Character Actors in Horror and Science Fiction Films, 1930-1960

Download Character Actors in Horror and Science Fiction Films, 1930-1960 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 0786490497
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (864 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Character Actors in Horror and Science Fiction Films, 1930-1960 by : Laurence Raw

Download or read book Character Actors in Horror and Science Fiction Films, 1930-1960 written by Laurence Raw and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-01-10 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This biographical dictionary presents a stellar lineup of talented, versatile character actors who regularly appeared in horror and science fiction films during Hollywood's golden age. Many are well known by genre buffs and casual fans--they include Lionel Atwill, John Carradine, Dwight Frye, Rondo Hatton, Dick Miller, J. Carroll Naish, Maria Ouspenskaya, Glenn Strange, Edward Van Sloan, and George Zucco. Some are perhaps not so well known but equally at home in the horror and science fiction films--such as Anthony Carbone, Harry Cording, Rosemary La Planche, Dick Purcell, Elizabeth Russell and Mel Welles. The 96 entries are complete with a biography and in-depth analyses of the actor's best performances--demonstrating how important these personalities were to the success of their genre films.

Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema

Download Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1538130106
Total Pages : 543 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (381 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema by : M. Keith Booker

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema written by M. Keith Booker and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-06-15 with total page 543 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the years since Georges Méliès’s Le voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon) was released in 1902, more than 1000 science fiction films have been made by filmmakers around the world. The versatility of science fiction cinema has allowed it to expand into a variety of different markets, appealing to age groups from small children to adults. The technical advances in filmmaking technology have enabled a new sophistication in visual effects. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 400 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, films, companies, techniques, themes, and subgenres. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about science fiction cinema.

Lost Souls of Horror and the Gothic

Download Lost Souls of Horror and the Gothic PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 1476663149
Total Pages : 259 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (766 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Lost Souls of Horror and the Gothic by : Elizabeth McCarthy

Download or read book Lost Souls of Horror and the Gothic written by Elizabeth McCarthy and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2016-10-14 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years horror and gothic themes have penetrated mainstream popular culture in a manner unseen since the horror boom of the 1970s. Primetime television viewers who before might not have shown interest in such late-night fare now happily settle down after dinner to watch zombie or serial killer shows. This collection of 54 biographical essays examines many overlooked and underrated figures who have played a role in the ever expanding world of horror and gothic entertainment. The contributors push the boundaries of how we define these terms, bringing into the discussion such diverse figures as singer-songwriter Tom Waits, occultist Dion Fortune, author Charles Beaumont, historian and bishop Gregory of Tours and video game designer Shinji Mikami.

Horror Films FAQ

Download Horror Films FAQ PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN 13 : 1480366811
Total Pages : 394 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (83 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Horror Films FAQ by : John Kenneth Muir

Download or read book Horror Films FAQ written by John Kenneth Muir and published by Hal Leonard Corporation. This book was released on 2013-08-01 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: (FAQ). Horror Films FAQ explores a century of ghoulish and grand horror cinema, gazing at the different characters, situations, settings, and themes featured in the horror film, from final girls, monstrous bogeymen, giant monsters and vampires to the recent torture porn and found footage formats. The book remembers the J-Horror remake trend of the 2000s, and examines the oft-repeated slasher format popularized by John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980). After an introduction positioning the horror film as an important and moral voice in the national dialogue, the book explores the history of horror decade by decade, remembering the women's liberation horrors of the 1970s, the rubber reality films of the late 1980s, the serial killers of the 1990s, and the xenophobic terrors of the 9/11 age. Horror Films FAQ also asks what it means when animals attack in such films as The Birds (1963) or Jaws (1975), and considers the moral underpinnings of rape-and-revenge movies, such as I Spit on Your Grave (1978) and Irreversible (2002). The book features numerous photographs from the author's extensive personal archive, and also catalogs the genre's most prominent directors.

