Mark Kermode

How did a low-key prison movie which was considered a box-office flop on its original release become one of the most popular movies of all time? Mark Kermode, writer and presenter of the acclaimed Channel 4 documentary Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature, traces the history of this unexpected audience favorite from the pages of Stephen King's novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, through the icy corridors of Ohio's Mansfield Reformatory (whose imposing gothic architecture dominates the film), to the television and video screens on which The Shawshank Redemption became a phenomenon. Kermode's account draws on extensive interviews with the writer and director Frank Darabont and the leading players Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The book also explores the near-religious fervour that the film inspires in its huge number of devoted fans.

This title is the hilarious follow-up to the bestselling 'It's Only a Movie'. It is a no-holds-barred account of all that is great and all that is terrible about cinema.

A visually stunning and heartfelt riposte to the emotional sterility of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Douglas Trumbull's eco-themed Silent Running (1972) became one of the defining science-fiction films of the seventies. Bruce Dern excels as lonely hero Freeman Lowell, cast adrift in deep space with three robotic 'Drones' who become his 'amazing companions' on a journey 'beyond imagination'. Mark Kermode, writing on his favourite science fiction film of all time, traces Trumbull's sentimental masterpiece from its roots in the counter-culture of the sixties to its enduring appeal as a cult classic in the 21st century. Drawing on a new interview with Trumbull, Kermode examines both the technical and thematic elements of this uniquely moving space adventure, which continues to be mirrored and imitated by film-makers today.

"Inspired by an alleged real case of demonic possession in 1949. The Exorcist became an international phenomenon. A blockbusting adaptation of a best-selling novel, it was praised as 'deeply spiritual' by some sections of the Catholic Church while being picketed by the Festival of Light and branded 'Satanic' by the evangelist Billy Graham. Banned on video in the UK for nearly fifteen years, the film still retains an extraordinary power to shock and startle." "The second edition of Mark Kermode's Exorcist volume has now been updated and expanded; its publication completes a journey of discovery begun by the author in 1997. The new edition documents the deletion and recovery of key scenes that have now been re-integrated into the film to create The Exorcist: The Version You're Never Seen. Candid interviews with director William Friedkin and writer/producer William Peter Blatty reveal the behind-the-scenes battles which took place during the production. In addition, exclusive stills reveal the truth about the legendary 'subliminal images' allegedly lurking within the celluloid." --Book Jacket.

Reel life adventures of a film obsessiveTo avoid fainting, keep repeatingIt's only a move..only a movie..only a movie..only a movieIf you grew up believing that Planet of the Apes told you all you needed to know about politics, that Slade in Flame was a savage expose of the pop world, and that The Exorcist revealed the meaning of life, then you probably spent far too many of your formative years at the cinema. Just as likely, you soon would have realised that there was only one career open to you - you'd have to become a film critic.In It's only a Movie, the incomparable Mark Kermode takes us into the weird world of a life lived in widescreen. Join him as he embarks on a gut-wrenching journey through the former Soviet Union on the trail of the low budget horror flick Dark Waters, cringe as he's handbagged by Helen Mirren at the Bafta awards ceremony, cheer as he gets thrown out of the Cannes film festival for heckling in very bad French, and don't forget to gasp as he's shot at while interviewing Werner Herzog in the Hollywood hills. Written with sardonic wit and wry good humour, this compelling cinematic memoir is genuinely 'inspired by real events'.