From the call of the wild to the vagaries of love to the art of curing a hangover, this is a veritable aurora borealis of Chris's own recollections, speculations, dreams, and philosophies.

    The Great Movies collects one hundred of these essays, each one of them a gem of critical appreciation and an amalgam of love, analysis, and history that will send readers back to that film with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm–or perhaps to an avid first-time viewing. Ebert’s selections range widely across genres, periods, and nationalities, and from the highest achievements in film art to justly beloved and wildly successful popular entertainments. Roger Ebert manages in these essays to combine a truly populist appreciation for our most important form of popular art with a scholar’s erudition and depth of knowledge and a sure aesthetic sense. Wonderfully enhanced by stills selected by Mary Corliss, film curator at the Museum of Modern Art, The Great Movies is a treasure trove for film lovers of all persuasions, an unrivaled guide for viewers, and a book to return to again and again.The Great Movies includes: All About Eve • Bonnie and Clyde • Casablanca • Citizen Kane • The Godfather • Jaws • La Dolce Vita • Metropolis • On the Waterfront • Psycho • The Seventh Seal • Sweet Smell of Success • Taxi Driver • The Third Man • The Wizard of Oz • and eighty-five more films.From the Hardcover edition.

    For ParaNorman, LAIKA's team of artists and animators built and brought to life a miniature town, a horde of zombies, and a quirky cast of characters to tell a tale of a boy with spooky talents who must save his hometown from a centuries-old curse. Featuring the amazing and detailed artwork that went into the film's creation—from character sketches and concept art to puppets, textiles, set dressing, and 3-D printed facial models—The Art and Making of ParaNorman goes behind the scenes to explore the exacting, exciting steps that are achieved frame by frame in this newest LAIKA masterpiece.

    The story of filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's life and work, including his impact on Japan and the world A thirtieth‑century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red‑haired fish girl, and a furry woodland spirit—what do these have in common? They all spring from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest living animators, known worldwide for films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises.

    This one-of-a-kind book—the ultimate official guide to the show—covers the evolution of Breaking Bad from the pilot to the final episode and beyond. Adapted and expanded from Breaking Bad Alchemy, the interactive e-book for the iPad, it highlights the unique elements that made the series so magnetic. The book is filled with insider secrets about the making of the show and the meanings behind its iconography, as well a complete Breaking Bad timeline; in-depth looks at the series’ groundbreaking cinematography, music, and special effects; exclusive interviews with creator Vince Gilligan; and new text from noted film critic David Thomson. Bad fans will enjoy the book's updated design, more than 100 new images, and perceptive captions. Renowned critic David Thomson reveals an extensive interview with Vince Gilligan just for this edition, and provides an insightful introduction—arguing that Breaking Bad is not only a great show, but one of the most significant works of fiction in the new century. In addition to exploring how this epic series came to be, Thomson sets Breaking Bad in the context of both crime literature and long-form television.

    and includes a foreword by Patton Oswalt! Ken Plume sits down with series creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer to have a conversation about the creation of every single episode through season six and much more. From the earliest sketches of Hank and Dean scribbled in a notebook, pitching the series to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, learning the ins and outs of animation, character designs for each season, storyboards, painted backgrounds, behind-the-scenes recollections of how the show came together, it's all here.Features behind-the-scenes info and art covering every episode of all six seasons.Written by Venture Bros. creators Jackson Publik and Doc Hammer, with an introduction by Patton Oswalt.An all-encompassing look at the characters, art, history and influences of the beloved series.Never before seen Venture Bros. artwork!

    From Aardman Studios in Bristol. England, winners of three Academy Awards, comes the most thorough book on the subject, and the first to include complete instructions for making a 3-D animated film.Aardman is one of the foremost 3-D animation studios in the world, acclaimed for its short films, TV series and commercials. The studio has created a host of well-known characters, the most famous being Nick Park's Wallace and Gromit. But the history of 3-D animation spans Hollywood triumphs as the 1933 King Kong, 1991's Terminator II, and 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas, and includes such creatures as the California Raisins.The main focus of this exciting book is a guide to the processes of 3-D animation, culminating in a practical, fully illustrated step-by-step description of how to create effective characters and sets, and make an entire film. There is no other book that provides this same information in such detail, making it possible for everyone to create their own 3-D animated classic.

    They tether two friends, Manolo and Joaquin, into vying for the heart of the beautiful and fiercely independent Maria, with comical and sometimes dangerous consequences. This volume is an inspirational behind-the-scenes look at the making of the animated feature film The Book of Life, from visionary producer Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and director Jorge R. Gutierrez (El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera).