The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 24

Download The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 24 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Robinson
ISBN 13 : 147210028X
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (721 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 24 by : Stephen Jones

Download or read book The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 24 written by Stephen Jones and published by Robinson. This book was released on 2013-10-03 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For nearly twenty-five years The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror has been the world's leading annual anthology dedicated solely to showcasing the best in contemporary horror fiction. Comprising the most outstanding new short fiction by both contemporary masters of horror and exciting newcomers, this multiple award-winning series also offers an overview of the year in horror, a comprehensive necrology of recent obituaries, and an indispensable directory of contact details for dedicated horror fans and writers. The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror remains the world's leading annual anthology dedicated solely to presenting the best in contemporary horror fiction. Praise for previous Mammoth Books of Best New Horror: 'Stephen Jones . . . has a better sense of the genre than almost anyone in this country.' Lisa Tuttle, The Times. 'The best horror anthologist in the business is, of course, Stephen Jones, whose Mammoth Book of Best New Horror is one of the major bargains of this as of any other year.' Roz Kavaney. 'An essential volume for horror readers.' Locus

The Best Horror of the Year

Download The Best Horror of the Year PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Start Publishing LLC
ISBN 13 : 1597804754
Total Pages : 604 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (978 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Best Horror of the Year by : Ellen Datlow

Download or read book The Best Horror of the Year written by Ellen Datlow and published by Start Publishing LLC. This book was released on 2013-08-27 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Darkness, both literal and psychological, holds its own unique fascination. Despite our fears, or perhaps because of them, readers have always been drawn to tales of death, terror, madness, and the supernatural, and no more so than today when a wildly imaginative new generation of dark dreamers is carrying on in the tradition of Poe and Lovecraft and King, crafting exquisitely disturbing literary nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after. Multiple award-winning editor Ellen Datlow knows the darkest corners of fiction and poetry better than most. Once again, she has braved the haunted landscape of modern horror to seek out the most chilling new works by both legendary masters of the genre and fresh young talents. Here are twisted hungers and obsessions, human and otherwise, along with an unsettling variety of spine-tingling fears and fantasies. The cutting edge of horror has never cut deeper than in this comprehensive showcase of the very best the field has to offer. Enter at your own risk.

Horror Unmasked

Download Horror Unmasked PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : becker&mayer! books ISBN
ISBN 13 : 0760376808
Total Pages : 239 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (63 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Horror Unmasked by : Brad Weismann

Download or read book Horror Unmasked written by Brad Weismann and published by becker&mayer! books ISBN. This book was released on 2023-09-05 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the silent-film era to the blockbusters of today, Horror Unmasked is a fun-filled, highly illustrated dive into the past influences and present popularity of the horror film genre. The horror film’s pop-culture importance is undeniable, from its early influences to today’s most significant and exciting developments in the genre. Since 1990, the production of horror films has risen exponentially worldwide, and in 2021, horror films earned an estimated $580 million in ticket sales, not to mention how the genre has expanded into books, fashion, music, and other media throughout the world. Horror has long been the most popular film genre, and more horror movies have been made than any other kind. We need them. We need to be scared, to test ourselves, laugh inappropriately, scream, and flinch. We need to get through them and come out, blinking, still in one piece. This comprehensive guide features: A thorough discussion on monster movies and B-movies (The Thing; It Came from Outer Space; The Blob) The destruction of the American censorship system (Blood Feast; The Night of the Living Dead; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) International horror, zombies, horror comedies, and horror in the new millennium (Matango; Suspiria; Ghostbusters) A dissection of the critical reception of modern horror (Neon Demon; Pan’s Labyrinth; Funny Games) Stunning movie posters and film stills, plus fan-made tributes to some of the most lauded horror franchises in the world (Aliens; the Evil Dead; The Hills Have Eyes; Scream) A perfect reference and informational book for horror fans and those interested in its cultural influence worldwide, Horror Unmasked provides a general introduction to the genre, serves as a guidebook to its film highlights, and celebrates its practitioners, trends, and stories.

