Hollywood North

British Columbia’s billion-dollar film industry trails behind only those of California and New York. This book recounts the story of British Columbia’s rapid rise from relative obscurity in the film world to its current status as " Hollywood North." Gasher positions the industry as a model for commercial film production in the twenty-first century -- one strongly shaped by a perception of cinema as a medium, not of culture, but of regional industrial development. He addresses the specific economic and geographic factors that contribute to the province’s success, such as the low Canadian dollar and BC’s proximity to Los Angeles. Hollywood North is an important book that brings into focus the tension between globalization and localization in the film industry.

Vancouver is now North America’s third largest center for film and television production, recently witnessing the filming of Halle Berry’s Catwoman and Will Smith’s I, Robot, among others. But Vancouver has been hosting filmmakers for years, coming into its own in the early 1970s when Robert Altman, Warren Beatty and Julie Christie made McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Mike Nichols, Jack Nicholson and Candice Bergen filmed Carnal Knowlege. Dreaming in the Rain tells the story of how Vancouver became North by Northwest, from its early days as a Hollywood studio backlot to its becoming home to a vibrant indigenous scene that is among the most acclaimed, provocative, independent filmmaking communities anywhere. But with Hollywood’s growing concern over “runaway” productions, Vancouver’s growing filmmaking scene is wrought with controversy. The city’s American-based film industry is powerful enough to inspire loathing and threats from Hollywood. Along with tracing the art and commerce of Vancouver filmmaking, Vancouver Province movie critic David Spaner brings to life the flamboyant film personalities who left their marks. From visitors like Errol Flynn and Robert Altman, to local heroes such as The Matrix’s Carrie Anne Moss, who grew up in Vancouver, and Kissed star Molly Parker and director Lynne Stopkewich, vital players in the groundbreaking Vancouver indie scene. Includes more than 40 black and white photographs. “. . . [Spaner] has . . . scrupulous attention to detail and an obvious curiosity and passion for both Vancouver and its film industry.”—Entertainment Today David Spaner is a movie critic for the Vancouver Province.

“Libling’s assured, quietly menacing debut [is] based on his World Fantasy Award–nominated novella of the same title. . . . Fans of Stand by Me and the like will find much to enjoy.” —Publishers Weekly It’s the 1960s, and Gus Berry is coming of age in Trenton, a small town on the north shore of Lake Ontario. The place isn’t known for much—unless you count the menacing stray dogs, plant explosions, plane collisions, and regular drownings. The adults seem to take it all in stride, but Gus can’t shake the feeling of impending doom. His friend Annie Barker doesn’t share Gus’s dark thoughts; she believes in things. So Gus goes about his days, surviving school, trying to live up to his widowed mother’s expectations, and growing increasingly obsessed with movies and TV shows. Indeed, he scripts his life to make it way more exciting and adventurous than it actually is. Gus is clearly a boy who wants things, which makes Jack Levin the perfect friend. He’s a local hero famous for finding stuff : a message in a bottle, a meteorite, a long-lost wedding ring. And when Jack makes his most mysterious discovery yet, Gus and Annie are drawn with him into an investigation of Trenton’s past. Guided by their curiosity, they soon uncover a malignant darkness behind the town’s senseless tragedies. In Hollywood North, World Fantasy Award–nominated author Michael Libling “spins a tale of movies and memories, nightmares and nostalgia, with such a frightening secret at its core, that you’ll understand why, even though you can go home again, you might end up wishing you didn’t” (Ian Rogers, author of Every House Is Haunted). “[A] fine first novel . . . Bradbury might have sketched out this mode in the darker parts of Dandelion Wine and the entirety of Something Wicked This Way Comes, but contemporary authors such as Libling are showing us refinements of sensibility and sense of wonder that the old Waukeganian never dreamed of.” —Locus

In this original short story by the award-winning author of Cut You Down and Invisible Dead, private investigator Dave Wakeland finds himself behind the scenes of a lowbrow sitcom called Filthy Stinking Poor in gritty Vancouver, BC. When successful screenwriter (and unsuccessful poet) Paul Ling goes missing, his teenage daughter hires Wakeland to track him down. To the shock of his family and colleagues, Ling's body is found within days in the home of a stranger, killed by a drug overdose--and Wakeland suspects foul play. Did Ling have a secret life that finally caught up with him, or did his search for realistic creative material for his writing take him down a dangerous path? In the world of bad television and cutthroat competition, Wakeland will need his wits about him to sort friend from foe.

I can say with absolute certainty that, everybody enjoys watching movies, cinema, films and television. But few, if any, know how a film is made: a film has inbuilt special effects or 'tricks'to make it appealing to audiences. MOVING CAMERAS AND LIVING MOVIES reveals to you ALL about films & Filmmaking; it is a hard and tasking enterprise involving tens of thousands of workers and millions of investment dollars. After reading MOVING CAMERAS...your love for movies will triple. Movie technicians and camera gurus have a license to mould, alter, and manipulate the screen to produce or induce rain, sunlight, snow, fire, or fly any object in space in defiance of gravity or even cause 'accidents'or 'raise' the dead to life. Learn the fascinating, exciting world of film, actresses, actors, fashion, and fictional entities.

The Film Studio sheds new light on the evolution of global film production, highlighting the role of film studios worldwide. The authors explore the contemporary international production environment, alleging that global competition is best understood as an unequal and unstable partnership between the 'design interest' of footloose producers and the 'location interest' of local actors. Ben Goldsmith and Tom O'Regan identify various types of film studios and investigate the consequences for Hollywood, international film production, and the studio locations.

Berlitz Pocket Guide Los Angeles combines insider tips with great colour photography to help you get the most out of the city's history and culture. This handy companion provides everything you need to truly get the most out of this city, from star spotting on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, to leisure time at Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach. Handy maps on the cover flaps help you to get around with ease. To inspire you, the book offers a rundown of the Top 10 Attractions in Los Angeles, followed by an itinerary for a Perfect Day in the city. The What to Do chapter is a snapshot of ways to spend your spare time, from nightlife and shopping to sports. You'll also be armed with background information, including a brief history of the city and an Eating Out chapter covering its interesting cuisine.There are carefully chosen listings of the best hotels and restaurants, and an A-Z to give you all the practical information you will need.

The Los Angeles area feels almost alive with movie history. It is impossible to walk down any neighborhood block that didn’t play host to movie history on some level. From Chaplin walking Hollywood sidewalks in 1915 to the Three Stooges running down Culver City streets in 1930 to westerns filmed in the Valley in the 1950’s, the area has been the background for thousands of films and home to millions of movie people. Historical documents, census records, movie studio and institutional archives, and personal writings have all been scoured in order to compile the most exhaustive and complete Hollywood address listing ever compiled.