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Bob Blackwood's 2006 New Book 

From the Silent Era to "The Sopranos": 

Book available from www.amazon.com,  Publish America, www.barnesandnoble.com, and www.borders.com:

        Prices around $24.95.   ISBN: 104137-9098-4

From the Silent Era to "The Sopranos": 

Italian American Gangsters in Trend Setting Films and Television Shows. 


by Dr. Bob Blackwood

Synopsis: 

 From the Silent Era to “The Sopranos” contains critical commentary on the major Italian American gangster films and TV shows and biographical data on the actors who starred from “The Black Hand” (1906) to “The Sopranos” (1999-2005).   92 films and seven TV series are analyzed.  

Early 1930’s sound films include “Little Caesar,” “Scarface,” plus from the 1940’s—“Kiss of Death,” “Key Largo,” from the 1950’s—“Guys and Dolls” and “Some Like It Hot,” and from the1960’s—“The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre,” and “The Brotherhood” and many others   Special chapters for Martin Scorsese’s films (“Mean Streets,” “Goodfellas,” “Casino”) and Francis Ford Coppola’s films (“The Godfather” trilogy, “The Cotton Club”). 

Many contemporary films include “Thief,” “Prizzi’s Honor,” “Miller’s Crossing,” “Married to the Mob,” “True Romance,” “Bugsy,” “Out for Justice,” “Bullets Over Broadway,” “Get Shorty,” “Gotti,” “Donnie Brasco,” “Analyze This,” and “A History of Violence.”   TV shows include “The Untouchables,” “Crime Story,” “WiseGuy” and “The Sopranos” with an episode guide.

 Biography

Dr. Bob Blackwood from Wright College, Chicago, taught film study, photography and literature.  His reviews appeared in The Chicago Seed, La Parola del Popolo and the Leader Newspapers. He has worked as a reporter for Fra Noi (Chicagoland’s Italian American Voice) since 1989.     

Dr. Bob has reviewed books on films and filmmakers since 1968 for Choice, the magazine of the American Library Association.  He is the president of the International Press Club of Chicago.

Copyright, Bob Blackwood

    The Film Dr.s' 2006 New Book 

Future Prime: The Top Ten Science Fiction Films Book available from Galactic Books - connect@pobox.com 

Dr. John Flynn and Dr. Bob Blackwood conducted a survey of the members of the World Science Fiction community between the 2002 Worldcon, ConJosé, and the 2003 Worldcon, Torcon 3 assisted by Torcon 3’s staff in their progress reports.  The goal was to assemble a top-ten list of the science fiction films of the twentieth century.  WSFS members cast ballots from September 15, 2002 , until August 20, 2003 .  The results shaped the commentary on the scripts and productions in the first 10 chapters of this book.  

1. "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) 
2. “Blade Runner” (1982)
3.  “Forbidden Planet” (1956)
4. “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951)
5. “Alien” (1979)
6. “Planet of the Apes” (1968)
7. “The Terminator” (1984)
8. “Star Wars” (1977)
9. “The Matrix” (1999)
10. “Aliens” (1986)  

Appendix 1 lists the top 50 SF films per the survey.  Appendix 2 contains a SF film chronology from 1901-2006, Appendix 3 contains an essay on what makes good SF, Appendix 4 lists the Hugo Award winners until 2005, and Appendix 5 contains the top-ten SF film lists of various professionals.  The book also contains an extensive bibliography of works used and a biography of each of the authors, dubbed “the film doctors” by the fans at Torcon.  There are dozens of photographs illustrating the text.   

Available for the first time, July 2006, the book is perfect bound, 8.5 x11, 224 pages, ISBN: 0-9769400-7-8, and retails for $12.95.  Wholesale (5 or more) and retail copies available from Galactic Books, P. O. Box 1442 , Owings Mills , MD 21117-9998 , or email connect@pobox.com

Galactic Books Media Contact:

Wendy Bush - connect@pobox.com