77 Movies That Just Missed Awards Or Audience Applause

Movies detailed in this book include both films that are well-known and those that are somewhat obscure, although nearly all are now available on DVD. Titles include The Bat Whispers, The Bishop Misbehaves, Black Midnight, Caesar and Cleopatra, Chisum, City Beneath the Sea, Comedy of Terrors, Corsair, The Count of Monte Cristo, Cromwell, The Egyptian, The Glass Web, How To Marry a Millionaire, The Jack-Knife Man, Key to the City, Kiss Me Deadly, Ladies Love Danger, Midnight, Our Hospitality, The Road to Reno, So This Is New York, Stella Dallas, Stormy Weather, The Thirteenth Guest, Tickle Me, Titanic, Tower of London, Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round, The Valley of Decision, Viva Zapata!, You Can't Cheat an Honest Man.

Here are over 70 movie classics from the Golden Age of Hollywood, fully annotated with complete casts and credits plus other essential information, lovingly described and recalled by one of the world's foremost movie critics, John Howard Reid, who has spent over 50 years in the film industry. Mind you, Reid has his quirks. For instance, he has provided provocative illustrations of "Viva Zapata!" and "Vicki" but has not covered them in his book. "I wanted to share these great posters that I've just added to my collection," Reid explains. "The book proper starts at page three, the title page. Where else? What publishers put on pages one and two is generally a lot of fluff anyway. On the other hand, I've actually covered in detail over 70 movies which most fans will really enjoy. Films like 'Tickle Me' (Elvis Presley's best movie), 'Transcontinental Limited' (a real treat for train buffs) and 'Stormy Weather' (an absolute MUST for Lena Horne fans)."

By concentrating on Sam Shepard's visual aesthetics, Emma Creedon argues that a consideration of Shepard's plays in the context of visual and theoretical Surrealism illuminates our understanding of his experimental approach to drama.

A unique perspective on half a century of American cinema—from the audience's point of view. Tom Stempel goes beyond the comments of professional reviewers, concentrating on the opinions of ordinary people. He traces shifting trends in genre and taste, examining and questioning the power films have in American society. Stempel blends audience response with his own observations and analyzes box office results that identify the movies people actually went to see, not just those praised by the critics. Avoiding statistical summary, he presents the results of a survey on movies and moviegoing in the respondents' own words—words that surprise, amuse, and irritate. The moviegoers respond: "Big bad plane, big bad motorcycle, and big bad Kelly McGillis."—On Top Gun "All I can recall were the slave girls and the Golden Calf sequence and how it got me excited. My parents must have been very pleased with my enthusiasm for the Bible."—On why a seven-year-old boy stayed up to watch The Ten Commandments "I learned the fine art of seduction by watching Faye Dunaway smolder."—A woman's reaction to seeing Bonnie and Clyde "At age fifteen Jesus said he would be back, he just didn't say what he would look like."—On E.T. "Quasimodo is every seventh grader."—On why The Hunchback of Notre Dame should play well with middle-schoolers "A moronic, very 'Hollywoody' script, and a bunch of dancing teddy bears."—On Return of the Jedi "I couldn't help but think how Mad magazine would lampoon this." —On The Exorcist

If it can happen in show business, it’s happened to Jon Cryer. Now he’s opening up for the first time and sharing his behind-the-scenes stories in a warmly endearing, sharply observed, and frankly funny look at life in Hollywood. In 1986, Jon Cryer won over America as Molly Ringwald’s loyal and lovable best friend, Duckie, in the cult classic Pretty in Pink in a role that set the tone for his three-decade-long career in Hollywood. He went on to establish himself as one of the most talented comedic actors in the business, ultimately culminating in his current turn as Alan Harper on the massively popular sitcom Two and a Half Men. With the instincts of a natural storyteller, Cryer charts his extraordinary journey in show business, illuminating his many triumphs and some missteps along the way. Filled with exclusive behind-the-scenes anecdotes, Cryer offers his own endearing perspective on Hollywood, the business at large, and the art of acting. Cryer has worked with some of the biggest and most provocative names in the business, and here, for the first time, he details his experiences with Charlie Sheen, John Hughes, Robert Altman, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, and Christopher Reeve, among many others. He shares the intimate details of his friendships and relationships, pays tribute to his mentors, and explores the peculiar combination of heart, talent, and wisdom it takes to survive not just the bad times in a notoriously fickle industry but even the good times. In this revealing, humorous, and introspective memoir, Cryer offers readers a front-row seat as he reminisces about his life and experiences in showbiz over the past thirty years.

