The 4000 Errors of Doctor Who

Missed the new Fall catalog from America's most unpredictable publisher? Too bad, because McFarland, a North Carolina house that aims its list at libraries, consistently turns out page after page of bizarre surprises.

The new list includes The Doctor Who Error Finder, which offers 4000 "transmitted bloopers"; Hick Flicks: The Rise and Fall of Redneck Cinema, which is a "comprehensive study of the hixploitation genre"; The Fountainheads: Wright, Rand, the FBI and Hollywood, which addresses, among other things, "the effect FBI harassment had on the movie." There's also a study of Forbidden Animation, of The Gay Detective Novel, of The Vampire as Numinous Experience, of Booze and the Private Eye, and plenty more.

My favorite entry is an 848-page work called Show Me the Money! The Standard Catalog of Motion Picture, Television, State and Advertising Prop Money. That's right: prop money.

Comments

[Mike McNamara]

As a recovering fanboy who at one time had seen every full story that existed at least once, I'm surprised by only one thing:

Only 4000?

[Mike McNamara]

As a recovering fanboy who at one time had seen every full story that existed at least once, I'm surprised by only one thing:

Only 4000?

[ol]

Some of those titles just prove what kind of crap some academics will publish in order to get tenure.

[John Hensley]

So we can blame the FBI for Patricia Neal's minimal screen presence, and Gary Cooper's plodding syncopation?

[kevrob]

Don't expect price breaks on the McFarland titles. They market most of their stuff to stores at textbook discounts, which gives the retailer about half the margin he would get on a full-price trade book.

Kevin

[pdf]

I know the guy who wrote Hick Flicks. I can't wait to read it.

[Jeff Clothier]

I am a high school chum of a McFarland author by the name of Scott Allen Nollen. His film and music bios are occasionally dry, but very inciteful and always top notch research. He has a history of the band Jethro Tull that leader Ian Anderson endorses on the band's official website.

I also played a small part in the research for his "Boris Karloff: A Gentleman's Life," which is a very intimate look at Karloff and his family. As a result, I became acquainted with daughter Sara Karloff, who controls the marketing of Boris' image and likeness, among other things.

There is a lot of academic fluff in the McFarland catalogue. On the other hand, the authors thereof tend not to make very much as the house doesn't promote their writers very well. Nevertheless, there is some fascinating reading there on the arts and humanities, Nollen's work included.

[garym]

The book on The Fountainhead looks very interesting. I'm hoping Laissez Faire Books will pick it up -- and drop the price a bit from $45 -- when it comes out.

[Meggles]

This is for the guy/gal above who thinks the list of 'bizarre suprises' equals 'crap some academics will publish to get tenure' -- I know the author of one of those books...And I can tell you the years of research completed on the subject and the points made are very important and extremely interesting, expanding on other noted authors of vampirism, mythology and numinous. Keep an open mind...my friend isn't even going for tenure...but she might bite your neck! 😉

[Meggles]

This is for the guy/gal above who thinks the list of 'bizarre suprises' equals 'crap some academics will publish to get tenure' -- I know the author of one of those books...And I can tell you the years of research completed on the subject and the points made are very important and extremely interesting, expanding on other noted authors of vampirism, mythology and numinous. Keep an open mind...my friend isn't even going for tenure...but she might bite your neck! 😉

[Meggles]

In reponse to the comment about prices of McFarland books, barnesandnoble.com does offer it at a 20% discount price with an even lower price for their Barnes and Noble members. To learn more about The Vampire as Numinous book go to the author's website.