In-depth analyses are presented of 15 superior films, each one representing a subgenre of fantasy cinema—
Beauty and the Beast, Conan the Barbarian, The Dark Crystal, Dragonslayer, 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, It’s a Wonderful Life, Jason and the Argonauts, King Kong, Lost Horizon, Popeye, Superman, The Thief of Baghdad, Time Bandits, Topper, and
The Wizard of Oz.A chapter is devoted to each film, providing a plot summary and detailed information about cast and crew, special effects (stop-motion animation, miniatures, hanging miniatures, optical effects, tricks of perspective, blue screens, matte paintings, glass shots, reverse projection, slow motion, rear and front projection, etc.), and strengths and weaknesses, as well as explorations of the film’s relationship to written fantasy, other films, and cultural myths.
About the Author
Widely published in the reference and science fiction fields, Kenneth Von Gunden teaches American studies, cinema art and integrative arts at the Pennsylvania State University in Altoona. He is also the author of Alec Guinness: The Films (2001).
photographs, filmography, appendix, bibliography, index
303pp. softcover Flights of Fancy, Softcover, Book, Beauty and the Beast, Conan the Barbarian, The Dark Crystal, Dragonslayer, 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, It’s a Wonderful Life, Jason and the Argonauts, King Kong, Lost Horizon, Popeye, Superman, The Thief of Baghdad, Time Bandits, Topper, and The Wizard of Oz, Kenneth Von Gunden
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