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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Cool Ass Cinema Book Reviews: Prometheus Edition!


PROMETHEUS: THE ART OF THE FILM


By Mark Salisbury

Hardcover; 192 pages; Color; 2012

Encapsulating virtually every aspect of the films production through visuals and the printed word, PROMETHEUS: THE ART OF THE FILM is an attractive purchase for those wishing to discover more about the beings of Ridley Scott's cinematic universe and what went into their creation.

Ridley Scott returns to the ALIEN world which he created in his 1979 trendsetting science fiction horror spectacular. This new film, titled PROMETHEUS, takes things in a decidedly different direction, but links itself to the ALIEN universe in a few ways.

Scott does a Foreword for this book in addition to divulging information on how he came to be involved in this production. Scott also discusses the abandonment of what was originally to have been a prequel to the 1979 original.

The bulk of this near 200 page tome is a lavish visual feast detailing the designs of the various sets, props, vehicles, costumes and creatures seen throughout the movie, including Scott's interpretation of what the Space Jockey was. The book is also filled with a generous amount of painted designs of the animate and inanimate objects of this Sci Fi world. Also included are a number of director Scott's own storyboards.

There's also a great deal of discussion into the backgrounds of the alien lifeforms and their origins both onscreen and in the creative process offscreen.

This hardcover edition contains dozens upon dozens of behind the scenes photos of the sets being built and the special effects being created. What makes these images even more appealing to the reader is that the inspiration for the surreal, haunting sets are likewise revealed. Case in point being the gigantic Engineer heads. Production Designer Arthur Max says these constructs were inspired by Michelangelo's David, Elvis Presley and the Statue of Liberty!

With the film proving popular with audiences and especially fans of the ALIEN franchise, this book seems a nice addition to rabid lovers of the dark, brooding world Ridley Scott originated back in 1979. The price tag might be seen as steep to some, but it's worth the price for the information and visual presentation alone; not to mention this is a hardcover edition.

Encapsulating virtually every aspect of the films production through visuals and the printed word, PROMETHEUS: THE ART OF THE FILM is an attractive purchase for those wishing to discover more about the beings of Ridley Scott's cinematic universe and what went into their creation.

You can purchase the book at amazon HERE.

You can also purchase the book, and others, at the Titan Books website HERE.

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