’80s Action Movies on the Cheap: 284 Low Budget, High Impact Pictures
Daniel R. Budnik

“A treat for cult movie fans.”—Booklist

Bill died on October 7, 2016, at age 73 (born April 26, 1943).  He dedicated his books to his wife Beverly and she stood by him, and sat with him, till the very end, and it is to her we owe grateful affection and deep felt sympathy.  I was born a month earlier in 1943; we saw all those great 50’s SF movies probably the same Saturday mornings. (We both went to library school but I believe he graduated from his.)  My friend Don Glut (from 70’s Scarecrow Press days) alerted me—a month after McFarland was founded, April 1979—to a Big manuscript his buddy Bill was working on:  It became Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, published in two volumes (1950–1957 in 1982 and 1958–1962 in 1986); a deluxe, oversize, pricey, jacketed “21^st Century Edition,” corrected, deepened, and greatly expanded, came out in 2009.

Over the 37 years, Bill and I forged a strong friendship—including two suppers in L.A. in the early 80’s, one in which Don Glut collected all our (including current McF president Rhonda Herman on her first plane trip) water/wine/beer glasses, filled them by eye to certain levels, then banged out upon them the Star Spangled Banner with a spoon.  The Bill friendship had several memorable characteristics.  True affection and respect, and unending arguments, often resembling an exasperated chief (Bill) barely restraining himself in lecturing a tolerable ignoramus (me) about such matters as “The” and “un-” versus “not” and capitalizing prepositions (he liked to).  He got as good as he gave, I might add—which made our connection so lively if oft off.  He followed a prescription I frequently tried to too with challenging authors:  end your wroth-filled frothful letter with a smatter of sincere and jovial praise and thanks.

From a publishing business point of view, Bill’s most remarkable monument is this:  His KWTS! book garnered more reviews (all raves) than any other of our almost 7,000 titles so far – AND the reviewers themselves (with lavish encomia) well outranked the usual (Harlan Ellison, John Landis, Joe Dante…).

Bill, we’ll keep Watching for you.

—Robert Franklin, founder, president emeritus and now editor-in-chief of McFarland.

Author Cheryl M. Willis visited New York to induct Ludie Jones into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame and to tour the Apollo Theater. Pictured here, Willis met with CBS’s Charlie Rose on set! Check out her new book Tappin’ at the Apollo: The African American Female Tap Dance Duo Salt and Pepper—and be sure to follow McFarland on Instagram.

Author Cheryl M. Willis visited CBS’s Charlie Rose on set! She is in New York to induct Lucille Jones into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame. Check out her new book, Tappin’ at the Apollo!

A photo posted by McFarland (@mcfpub) on Jul 15, 2016 at 7:01am PDT

In case you missed it: Keep Watching the Skies!, one of our all-time bestsellers, is now available in lower-priced softcover and ebook formats! (Hardcover aficionados don’t fret – this “21st Century Edition” is still available in the hardcover, jacketed, bookmarked format, too).

Library Journal noticed the new formats, writing “this detailed chronicle from a devoted sf buff is recommended for film studies students and dedicated aficionados of the genre,” and Booklist called it “the premier reference for this subject.”

Get the softcover here, or pick up the ebook from your favorite vendor!

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Check out our brand-new superheroes catalog—and get 20–30% off your order today!

Use the coupon code SUPERHEROES2016 for 20% your order of one book.
Use the coupon code HOLIDAY2015 for 30% off your order of two or more books.

We’re excited to share that this Friday, Peanuts Greatest Hits will be released. This collection features twelve of the most memorable recordings from the beloved Peanuts television specials, all with the sophisticated yet accessible jazz stylings of the Vince Guaraldi Trio. The album includes liner notes by Derrick Bang, Peanuts historian and author of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano. Happy reading, listening and watching!

It’s Celebrate an Author Wednesday…and honestly, there’s just not enough time in the day (or the week, or month) to properly praise the prolific Tom Weaver. Among his most recent accolades is the Rondo Award, given at the Wonderfest Convention for his Creature Chronicles.  Have a listen to David Schecter’s acceptance speech—good stuff!   Congratulations, Tom!

At McFarland, we are mourning the loss of English actor Christopher Lee, who passed away on Sunday, June 7 at the age of 93. In a career spanning nearly 70 years, he appeared in over 200 films and rose to fame as Frankenstein’s monster and Count Dracula in a series of horror films for the Hammer studio. New generations of fans were introduced to Lee in the Lord of the Rings film series and Star Wars prequels.

