Paul Blaisdell was the man behind the monsters in such movies as The She Creature, Invasion of the Saucer Men, Not of This Earth, It! Terror from Beyond Space and many others. Working in primarily low-budget films, Blaisdell was forced to rely on greasepaint, guts and, most importantly, an unbounded imagination for his creations. From his inauspicious beginning through The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow (1959), the construction of Blaisdell's monsters and the making of the movies in which they appeared are fully detailed here. Blaisdell's work in the early monster magazines of the 1960s is also covered.
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Editorial Reviews
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The late Randy Palmer has written for Fangoria, Cinefantastique and other genre magazines. He lived in Greensboro, North Carolina. --Choice
"[Blaisdell's monsters are] capable of making us laugh and scream at the same time...interesting" --San Francisco Examiner Magazine
"Affectionate and informative…technical information is wonderful…crisply reproduced photos, drawings and half-tones" --Filmfax
"[Blaisdell's monsters are] capable of making us laugh and scream at the same time...interesting" --San Francisco Examiner Magazine
"Affectionate and informative…technical information is wonderful…crisply reproduced photos, drawings and half-tones" --Filmfax
About the Author
The late Randy Palmer has written for Fangoria, Cinefantastique and other genre magazines. He lived in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thanks Randy!,
By JP Wicks (Lower Depths of Hell, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Paul Blaisdell, Monster Maker: A Biography of the B Movie Makeup and Special Effects Artist (Library Binding)
Randy Palmer eloquently invokes the fun-loving spirit of Paul and his funky, renegade creations. Paul certainly was a rare breed; capable of creating fiercely original monsters under less than thankless conditions. Paul's monsters are as endearing as they are memorable, imbued with a soulfulness that few possess. Technique can be learned - imagination can't! Like most gifted artists Paul possessed this and met a tragic end. Randy Palmer sets the record straight and Paul is finally given his due. Randy's book is a MUST own for monster lovers/makers everywhere! A big "Beulah" thank you to Randy...and of course Paul.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
long due respect for a forgotten monster maker,
By
This review is from: Paul Blaisdell, Monster Maker: A Biography of the B Movie Makeup and Special Effects Artist (Library Binding)
For those of you who don't know, Paul Blaisdell designed and built some of the most memorable movie monsters of the late fifties operating under incredible time constraints and a budget laughable even for American International Pictures. Remember the carrot creature from It Conquered the World? How about the pulpish titular antagonists from Invasion of the Saucer Men or the anatomically correct She Creature? While other special effects men of the time, such as Ray Harryhausen, went on to acclaim and respect in the Hollywood establishment Blaisdell was ignominiously fired upon asking for a little respect in an industry that treats its unknowns even worse than its shining stars. The only information available on the man has been from an old article in Cinefantastique magazine and in the reminiscences of his friend and champion, Bob Burns. This well researched biography can be seen as a celebration of a forgotten special effects man and as another cautionary tale of the Hollywood fringe (a great companion piece to the Ed Wood biography, The Nightmare of Ectasy). Some of his notable creations may be so for the wrong reasons but they had more heart than a good majority of the slick and forgettable monsters made these days. Mr. Palmer's book is a wonderful addition to the bookshelf of any fan of fantastic films and their creators.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blaisdell's Adventures in the "B"s,
By lindsay devereux (brisbane, queensland Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paul Blaisdell, Monster Maker: A Biography of the B Movie Makeup and Special Effects Artist (Paperback)
Excellent movie buffs book for 50's el-cheapo horror/sci fi Drive-in Movie fans.
Paul Blaisdell's wonderful story of his movie monster creations for Nicholson/Arkoff's AIP Pictures and Roger Cormans movies. Amazing what Blaisdell accomplished with a few garbage bags, candle wax,spirit gum and paint. Bob Burns' contributions are all detailed and thanks to Bob we have some great photographs. You love these movies? Buy this book!!!.
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