Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television: 581 Dramas, Comedies and Documentaries, 1905 2004 - Softcover

Klossner, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786422157 ISBN 13: 9780786422159

Publisher: McFarland, 2006

Synopsis

From the early days of the movies, "cavemen" have been a popular subject for filmmakers--not surprisingly, since the birth of cinema occurred only a few decades after the earliest scientific studies of prehistoric man. Filmmakers, however, were not constrained by the emerging science; instead they most often took a comedic look at prehistory, a trend that continued throughout the 20th century. Prehistoric humans also populated adventure-fantasy films, with the original One Million B.C. (1940) leading the charge. Documentaries were also made, but it was not until the 1970s that accurate film accounts of prehistoric humans finally emerged. This exhaustive work provides detailed accounts of 581 film and television productions that feature depictions of human prehistory. Included are dramas and comedies set in human prehistory; documentaries; and films and television shows in which prehistoric people somehow exist in historical periods--from the advent of civilization up to the present--or in extraterrestrial settings. Each entry includes full filmographic data, including year of release, running time, production personnel, cast information, and format. A description of each film provides background on the prehistoric elements. Contemporary critical commentary is included for many of the works.

About this title

About the Author:

A resident of Little Rock, Arkansas, Michael Klossner is a librarian at Arkansas State Library. He is a contributor to Anatomy of Wonder (1995) and Fantasy and Horror (2000).

Review:

"Caveman" movies and shows are part of our film and television heritage. Their documentation is appreciated. -- American Reference Books Annual 2007

A great reference ... fun to read. -- Prehistoric Fiction (Trussel.com)

Definitive survey --Ruddick, Nicholas, The Fire in the Stone : Prehistoric Fiction from Charles Darwin to Jean M. Auel

Delivers the goods ... a useful, well documented, organized and annotated reference tool. -- SF Site, Mid-Sept. 2006

Exhaustive ... detailed ... numerous photos and mountains of information -- Prehistoric Times (April-May 2006)

More fun than a barrel of apemen. -- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Jan. 22, 2008

Seems to have peered into every cave ... Comprehensive -- Counterpoise, Winter 2007

Substantial ... a remarkable achievement and an essential reference for all but the smallest college library ... detailed and frequently entertaining -- SFRA Review (Science Fiction Research Association, April-June 2006)

Wide-ranging, richly annotated guide ... incisive ... physical anthropologists as well as scholars of sf may find this guide useful -- Science Fiction Studies, Nov. 2006

You'll find everything here ... exhaustive ... an excellent companion volume to Mark Berry's Dinosaur Filmography ... buy them both! --Scary Monsters, Jan. 9, 2008

"Definitive." --Nicholas Ruddick, author of The Fire in the Stone

About this edition

• Publisher: McFarland
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0786422157
• ISBN 13: 9780786422159
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 330