and the undead; madness and psycho-killers; forbidden
knowledge and books; narratives of invasion and pestilence; Satanism and
demonic possession; ghosts and the ghost-story; and body-horror and metamorphoses.
Horror at the Drive-In: Essays in Popular Americana
by Gary D. Rhodes (Editor), $45.00
This book is a collection of eighteen essays on the classic drive-in
horror film experience. Section One emphasize the roles of the drive-in
theater itself in the United States - and its cultural cousin, Australia.
Section Two examines how horror operated at the drive-in, the rhetoric
used in coming attraction trailers, horror film premieres at drive-ins,
double features, and the preproduction, production, and marketing of LAST
HOUSE ON THE LEFT. Section Three addresses the effects of the Vietnam War
and counter-culture on THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, and the Cold War on
CAT WOMEN ON THE MOON. Section Four explores gender issues and sexuality,
two of the most common and most important subjects of horror film analysis.
Section Five covers drive-in culture via HUSH . . . HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE,
2000 MANIACS, and the films of Mario Bava. Section Six investigates a variety
of issues, such as the drive-in horror film’s embrace of DNA, the use of
cinematic form to create a non-Hollywood look in WIZARDS OF GORE, and the
many different prints and running times of I DRINK YOUR BLOOD.
Horror Films of the 1970s by John Kenneth Muir,
$59.95
This detailed filmography covers over 200 horror movies of the 70's.
Section One provides an introduction and a brief history of the decade.
Section Two gives a chronological film-by-film breakdown. Section Three
contains a conclusion and several appendices.
How to Shoot a Feature Film for Under $10,000
(And Not Go to Jail) by Bret Stern, $14.95
This is the perfect book for people who aspire to make low-budget
movies or for people (like the ICS) that watch them and might wonder how
they're made. Anyone with a credit card can rent a camera and buy film
stock. This book teaches the reader to do things like rent a camera for
two weeks and pay for only two days, how to set the exposure on the camera
without a light meter, feed a crew of twenty with yesterday's chicken soup,
how to shoot a sex scene, what a stinger is AND if you need help writing
your script, this guide even gives you some scenes to copy right into your
screen-play - and even provides the characters. In short, everything you
need to know about filmmaking in the real world is in this book. It even
helps you select the proper baseball cap so you can look like a big-time
director.
Lips of Blood: An Illustrated Guide to Hammer's
Dracula Movies Starring Christopher Lee by John Jewel, $17.95
This book is a visual tribute to Christopher Lee's incarnation of
the vampire Count in his seven films. There's also material on the rise
of Hammer Films as well as Lee's other Dracula films. It's filled with
information, facts and visual drama.
Moonwatcher's Memoir: A Diary of 2001: A SPACE
ODYSSEY by Dan Richter, Arthur C. Clarke, $17.95
Richter was a poor, vagabond mime when Stanley Kubrick plucked him
from obscurity to choreograph and star in the remarkable "Dawn of Man"
sequence in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Determined not to rehash the hackneyed
tradition of "men in monkey suits," Kubrick was seeking vivid characterizations
by believable prehistoric man-apes whose discovery of weapons and violence
presages the future of humanity in space. Since the sequence had no dialog,
Kubrick felt that mimes could best express the man-apes' motivations and
emotions, and Richter's brief audition quickly confirmed the notion. In
this day-by-day chronicle of the blossoming of rudimentary ideas into a
finished masterpiece, Richter captures the novice's constant sense of awe
regarding the complexity of filmmaking. In the process, he spends hours
observing primates in zoos and struggles with heroin addiction.
Reel Shame: Bad Movies and the Hollywood Stars
Who Made Them by Christopher Holland, Scott Hamilton; $14.99
This book captures big names doing little embarrassing movies. We
get to read about Kevin Costner as a wealthy rancher with a midget sidekick
in SIZZLE BEACH U.S.A. Shannen Doherty would rather you never discovered
the role in which she left both her clothes and her talent at home in BLINDFOLD:
ACTS OF OBSESSION. And when you think of Harrison Ford you probably don't
associate him hugging a Wookiee named Itchy in THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL.
This book, from the creators of the B-movie Website "Stomp Tokyo," collects
the most embarrassing moments of more than a hundred Hollywood celebrities.
It has several appendices, including reference information on every film
mentioned in the book with capsule reviews, a recommended reading section,
and a list of B-movie web sites.
Spielberg: The Man, the Movies, the Mythology
by Frank Sanello, $17.95
This book offers an in-depth biography which probes both Spielberg's
career, film contributions, and personal life. Sanello exposes the personal
influences which helped form Spielberg's films and unique style.
Uncharted Territory: An Unofficial and Unauthorized
Guide to FARSCAPE by Scott Andrews, $7.95
This book comprises an in-depth, unofficial episode-by-episode guide,
including categories such as "Buck Rogers Redux", "Nosferatu in Rubber",
"Alien Encounters" and "Get Frelled". It covers the first three seasons
of the show. It also provides a look at the logic leaps, the spins the
show puts on classic storylines, and behind-the-scenes information.
