Robert K. Elder

Thirty-five directors reveal which overlooked or critically savaged films they believe deserve a larger audience while offering advice on how to watch each film.

35 Directors Champion the Forgotten Or Critically Savaged Movies They Love

The Best Film You've Never Seen

Some beg for forgiveness. Others claim innocence. At least three cheer for their favorite football teams. Death waits for us all, but only those sentenced to death know the day and the hour—and only they can be sure that their last words will be recorded for posterity. Last Words of the Executed presents an oral history of American capital punishment, as heard from the gallows, the chair, and the gurney. The product of seven years of extensive research by journalist Robert K. Elder, the book explores the cultural value of these final statements and asks what we can learn from them. We hear from both the famous—such as Nathan Hale, Joe Hill, Ted Bundy, and John Brown—and the forgotten, and their words give us unprecedented glimpses into their lives, their crimes, and the world they inhabited. Organized by era and method of execution, these final statements range from heartfelt to horrific. Some are calls for peace or cries against injustice; others are accepting, confessional, or consoling; still others are venomous, rage-fueled diatribes. Even the chills evoked by some of these last words are brought on in part by the shared humanity we can’t ignore, their reminder that we all come to the same end, regardless of how we arrive there. Last Words of the Executed is not a political book. Rather, Elder simply asks readers to listen closely to these voices that echo history. The result is a riveting, moving testament from the darkest corners of society.

Last Words of the Executed

Celebrate Christmas with the King of Rock n' Roll! For Elvis, Christmas at Graceland was a time for family and friends, a respite from the road and the recording studio. It was a time to sing gospel songs around the piano and give out extravagant gifts. In this spirit, Christmas with Elvis is designed like a Christmas party Elvis himself would have liked. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic music and songs Elvis sang and recorded for his bestselling holiday albums, alongside favorite stories, trivia, and Yuletide cocktails and munchies—all wrapped up with a merry Christmas twist fit for the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. ELVIS™ and ELVIS PRESLEY™ are trademarks of ABG EPE IP LLC Rights of Publicity and Persona Rights: Elvis Presley Enterprises, LLC © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC elvis.com

The Official Guide to the Holidays from the King of Rock ’n’ Roll

Christmas with Elvis

Ernest Hemingway casts a long shadow in literature--reaching beyond his status as a giant of 20th-century fiction and a Nobel Prize winner--extending even into comic books. Appearing variously with Superman, Mickey Mouse, Captain Marvel, and Cerebus, he has even battled fascists alongside Wolverine in Spain and teamed up with Shade to battle adversaries in the Area of Madness. Robert K. Elder's research into Hemingway's comic presence demonstrates the truly international reach of Hemingway as a pop culture icon. In more than 120 appearances across multiple languages, Hemingway is often portrayed as the hypermasculine legend: bearded, boozed up, and ready to throw a punch. But just as often, comic book writers see past the bravado to the sensitive artist looking for validation. Hemingway's role in these comics ranges from the divine to the ridiculous, as his image is recorded, distorted, lampooned, and whittled down to its essential parts. As Elder notes, comic book creators and Hemingway share a natural kinship. The comic book page demands an economy of words, much like Hemingway's less-is-more "iceberg theory," only in graphic form. In addition, he turned out to be the perfect avatar for comic book artists wanting to tell history-rich stories, as he experienced beautiful places during the most chaotic times: Paris in the 1920s, Spain during the Spanish Civil War, Cuba on the brink of revolution, France during World War I and during World War II just after the Allies landed in Normandy. Hemingway in Comics provides a unique lens for considering one of our most influential authors. Not only for the dedicated Hemingway fan, this book will appeal to all those with an appreciation for comics, pop culture, and the absurd.

