Metropolis: 75th Anniversary Edition

Description

The 75th Anniverary edition of Thea von Harbou's classic, the basis for van Harbou's screenplay for Fritz Lang's ground-breaking 1926 Science Fiction Epic of the same name. This edition of the novel is "stillustrated" with scenes from the Fritz Lang film classic as will as behind the scenes photos photos. Theis edition also includes poster art work, film advertisements, and more including pieces from Forrest J Ackerman's extensive collection of "Metropolis" related artifacts.

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Customer Reviews

Exceptional for over 100 years.
Long time fan of the Fritz Lang masterpiece. I had never read the original novel before.

Once again, and even though Thea von Harbo authored the screenplay too, the book is in and of itself a masterpiece.

2007-12-02 | your new savior (So. California) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A DISAPPOINTMENT
I was very disappointed to open this book and find very bad quality illustrations. For $24 I would expect better than this. The illustrations, which are mostly stills from the movie, are about the same quality as newspaper photos from 40 years ago---very low contrast, mostly gray tones. This ruins what should have been (and sounded like) a good book. I take issue with the previous reviewer who said it has "improved scans". If this is the improvement, I'd hate to see what they looked like before. Any book about movies that features Metropolis will have far better quality stills from the movie than this book.
Metropolis is one of my favorite films, and its influence can still be discerned today. Moreover, it is a political metaphor for class divisions that grow ever deeper in America. As long as there is a ruling class and an underclass this movie will stay relevant. Your money would be better spent on the excellent DVD of the fully restored film than for this disappointing book.

2005-03-23 | NightOwl (Detroit MI) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 2

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The essential companion to the film!
Thea von Harbou's book is the indispensable companion to Fritz Lang's immortal film. As most people know, Lang's film was butchered by German and American editors-we have lost about 25% of the film. Essential scenes and many of the subplots were deleted to make it fit within a small time frame. Reality Check: The shorter the film, the more times they can show it, and the more money they collect. Consequently, with the best of restorations, we are seeing a film with as many gaps as a hockey player's smile.

This book, which was serially published before the film's release, fills in the gaps. You get a better sense of the story that Lang and von Harbou are trying the tell. The book allows you to get inside the heads of Freder and co. in a way that the film does not allow. You get a stronger feel for the dystopic milieu that Freder fixes.

This story is essentially mythic, so devotees of Joseph Campbell, George Lucas, and James N. Frey will devour the book and the film. You see the messianic and redemptive elements that makes this story so enduring. This story is one of my favorites, and rates with anything C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkein wrote, although not with the same level of craftsmanship.

This particular edition is the 75th anniversary edition. It includes an introductory essay by Forrest J. Ackerman, a Metropolis aficionado. It is illustrated with a few movie sills, and several movie posters from German and American screenings. These illustration selection could have been better, and for crying out loud, next time please do not put the pictures in sideways!

The only drawback with this book is the size-it is 8 ½ by 11, as opposed to the normal novel-book size of 7 by 4. It is awkward to read and hold. It feels in my hands more like a coffee-table picture book than a novel. So it is a little hard to read in this fashion. The translation, however, is readable, and doesn't have an "Germanisms."

I'm not sure if this book "stands alone" apart from the film. It wasn't conceived as such, but was more of a segway for the film. However, the story or the "feel" of the times and perplexities of the dystopic Metropolis. In this sense, the book achieves it's purpous.

Anything that lasts 75 years is worth investigating. I love film and am glad that I own the novel so doubles my cinematic pleasure.

2003-04-29 (Provo, UT United States) | Helpful Votes: 20 | Rating: 3

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Improved Scans and printing
This 75th Anniversary edition of Metropolis had been completely re-scanned and the book reprinted on improved presses (as of 10/2002) so that the interior illustrations and quality are much improved. A very nice present for the holidays and a fitting companion to the recently released digital version of the original film.

