Books like Alfred Hitchcock by Peter Ackroyd

Chronicles Hitchcock's contributions to the film industry, provides insight into his personality and film technique, and examines each of his films.

Variety called John Pierson the "guru of independent film." Why? Perhaps because he wrote Spike Lee a $10,000 check to finish She's Gotta Have It; helped make "slacker" a household word; sold the documentary Roger & Me for $3 million; made Clerks famous; and has seen over 1,000 debut features, and (unlike most independent film companies) managed not to lose his shirt while backing those films he liked most. In short, he's been at the epicenter of the tumultuous last decade that changed independent film forever, and launched a new generation of hilarious, ambitious, talented, and sometimes wacked filmmakers. Here, for the first time, he tells it like it is - the unvarnished truth about film financing; the importance of timing and lighting; creating a sensation on the film festival circuit; the dark side of overnight success; the anatomy of the deals that get films to a theater somewhere near you; and what definitely not to do if you want to make a film (illustrated with dozens of embarrassing examples - like having Elvis come back as a golfing vampire who's shooting a feature). As punctuation throughout the book, Pierson and Clerks creator Kevin Smith dish about everything from Batman, sex, and Quentin Tarantino to American Psycho, Matty Rich, and of course, Rob "Vanilla" Weiss, who "typifies everything you don't want to be as a first-time filmmaker." Spike, Mike, Slackers & Dykes is a first of its kind: an inside look at the art, the heart, and the enterprise of the spiteful, fractious, and finally, entertaining place that is the world of independent film.

A funny account of life in the Hollywood movie industry, focusing on the making of the screenwriting script Up Close & Personal.

From a couple racing across the top of Mount Rushmore to a woman's final shower at an isolated motel, no other filmmaker has given movie fans more unforgettable images or heart-pounding thrills than Alfred Hitchcock. Now you can share in the Master of Suspense's inspiration and development -- his entire creative process -- in Hitchcock's Notebooks. With the complete cooperation of the Hitchcock estate and access to the director's notebooks, journals, and archives, Dan Auiler takes you from the very beginnings of story creation to the master's final touches during post-production and publicity. Actual production notes from Hitchcock's masterpieces join detailed interviews with key production personnel, including writers, actors and actresses, and Hitchcock's personal assistant of more than thirty years. Mirroring the director's working methods to give you the actual feel of his process, and highlighted by nearly one hundred photographs and illustrations, this is the definitive guide into the mind of a cinematic legend. - Back cover.

A carefully curated collection of thirty-one detective and mystery stories, each offering suspense, crime, or macabre twists. Ideal for a quiet evening, the tales keep readers intrigued, puzzled, or spooked.