Hemingway in Comics

Spanning several generations—from newcomers to Oscar Award-winning veterans—this volume features a discussion of the movies that shaped the careers of these filmmakers and, in turn, cinema history. Here directors, including Peter Bogdanovich, Kimberly Peirce, Arthur Hiller, and John Waters, explore the film they saw at an especially formative moment, how it influenced their own work—or, in some cases, led them to tell stories through movies themselves—and the effects it had on their thoughts about cinema. Revealing stories include how after watching Rebel Without a Cause, John Woo started combing his hair like James Dean and even began talking like him; Apocalypse Now inspired Danny Boyle to take risks and make larger-than-life films; and a line in The Wizard of Oz—"Who could ever have thought a good little girl like you could destroy all my beautiful wickedness?"—has become almost a personal mantra or prayer for John Waters.

30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark

The Film That Changed My Life

Mark Cirino

Aaron Vetch

Thinking of Ernest Hemingway often brings to mind his travels around the world, documenting war and engaging in thrilling adventures. However, fully understanding this outsized international author means returning to his place of birth. Hidden Hemingway presents highlights from the extraordinary collections in his hometown of Oak Park. Thoroughly researched, and illustrated with more than 300 color images, this impressive volume includes never-before-published photos; letters between Hemingway and Agnes Von Kurowsky, his World War I love; bullfighting memorabilia; high school assignments; adolescent diaries; Hemingway's earliest published work, such as the "Class Prophecy" that appeared in his high school yearbook; and even a dental X-ray. Hidden Hemingway also includes one of the final letters Hemingway wrote, as he was undergoing electroshock treatment at the Mayo Clinic. These documents, photographs, and ephemera trace the trajectory of the life of an American literary legend.The items showcased in Hidden Hemingway are more than stage dressing for a literary life, more than marginalia. They provide definition--and, in some cases, documentation--of Hemingway's ambition, heartbreak, literary triumphs and trials, and joys and tragedies. It's Hemingway's stature as a Pulitzer Prize- and Nobel Prize-winning author that draws so many biographers and historians to his work. It is also the wealth of material he left behind that makes him such a compelling, engaging, and often polarizing figure.

Inside the Ernest Hemingway Archives of Oak Park

Hidden Hemingway

J. C. Gabel

The Doomsday Clock At 75

Revealing a festival of guilty pleasures, almost-masterpieces, and undeniable classics in need of revival, 35 directors champion their favorite overlooked or critically savaged gems in this guide. The list includes unsung noir films "The Chase" and "Murder by Contract," famous flops "Can't Stop the Music" and "Joe Versus the Volcano," art films "L'ange" and "WR: Mysteries of the Organism," theatrical adaptations "The Iceman Cometh" and "The Homecoming," B-movies "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" and" The Honeymoon Killers," and even Oscar-winners "Breaking Away" and" Some Came Running." The filmmakers, including Guillermo del Toro, John Waters, John Woo, Edgar Wright, and Danny Boyle, defend their choices, wanting these films to be loved, admired, and swooned over, arguing the films deserve a larger audience and their place in movie history be reconsidered. Some were well-loved but are now faded or forgotten, others ran afoul of critics or were just buried after a dismal opening run, and still others never even got proper distribution. A few of these titles qualify as bona fide "obscurata," but now most can be found on DVD or streaming from Netflix or Amazon. The filmmakers are the perfect hosts, setting the tone, managing expectations, and often being brutally honest about a film's shortcomings or the reasons why it was lost in the first place.

The perfect gift for music lovers, The Mixtape of My Life is a guided journal that offers prompts and questions to get everyone recalling the pivotal songs that have shaped our lives. No matter which musical generation you belong to, or whether your musical tastes range from doo-wop to Daft Punk, The Mixtape of My Life can be an instant conversation starter among friends and family--and a great way to rediscover the special tunes that played during key moments of your life. Everyone has those songs that take them back--to their first love, their favorite concert, or a memorable Saturday morning cartoon. The Mixtape of My Life provides more than 200 questions and prompts to help readers chronicle their lives through music and explore their personal soundtrack. Evoking memories, stories, and long-forgotten mix tapes, this guided journal includes questions like "What was the first record you owned?" and "What song did you later realize was smutty?" and provides room to draw a favorite album cover or create the perfect road trip playlist. With dozens of quirky illustrations throughout, The Mixtape of My Life can be a great tool for your next dinner party, or simply something any music lover can enjoy for themselves.

Robert K. Elder

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