Synopses & Reviews
Peter Jackson made cinematic history with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, presenting J. R. R. Tolkien's story onscreen with drama and visual majesty, while shattering box office records. On the surface, his background as a director of low-budget New Zealand splatter movies would seem to make him an odd choice to direct a multimillion-dollar Hollywood film adaptation of a literary epic. A closer look at Jackson's approach to filmmaking reveals why he was the one of the few directors who could successfully meet the challenge. This collection, the sixth title in the Ultrascreen series, includes the best reviews, essays, and features on Jackson's films, plus interviews with Jackson himself, offers a comprehensive examination of his career to date, from humble beginnings as a child filmmaker, shooting movies in his backyard, to early successes like Bad Taste and Dead Alive, to his current position as one of the world's most feted directors.
Synopsis
Peter Jackson made cinematic history with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, presenting J. R. R. Tolkiens story onscreen with drama and visual majesty, while shattering box office records. On the surface, his background as a director of low-budget New Zealand splatter movies would seem to make him an odd choice to direct a multimillion-dollar Hollywood film adaptation of a literary epic. A closer look at Jacksons approach to filmmaking reveals why he was the one of the few directors who could successfully meet the challenge. This collection, the sixth title in the Ultrascreen series, includes the best reviews, essays, and features on Jacksons films, plus interviews with Jackson himself, offers a comprehensive examination of his career to date, from humble beginnings as a child filmmaker, shooting movies in his backyard, to early successes like Bad Taste and Dead Alive, to his current position as one of the worlds most feted directors.
Synopsis
The sixth in the ultrascreen series of anthologies celebrates the worlds created by one New Zealander in his pastoral homeland. From low-budget splatterfests to a world-conquering Hollywood franchise, Peter Jackson has relied as much on imagination as on technical ability. From the Pythonish splatter of the no-budget Bad Taste and the uproarious Muppets parody Meet the Feebles to zombie movie Braindead, Jackson cornered the market in Antipodean gore.
But there were new worlds to conquer. His acclaimed Heavenly Creatures told the story of two teenaged girls fatally enmeshed in a world of make-believe. It put Jackson on the road to realising Tolkiens mythological worlds in The Lord of the Rings, and creating the jungle hell of King Kong. Peter Jackson: From Gore to Mordor details his eccentric career path, from the days when his films were only covered in horror fanzines to their debating by Tolkien societies.