"When it comes to classic sci-fi movies it's rare to find much in the way of new insights. But Glenn Erickson, whose fine website DVD Savant has produced some of the most enlightening and clear eyed commentary on the Internet, has gathered together his essays on 116 imagi-movies, both famous and obscure, into Sci Fi Savant. It's a treasure trove of ideas, opinions and research that'll entertain you for hours. A must-have!" Joe Dante, director of GREMLINS, MATINEE, THE HOLE Glenn Erickson, the DVD SAVANT, has been reviewing classic science fiction ever since his column first appeared in the early days of the Internet era. In SCI-FI SAVANT, his writings have been compiled to provide a considered overview of the science fiction genre, from Fritz Lang's groundbreaking METROPOLIS to James Cameron's AVATAR. These films explore not just the furthest reaches of outer space, but the profound and sometimes dangerous ideas that can lie behind the sparkling veneer of robots, rayguns and aliens.
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Glenn Erickson is one of the most respected online film critics and the winner of the coveted Rondo award for his reviews under the alias DVD Savant. Glenn has been sought out as a commentator for DVDs and as a film noir specialist. He's also a rare film critic with inside Hollywood experience, having worked in editing, special effects and film restoration. SCI FI SAVANT's collection of review-essays examines the Classic Era of science fiction filmmaking.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Customer Reviews
Share your thoughts with other customers
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By mwb
Format:Paperback
I've been a regular reader of Glenn Erickson's "DVD Savant" column for ten years now. He's an astute film historian with an authoritative yet personable style, a relaxed and unforced sense of humor, and a way of making you think about -- not just react to -- movies and move-making in new ways.
His new book collects his thoughts on 116 science fiction movies. It presents an entertaining thumbnail history of the genre in chronological order, covering decades of science fiction milestones (e.g., "Things to Come," "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "Forbidden Planet," "2001: A Space Odyssey"), not to mention some worthy millstones (rubber-monster and exploitation fare such as "Gorgo," "Attack of the Crab Monsters," "The Brain from Planet Arous," and "Teenage Caveman"). He gives fresh perspectives to big-deal classics that have been written about to death over the years. His scope ranges beyond Hollywood and British titles to also provide perhaps our first exposure to films such as Abel Gance's "delirious misfire" of 1930, the apocalyptic epic "La fin du monde" (The End of the World); the startlingly sophisticated and almost wholly undocumented early Soviet moon adventure "Kosmitcheskiy reys" (Cosmic Journey); the East German/Polish "Der Schweigende Stern" (First Spaceship on Venus); and the extraordinary Czech space odyssey "Ikarie XB 1."
Erickson also pokes around under a film's hood to see what sociological and ideological contexts, what themes and anxieties might be humming under the surface: anti-Communism, anti-Capitalism, religious revivalism, xenophobia, social paranoia.... Not surprisingly, the often boldly message-making films of the Atomic Age/Cold War 1950s receive hefty attention.
For readers watching at home (which means pretty much all of us) entries also add information about their respective DVD or Blu-ray viewing options. As "DVD Savant" since the 1990s, Erickson has been championing movies' presentation on home video, so here he provides info on transfer quality, commentary tracks, featured extras, and so on as relevant. It's a handy addendum when it comes to avoiding inferior bargain-bin public domain DVD editions, or as a reference source for buffing up your own home cinema library.
His new book collects his thoughts on 116 science fiction movies. It presents an entertaining thumbnail history of the genre in chronological order, covering decades of science fiction milestones (e.g., "Things to Come," "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "Forbidden Planet," "2001: A Space Odyssey"), not to mention some worthy millstones (rubber-monster and exploitation fare such as "Gorgo," "Attack of the Crab Monsters," "The Brain from Planet Arous," and "Teenage Caveman"). He gives fresh perspectives to big-deal classics that have been written about to death over the years. His scope ranges beyond Hollywood and British titles to also provide perhaps our first exposure to films such as Abel Gance's "delirious misfire" of 1930, the apocalyptic epic "La fin du monde" (The End of the World); the startlingly sophisticated and almost wholly undocumented early Soviet moon adventure "Kosmitcheskiy reys" (Cosmic Journey); the East German/Polish "Der Schweigende Stern" (First Spaceship on Venus); and the extraordinary Czech space odyssey "Ikarie XB 1."
Erickson also pokes around under a film's hood to see what sociological and ideological contexts, what themes and anxieties might be humming under the surface: anti-Communism, anti-Capitalism, religious revivalism, xenophobia, social paranoia.... Not surprisingly, the often boldly message-making films of the Atomic Age/Cold War 1950s receive hefty attention.
For readers watching at home (which means pretty much all of us) entries also add information about their respective DVD or Blu-ray viewing options. As "DVD Savant" since the 1990s, Erickson has been championing movies' presentation on home video, so here he provides info on transfer quality, commentary tracks, featured extras, and so on as relevant. It's a handy addendum when it comes to avoiding inferior bargain-bin public domain DVD editions, or as a reference source for buffing up your own home cinema library.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
An endlessly fascinating look at science fiction films from wonderful film expert and author Glenn Erickson (aka DVD Savant). Glenn not only covers the story behind the films, his critical appraisals are both entertaining and thoughtful--and his gives a welcome critique of the most recent DVD or Blu-ray release of the films. Both film and sci-fi buffs won't be able to put it down.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There have been a lot of good science fiction films over the years and probably even more bad ones. Glenn Erickson covers much of each in his book Sci-Fi Savant, a collection of his movie reviews originally posted online.
Erickson has an affection for older science fiction movies and it shows. Around 40%of the book (130 pages out of 309) is dedicated to movies made in the 1950s. Another quarter of the book is for movies made in the 1960s. The remaining decades (before and after) take up around a third of the book. Erickson doesn't limit his focus, however, to the big movies; he also reviews obscure films, even some from the old Soviet bloc.
Erickson's reviews are insightful, pointing out the virtues and vices of the films. He also often looks at the political viewpoints of the movies; it's hard to tell where his own politics lie, but he is good at discussing the political themes behind the movies.
If there is a problem with this book, it's with what's missing. Sure, Erickson can pick and choose what movies to include, but I'd expect certain key movies of the genre to be included. Among the missing: the Star Wars movies, Terminator movies, E.T. and the Matrix movies (although they are referred to in other reviews).
There are also little mistakes here and there, but it's the omissions that keep this book from being a great overview of the science fiction film genre. Nonetheless, what is there is pretty good and makes this collection of reviews worth reading.
Erickson has an affection for older science fiction movies and it shows. Around 40%of the book (130 pages out of 309) is dedicated to movies made in the 1950s. Another quarter of the book is for movies made in the 1960s. The remaining decades (before and after) take up around a third of the book. Erickson doesn't limit his focus, however, to the big movies; he also reviews obscure films, even some from the old Soviet bloc.
Erickson's reviews are insightful, pointing out the virtues and vices of the films. He also often looks at the political viewpoints of the movies; it's hard to tell where his own politics lie, but he is good at discussing the political themes behind the movies.
If there is a problem with this book, it's with what's missing. Sure, Erickson can pick and choose what movies to include, but I'd expect certain key movies of the genre to be included. Among the missing: the Star Wars movies, Terminator movies, E.T. and the Matrix movies (although they are referred to in other reviews).
There are also little mistakes here and there, but it's the omissions that keep this book from being a great overview of the science fiction film genre. Nonetheless, what is there is pretty good and makes this collection of reviews worth reading.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