2002-10-25 (Florence, South Carolina) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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An opportunity wasted
While it is good to have the novel METROPOLIS available once again, it is a pity the presentation couldn't have been better and more professional. The stills from the film are badly reproduced and look like they went through a poor fax. The posters are in poor black & white instead of color.
In addition, since METROPOLIS is a short novel, it would have been quite easy to add a couple of chapters. One excellent one would have been a reprint of the "Famous Monsters" articles of several decades ago that dealth with the film's special effects. Another article of interest would've been a discussion of the restortation efforts on this film, especially with another restoration to come out this year and, I believe, to be released by Kino Video on DVD next year.

But, no, this was an excellent opportunity wasted by a shoddy presentation.

2002-07-29 (Springfield, VA USA) | Helpful Votes: 7 | Rating: 2

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Forrest J Ackerman's The Anthology of the Living Dead

Description

Fans of Uncle Forry, zombies, and everything horror rejoice! Nicholas Grabowsky's Black Bed Sheet Books is proud to present FORREST J ACKERMAN'S THE ANTHOLOGY OF THE LIVING DEAD. This represents one of Forry's very last literary outings with blessings from the Ackerman estate. Contributors include Uncle Forry himself (forward), Del Howison, Joe Moe, Cassandra Lee, Eric Enck, Axelle Carolyn, Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton (introduction) and many more! Edited by J. Travis Grundon & L.B. Goddard, this is a must-have read and an extraordinary achievement for zombie lore!

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Customer Reviews

A Few of Forry's Final Favorites
The Anthology of the Living Dead offers the discerning consumer of zombie fiction two unique flavors served up by no other collection. First, as stated above the title, this is the brainchild of none other than the late, great Forrest J Ackerman, who, short of actually returning from the beyond has done us the final favor of at least leaving us with a presentation of choice cuts from fifteen staggeringly-good writers, each of whom attacks the genre from a different direction...some taking fresh bites and others chewing over the familiar remains of classic zombie tales. All are tasty though few are tasteful. The second notable inclusion in the Anthology is a story by Uncle Forry's favorite fanboy and number-one protégé, Joe Moe, whose "A Hiccup. A Remedy" is such an incredibly inventive short story that I will not even attempt to find a bad zombie pun to describe it...all I can do is recommend that you start reading the book on page 143, because there's always that chance that you'll die before getting to it, and as zombies aren't known to be avid readers, you'd be doing your own undead self a disservice in the delay.

2009-11-16 (California) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Imaginative Creepiness!
Forrest J Ackerman's Anthology of the Living Dead is an exquisite, rotten confection for horror fans everywhere! Genre heavyweights and newcomers alike unite to deliver some of the most innovative spins on Zombie-lore you could ever imagine. You'll have your favorites, but there's no disputing that wading through ALL of the stories is quite rewarding if you put a premium on imaginative creepiness! With Forry Ackerman's endorsement, it's gotta be good. Double-bolt the front door, board up all the windows and make sure to sleep with a tire iron under your pillow. Yeah, right! As if you'll be able to sleep...

2009-10-16 | I can see forever! (Los Angeles, CA) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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Cinemassacres: A Tribute to Forrest J Ackerman

