Product Description
Ingrid Pitt, icon of horror cinema: her life and career. Full cast and production credits, synopses, reviews and notes are offered for all of her film, stage and television appearances, along with a critical listing of her novels and other published works. An analysis of Hammer Films' Karnstein Trilogy--of which Pitt's celebrated The Vampire Lovers (1970) was the first installment--is included, and also examined is the trilogy's original literary source, Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla." Other features are rare photographs and other movie-related graphics from every phase of the actress' career and a foreword by Ingrid Pitt herself. ... Read more

Product Description
An argument could be made on which of the two is stranger and more exciting, mysterious, terrifying and eclectic—the reel adventures of movie star Ingrid Pitt or the real life adventures of daughter, wife, mother and new grandmother Ingrid Pitt.

Ingrid Pitt: Darkness Before Dawn will help you find an answer to that argument as you follow the life story of the amazing Ingrid—from the terror-filled years in a Concentration Camp, hardships after the war, breaking into acting, becoming a wife and mother, world-wide adventures, making movies, writing and theatre.This memoir of a life filled with terror and tears and ultimately joy and laughter will paint a picture of Ingrid Pitt you will not soon forget. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Ingrid on and off the screen
Much of the book is about the author's childhood experiences before and after World War II, including her internment in a concentration camp - be warned: it's not pretty. As a movie fan, I was surprised to learn just how much time an actress must spend promoting herself: being seen at industry parties, calling producers and directors about parts, looking for good scripts, and even trying to arrange financing. According to Ingrid, an actor's two greatest assets are "luck and lying".

Ingrid Pitt is a good writer, though it took me a while to get used to her informal, conversational style. I believe this title is out of print and has been republished as "Darkness Before Dawn". Recommended.

Life's A Scream!
Ingrid opens up the pages of her fascinating life. She reveals all from growing up in a concentration camp, her struggles to become an actress in post war Berlin, her failed marriages, her rise to fame courtesy of Hammer Films, the subsequent blacklisting from the British film industry, and her battles with cancer. A book truly worth reading as Ingrid speaks her mind and doesn't bite her tongue. You'll realize her life is one hell of a scream! ... Read more

Product Description
Featuring the only vampire short story by Anne Rice, the undisputed queen of vampire literature, and an autobiographical introduction by Ingrid Pitt, star of the films The Vampire Lovers and Countess Dracula, this Mammoth collection brings together thirty-four uncanny and erotic tales by women who have redefined the genre of vampire fiction. From classic stories of the undead by writers like Edith Nesbit, Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman, and Mary Elizabeth Braddon to the work of such acclaimed contemporary authors as Poppy Z. Brite, Nancy Kilpatrick, Tanith Lee, Caitlin R. Kiernan, and Pat Cadigan, this terrifying and tantalizing volume turns the conventions of vampire fiction on their head and inside out as it refashions, and revamps, Bram Stoker's urbane Count Dracula in smart, modern, sexy terms. Original and inventive, the tales in this anthology offer a wide and varied range of undead heroines and doomed heroes, from the tormented good to the unspeakably evil. At large among them in the gardens of literature's longest night are Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Byronic vampire Saint-Germain, Nancy A. Collins's Vampire King of the Goth Chicks, Tanya Huff's vampiric detective Vicki Nelson, and Freda Warrington's age-old lovers Karl and Charlotte. In all, the quest continues--for blood to drink, for souls to steal, for life among the undead. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Terrible Cover, great stories
Top notch selection of vampire stories from the classic to those with a great twist..

NOPE.
In fairness and honesty, I didnt read any of the stories from beginning to end. I read the first few pages. I dont soldier through boring stories hoping for excitement down the road. Most editors do the same; if things dont snap, crackle, or pop close to page one...it's not likely to happen later.

Vampire Lite
Not a lot of wonderful stories, but a few fairly interesting ones. Not a lot of vampire's either, which i found dissappointing and why i called this review Vampire LiteI was prepared for some really great vampire stories...not some decent stories with vampire-like themes.The story about Sonja Blue has promise and made me want to buy other work by that author but that is about it.Entertaining but disappointing if you are looking for hard core vampire stuff.

