Cinemaniacs Journal
I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the lookout for a unique film reference book, magazine, or journal. In terms of magazines, I’ve long been a fan of Cinema Retro, “The Essential Guide to Movies of the 60s & 70s,” and Little Shoppe of Horrors, “The Journal of Classic British Horror Films.”
While there are a number of fantastic magazines and movie reference books available on well-recognized genres, such as Horror, Westerns, and Film Noir, I recently heard about a new film journal that focuses on much more bizarre, niche genres. Cinemaniacs Journal is a highly infrequent, book-length film journal, which brings together articles from multiple film critics, historians, and enthusiasts, on a single, highly-specific movie topic. As they describe it:
“Spawning from the Melbourne, Australia based film collective Cinemaniacs, the whole concept of this journal is to ensure that readers embrace all kinds of movies (and television, as well as theatre!) by understanding that all genres and periods of cinematic art and achievement matter.”
The first book-length Cinemaniacs Journal focuses on “Scarecrows in Film & TV,” and a second journal (which is currently in the works) will focus on “Kept Man Syndrome in Film.”
If, like me, you are intrigued, below is more information on the journals, as well as an Amazon link. And to keep up to date on future journals, watch the “Books & Journals” page on Cinemaniacs.com.au.
If I Only Had a Brain: Scarecrows in Film and TV (Cinemaniacs Journal #1)
Edited by Lee Gambin
242 Pages
Available internationally in hard and soft cover.
In this journal you will find an assortment of wonderful writing and beautiful images–from the creepy, unsettling revenge horror film that was made for television The Dark Night of the Scarecrow, to an urban nightmarish ghetto-style Oz with a Motown flavour in The Wiz, from long lost obscurities such as the Buster Keaton silent film The Scarecrow and its relative Puritan Passions to every incarnation of one of Batman’s most feared members of his rogue’s gallery Dr. Jonathan Crane–it’s all in here! Powered by essays and critical analysis, the journal is also loaded with production history, never before seen pictures from various films and in-depth interviews with people involved with the movies covered.
Cinemaniacs: Founded in 2012, Cinemaniacs was created with the intention of making cinema a truly unique experience. Screening retrospective films across all genres, Cinemaniacs allows audiences to see their most beloved films on the big screen again, or for the first time. Collaborating with acclaimed directors, writers, actors, producers, academics and composers, Cinemaniacs guarantee Melbounre film lovers cinema like never experienced before!
Coming (eventually) internationally in hard and soft cover:
Just Us, And The Cameras, And Those Wonderful People Out There In The Dark!: Kept Man Syndrome in Film (Cinemaniacs Journal #2)
This is still happening ladies and gents.
We have a great team of writers – Kat Ellinger, Keith Gow, Eloise Ross, Sally Christie, Emma Westwood, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and some schmuck named Lee Gambin.
Lots of stunning movies covered like THE BEGUILED, BAD RONALD, MISERY, THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK, SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, MONKEY SHINES and more.
Stay tuned for updates.
