About this item
Highlights
- The Mabuse phenomenon is recognized as an icon of horror in Germany as Frankenstein and Dracula are in the United States.
- About the Author: David Kalat is a film historian and a forensic technologist.
- 315 Pages
- Performing Arts, Film
Description
Book Synopsis
The Mabuse phenomenon is recognized as an icon of horror in Germany as Frankenstein and Dracula are in the United States. A study of the 12 motion pictures and five books (and some secondary films) that make up the eight decades of adventures of master criminal Mabuse, created by author Norbert Jacques in the best-selling 1922 German novel and brought to the screen by master filmmaker Fritz Lang in the same year.
Both on screen and off, the story of Dr. Mabuse is a story of love triangles and revenge, of murder, suicides, and suspicious deaths, of betrayals and paranoia, of fascism and tyranny, deceptions and conspiracies, mistaken identities, and transformation. This work, featuring much information never before published in English, provides an understanding of a modern mythology whose influence has pervaded popular culture even while the name Mabuse remains relatively unknown in the United States.
Review Quotes
"entertaining and enlightening...thorough...highly recommend[ed]"-Science Fiction Studies; "can't ask for a better study of the films and the novels...Kalat has delved deep...definitive...the first in-depth English-language examination of this fascinating subject"-Film Review; "a full and fascinating account...recommended"-Interzone; "essential...exhaustive...will turn the casual reader into an overnight expert"-Rue Morgue; "fascinating...important...excellent"-Scarlet Street; "comprehensive...critical analysis...thorough...a significant contribution to film scholarship...well worth investigation"-Video Watchdog.
About the Author
David Kalat is a film historian and a forensic technologist. He has contributed audio commentaries to the home video editions of numerous classic movies, written extensively for Turner Classic Movies and other publications. He lives in La Grange Park, Illinois.
