There are very few masters of the harmonica (or “harp” as the instrument is called colloquially by musicians) that had a lasting impression on rock music, as English and American groups in the 1960s during the Beat era covered many blues originals that featured a harp. Among the most prominent players, we find Little Walter […]
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Author: Dr. A. Ebert
Music in Cinema by Michel Chion (2021)
For those interested not only in the finished product “motion picture,” but to the students and fans who consider movie audio and its use an art form, the name Michel Chion will definitively sound familiar. The French scholar, filmmaker, and composer who has written more than thirty titles on the topics sound, film and music […]
The Return of Twin Peaks: Squaring the Circle by Franck Boulègue (2021)
There is little doubt that the TV show Twin Peaks, the brainchild of David Lynch and Mark Frost, was a very special project. This was true for the original series (1990 – 1991) that consisted of two seasons and left millions of enthusiasts hungering for conclusions, as many loose threads remained and in the show […]
Hollywood’s Melodramatic Imagination: Film Noir, the Western and Other Genres … by Geoff Mayer (2022
In four chapters, author Geoff Mayer dives deep into the meaning and the many faces of the melodrama, highlighting several aspects and decades that made audiences familiar with the endless confrontation of virtue against reckless action, true love against intrigue or simply “good” versus “bad” characters, parties or companies. Here we learn about the main […]
Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950–1985 by Andrew Nette and Iain McInty
Kicking off roughly in the early 1950s, British and American science fiction authors of the new breed, labeled New Wave later, brought massive changes to the genre and changed the way the future of mankind was perceived. They spoke for a growing readership that was hungry for new visions and speculative prospects, now being prepared […]
Broadcasting Hollywood: The Struggle Over Feature Films on Early TV by Jennifer Porst (2021)
Even if the topic of Porst’s book, with regard to today’s video watching agenda that includes streaming media, Netflix, or any Internet-based platform consulted to watch movies, documentaries or series, may look a bit outdated at first sight, Broadcasting Hollywood actually is a highly interesting study, as it chronicles how we, as audiences, originally “learned” […]
Star Trek, History and Us: Reflections of the Present and Past Throughout the Franchise by A.J. Blac...
To talk about present-day science fiction realms and the impact fictional stories had on popular culture or the way people imagined a better future without touching on Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek is hardly possible. When the first episodes of the show were broadcast in 1966, they were immediately recognized as basically an action and entertainment […]
Marvel Comics Library. Spider-Man. Vol. 1. 1962–1964 by David Mandel and Ralph Macchio (eds.) (2021)
Just when you think the last TASCHEN comics themed book was a heavyweight, and one could not expect a volume any bigger and more exciting, be ready for a surprise. Comic book legends Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in the Silver Age of comics created a large pool of superheroes for Marvel, among them a […]
Doctor Who and Science. Essays on Ideas, Identities … by M. K. Harmes and L. A. Orthia (eds.) (2021)
No other TV series can boast of presenting the most exciting, thrilling and colorful adventures for decades and also featuring the most unusual protagonist, namely the Doctor(s), aka the Time Lord in the English TV program Doctor Who. It was first launched in 1963 by BBC One and, with some interruptions, is still running today. […]