43. RECENT TITLES: MEDIA TIE-INS
The Crow by James O'Barr, $16.95
This is the novel from which the original movie (and its many spawns)
have sprung. Following is a random selection of quotes from various readers
who've experienced the novel. "The Crow is the only book that will undoubtedly
bring tears to my eyes and an aching to my heart every time I read it;
which is close to everyday. . . . I can't sit here and tell you this is
the best book out there today, because the writer literally poured his
heart and soul into it, you must find that out for yourself, but it is
true. In all, read the damn thing!!!!! You will NOT regret it." . . . "The
Crow is without a doubt . . .THE BEST Novel or story line I have ever seen
or read or even heard about." . . . "Nothing I can write here will really
convey how incredibly, intensely moving this book is. I read this book
because of my love for the movie - but the movie is NOTHING compared to
the book."
DOCTOR WHO: Ghost Ship by Keith Topping, $17.95
The Doctor arrives in the most haunted place on Earth: the ship,
the Queen Mary. There, in introspective mood, he discovers death and horror
surrounds him. As the hauntings increase in intensity, the Doctor starts
to realize that he may be the only person who can rid the ship of its unearthly
inhabitants.
STAR TREK: Starfleet Survival Guide by David Mack,
$14.00
Standard issue for all Starfleet Officers, this vital tool for space
survival covers everything from space suit leaks and hotwiring a tri-corder
to hostile alien encounters. Paying particular attention to the importance
of initiative in situations where available technology is malfunctioning,
The Survival Guide is broadly divided into understanding alien technology;
dealing with alien wildlife; modifying federation technology; and encountering
temporal anomalies. There is information on essential Federation emergency
equipment, and various extreme escape and survival scenarios are accompanied
by actual accounts by legendary Starfleet heroes of their own dramatic
improvisations. The whole is illustrated throughout with explanatory black
& white line art illustrations, easy to follow in a crisis - especially
valuable when a reader is stranded on a downed shuttlecraft with only a
com-badge and a self-sealing stem-bolt.
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Mission Gamma, Book
One: Twilight by David R. George III, $6.99
The Defiant embarks on a three-month voyage of exploration into
unknown space, where both cosmic mysteries and inner truths await the crew.
Meanwhile those who remain on Deep Space Nine face incredible changes in
their lives as the planet Bajor moves a major step closer to joining the
Federation.
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Mission Gamma, Book
Two: This Gray Spirit by Heather Jarman, $6.99
An alien species whose unique biology holds the key to another race's
survival is torn by internal strife, and the Defiant crew is caught in
the middle of a genocidal civil war. Meanwhile, back on Deep Space Nine,
the political intrigue intensifies as Colonel Kira finds herself compelled
to help the warlike Cardassians who ravaged her planet, and against whom
she has fought almost her entire life.
44. RECENT TITLES: OTHER BOOKS OF INTEREST
The Book of Were-Wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould,
$19.95
The Book of Were-Wolves, was written in 1865. Sabine Baring-Gould
(1834-1924) was a parson in the Church of England, an archaeologist, historian
and a prolific author. This is considered to be THE master reference in
all things pertaining to werewolves. If you're reading this Online, and
you'd like to get some idea what this book's about, click here. This book
was long out-of-print. If you want it, buy it now. When it goes back out-of-print
it's usually tough to find.
Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards: Exploring the Wonders
and Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings by Michael N. Stanton,
$12.95
This book is packed with data on all aspects of Tolkien's fantasy
creations. This one-volume guide to the creatures, kingdoms, and historical
timelines will prove indispensable for fans of Tolkien's novels.
Science Fiction After 1900: From the Steam Man
to the Stars by Brooks Landon, $18.95
This ambitious book analyzes the field of science fiction throughout
the twentieth century. It encompasses a wide range of science fiction writing
in the United States, England, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union,
with a special focus on the development of sub-genres. He treats science
fiction as "a tool to help you think." The author traces its development
from the dime store novel through the New Wave of the '60s, the cyberpunk
'80s, and soft agenda SF of the '90s. The writers he examines range for
E. M. Forster and John W. Campbell to Philip K. Dick and Ursula K. Le Guin.
He also examines the large body of criticism now devoted to the genre and
includes a bibliographic essay and a list of recommended titles.
Vampire Legends in Contemporary American Culture:
What Becomes a Legend Most by William Patrick Day, $29.95
While vampire stories have been part of popular culture since the
beginning of the nineteenth century, it has been in recent decades that
they have become a central part of American culture. This book examines
how vampire stories - from BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA to BLACULA, from Bela
Lugosi to LOVE AT FIRST BITE - have become part of our ongoing debate about
what it means to be human. William Patrick Day looks at how writers and
filmmakers as diverse as Anne Rice and Andy Warhol present the vampire
as an archetype of human identity, as well as how many post-modern vampire
stories reflect our fear and attraction to stories of addiction and violence.
He argues that contemporary stories use the character of Dracula to explore
modern values, and that stories of vampire slayers, such as the popular
television series BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, integrate both current feminist
ideas and the image of the Vietnam veteran into a new heroic version of
the vampire story. |