Lost in the Dark

Download Lost in the Dark PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN 13 : 1496833252
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (968 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Lost in the Dark by : Brad Weismann

Download or read book Lost in the Dark written by Brad Weismann and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2021-04-22 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two horror films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2018, and one of them—The Shape of Water—won. Since 1990, the production of horror films has risen exponentially worldwide, and in 2013, horror films earned an estimated $400 million in ticket sales. Horror has long been the most popular film genre, and more horror movies have been made than any other kind. We need them. We need to be scared, to test ourselves, laugh inappropriately, scream, and flinch. We need to get through them and come out, blinking, still in one piece. Lost in the Dark: A World History of Horror Film is a straightforward history written for the general reader and student that can serve as a comprehensive reference work. The volume provides a general introduction to the genre, serves as a guidebook to its film highlights, and celebrates its practitioners, trends, and stories. Starting with silent-era horror films and ending with 2020’s The Invisible Man, Lost in the Dark looks at decades of horror movies. Author Brad Weismann covers such topics as the roots of horror in literature and art, monster movies, B-movies, the destruction of the American censorship system, international horror, torture porn, zombies, horror comedies, horror in the new millennium, and critical reception of modern horror. A sweeping survey that doesn’t scrimp on details, Lost in the Dark is sure to satisfy both the curious and the completist.

Cinema, MD

Download Cinema, MD PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190685816
Total Pages : 385 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (96 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Cinema, MD by : Eelco F.M. Wijdicks MD, PhD

Download or read book Cinema, MD written by Eelco F.M. Wijdicks MD, PhD and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-02-28 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cinema, MD follows the intersection of medicine and film and how filmmakers wrote a history of medicine over time. The narrative follows several main story lines: How did the portrayal of physicians, nurses, and medical institutions change over the years? What interested filmmakers, and which topics had priority? What does film's obsession with experiments and monstrosities reveal about medical ethics and malpractice? How could the public's perception of the medical profession change when watching these films on diseases and treatments, including palliative care and medical ethics? Are screenwriters, actors, and film directors channeling a popular view of medicine? Cinema, MD analyzes not only changing practices, changing morals, and changing expectations but also medical stereotypes, medical activism, and violations of patients' integrity and autonomy. Examining over 400 films with medical themes over a century of cinema, this book establishes the cultural, medical, and historical importance of the art form. Film allows us to see our humanity, our frailty, and our dependence when illness strikes. Cinema, MD provides uniquely new and fascinating insight into both film criticism and the history of medicine and has a resonance to the medical world we live in today.

Modern American Drama on Screen

Download Modern American Drama on Screen PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107433843
Total Pages : 315 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (74 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Modern American Drama on Screen by : William Robert Bray

Download or read book Modern American Drama on Screen written by William Robert Bray and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-08-08 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From its beginnings, the American film industry has profited from bringing popular and acclaimed dramatic works to the screen. This is the first book to offer a comprehensive account, focusing on key texts, of how Hollywood has given a second and enduring life to such classics of the American theater as Long Day's Journey into Night, A Streetcar Named Desire and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Each chapter is written by a leading scholar and focuses on Broadway's most admired and popular productions. The book is ideally suited for classroom use and offers an otherwise unavailable introduction to a subject which is of great interest to students and scholars alike.

The Adaptation of History

Download The Adaptation of History PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 0786472545
Total Pages : 243 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (864 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Adaptation of History by : Laurence Raw

Download or read book The Adaptation of History written by Laurence Raw and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2012-11-26 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays asks the question "What is history?" and considers how history is shaped in different socioeconomic contexts. The writers take a transdisciplinary approach, in the belief that everyone who deals with history--including professional historians, novelists, and poets--constructs narratives of the past to make sense of the present as well as to determine their future courses of action. With contributions from a variety of specialists in media studies, literature, history and anthropology, this book breaks new ground in adaptation studies.