Something for every taste
The vampires in this anthology are a diverse group, some are romantic, some erotic, may possess supernatural abilities, or not, others are grotesque, or simply bizarre. Actress Ingrid Pitt (of the Hammer films "The Vampire Lovers" and "Countess Dracula"), opens with a wonderful introduction and contributes an enjoyable story. Most of the stories are between five and twenty-five pages long. A few of the stories are around fifty pages. Anne Rice is represented with the first story. At about twenty pages, "The Master of Rampling Gate", is worth the price of the whole novel. It used to be challenging to find a reprint of "The Master of Rampling Gate", which was originally published in 1984 in "Redbook" magazine. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to expand their scope of authors of "contemporary" vampire fiction. For those who have not been introduced to thewritings of the great Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Tanith Lee, Storm Constantine, Poppy Z. Brite, and Freda Warrington, you may decide to build a collection of their novels . I tend to lean more toward a preference for a romantic, supernatural version of the vampire, of which, there are only a few here.

Far more hits than misses.
As with any anthology, some of the stories will resonate more with any given reader than others. There were a few stories here than just didn't do much for me, but that's to be expected, and there were far fewer than might be expected out of 37 stories. But the quality was in general quite high, and if you read nothing else in this book, you really should read "Jack", by Connie Willis (the second to last entry in the book), a 50-page novella that is one of the best short, stand-alone vampire stories I've ever read. ... Read more

Product Description
Composers give a unique and powerful voice to the stories we see on the big screen. Those who work principally with one type of film may leave a unique imprint on an entire genre. James Bernard was one such composer. From 1952 to the late 1990s he was one of horror’s definitive and distinctive voices, scoring many of Hammer’s best-known films, including Dracula. This critical biography details Bernard’s life from struggle to success. More than just a biography, however, it is also a meticulous examination of his music, including its intricate mechanisms and the many sources of Bernard’s inspiration. Movie scores examined include The Quatermass Experiment, The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Reviews of Bernard’s work and reminiscences of the composer himself add depth and personal feeling to the biography. A music glossary and a filmography complete the work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

I was disappointed too
Like one of the previous reviewers of this book, I was disappointed. I found it tedious and repetitious. It's a sad let down for fans of Benny. Key players in Hill's shows, like Jackie Wright were all but ignored. But if you must have everything about this beloved British comic, go for it.

The Lad himself, Benny Hill!
It is quite obvious after reading this book that Mr. Ross is a genuine fan of "The lad himself" from not only the depth of research but also the personal take that he puts on the book in the last few segments. The ONE thing that kept me from giving this book a 5 star rating is that, although he mentions co-stars such as Jack Wright, Sue Upton, Louise English, and Henry McGee, he neglects to put pictures of them in the book with Benny. For fans of the show they know who these people are but not so the occasional viewer who might buy the book hoping to find out a bit more about Benny and his show. Despite this, it's a great book and well worth the money.

A BIIIIIG disappointment:
I'm really SURPRISED at my reaction to this book. I LOVE Benny Hill (I have some of his videos and watched his syndicated show for years). I am now a fulltime ventriloquist and read and collect books on comedians and comedy. I have re-read many of the comedy/comedian books in my collection. I could not WAIT until I got this book!

But Ifound this book incredibly tedious.

At first I thought it was due to the fact that I'm American and Americans haven't seen as much of Hill's work as his British audiences. But I've read bios of comedians that detail work they did that I never viewed and I loved those books. This is a book crammed with research, whether it's about his early years -- how his comedy style came together -- or his years as the King of British TV, then American syndicated TV...and his sad fall as a victim of the relentless armies of political correctness.

The book reads like a collection of detailed research notes and staid business articles. There seems to be little passion (and when there seems to be passion it's a weird dispassionate passion!) for the subject, unlike the GREAT books done by authors on Laurel & Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Chaplin, and most certainly, The Three Stooges. Those books make you want to go out and see more of their work, even if you don't like them. This book summarizes and informs -- and can bore a diehard fan.

It's so very sad because Hill was so incredibly funny. As an American I didn't like many of his verbal skits -- and certainly NOT his songs -- but his silent segments bordered on comedic genius a la Ernie Kovaks or (I know some will be furious at this) Chaplin.