     Much has been written about the storied New Hollywood of the 1970s, but at the same time as Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Coppola were making their first classic movies, a parallel universe of directors gave birth to the modern horror film-aggressive, raw, and utterly original. Based on unprecedented access to the genre's major players, The New York Times's critic Jason Zinoman's Shock Value delivers the first definitive account of horror's golden age. By the late 1960s, horror was stuck in the past, confined mostly to drive-in theaters and exploitation houses, and shunned by critics. Shock Value tells the unlikely story of how the much-disparaged horror film became an ambitious art form while also conquering the multiplex. Directors such as Wes Craven, Roman Polanski, John Carpenter, and Brian De Palma- counterculture types operating largely outside the confines of Hollywood-revolutionized the genre, exploding taboos and bringing a gritty aesthetic, confrontational style, and political edge to horror. Zinoman recounts how these directors produced such classics as Rosemary's Baby, Carrie, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Halloween, creating a template for horror that has been imitated relentlessly but whose originality has rarely been matched. This new kind of film dispensed with the old vampires and werewolves and instead assaulted audiences with portraits of serial killers, the dark side of suburbia, and a brand of nihilistic violence that had never been seen before. Shock Value tells the improbable stories behind the making of these movies, which were often directed by obsessive and insecure young men working on shoestring budgets, were funded by sketchy investors, and starred porn stars. But once The Exorcist became the highest grossing film in America, Hollywood took notice. The classic horror films of the 1970s have now spawned a billion-dollar industry, but they have also penetrated deep into the American consciousness. Quite literally, Zinoman reveals, these movies have taught us what to be afraid of. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of the most important artists in horror, Shock Value is an enthralling and personality-driven account of an overlooked but hugely influential golden age in American film.

    This book is a rollicking collection of such 'Top Tens', written by stars from Steven Soderberg and the Coen Brothers to Gilbert Adair and DBC Pierre. If you want to know the Ten Most-Deserved Oscars or Ten So-Called 'Turkeys' That Are Actually Brilliant, then look no further, Ten Bad Dates with De Niro could be your perfect match.

    . . exploding. But where did Japanese animation come from, and what does it all mean? Written for fans, culture watchers, and perplexed outsiders, this is an engaging tour of the anime megaverse, from older arts and manga traditions to the works of modern directors like Miyazaki and Otomo. Read about anime standbys like giant robots, samurai, furry beasts, high school heroines, and gay/girl/fanboy love—even war and reincarnation, plus all of anime’s major themes, styles, and conventions. At the end of the book are essays on 15 of fandom’s favorite anime, including Evangelion, Esca-flowne, Sailor Moon, and Patlabor."A good resource and guide to the foundation, historical development and overall themes in Japanese animation and serves as an excellent reference source whether you are an established fan or a person who wants to learn about the cultural aspects of this specific and increasingly popular genre. It is an easy yet thorough read on the myriad of societal aspects and cultural references Japanese animation holds." -- Active Anime

    Includes candid photos and an episode guide no Bat-fan should be without.

    Now, more than twenty years later, the visionary writer-director, his brilliant crew of special-effects wizards, and an exciting cast of talented stars have united to make the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated Episode I of the Star Wars epic.Star Wars: The Making of Episode I is your exclusive entrée backstage where the wonders of the newest chapter in the Star Wars saga are brought to life, including - A series of exclusive interviews with George Lucas as he discusses the genesis of the Star Wars story, from themes to scenes to dialogue- The development of such classic characters as young Jedi student Obi-Wan Kenobi and R2-D2--plus intriguing newcomers Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala, and Jar Jar Binks- The creation of new state-of-the-art creatures and special effects by the legendary Industrial Light & Magic team- Pre-production: from storyboarding, set-building, and model-making to costume design and the casting of pivotal roles - Post-production: Including editing, scoring, and combining computer generated effects with live-action footage- Shooting in England, Italy, and Tunisia, with stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, and Natalie Portman- Hundreds of drawings and photographsWitness all the movie-making magic behind the sensational Star Wars saga's newest episode!

    Kevin Murphy made it his obsession, and he did it for you.Mr. Murphy, known to legions of fans as Tom Servo on the legendary TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000, went to the movies every day for a year. That's every single day, people. For a whole fricken' year. And not only did he endure, he prevailed -- for this is the hilarious, poignant, fascinating journal of his adventures: the first book about the movies from the audience's point of view.Kevin went to the multiplex, sure. But he didn't stop there. He found the world's smallest commercial movie theater. Another one made completely of ice. Checked out flicks in a tin-roofed hut in the South Pacific. Tooled across the desert from drive-in to drive-in in a groovy convertible. Lived for a week solely on theater food. Took six different women to the same date movie. Dressed up as a nun for the Sing-Along Sound of Music in London. Sneaked into the Cannes and Sundance film festivals. Smuggled an entire Thanksgiving dinner into a movie theater. And saw hundreds of films, from the Arctic Circle to the Equator, from the sublime to the unspeakable. Come along on a joyous global celebration of the cinema with a man on a mission -- to spend A Year at the Movies.

    Produced by Turner Classic Movies, this stylish and definitive guide as the inside scoop and off-the-record reveals of fifty unforgettable actors and is also the focus of an on-air film festival on the channel. The lives and accomplishments of each actor are celebrated in an insightful career overview, accompanied by an annotated list of essential films, filmographies, behind the scenes facts, Academy Award wins and nominations. Full of surprising trivia, film stills, posters, and stunning photos, Leading Men pays tribute to the most charismatic, enduring, and elegant actors of the silver screen: an essential resource for movie buffs and pop-culture enthusiasts alike.