Media Across Borders

Download Media Across Borders PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317610784
Total Pages : 255 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Media Across Borders by : Andrea Esser

Download or read book Media Across Borders written by Andrea Esser and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-01-29 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What happened when Sesame Street and Big Brother were adapted for African audiences? Or when video games Final Fantasy and Assassins’ Creed were localized for the Spanish market? Or when Sherlock Holmes was transformed into a talking dog for the Japanese animation Sherlock Hound? Bringing together leading international scholars working on localization in television, film and video games, Media Across Borders is a pioneering study of the myriad ways in which media content is adapted for different markets and across cultural borders. Contributors examine significant localization trends and practices such as: audiovisual translation and transcreation, dubbing and subtitling, international franchising, film remakes, TV format adaptation and video game localization. Drawing together insights from across the audiovisual sector, this volume provides a number of innovative models for interrogating the international flow of media. By paying specific attention to the diverse ways in which cultural products are adapted across markets, this collection offers important new perspectives and theoretical frameworks for studying localization processes in the audiovisual sector. For further resources, please see the Media Across Borders group website (www.mediaacrossborders.com), which hosts a ‘localization’ bibliography; links to relevant companies, institutions and publications, as well as conference papers and workshop summaries.

Screen Sirens Scream!

Download Screen Sirens Scream! PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 0786445874
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (864 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Screen Sirens Scream! by : Paul Parla

Download or read book Screen Sirens Scream! written by Paul Parla and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2009-10-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These twenty heroines portrayed imperiled women in science fiction, horror, film noir and mystery movies from the 1930s to the 1960s. Some--like Sandy Descher, who confronted the giant ants of Them!--were only girls when they faced their screen perils. Others--such as Mary Murphy, who played opposite Marlon Brando in The Wild One--were leading ladies in other film genres. Yet others--such as June Wilkinson, considered by many as Playboy's greatest model--came from outside the acting world. Each interview is preceded by an introduction. Besides the three above, the interviewees are Ramsay Ames, Claudia Barrett, Jean Byron, Linda Christian, Faith Domergue, Amanda Duff, Evangelina Elizondo, Margaret Field, Mimi Gibson, Marilyn Harris, Kitty de Hoyos, Donna Martel, Joyce Meadows, Noreen Nash, Cynthia Patrick, Paula Raymond and Joan Taylor. Among the films they starred in are The Mummy's Ghost, Robot Monster, Tarzan and the Mermaids, This Island Earth, It Came from Beneath the Sea, Where Danger Lives, The Man from Planet X, The Monster That Challenged the World, Frankenstein, The Brain from Planet Arous, Phantom from Space, The Mole People, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers. Some interviews were previously published in a different form in fan magazines.

Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes

Download Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 0786428570
Total Pages : 465 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (864 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes by : Tom Weaver

Download or read book Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes written by Tom Weaver and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2006-09-28 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twenty-eight terrific interviews with some of the sharpest and most talkative stars and movie makers of the classic (and c-r-a-z-y!) SF and horror films of the past: Richard Matheson, Janet Leigh, Acquanetta, Hazel Court, Kim Hunter and others reminisce at length and with great good humor about their days on the sets of Psycho, Planet of the Apes, Superman; the Poe, Hammer and Lewton films, and exploitation greats like Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers

Download Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 0786428589
Total Pages : 426 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (864 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers by : Tom Weaver

Download or read book Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers written by Tom Weaver and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2006-09-27 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For fans of SF and horror films, will there ever be a decade to compare with the 1950s? Actors, directors, producers, and crews prevailed over microbudgets and four-day shooting schedules to create enduring films. This book turns a long-overdue spotlight on many who made memorable contributions to that crowded, exhilarating filmmaking scene. John Agar, Beverly Garland, Samuel Z. Arkoff, Gene Corman, and two dozen more reminisce about the most popular genre titles of the era. Lengthy, in-depth interviews feature canny questions, pointed observations, rare photos, and good fun.