This book is so clinical it took me a LONG TIME to finish it. I'm talking about MONTHS where I had to read other books to get back to and through it. Ross, who wrote a critically acclaimed book on Monty Python's Fying Circus, certainly did excellent research. There's a ton of info you can't get anywhere else -- inside information about each step of Hill's career and why he did what he did at pivotal times; who was in his corner, keeping him on t.v., and who didn't like him.

But I can only recommend this to die-hard Hill fans who want every single thing available on him -- NOT to anyone seeking a book that tells about Hill and communicates the joy and (until the end)uncensored craziness of his comedy. Today his comedy lives on in video tape, despite the enemies that ended his career and, some say, finally broke his heart.

Ingrid Knows Vampires!
Ingrid Pitt has starred in Hammer Films as one of the most alluring vampires to ever glide across the screen! Who better to write a book on vampires and vampire movies? This is a highly entertaining book, full ofhumour, but that's not all---you can tell Ingrid has done a lot ofthoughtful research. If you are an Ingrid Pitt fan, or you just want toenjoy a fun, intriguing take on vampires, real or on screen, you will wantthis book! ... Read more

Product Description
Ingrid Pitt has scared up the lowdown on ghosts, spooks, specters, shades, phantoms, wraiths, apparitions, and even poltergeists. An international almanac of where and how to track down ghosts of the dear departed, plus a compendium of the spookiest movies ever made. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Countess Dracula turns Ghostbuster
This woman is tough on ghosts! She doesn't want to settle for a spook that she can't see---no plate-throwing entity for her unless she can actually view the spirit in question! Ingrid Pitt, best known as Hammer Film's beautiful scream-queen, turns in her vampire fangs for a ghosthunter's kit. From Europe to the U.S.A., she collects and spins ghostly tales, relating the details with a wink and a nudge. Starting with her own ghostly
experience, a touching encounter with the spirit of her deceased father who appeared to look into the little face of the granddaughter he didn't live to see, Ingrid Pitt launches into an entertaining array of ghost stories, from the terrible thing at No. 50 Berkley Square to James Dean's cursed car. Her natural humor shines through every story, but she is an exceptional storyteller! She also includes a film directory of the most spooky movies ever made. It would have been interesting to have featured actual photos of some of the castles and houses featured in the stories, but the illustrations by Jim Bailey were very cool, and added a nice touch.

"Must" reading for students of the paranormal.
Ingrid Pitt's complete lowdown on ghosts, phantoms, apparitions and poltergeists and where to find them examines modern and past spooks alike, with black and white illustrations and an foreword by Uri Geller accompanying essential a collection of ghost stories with extra notes onwhere to locate the spirits. A collection sure to attract any interested inhaunting. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Mariusz Pudzianowski, Ingrid Pitt, Tomasz Kucharzewski. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 24. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Mariusz Pudzianowski (Polish pronunciation: ) (born on February 7, 1977 in Biaa Rawska, Poland) is a Polish strongman and mixed martial arts fighter. During his career as a strongman, Pudzianowski has won five World's Strongest Man titles - more than any other athlete - as well as two runner-up titles (including his most recent performance in the 32th edition). In 2009, Pudzianowski debuted as a mixed martial arts fighter. Mariusz Pudzianowski was born in Biaa Rawska, Poland. His father, Wojciech, was a weightlifter. Pudzianowski quickly became interested in sports. Since the age of 11, he has been training the Kyokushin style of karate. His current grade is 4th kyu green belt. He begun strength training at the age of thirteen. When he was fifteen, Pudzianowski also started training boxing, eventually quiting after seven years. Pudzianowski debuted in professional sports at the age of sixteen, taking part in Polish Weightlifing Championship, in the bench press event. In 2000 and 2001, Pudzianowski spent 19 months in prison for assault. In an interview, he said he wanted to stop a "local mafia boss", from physically abusing an 18-year-old boy. The man later accused Pudzianowski of assault and theft of a gold chain. Pudzianowski was incarcerated in prison in owicz.. Several years later he arranged a resocialization meeting for the prisoners at the same penal institution. Pudzianowski during a strongman competition in 2009.On May 1, 1999 Pudzianowski entered his first Strongman competition, held in Pock, Poland. He achieved his first major success at the international level in 2000 when he finished fourth in his first World's Strongest Man (WSM) compe...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=945181 ... Read more

