Kirjahaku

This richly informed study analyzes how various cinematic tools and techniques have been used to create horror on screen--the aesthetic elements, sometimes not consciously noticed, that help to unnerve, frighten, shock or entertain an audience. The first two chapters define the genre and describe the use of pragmatic aesthetics (when filmmakers put technical and budgetary compromises to artistic effect). Subsequent chapters cover mise-en-scene, framing, photography, lighting, editing and sound, and a final chapter is devoted to the aesthetic appeals of horror cinema. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

The rise of independent horror filmmaking has spurred a growth of "indie" horror film festivals, promising promotional and distribution opportunities for selected motion pictures. Some filmmakers spend thousands of dollars on festival entry fees, only to be rejected everywhere. What occurs behind the scenes at these events? More than two dozen festival directors discuss how they secure money, sponsors and screening venues, and how they promote and run their events, as well as their criteria for selecting films. This book will help horror filmmakers take fuller advantage of festival opportunities, and assist festival directors in founding and improving events. Included are listings of 200+ film festivals and awards--current, defunct and prospective--and of previous award winners, spanning six continents and several decades.

Hollywood claims to love equal opportunity and multicultural diversity. Development executive Diana D agen thinks the studio's hiring is based more on ageism, sexism, and nepotism. And so, surrounded by followers of Wicca, astrology, Native American shamans, telephone psychics, UFO prophets, a channeled warlord from Atlantis, and the alchemy of Hermes Trismegistus, Diana's coven of New Age witches hatches a plot to infiltrate and diversify the entertainment industry until Hollywood "looks like America" -- no matter how many eggs must be broken along the way. Only the intrepid supermarket tabloid reporters of the Hollywood Investigator and Weekly Universe family of family publications can stop Diana's path toward world media domination. Editorial Reviews: "Though the inner machinations of Hollywood have been well explored by both writers and filmmakers for decades, Hollywood Witches is still an entertaining read if only because of its unique premise. It obviously targets the liberal pretensions of Hollywood and one could argue that its villain, D agen, has a point when she argues that diversity in Hollywood is a myth - though her agenda promises to do little to rectify the problem. It has genuinely humorous moments and although the witchcraft angle leads to some rather incredulous plot twists, overall it serves its subject matter well." -- Steven Martinovich, EnterStageRight.com, August 23, 2010 "Hollywood Witches is a commendable effort, which will entertain readers with strong stomachs." -- Lars Walker, The American Culture, June 22, 2010

A satire of corporate culture, job-hunting, and America's obsession with success, careers and status. It's the 1980s--the rise of the yuppie. A world of ex-hippie success gurus and millionaire cookie barons. Marxist revolutionaries and Ayn Rand cultists. Nightmarish job interviews and hellish subway rides. And at the corporate bottom -- the nameless and the faceless. Petty coworkers and cheap office parties. Secretaries and clerks and office drones leading lives of quiet desperation in a little gray cubicle in yuppie hell. In the tradition of Bonfire of the Vanities, Clockwatchers, Dilbert, and The Office. "A story of friendship, romance, and the search for the perfect r sum . Funny and entertaining." -- Carolina Review, December 2001 "Brilliantly twisted humor. The most hilarious American novel I've read this year. Entertaining and insightful parody of modern American mores." -- The Houston Review, August 26, 2001 "Satire of corporate life and personal greed in 1980s New York. An amusing work with clever period details and phrasing." -- American Outlook, Winter 2002 "Well-written, fast-paced, and unapologetically caustic in its humor. Check it out--you'll be glad you did." -- Midwest Book Review, May 2002