CULT SCIENCE FICTION FILMS

CULT SCIENCE FICTION FILMS: From The Amazing Colossal Man to Yog -- Monster from Space. Welch Everman. Citadel Press; 1995.

This entertaining and well-illustrated hardcover looks at cult sci fi movies with synopses and analyses of each picture. Everman covers everything from The Atomic Submarine to Westworld with stops at Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter, The Medusa Touch, Mysterious Island, Scanners, War of the Colossal Beast, and many, many others. The author does not deal with big-budget science fiction films that have already received much intensive scrutiny, nor with classic sci fi (ditto), but movies that in his opinion have not received much critical analysis. Like other books of this nature, Cult Science Fiction Films not only provides some informative nostalgia for those who love these movies, but will also have the reader digging out titles from their DVD collection for another look and/or looking for additional items to put on their watch-list.

Verdict: Fun and attractive vintage Citadel Press tome. ***.

MOVIE COMICS: PAGE TO SCREEN; SCREEN TO PAGE

MOVIE COMICS: Page to Screen; Screen to Page. Blair Davis. Rutgers University Press; 2017.

This is one of a number of books on the subject of film adaptations of comic strips and comic books since the 1990 publication of my Comic Book Heroes of the Screen. Movie Comics is an intelligent and well-researched look at even older strips (my book concentrated on super-heroes) including Mickey Mouse and other Disney cartoon characters. Davis looks, in turn, into comic books that were inspired by individual films, or just by The Movies themselves. Davis examines such strip-into-films as Skippy, Li'l Abner, Dick Tracy, Joe Palooka, and Prince Valiant, and comic book-into-films (and TV shows)  such as the Superman TV series with George Reeves and The Adventures of Captain Marvel serial, among many others. Davis can occasionally be accused of being painfully obvious in his assertions -- typical of academic books -- but unlike many academic books Movie Comics is readable and accessible as well as informative.

Verdict: Engaging and pretty thorough look at its subject if not necessarily the last word. ***.

TARZAN ON FILM

TARZAN ON FILM. Scott Tracy Griffin. Foreword by Casper Van Dien. Titan; 2016.

Griffin, who previously authored Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration, is back with a new coffee table tome that focuses on the Tarzan motion pictures and the various actors (supporting cast as well as stars) who appeared in them. There is no actual film criticism in the book, although there are loads of pictures and background notes on each production. Tarzan On Film looks at the silent Tarzan movies, the serials such as Tarzan the Fearless and The New Adventures of Tarzan, and all of the films starring everyone from Johnny Weissmuller to Mike Henry and beyond, as well as chapters on the various TV series starring the Ape Man (as well as cartoon series and animated features). You'll learn that Acquanetta of Tarzan and the Leopard Woman was born Mildred Davenport and was black passing for white, and that Woody Strode was dubbed by a British actor for Tarzan's Three Challenges, among other tidbits.

Verdict: No critical analysis, but Tarzan movie fans will love the info and photos. ***.