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Introduction by Ingrid Pitt / 6Kind Comments for Uncle ForryInterviews Afterword by Iron Dave / 166Interviews: Modern Mythmakers author Michael McCarty / 10Artist Frank Dietz / 15Multi-Media artist and Forry's ''best pal'' Joe Moe / 18Michael Mallory - author of ''Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy Of Horror'' / 22John Dimes- actor/artist/author of The Rites of Pretending Tribe / 25Brian Walker - creator of Brian's Drive-In Theatre / 28Robert Leininger - producer of The Undying Monsters / 31Dick Dyszel { Count Gore Devol} host of Creature Feature / 35Artist Jim McDermott / 38Lucy Hell of Mystery Island Publications / 39Rue Morgue Magazine art director ''Ghoulish'' Gary Pullin / 41Special Guest Photos Section Courtlandt Hull - creator of ''The Witch's Dungeon'' Museum in Bristol, CT. / 58Kevin Sean Michaels - director of Vampira: The Movie / 61Moebius Models creator Frank Winspur / 65Dr. Mangor - Antimator, photographer, creator of Suicidal Suzi comic / 67Scifi-Womanthologyeditor Pam Keesey / 70Special Guest Interviews:East Texas Gothic: Joe R. Lansdale / 74Gandhi At The Bat author Chet Williamson / 80Don Calfa - star of Return of the Living Dead / 84Scalps director Fred Olen Ray / 88NCIS star Muse Watson / 99Jason Paul Collum - author of Assault of the Killer Bs / 106Horror Films of the 1980s author John Kenneth Muir / 113Strangewood author Christopher Golden / 115Genre actor/stuntman/screenwriter Jim O'Rear / 120Sara Karloff - daughter of horror icon Boris Karloff / 123Interview with Cinemassacres author Iron Dave, conducted by Roberta Lannes / 126Covenant and The 13th author John Everson / 131The Amazing Kreskin / 135Count Gregula / 143Chopping Mall director Jim Wynorksi / 146Echoes:Remembering Forrest J. Ackerman / 155 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Forrest J Ackerman Shall Not Die!
OK, I'm biased because I contributed to this book. That said, this is an interesting publication about a very interesting man. As well-known in the Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror field as Forrest J Ackerman was, he's still sorely underrated. The impact "Uncle Forry" had on pop-culture is profound. If you are a fan of the genre or just a student of the times, it would serve you well to familiarize yourself with the life and works of Mr. Ackerman. His influence on the filmmaking community alone is shockingly deep. Some of today's most prominent directors attribute their inspiration to Forry and his seminal monster mag (along with publisher James Warren) of the 1950's through 80's - Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Among his disciples are Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, John Landis, Penn& Teller, Billy Bob Thornton, Guillermo Del Toro, Peter Jackson, Stephen King and many more! A quick read of the disparate but universally praising testimonials in Cinemassacres will convince you of just how influential and beloved a figure Forrest J Ackerman was. It is my opinion, but a well informed one that says we should not only remember Forry but perpetuate his mythically generous spirit, childlike sense of wonder and tireless cheerleading for more, more, MORE Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror faire! Enjoy, fellow monsters... ... Read more

Product Description
Rare FILMFAX #62 MAGAZINE (Aug/Sep 1997) issue with SENSUAL INGRID PITT VAMPIRE COLOR COVER! Articles include Ingrid Pitt Vampire Lover tells all, unmasking of Bela Lugosi, Paula Raymond, Spaghetti westerners Eastwood & Van Cleef, retro tv adventurer Errol Flynn, Ib Melchior, Steven Ritch, Donna Martell, Robert Siodmak, Robert Cornthwaite, Gordon Hessler, Deke Heyward & lots more! NICE COLLECTIBLE ITEM! ... Read more

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Excellent English equips students with the grammar and skills they need to access community resources, while developing the foundation for long-term career and academic success.

Excellent English is a four-level, standards-based series for English learners featuring a Grammar Picture Dictionary approach to vocabulary building and grammar acquisition. Unit lessons systematically build launguage and math skills around life-skill topics in an accessible and predictable sequence.

This is the low intermediate level student book.