Keep Watching the Skies!

Download Keep Watching the Skies! PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 0786442301
Total Pages : 1040 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (864 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Keep Watching the Skies! by : Bill Warren

Download or read book Keep Watching the Skies! written by Bill Warren and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2009-11-16 with total page 1040 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bill Warren's Keep Watching the Skies! was originally published in two volumes, in 1982 and 1986. It was then greatly expanded in what we called the 21st Century Edition, with new entries on several films and revisions and expansions of the commentary on every film. In addition to a detailed plot synopsis, full cast and credit listings, and an overview of the critical reception of each film, Warren delivers richly informative assessments of the films and a wealth of insights and anecdotes about their making. The book contains 273 photographs (many rare, 35 in color), has seven useful appendices, and concludes with an enormous index. This book is also available in softcover format (ISBN 978-1-4766-6618-1).

Good and Bad Sci-fi/Horror Movies of the 1950s

Download Good and Bad Sci-fi/Horror Movies of the 1950s PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781976071348
Total Pages : 198 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (713 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Good and Bad Sci-fi/Horror Movies of the 1950s by : Gary Koca

Download or read book Good and Bad Sci-fi/Horror Movies of the 1950s written by Gary Koca and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-09-22 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 1930s and early 1940s are considered by most film historians to be the golden era of black and white horror films, and Universal Studios was the main studio to take advantage of the public's interest in this film genre. Movies such as Frankenstein and its even-better sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Werewolf of London, and my own personal favorite, The Wolfman, with Lon Chaney, Jr. were all terrific films and spawned a bunch of sequels like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and even Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. But by the early 1940s these make-believe monsters were replaced by real ones - Hitler and Nazi Germany as well as the other Axis powers, Italy and Japan. And after World War II ended, the public was interested in different kinds of films - war films, comedies, and movies that dealt with real-life problems like readjustment to civilian life, alcoholism, and life in prison, just to name a few. At the same time, no sooner was World War II brought to a close in August of 1945 after the dropping of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan that an all-out nuclear weapons race commenced between the two newly-emerging superpowers, the United States and Russia. Between 1946 and 1949, the United States conducted six nuclear tests, and the Soviet Union conducted its first test in August of 1949. At the outset, neither the U.S. nor the Soviet Union had many nuclear weapons to spare, but that changed dramatically in the early 1950s. In January of 1951 the United States established a dedicated test site in Nevada and was also using a site in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean for extensive nuclear testing. The Soviet Union began similar testing in Kazakhstan. An atmosphere of fear and suspicion between the two countries led the feeding frenzy to build more powerful and sophisticated bombs, with the result that during the 1950s new hydrogen bomb designs were tested in the Pacific. At the same time, we began to look upward and wonder if we were the only planet in our galaxy or any other solar system that had intelligent life. What if there were life on other planets, beings who were advanced and either saw earth as a place to colonize or were worried about what our gaining sophistication in developing nuclear devices could do to their planets? These thoughts were not lost on Hollywood film makers. As a result, in the early 1950s they began making films that centered on three themes: 1. What effects did these bombs have on unearthing or even creating monsters that were either dormant for millions of years or never even existed? 2. What other planets or solar systems could wreak havoc on earth? 3. What monsters might we find as we explore previously unexplored areas of the earth? This book is a look at some of those films and a few of those stars - some good, some really good, and some just cheesy and god awful. Remember, I am calling this MY list of best and worst science fiction/horror films of the 50s, NOT the best and worst of that era. If you have a movie that you believe should be included in this book, that is certainly understandable. NOTE: I have purposely avoided Japanese monster movies of the 1950s in this book. There are plenty of American and British films to cover without touching the Japanese films, which were occasionally good but most often just awful.