MONSTERSHOW.NET
 See David talking about the history of vampires on the first season DVD of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. Check back for an advance purchase link this summer!  THE OFFICIAL WEB WORLD OF AUTHOR / LECTURER / FILMMAKER DAVID J. SKAL
Original author content and book excerpts Copyright (c) by David J. Skal. All rights reserved. DAVID J. SKAL BOOKS DAVID J. SKAL DOCUMENTARIES, AUDIO COMMENTARIES AND INTERVIEWS ON DVD AND BLU-RAY  The British cover of David's most popular book. For publication history and purchase link, click title in right hand column.  "The ultimate book on Dracula" (at least according to Newsweek For an excerpt, reviews, and SPECIAL DISCOUNTS, click on title in "Selected Works" column. |
RARE TOD BROWNING SCREENING MARCH 3 IN L.A.
 Tod Browning biographer David Skal will introduce a rare 35mm screening of THE MYSTIC (1925) at the SILENT MOVIE THEATRE in Los Angeles March 3 at 8 p.m. This little-seen gem, starring Aileen Pringle as a Hungarian sham spiritualist who preys on a New York heiress, prefigures Browning's later trademark excursions into spooky scams and carnival bunk artists, showcasing stylish costumes by that unparalleled master of art deco style, Erte. This one-showing-only event, co-presented by the The Cinefamily and The Silent Treatment, is sure to sell out, but advance tickets can be purchased NOW by clicking here. David will be available after the screening to talk to fans and autograph any of his books.
THE MASTER CHARACTER ACTOR--FINALLY IN PAPERBACK!
 Advance copies are NOW IN STOCK for immediate shipment. CLAUDE RAINS: AN ACTOR'S VOICE tells the amazing life story of William Claude Rains and his transformation from speech-impaired Victorian urchin to a master character actor of suave sophistication. To purchase today for a SPECIAL 22% DISCOUNT ($15.95), click cover on carousel below and select "paperback edition." For an EXCLUSIVE ONLINE EXCERPT, click title in right-hand column. Welcome to MONSTERSHOW.NET. You are now one of more than 21,000 visitors! Those of you returning will notice the addition of new interactive widgets and features, which over the next few months will expand browsing options throughout the site. 2010 will also see the introduction of videos and other horrifyingly enhanced content. This site is an AMAZON.COM ASSOCIATE. If you enjoy MONSTERSHOW.NET, please consider making it your gateway click-through to all things Amazon. Like applause for Tinkerbell, your every click helps keep the site alive. Meanwhile, don't let the season spook you. Read...look...shop...and scream! "I BID YOU...BLACKBERRY"
 David is having lots of fun with his new phone. Now to get Drac's voice as the ringtone... CLAUDE RAINS TRIBUTE NOVEMBER 18 AND 20
  With Jessica Rains and Richard Seff at the fabulous Ritz Theatre in Sheffield, Alabama.  "Darkness at Noon" company: back, l-r: Will Stutts, Jessica Rains, Richard Seff, Kevin Hammond. Front: Kyle Weir, Terry Pace, David Skal. HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY CARLA LAEMMLE!
Images from the gala tribute at the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, October 20, 2009.  What becomes a legend most? More legends! Left to right: Ray Bradbury, Bela Lugosi, Jr., Carla Laemmle, Sara Karloff, Ron Chaney.  In all the years they've known each other, David's done the real aging!  Between two "rugged peaks" of horror: David with Bela Lugosi, Jr. and Carla Laemmle. David J. Skal's ROMANCING THE VAMPIRE, coming just in time for Halloween from Whitman Publishing, is an unprecedented treasure trove of undead history, iconography, and memorabilia, and a must-have book for your favorite vampire fan. Want a slave forever? Make ROMANCING THE VAMPIRE this year's holiday gift and see what happens...