Description

Introduction by Ingrid Pitt / 6 Kind Comments for Uncle Forry Interviews Afterword by Iron Dave / 166 Interviews: Modern Mythmakers author Michael McCarty / 10 Artist Frank Dietz / 15 Multi-Media artist and Forry's ''best pal'' Joe Moe / 18 Michael Mallory - author of ''Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy Of Horror'' / 22 John Dimes- actor/artist/author of The Rites of Pretending Tribe / 25 Brian Walker - creator of Brian's Drive-In Theatre / 28 Robert Leininger - producer of The Undying Monsters / 31 Dick Dyszel { Count Gore Devol} host of Creature Feature / 35 Artist Jim McDermott / 38 Lucy Hell of Mystery Island Publications / 39 Rue Morgue Magazine art director ''Ghoulish'' Gary Pullin / 41 Special Guest Photos Section Courtlandt Hull - creator of ''The Witch's Dungeon'' Museum in Bristol, CT. / 58 Kevin Sean Michaels - director of Vampira: The Movie / 61 Moebius Models creator Frank Winspur / 65 Dr. Mangor - Antimator, photographer, creator of Suicidal Suzi comic / 67 Scifi-Womanthology editor Pam Keesey / 70 Special Guest Interviews: East Texas Gothic: Joe R. Lansdale / 74 Gandhi At The Bat author Chet Williamson / 80 Don Calfa - star of Return of the Living Dead / 84 Scalps director Fred Olen Ray / 88 NCIS star Muse Watson / 99 Jason Paul Collum - author of Assault of the Killer Bs / 106 Horror Films of the 1980s author John Kenneth Muir / 113 Strangewood author Christopher Golden / 115 Genre actor/stuntman/screenwriter Jim O'Rear / 120 Sara Karloff - daughter of horror icon Boris Karloff / 123 Interview with Cinemassacres author Iron Dave, conducted by Roberta Lannes / 126 Covenant and The 13th author John Everson / 131 The Amazing Kreskin / 135 Count Gregula / 143 Chopping Mall director Jim Wynorksi / 146 Echoes: Remembering Forrest J. Ackerman / 155

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Customer Reviews

Forrest J Ackerman Shall Not Die!
OK, I'm biased because I contributed to this book. That said, this is an interesting publication about a very interesting man. As well-known in the Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror field as Forrest J Ackerman was, he's still sorely underrated. The impact "Uncle Forry" had on pop-culture is profound. If you are a fan of the genre or just a student of the times, it would serve you well to familiarize yourself with the life and works of Mr. Ackerman. His influence on the filmmaking community alone is shockingly deep. Some of today's most prominent directors attribute their inspiration to Forry and his seminal monster mag (along with publisher James Warren) of the 1950's through 80's - Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Among his disciples are Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, John Landis, Penn & Teller, Billy Bob Thornton, Guillermo Del Toro, Peter Jackson, Stephen King and many more! A quick read of the disparate but universally praising testimonials in Cinemassacres will convince you of just how influential and beloved a figure Forrest J Ackerman was. It is my opinion, but a well informed one that says we should not only remember Forry but perpetuate his mythically generous spirit, childlike sense of wonder and tireless cheerleading for more, more, MORE Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror faire! Enjoy, fellow monsters...

2010-07-29 | Bookie (Hollywood) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Forrest J Ackerman, Famous Monster of Filmland

Description

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Customer Reviews

Must have for FM fans
If you loved Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine as a young baby boomer, this nostalgic look back by the child-at-heart editor, Forrest J Ackerman, will bring back warm memories. Its like sitting with Forry as he goes through the first 50 issues ("the nifty fifty") and reminisces about the contents of each one. Along the way he tells amusing (and sometimes sad) anecdotes about the creation of the magazine in his trademark stream-of-consciousness style, sprinkled lightly with the oddball puns you used to love back in the '60s. Very informative, with a nice photo of each cover, and the full story of how the magazine was founded by publisher James Warren and editor FJA. I loved it.

2003-09-08 (Burbank, CA United States) | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 5

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Forrest J Ackerman's World of Science Fiction

Description

Featuring 300 color photos, memorabilia, ephemera and other one-of-a-kind collectibles from the 300,000 items stored at the fabled "Ackermansion, " Forrest J Ackerman's World of Science Fiction details and traces the entire evolution of the SF genre, from its beginning to the present.

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You know what you're in for as soon as you see the big-headed evil alien clutching a helpless, scantily clad girl on the cover. Mr. Sci-Fi himself, Forrest J. Ackerman, takes you on a tour of all the cool movies, terrific books, and strange stuff that makes up our favorite genre. From the heady early days of sparking rockets and threatening Martians to today's dystopian futures and strong female leads, we're treated to a fun (and funny) overview of science fiction film and television, illustrated profusely with photos from the author's vast and famous collection of memorabilia. A hall of fame introduces the writers who started it all, and a cook's tour of the old pulp magazines of the '30s, '40s, and '50s is enough to make us nostalgic for the days before industrial light and magic. This is a lighthearted, very personal reference that deserves a place on the shelf of pop-culture sci-fi fans.