"It's an incredible honor to be included in this amazing book of the greatest talent the Broadway stage has ever known!" —AUDRA McDONALD, six-time Tony Award-winning actress From Audra McDonald to Liza with a "Z," here is a showstopping alphabet book featuring your favorite leading ladies of the Broadway stage! Step into the spotlight and celebrate a cavalcade of Broadway's legendary ladies. Start with "A" for six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, then sing and dance your way through the alphabet with beloved entertainers like Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Lea Salonga, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelli O'Hara, and Liza Minnelli! Broadway fans and theater lovers everywhere will give a standing ovation to this one-of-a-kind tribute full of toe-tapping rhymes, with illustrations as bright and beautiful as the shining lights on any marquee. AND DON'T MISS THE SEQUEL COMING IN OCTOBER: B IS FOR BROADWAY: ONSTAGE AND BACKSTAGE FROM A TO Z! THE RAVE REVIEWS ARE IN FROM THE STARS THEMSELVES! A wonderful, enriching, enlightening book for theater lovers of all ages . . . and all that jazz!" —CHITA RIVERA, two-time Tony Award-winning actress (The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman) "A to Z—awesome to zany—I'm thrilled to be a part of such an illustrious group." —CHRISTINE EBERSOLE, two-time Tony Award-winning actress (42nd Street, Grey Gardens) "I'm so honored to be included among these fierce ladies—brought to life with such fun illustrations—in this wonderful book for little divas like my own!" —LEA SALONGA, Tony Award-winning actress (Miss Saigon) "A is for Audra turns the alphabet song into a show stopper! It is literally a love letter to Broadway's leading ladies, and I am so honored to be memorialized alongside all of my sisters!" —RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY, Tony Award-winning actress (Hamilton) "I'm honored to be included in this illustrious group. A to Z, they are all incredible!" —KRISTIN CHENOWETH, Tony Award-winning actress (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) "What a fun and fabulous celebration of the females of Broadway! Imagine my joy just to be a part of it!" —KELLI O’HARA, Tony Award-winning actress (The King and I) “H is also for honored—because that’s what I am to be included in this beautiful book. I can’t wait to show my kids and tell them of all the brilliant leading ladies who have graced the Broadway stage.” —HEATHER HEADLEY, Tony Award–winning actress (Aida) AND CRITICS LOVE IT TOO! "Women of the Broadway theater take center stage in this loving homage. . . . A lively introduction to a whole new cast of heroines."—Kirkus "this is a book all kids (and many adults) will enjoy as they learn about and fall in love with the theatre."—Playbill.com "A true necessity for any kid’s bookshelf."—Entertainment Weekly “a thorough, eye-catching introduction to women of the theater. . . . budding theater lovers will get a thrill.”—Booklist "A sure hit for thespians of all ages."—School Library Journal "Emmerich’s flattering caricatures, paired with [Allman’s] verse, are colorful and slick, bringing Broadway’s drama to the page”—Publishers Weekly

In a factory on the slopes of Mount Fuji, industrial robots are now making more robots, working flawlessly around the clock with virtually no human supervision. In Beverly Hills, a robot which normally serves drinks at parties is arrested for handing out business cards illegally in a busy downtown street. From forbidding lunar landscapes to mineral-rich ocean floors, robots perform tasks we thought only humans could do-or could not be done at all. In The Robot Revolution, noted author and computer engineer Tom Logsdon reveals the fact-is stranger than fiction world of robots and the impact they are having in all facets of society, from industry and defense to sports and entertainment. He explores their history from the legendary creations of the ancient Greeks to the experimental ultra sensitive machines of today. And he explains just what robot is and why the latest advances in such fascinating fields as artificial intelligence are making real robots more and more similar to R2D2 and C3P0. Ready or not, The Robot Revolution is here and our lives are never going to be the same again.