Forbidden Planet is excited to announce an in-store event for the new book The Epic Saga Behind Frankenstein The True Story, a 400 page monster of a book covering this made for TV classic movie. Meet author Sam Irvin and artist Stefano Junior on Sunday December 3rd from 5 to 7PM and get your hands on an autographed copy of this must-have read. If you are a horror buff, a Frankie lover, or just your average film fanatic this book will be a perfect addition to your collection.
Sam Irvin is definitely the most knowledgeable person in the world on the subject of Frankenstein: The True Story and it shows on every page of this insanely dense tome, but let’s not limit our reasons for loving this man. He is the director of over 50 films, including Elvira’s Haunted Hills and Full Moon’s Oblivion series, a multiple Rondo Award winner and the author of the classic 70s zine Bizarre which has just been collected in the book I Was A Teenage Monster Hunter! Joining Irvin will be artist Stefano Junior who will have prints of his beautiful Frankenstein: The True Story art on hand. So come down and meet the epic people behind The Epic Saga Behind Frankenstein The True Story!
Can’t make it out to the event but still wanna grab a signed copy of Epic Saga Behind Frankenstein The True Story. No stress, we got your back. Just place an order at FPNYC.com and we will get your copy signed by all attending guests before we ship it straight to your door!
More about the book: Frankenstein: The True Story was a 2-part miniseries on NBC-TV in 1973, made by Universal Pictures. Directed by Jack Smight (Midway), the all-star cast included James Mason, Leonard Whiting, Michael Sarrazin, David McCallum, Jane Seymour, Agnes Moorehead, Tom Baker, Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud.
Investigative journalist Sam Irvin’s tell-all behind the making of this groundbreaking production has many facets. It is an eye-opening exposé on the movie industry of the early 1970s with an emphasis on Universal Pictures and the horror genre. But the chronicle also reveals a hidden agenda – fueled by the astonishing courage of a revolutionary group of LGBTQ+ artists spearheaded by producer Hunt Stromberg Jr. and his screenwriters Christopher Isherwood (The Berlin Stories – the basis for Cabaret) and his lover, artist Don Bachardy. This self-proclaimed “Lavender Hill Mob” actively plotted to sneak as much queer subtext into the film as possible, without censors catching on to their scheme. How the hell did they get away with it?! Prepare to catch your jaw before it drops to the floor.
Also included in this book is a comprehensive biography of the film’s flamboyant producer Hunt Stromberg Jr. Not to name drop or anything, but… Stromberg discovered Vampira, hired Boris Karloff to voice the Grinch, produced a play with Bela Lugosi, teamed Vincent Price with Peter Lorre, was friends with both Lon Chaney Jr. and Sr., met Elsa Lanchester when she was filming Bride of Frankenstein, and cast Yvonne De Carlo as Lily Munster. He developed The Twilight Zone, supervised Alfred Hitchcock Presents, greenlit Lost in Space, settled The Wild Wild West, beautified Frankenstein’s Creature, got stomped by King Kong, and was cursed by the Mummy. He helped launch the careers of Carol Burnett and Clint Eastwood, escorted Mae West, got Liberace to perform at his parties, had a James Bond supervillain named after him, fired Judy Garland, and was snubbed by Queen Elizabeth (twice). And that’s just for starters. You will read fascinating letters he received from Lugosi, Hitchcock, Carl Laemmle Jr., John Boorman, Julie Christie, and more!
Who: Author Sam Irvin & Artist Stefano Junior
What: Epic Saga Behind Frankenstein The True Story Book
Matt D has been a manager, buyer and event coordinator at Forbidden Planet since 2005 or maybe it was 2006. Who can remember? We didn't even have computers back then. A native New Yorker from the borough of Queens, raised on Sunday Funnies, Monster Movies and Rock N' Roll. What better place to end up than Forbidden Planet where he can use his position to influence the city's pop culture. A responsibility he takes seriously more now than ever due to New York's consistent change for the worse. The last thing NYC needs is another cafe or bank so thank whatever it is you believe in that Forbidden Planet is here to stay. Beyond the walls of FP, Matt is a publicly recognized expert in cult and horror cinema with a focus on VHS. He is the founder of Horror Boobs a collective that books screenings and distributes weirdo films, the producer of the documentary Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS collector, the publisher of the Blood Video zine, and is regrettably responsible for resurrecting the career of schizophrenic Shot-on Video director Carl J Sukenick.
E-mail him at Mattdfpnyc@gmail.com
Follow him on various social media at @horrorboobs
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