In 1970, an LA Times headline called Monte Hellman ""Hollywood's Best Kept Secret."" More than thirty years later, Hellman and his work are still secrets, his genius recognized only by a small but passionate fan base - folks willing to slip into dark alleys to purchase old copies of his film Back Door to Hell. This work is a biography of Hellman and an extensive study of his films and films he has worked on, including The Wild Ride, The Intruder, Ski Troop Attack, Creature from the Haunted Sea, Last Woman on Earth, The Terror, Dementia 13, Bus Riley's Back in Town, Flight to Fury, Beach Ball, and lguana, to name just a few. It covers his youth (when he directed his first theatrical performance at the age of ten), his development as a stage actor and director, his break into the film industry after receiving the screenplay for Beast from Haunted Cave, and his involvement with other films and filmmakers. Attention is focused on the hallmarks of Hellman's work, including his dominant themes; his characters, who always seem to be involved in undefined or questionable activity; and his fusion of form and content to such a degree that they become inseparable.

About the Author
Brad Stevens has contributed to many film magazines, and is the author of Abel Ferrara: The Moral Vision. He lives in England.

Reviews
I just did it, and I probably made more mistakes than the average person who makes a first film. I didn't really have any help, and I wouldn't take any help. I had to do it on my own. Once I made my first film I considered myself a filmmaker. I lost all interest in the theater and never went back - Monte Hellman



Book Information
ISBN 9780786414345
Author Brad Stevens
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 410g