         ADVANCE PRAISE FOR "ROMANCING THE VAMPIRE"
"As a writer, Romancing the Vampire author David J. Skal shares all the best characteristics of evolving vampires. His Hollywood Gothic and The Monster Show--and a host of other learned and lively books and DVDs--examine a variety of fiends with wit, daring and panache. But he always returns to vampires, ingesting their many facets, from the dangerous audacity of their formative years to the shrinking sensitivity of their new resurrection. Like his undead subjects, David J. Skal is fluid, subtle, penetrating and an unforgettable spokesman for all seasons." --Nina Auerbach, author, Our Vampires, Ourselves. "I am particularly glad to add this book to my library. It is an amazing and unique treasure chest of dark gems from the underworld. It is a sensory delight, a marriage of David J. Skal's fluid and evocative prose and an unparalleled collection of rich, compelling art and images. This is one of those rare books that never ceases to intrigue, inform, and entertain." --Rosemary Ellen Guiley, author of The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters Click below for an AMAZON ADVANCE ORDER 34% DISCOUNT! THE PHANTOM RETURNS
David has returned from his revealing Parisian rendezvous with gargoyles, guillotines, and the Grand Guignol. His travelogue, PARIS FOR PHANTOMS, will appear here for Halloween.  THE OBAMA-MAN WILL GET YOU
Not David's sentiment at all, but the scary summer Zeitgeist makes vitally necessary the debut of I HEAR AMERICA SCREAMING: THE MONSTER BLOG. Click above for the inaugural installment.  Photo montage by Salon.com  David's best-selling vampire anthology, now six years in print, has been reissued with a striking new cover by Black Dog and Leventhal. Over 600 pages of classic vampire fiction, nonfiction, illustrations and commentary.  The "fluid, subtle, and penetrating" author (see below) emerges from emcee duties at a recent Vampire-Con triple feature, looking for new blood. (Photo by Matt Dinan)  On Saturday, August 8, David moderated an audience discussion with film legend Carla Laemmle at the Goldwyn Library in Hollywood. Carla fielded questions and signed copies of Among the Rugged Peaks, an "intimate biography" written by her close friend Rick Atkins. Carla, the niece of Universal Pictures founder Carl Laemmle, spoke the first words of dialogue in 1931's Dracula: "Among the rugged peaks that frown down upon the Borgo Pass are found crumbling castles of a bygone age." Her Hollywood memories still as vivid as ever, Carla will celebrate her 100th birthday October 20, an anniversary which, by strange coincidence, she shares with Dracula's star Bela Lugosi. At last report, the reclusive Lugosi has no public appearances planned, but records indicate he'll be 127. ABOUT THE AUTHOR David J. Skal, best-known as author of THE MONSTER SHOW: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF HORROR (1993, revised 2001), is widely regarded as one of the world's most provocative and original historians of the dark side of popular culture. His 1990 book HOLLYWOOD GOTHIC ("the ultimate book on Dracula," according to Newsweek) set a high standard for cinematic archeology and sociology, and was instrumental in Universal's restoration of the rare, 1931 Spanish-language version of Universal's DRACULA, now available on DVD. With Nina Auerbach, he is co-editor of the Norton Critical Edition of Bram Stoker's DRACULA, generally regarded as the defintiive academic edition; and, with Elias Savada, co-author of DARK CARNIVAL: THE SECRET WORLD OF TOD BROWNING. His many other books include DEATH MAKES A HOLIDAY: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN, SCREAMS OF REASON: MAD SCIENCE AND MODERN CULTURE, and the comprehensive anthology VAMPIRES: ENCOUNTERS WITH THE UNDEAD. As a documentary filmmaker, he has produced, written and directed a dozen historical features for DVD, including a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the Academy Award-winning film GODS AND MONSTERS, and critically-acclaimed retrospectives on Universal Studios' classic horror and science fiction films. His extensive media appearances have included the TODAY show, CHARLIE ROSE, as well as NPR's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, MORNING EDITION, and FRESH AIR. He has lectured at dozens of colleges, universities, and cultural institutions, and in 2002 was the first historian invited to speak on the topic of classic American horror movies at the Musee du Louvre in Paris. Click on titles in SELECTED WORKS at right for complete information on David Skal's books and documentaries, including text excerpts, reviews, and full publication histories. The EVENTS menu at the top of page includes a regularly updated guide to David Skal's lectures, readings, and bookstore appearances, as well as a full list of previous speaking engagements at colleges, universities, and museums. For information on all publishing or media rights, please contact the author's literary agent: Christopher Schelling Ralph M. Vicinanza Ltd. 303 W. 18th St. New York, NY 10011 212.924.7090 (p) 212.691.9644 (f) e-mail: christopher.schelling@vicinanzaltd.com For information on college lectures and other speaking engagements, please contact David directly: djskal@aol.com |
|