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Customer Reviews

Forry on Sci-Fi is like Hitchcock on Suspense
Forrest J. Ackerman may go down in history as one of the most influential men of the 20th Century, and the 21st, given the vast number of adolescent boys for whom he has served as role model, inspiration, catalyst, and friend.

Forry, a distinguished literary agent and editor of science fiction in his own right, is even better known to baby boomer males as the editor of the only truly influential "monster magazine" ever published, known affectionately to millions as FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. Editor of 200 issues of the legendary magazine, Forry, who never sat on a pedestal but always kept his young fans squarely in the magazine's focus, managed to influence quite profoundly several generations of boys. His readers have included the elite of several entertainment industries, from books to motion pictures, many growing up to join the professional ranks of the same industries. The people behind films like STAR WARS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS were youthful readers, from Dennis Muren to Phil Tippett, as were movie directors like John Carpenter and John Landis. Forry counts other equally remarkable icons like Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen among his close personal friends. He travels in heady company, and his books are rich as a result.

Given all this, a walk through the genre of science fiction with Forry Ackerman, who has been agent to many fine science fiction writers and publisher of many anthologies and popular magazines such as SPACEMEN, is a little piece of heaven indeed. Forry's famous "Ackermansion" is perhaps the largest collection of sci-fi materials in the world. He knows his stuff, and he writes about it entertainingly and with intimate familiarity. A noted raconteur, Mr. Ackerman deserves all the attention and notoriety his books get, and I can heartily recommend time spent in these pages as a reader's treat and a visual delight.

2000-09-06 (Fort Wayne, IN & Los Angeles, CA) | Helpful Votes: 5 | Rating: 5

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A long overdue treat.
"Forrest J Ackerman's World of Science Fiction" is the Ackerman book fans have been waiting years to get their hands on. "WofSF" is filled with great pictures and insightful comments covering everything from major authors to films and television. A major portion of the tome is devoted to an overview of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" both in print and cinema. My only disappointment after reading "WofSF" was the lack of horror and fantasy film coverage. Much to my delight, I've discovered Forry plans two follow-up books: Forrest J Ackerman's "World of Fantasy" and "World of Horror." I can't wait.

1998-01-13 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Famous Forry Fotos: Over 70 Years of Ackermemories

Description

Over 70 years of Forrest J Ackerman's fotos of sci-fi and horror fandom.

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Customer Reviews

Wonderful archive - not so wonderful reproduction
I'm a bif fan of vintage fandom - the type, pre-internet, where things had to be searched down and when a "find" was all the more exciting because of it. The material contained within the pages of this book is A1 quality - views of the Ackermansion in its heyday, Forry with a host of fabulous fanatics - truly wonderful stuff. However this material is let down by poor quality reproductions. One review states there are new and improved higher resolution photos - I'd hate to have seen them before the "improvement". All this said, the book does warrant a purchase for Forry fans and those interested in vintage fandom.

2008-11-22 (Melbourne, Oz) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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New Improved higher resolution photos
This book has new improved higher rseolution photos. Covers seventy years of Mr. Sci-Fi and Dr. Acula's friends, travels, and history in the sf and horror movie field.

2003-09-12 (Florence, South Carolina) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Horror-able Quality
Photos are terrible quality. I can not believe Forry would allow his name to be associated with such a poor effort.

2003-03-19 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 1

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HORRIBLE QUALITY!!!!!
I love Forry to death and was looking foward to an incredible archive of photos. What is in this book are horrible scans. First off the cover of the book was not printed at 300 dpi and lines are all jagged and blurry. The photos inside are barely visible. I'm shocked that Forry let this out being a publisher himself.

2002-04-09 | bookworma-go-go (Los Angeles<P>Los Angeles) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 1

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To The Publisher: Get A New Xerox Machine
This is actually a nice photo record of Forrest Ackerman's visit to our planet - 70+ years and counting. Problem is, a number of the photos are poorly reproduced, and from what I could tell, not because of the originals. I still recommend it though if your a die hard Ackerfan.

2002-03-20 (Davis, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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