Quentin Tarantino is a man who came to Hollywood and didn't break the rules so much as make plain that he didn't even notice them. Making the films he wanted to see, Tarantino broke through with Reservoir Dogs in 1992 and then cemented his reputation in 1994 with the release of Pulp Fiction. As his fame grew, he spread his love for movies that are far from commonplace through his promotion of older films and theaters and by reviving the stalled careers of actors such as John Travolta, Pam Grier, and David Carradine. Quentin Tarantino FAQ examines the movies directed by Tarantino, the influences on his work, and the inspiration he gave to others. There are also chapters on certain recurring elements in his films, from fake “product placement” to the music, actors, and even cinematic moments used. The book also reviews his work in television, the articles written about him or by him over the years, his acting career, his public battles, and some of the projects he abandoned along the way. It all comes together to tell the story of a man who forged his own unique path and helped shape the way movies are made today.

Quentin Tarantino FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Original Reservoir Dog

Biographies & Memoirs

Sherman, Dale

Arts & Literature

Applause

Here's the lowdown on the unforgettable show about the Forgotten War. M*A*S*H began as a novel written by a surgeon who had been in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. After being rejected multiple times, the novel would go on to become a bestseller, leading to 14 sequels, an Oscar-winning movie that propelled its director and actors to stardom, and a multiple-Emmy-winning television series that lasted nearly four times the length of the war. MASH FAQ looks at how the novel came to be, its follow-ups in literary form, the creation of the popular movie, and – most importantly – the television series that transformed comedy and television in the 1970s. Included are chapters on the top-20 pranks of M*A*S*H, the cast members' careers before and after the television show, famous guest appearances, and movies shown in the mess hall. Beyond the fiction, MASH FAQ also features a brief chapter to put the war into perspective for easy referral – and looks at what led to the Korean War, how such medical units functioned, and how M*A*S*H shaped our perception of the era.

MASH FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Best Care Anywhere

Humor & Entertainment

Movies

The Worst We Can Find looks at how "riffing" of films came about, the history of the shows, and why what could be an annoying habit in the theater has become a long-lasting franchise in entertainment over the years.

The Worst We Can Find

Since the early days of the movie industry, filmmakers have created visions of what the presidency of the United States is like. Several have been biographical studies of famous individuals who have served, such as Lincoln, Kennedy, and Nixon. Many movies have also displayed fictional presidents, in roles big and small, in dramatic tales that displayed them at their best—and sometimes even at their worst. 
Four Scores and Seven Reels Ago: The U.S. Presidency through Hollywood Films examines the ways Hollywood has portrayed the presidency over the years. Pop culture expert Dale Sherman examines famous presidents and their movies, detailing historical information for each and how or if the filmmakers and artists came close to telling the real story. But let us not forget the many imagined examples of presidents that have appeared in movies and television, as well: presidents have battled aliens, fought monsters, and have even been caught on the wrong side of the law. 
Lincoln, Thirteen Days, Air Force One, Independence Day, All the President's Men, The President's Analyst, Escape from New York, and several of our favorite movies about real and fictional presidents are included in Four Scores and Seven Reels Ago.

Four Scores and Seven Reels Ago: The U.S. Presidency through Hollywood Films

Born to be the center of attention, Mel Brooks grew up learning the ropes of entertainment in the Catskills during its biggest days. He later emerged as a skilled comedy writer by literally muscling his way into television in the late 1940s. Brooks would be involved with some of the most notorious musicals on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s, before finally breaking through nearly 50 years later with a musical version of his first film, The Producers (2001). With Carl Reiner, he would create the 2000-Year-Old Man, and sold millions of comedy albums in the 1960s. He would cocreate the classic cult comedy television series Get Smart (1965-1970). His films – which he wrote, directed, and sometimes starred in – such as The Producers (1968), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), and Spaceballs (1987) –ÿhave become certified classics to generations of fans and continuing well into the 1990s. Mel Brooks FAQ covers the entire career and life of a man who has won a Grammy, an Emmy, A Tony, and multiple Oscars. Also covered are the intertwining career of Brooks with his wife Anne Bancroft, the novelizations of Brooks' films, and the projects that never came to be. Raunchy and intellectual at the same time, with a career spanning over sixty years, Brooks has also been involved with serious dramatic films through his Brooksfilms production company, which are also discussed in the book. All this has made Brooks the creative genius that has shaped our understanding of comedy over these many decades, as will be seen within the pages of Mel Brooks FAQ.

