Epic Films: Casts, Credits and Commentary on over 300 Historical Spectacle Movies - Hardcover

Smith, Gary A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786415304 ISBN 13: 9780786415304

Publisher: McFarland Publishing, 2004

Synopsis

"Epic" films, those concerned with monumental events and larger-than-life characters, cover the period from the Creation to the A.D. 1200s and have been churned out by Hollywood and overseas studios since the dawn of filmmaking. Arguably the master of the genre, Cecil B. DeMille hit upon the perfect mixture of sex, splendor, and the sacred to lure audiences to his epic productions.

Each of the 355 alphabetically arranged entries in this book includes casts and credits, plot synopsis, and narratives on the making of the films. This second addition is accompanied by all new photographs.

About this title

About the Author

Gary Allen Smith, a contributing writer for Little Shoppe of Horrors since 1980, has also written for Films in Review, Filmfax, Superstar Cine, and Cult Movies. He is also the author of Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films, 1956 1976 (2000) and lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

Epic films continue to delight and impress audiences. As early as 1907, the year of the first version of Ben-Hur, large-scale historical movies were being produced. Smith, a frequent film reviewer, describes 355 epics in this volume, starting with Judith of Bethulia (1914) and ending with the 2000 Oscar-winning Gladiator. This second edition has about 50 percent more entries, and all commentary is based on viewing rather than occasional recollection, as in the first edition.

Most of the films are from the U.S and Italy. Smith limits his scope to "the period of time from the creation to the thirteenth century--from cavemen to the Crusades." Thus, the reader will not find Gone with the Wind in these pages. The work is not exhaustive; television productions are few and not as extensively treated. Although a few comic epics are included, such as The Three Stooges Meet Hercules, the Monty Python classics Life of Brian and The Holy Grail as well as Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part 1 are omitted.

Smith's introduction provides an objective and encompassing history of epics, noting the interplay between film and TV. Each alphabetically arranged entry ranges from a quarter-page to two pages in length. The first paragraph lists the production credits (producer, director, crew, cast), followed by a plot summary. About a fifth of the entries give production history, editorial commentary, and snippets from movie reviews. Black-and-white photos complement the text on almost every page. Twenty other films are credited in the first appendix (with no explanation for why they are given this treatment), and 21 more epics that were not completed are listed in the second appendix. A bibliography and index complete the volume. It should be noted that the index of titles and names is incomplete and not always accurate. A chronological list of films, a list by country, and a list by topic (e.g., King Arthur, prehistoric, etc.) would have been useful.

Although the coverage is not complete, this volume provides a good introduction to the mainstream genre. Public, academic, and high-school libraries may consider this reference as a pleasant addition to their film collections. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: McFarland Publishing
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786415304
• ISBN 13: 9780786415304
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 312