The first full trailer for Crimson Peak has officially dropped and we at McFarland, like most film geeks, are smitten with Guillermo. This R-rated gothic tale looks to be right up our dimly lit, fear-filled alley. Don’t get us wrong, Pacific Rim (2013), the last film he directed, had great visual effects (giant robots vs. giant monsters — we’re so there!) and giddy sense of fun, but we’re glad he’s firmly back in the horror and dark fantasy …genre.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas unleashed his science fiction epic, Star Wars, on an unsuspecting public. Technically it was thirty-eight years ago (May 25, 1977), but still, it seems like another universe. Two trilogies and billions of dollars later, the countdown is on for the next episode. A new trailer for The Force Awakens was recently released and we’re big enough to admit that we teared up as Han Solo told Chewbacca, “We’re home.”

Wipe away those tears and fire up the hyperdrive — the Millennium Falcon is back on the Kessel run! Check out our Star Wars-related titles, and, as always, may the force be with you.

The Monomyth in American Science Fiction Films by Donald E. Palumbo.

The Empire Triumphant: Race, Religion and Rebellion in the Star Wars Films by Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr.

Culture, Identities and Technology in the Star Wars Films: Essays on the Two Trilogies by Carl Silvio and Tony M. Vinci

Sword Fighting in the Star Wars Universe: Historical Origins, Style and Philosophy by Nick Jamilla

The Star Wars Heresies: Interpreting the Themes, Symbols and Philosophies of Episodes I, II and III by Paul F. McDonald

The Politics of Big Fantasy: The Ideologies of Star Wars, The Matrix and The Avengers by John McDowell

Vader, Voldemort and Other Villains: Essays on Evil in Popular Media by Jamey Heit

The Science Fiction Reboot: Canon, Innovation and Fandom in Refashioned Franchises by Heather Urbanski

The Legend Returns and Dies Harder Another Day: Essays on Film Series by Jennifer Forrest

The Galaxy Is Rated G: Essays on Children’s Science Fiction Film and Television by R.C. Neighbors and Sandy Rankin

Game On, Hollywood!: Essays on the Intersection of Video Games and Cinema by Gretchen Papazian and Joseph Michael Sommers

Harrison Ford: The Films by Brad Duke

The Christopher Lee Filmography: All Theatrical Releases, 1948–2003 by Tom Johnson and Mark A. Miller

Forget TBT.  Today, in conjunction with the release of The Fantastic Made Visible, we hold Celebrate an Author Wednesday on Thursday, as that’s just the sort of thing upon which Matthew Kapell would insist.  Our first conversations with Matthew began nearly a decade ago, and we’ve delightedly been part of his vision for taking over the world via critical explorations of popular culture ever since.  For every book he publishes, Matthew gets a corresponding tattoo.  He now bears four designs related to his McF publications, including his forthcoming essay collection on the ludic/narrative dichotomy in digital games. (For insight into the stories behind the ink, see his McF titles.)

For more than twenty years, Ace Pilkington—coeditor of The Fantastic Made Visible—has served as the literary seminar director for the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  In December, 2014, Ace won an Enchanted Conversation flash fiction contest with a story about Saint Nicholas, Krampus, and Grandfather Frost.  In addition to his forthcoming McF book on science fiction and futurism, he’s also writing a novel that includes Ivan the Fool, Russian folklore, and Napoleon Bonaparte.

(Busy men, both.)

Drop us a line for a 20% discount on The Fantastic Made Visible, good now through Sunday, April 26^th.  Just use the coupon code FANTASTIC.

Love is the air…or maybe that’s just the smell of teen spirit, adolescent angst, and the hustle and bustle of dress alterations surrounding PROM SEASON.  Wondering what the fuss is all about?  Look no further than Ann Anderson’s High School Prom: Marketing, Morals and the American Teen.  “Focusing on social and economic trends, this volume examines the evolution of the prom, the development of the billion-dollar prom industry, and the event’s place in popular culture, including its portrayal in film, television, and literature.”

Instructors, history researchers, and pop culture enthusiasts—drop us a line for more information. 

And, McF fans, for further entertainment, we offer you a dose of Thursday throwback: McFarlandite prom pictures from days of yore.  Enjoy!