Mel Brooks FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Outrageous Genius of Comedy

For more than 50 years John Waters has been staging a coup against the good taste of the American public. From the ultimate gross-out in Pink Flamingos to the amazing general-audience rating of his biggest hit Hairspray, Waters has been subverting viewers' expectations with comedies that stretch past the boundaries of even today's jaded audiences. A provocateur of bad taste in a glorious way, Waters started out as an outsider with a camera and a small circle of fellow delinquents. In tearing down icons of the silver screen, Waters would create his own that are used still by others in movies and television. And that's only part of the tale. John Waters FAQ looks at how a nice boy from the right side of the tracks would end up becoming a demon of society and the influences that drove his ambition in moviemaking. Also featured are biographical information of the Dreamlanders -- the actors and crew members who would join Waters on his adventures in filmland over the years, including Waters's best-remembered find Divine. Beyond chapters dedicated to the making of each of his films -- from Hag in a Black Leather Jacket to his most recent A Dirty Shame -- there are those covering his career as a writer and artist. Also reviewed are his acting career in other people's television shows and movies over the years, Water's interest in music, and projects that never were to be. John Waters FAQ covers it all in the career of a man who started out with a dream of becoming an underground filmmaker and became so much more.

John Waters FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Provocateur of Bad Taste

Since 1973, KISS has recorded over 20 studio albums; been recognized as an innovator in rock presentations; witnessed a firestorm of rumors and controversies; remained a thorn in critics' sides; and continues to surprise its massive fan-following, the KISS Army, with various career twists and turns. Moreover, many television shows, movies, toys and even comics have kept KISS a bigger-than-life name in entertainment for decades. Yet with all that has been written over the years, there are subjects that fans have never put to rest when it comes to the “hottest band in the land”: What were the most significant concerts? Why did Phantom of the Park turn out that way? What were the best – and worst – album covers? How did the comics come about? And what the heck is a deuce? These subjects and more appear in KISS FAQ – showcasing the good, bad, and the weird that has made KISS the legendary ultimate rock-and-roll party band, still going strong after 40 years. Accompanying this entertaining work of solid rock scholarship are dozens of rare images – from posters to live shots and beyond. Also included is a foreword by Bill Starkey, the creator of the original KISS Army.

KISS FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Hottest Band in the Land

Backbeat

Mankind has been predicting its own demise through various methods, from fables and religious scriptures to hard-core scientific studies since the dawn of time. And if there is one thing Hollywood knows how to exploit, it is the fears of Things to Come. Movies about the end of the world have been around since the early days of cinema, and Armageddon Film FAQ is a look into the various methods we have destroyed ourselves over the years: zombies, mad computers, uptight aliens, plunging objects from space, crazed animals, Satan, God, Contagions, the ever-popular atomic bomb, sometimes even a combination of these in the same movie! Armageddon Films FAQ goes from the silent days of filmmaking to the most recent (literally) earth-shattering epics, from cinema to television and even the novels, from comedies to dramas, from supernatural to scientific. It also explores other aspects of the genre, such as iconic but unfilmable apocalyptic novels, postnuclear car-racing flicks, domestic dramas disguised as end-of-the-world actioners, and more – from the most depressing to the happiest Armageddons ever!

Armageddon Films FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Zombies, Contagions, Alients and the End of the World as We Know It!

Reference

Updated to include new information about the band from the last 10 years, this candid biography tells the story of Kiss from its formation in New York City in the early 1970s to today. Examining the individual careers of each band member and telling the story of the band as a whole, the book chronicles the struggle to make it, their missteps along the route to stardom, their battle to stay on top, and the problems that led to changes in the lineup over the years. Finally, the circumstances leading to KISS’ 1996 reunionwith makeupare discussed, and the state of the band today is revealed.

Black Diamond: The Unauthorized Biography of KISS

Collector's Guide Publishing, Inc.

Bringing together biographical information, insights, stories, and detailed descriptions of his music, this fan guide to Alice Cooper covers his early bands in the 1960s as well as his solo career that continues to the present day. Devoted to each of the various directions of his career, this guide includes a biographical time line about his personal life, recordings, tours, films, television appearances, and insights into his diverse and distinctive career. A complete review of collectibles and events, such as albums, tour memorabilia, and related comic books, are also included.

The Illustrated Collector's Guide to Alice Cooper

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Books by Sherman, Dale