Born on this day – Victor Halperin:

Victor Halperin

Actor

Director

Producer

Writer

August 24, 1895 – May 17, 1983

Credits:

Bachelor Bait (1934); Buried Alive (1939); Convoy (1927); Dance Magic (1927); Double Reward (1922); Ex-Flame (1930); Girls' Town (1942); Greater Than Marriage (1924); I Conquer the Sea! (1936); In Borrowed Plumes (1926); Nation Aflame (1937); Party Girl (1930); Racing Blood (1936); Revolt of the Zombies (1936); School for Wives (1925); She Goes to War (1929); Supernatural (1933); Tea: With a Kick! (1923); The Danger Point (1922); The Lone Star Trail (1943); The Unknown Lover (1925); Torture Ship (1939); Underseas (2018); When a Girl Loves (1924); White Zombie (1932).

Recommended reading - Danse Macabre (2012):

Danse Macabre

By Stephen King.

Published by Hachette Book Group.

Paperback.

Published 2012.

ISBN-10: 9781444723267

ISBN-13: 978-1444723267

Description:

From the author of dozens of #1 New York Times bestsellers and the creator of many unforgettable movies comes a vivid, intelligent, and nostalgic journey through three decades of horror as experienced through the eyes of the most popular writer in the genre. In 1981, years before he sat down to tackle On Writing, Stephen King decided to address the topic of what makes horror horrifying and what makes terror terrifying. Here, in ten brilliantly written chapters, King delivers one colorful observation after another about the great stories, books, and films that comprise the horror genre—from Frankenstein and Dracula to The Exorcist, The Twilight Zone, and Earth vs. The Flying Saucers.

With the insight and good humor his fans appreciated in On Writing, Danse Macabre is an enjoyably entertaining tour through Stephen King’s beloved world of horror.

The author whose boundless imagination and storytelling powers have redefined the horror genre, from 1974’s Carrie to his new epic Under the Dome, reflects on the very nature of terror – what scares us and why – in films (both cheesy and choice), television and radio, and, of course, the horror novel, past and present.

Informal, engaging, tremendous fun, and tremendously informative, Danse Macabre is an essential tour with the master of horror as your guide; much like his spellbinding works of fiction, you won’t be able to put it down.

Recommended reading - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000):

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

By Stephen King.

Published by Scribner.

Published 2000.

This edition published in 2020.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1982159375

ISBN-13: 978-1982159375

Description:

"A one-of-a-kind classic." – The Wall Street Journal.

"On Writing had more useful and observant things to say about the craft than any book since Strunk and White's The Elements of Style." – Roger Ebert.

"This is a special book, animated by a unique intelligence, and filled with useful truth." – Michael Chabon.

“The best book on writing. Ever.” – The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999 – and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it – fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

Behind every stack of books is a flood of knowledge:

Behind every stack of books is a flood of knowledge.

Graham Greene, on writing:

A story has no beginning or end:

arbitrarily one chooses that moment from which to look back or from which to look ahead.

- Graham Greene.

On this day in movie history - Down, Out & Dangerous (1995):

Down, Out & Dangerous

directed by Noel Nosseck,

written by Carey Hayes and Chad Hayes,

was released in the United States on August 23, 1995.
Music by Mark Snow.

Cast:

Richard Thomas, Bruce Davison, Cynthia Ettinger, Steve Hytner, Christine Cavanaugh, Melinda Culea, Stuart Pankin, Jason Bernard, George DiCenzo, Sarah MacDonnell, Virginia Hawkins, Lyla Graham, Joe Nesnow, Richard Narita, David J. Partington, Michael Bard Bayer, Leonard Kelly-Young, Carole Wyand, Rusty Schwimmer, David Jean Thomas.

On this day in movie history - Dead Again (1991):

Dead Again

directed by Kenneth Branagh,

written by Scott Frank,

was released in the United States on August 23, 1991.
Music by Patrick Doyle.

Cast:

Kenneth Branagh, Andy Garcia, Emma Thompson, Lois Hall, Richard Easton, Jo Anderson, Patrick Montes, Raymond Cruz, Robin Williams, Wayne Knight, Patrick Doyle, Erik Kilpatrick, Gordana Rashovich, Derek Jacobi, Obba Babatundé, Christine Ebersole, Vasek Simek, Hanna Schygulla, Gregor Hesse, John Gould Rubin, Campbell Scott, Steven Culp, Yvette Freeman, Miriam Margolyes, Ralph G. Morse, Peter Riga, Tina Rucker, Anthony Welch.