F. X. Feeney (1953–2020)

Pocket Essentials is a dynamic series of books that are concise, lively, and easy to read. Packed with facts as well as expert opinions, each book has all the key information you need to know about such popular topics as film, television, cult fiction, history, and more. Orson Welles shocked Broadway with his all-black voodoo version of Macbeth, challenged the US government with his production of The Cradle Will Rock, terrified America with his spoof radio broadcast of The War Of The Worlds, and then at the tender age of 26, directed what many consider the greatest American film ever made: Citizen Kane. The popular myth is that it was all downhill from there, that Welles became a fallen genius yet, despite overwhelming odds, he went on to make great film noirs like The Lady From Shanghai and Touch Of Evil. Far from being down and out, Welles became one of the first cutting-edge independent film-makers. As well as having an introductory essay, in this book each of Welles' films is analyzed, and there is a handy multimedia reference guide for further study.
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Wie kann man die Faszination eines Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow, Donnie Brasco, Don Juan DeMarco, Käpt’n Jack Sparrow und Sweeney Todd überhaupt in Worte fassen, ohne die wundersame Begabung eines Johnny Depp zu erwähnen? Wie kann man diese herrlichen Figuren überhaupt in einem Satz nennen, wenn nicht unter der Rubrik seiner widersprüchlichen, wärmesuchenden Neugier und Fantasie? Wenn es ihn nicht gäbe, bedürfte es mindestens sechs anderer Schauspieler, um das zu schaffen, was er bisher in seiner Karriere erreicht hat, und kaum ein Schauspieler nach Cary Grant war so engelhaft androgyn und zugleich männlich wie er. Vom Teenie-Herzensbrecher zum vollendeten Schauspieler, der mit angesehenen Regisseuren wie Emir Kusturica, Terry Gilliam, Roman Polanski, Jim Jarmusch und John Waters gearbeitet hat, baute sich Johnny Depp eine ebenso erfolgreiche wie unkonventionelle Karriere auf.… (mere)

Man könnte sich das amerikanische Kino, wie wir es seit The Godfather (Der Pate) kennen, nicht ohne Al Pacino vorstellen. Als Michael Corleone haucht er einem Amerikaner von epischem Ausmaß Leben ein. Seine Figuren mögen explodieren (wie Tony Montana in Scarface) oder ein Ausbund an Gelassenheit und Gerissenheit sein (wie der Journalist in The Insider) - wirklich gesprächig sind nur seine außergewöhnlichen Augen. Wie ein Rivale über Tony Montana sagt: "In ihm steckt nichts Verlogenes" - das trifft auch auf Pacino zu. Gut oder böse: Man kann sich immer und überall auf ihn verlassen, ihn nicht übersehen, denn wie ein Magnet lenkt er kontinuierlich unsere Aufmerksamkeit auf sich.… (mere)

Erscheinungstermin: 20. Mai 2007 | Reihe: Movie Icons
He's the most self-invented man in movies, this side of Charlie Chaplin. Like Chaplin, Cary Grant grew up poor, trained as an acrobat, and brims with confidence, romance, and a spirit of merry larceny - he just has a better tailor. His impeccable timing and light, cat burglar's touch at stealing women's hearts were perfect for the jaunty heroics and romantic farce of such classic films as "An Affair to Remember", "Notorious", "His Girl Friday", "North By Northwest", "Bringing Up Baby", and "To Catch a Thief". In the end, the role became the man - he had ceased to play "Cary Grant" and simply was Cary Grant. One could wish no man any greater happiness than that. The "Movie Icon" series: People talk about Hollywood glamour, about studios that had more stars than there are in heaven, about actors who weren't actors but were icons. Other people talk about these things, "Taschen" shows you. "Movie Icons" is a series of photo books that feature the most famous personalities in the history of cinema. These 192-page books are visual biographies of the stars. For each title, series editor Paul Duncan has painstaking selected approximately 150 high quality enigmatic and sumptuous portraits, colorful posters and lobby cards, rare film stills, and previously unpublished candid photos showing the stars as they really are. These images are accompanied by concise introductory essays by leading film writers; each book also includes a chronology, a filmography, and a bibliography, and is peppered with apposite quotes from the movies and from life.… (mere)