Synopses & Reviews
An extraordinarily beautiful city that has been celebrated, criticized, and studied in many films, San Francisco is both fragile and robust, at once a site of devastation caused by 1906 earthquake but also a symbol of indomitability in its effort to rebuild afterwards. Its beauty, both natural and manmade, has provided filmmakers with an iconic backdrop since the 1890s, and this guidebook offers an exciting tour through the film scenes and film locations that have made San Francisco irresistible to audiences and auteurs alike.
Gathering more than forty short pieces on specific scenes from San Franciscan films, this book includes essays on topics that dominate the history of filmmaking in the city, from depictions of the Golden Gate Bridge, to the movies Alfred Hitchcock, to the car chases that seem to be mandatory features of any thriller shot there.and#160;Some of Americaandrsquo;s most famous moviesandmdash;from Steven Spielbergandrsquo;s Raiders of the Lost Ark to Hitchcockandrsquo;s Vertigo to Don Siegelandrsquo;s Dirty Harry andmdash;are celebrated alongside smaller movies and documentaries, such as The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, to paint a complete picture of San Francisco in film.and#160;A range of expert contributors, including several members of the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, discuss a range of films from many genres and decades, from nineteenth-century silents to twentieth-century blockbusters
Audiences across the world, as well as many of the worldandrsquo;s greatest film directorsandmdash;including Buster Keaton, Orson Welles, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, David Fincher, and Steven Soderberghandmdash;have been seduced by San Francisco. This book is the ideal escape to the city by the bay for arm chair travelers and cinephiles alike.
Review
and#8220;San Francisco is the latest addition to this excellent series of urban guides. Scott Jordan Harris has selected 46 films with scenes in this beautiful city of streetcars, fogs and possibly the most famous bridge in the world, which was of course partially destroyed by the giant radioactive cephalopod in It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955). A great guide to the celluloid city."
Review
and#8220;An elegant tribute to the films and locations that have given New York its private real estate in our minds. The contributors are so immediately readable and movie-savvy.and#8220;and#8212;Roger Ebert
Review
andquot;Not just an invaluable resource but a great read. The sort of book you can dive into again and again, revisiting some of the most classic depictions of the greatest city in the world. The only question is this: do you keep it on your desk, atop a coffee table, or on the nightstand?andquot;andmdash;Elizabeth Weitzman,
New York Daily NewsReview
andquot;These insightful, entertaining essays about classic films and the role their real-life New York locations play in them remind you why the city has been the setting for some of the greatest stories in the history of cinema. New York can be anything. It's a city of opulence and squalor, of magic and gritty realism. For anyone who loves the movies and loves New York, this book is a must. For anyone who doesn't, what the hell is wrong with you?andquot;andmdash;Don Payne, screenwriter and producer
Review
andquot;I knew the joy of New York long before I ever visited the city.
The Godfather, The Apartment, and
Breakfast at Tiffany's all introduced me to the cinematic scope of one of the world's most vibrant cities. This book reminds me of that joy.andquot;andmdash;Hardeep Singh Kohli, comedian
Synopsis
With more and more filmmakers taking advantage of its rich and varied settings, New Orleans has earned star-studded status as the andldquo;Hollywood of the South.andrdquo; From the big-screen adaptation of the stage classic A Streetcar Named Desire to the Elvis Presley musical King Creole, many well-known films have a special connection with the Big Easy, and this user-friendly guide explores the integral role of New Orleans in American film history.and#160;World Film Locations: New Orleans features essays that reflect on the cityandrsquo;s long-standing relationship with the film industry. Among the topics discussed are popular depictions of Hurricane Katrina on film, the prevalence of the supernatural in New Orleans cinema, and recent changes to city ordinances that have made New Orleans even more popular as a film destination. As the most frequently filmed area of New Orleans, the French Quarter is given particular attention in this volume with synopses of scenes shot or set there, including The Big Easy, Interview with the Vampire, and the much-loved Bond film Live and Let Die. Additional synopses highlight numerous other film scenes spanning the city, and all are accompanied by evocative full-color stills.and#160;The historic neighborhoods and landmarks of New Orleans have provided the backdrop for some of the most memorable moments in film history, and World Film Locations: New Orleans offers fans a guided tour of the many films that made the city their home.
Synopsis
Be they period films, cult classics, or elaborate directorial love letters, New York City has playedand#8212;and continues to playand#8212;a central role in the imaginations of filmmakers and moviegoers worldwide. The stomping grounds of King Kong, it is also the place where young Jakie Rabinowitz of The Jazz Singer realizes his Broadway dream. Later, it is the backdrop against which taxi driver Travis Bickle exacts a grisly revenge.The inaugural volume in an exciting new series from Intellect, World Film Locations: New York pairs incisive profiles of quintessential New York filmmakersand#8212;among them Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Sidney Lumet, and Spike Leeand#8212;with essays on key features of the cityand#8217;s landscape that have appeared on the big screen, from the docks to Coney Island, Times Square to the Statue of Liberty. More than forty-five location-specific scenes from films made and set in New York are separately considered and illustrated with screen shots and photographs of the locations as they appear now. For film fans keen to follow the cinematic trail either physically or in the imagination, this pocket-sized guide also includes city maps with information on how to locate key features.and#160;Presenting a varied and thought-provoking collage of the city onscreenand#8212;from the silent era to the presentand#8212;World Film Locations: New York provides a fascinating and historic look back at the rich diversity of locations that have provided the backdrop for some of the most memorable films.
About the Author
Scott Jordan Harris is a culture critic for the
Daily Telegraph, a contributor to the BBCandrsquo;s The Film Programme, and a UK correspondent for Roger Ebert. He is the author of several books, most recently,
World Film Locations: Chicago, also published by Intellect.
Table of Contents
Introduction
New Orleans: City of the Imagination
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Jonathan Ray and Scott Jordan Harris
Map of Scenes 1andndash;8: 1938andndash;1958
All That Jazz: New Orleans Jazz Onscreen
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Marcelline Block
Map of Scenes 9andndash;16: 1962andndash;1973
New Orleans: A Supernatural City
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Elisabeth Rappe
Map of Scenes 17andndash;24: 1975andndash;1989
Easy Does It: Mapping the Moral Lapses of New Orleans Noir
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; John Berra
Map of Scenes 25andndash;32: 1990andndash;2001
Hollywood South
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Scott Jordan Harris
Map of Scenes 33andndash;39: 2003andndash;2009
After The Levees Broke: Hurricane Katrina Onscreen
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Peter Hoskin
Map of Scenes 40andndash;46: 2009andndash;2011
Pleasure Palaces: A Brief History of New Orleansandrsquo;s Historic Cinemas
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Pamela C. Scorzin
Resources
Contributor Bios
Filmography