S. Michael Wilson

From the back cover: "S. Michael Wilson has unearthed lost gems from vintage zines and commissioned reams of new material to brew up a devil’s cauldron of monsteriffic entertainment! Explore, if you dare, a sampling of the demonic delights within: The Black Pope of Satan’s favorite fear films! The mindbending connections between DARK SHADOWS and H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos! The perverse paganism of LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM! The links between mobster Tony Soprano and GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE’s Caleb Croft! Shoot down Peter Jackson’s overstuffed remake of KING KONG! Trip out on the truth about LSD, Commies and THE ANGRY RED PLANET! Survey apeman savagery on film with a genuine Bigfoot expert! They’re all here: Karloff and Lugosi, Freddy, Jason, Argento, Craven, Romero, werewolves, vampires and zombies; Criswell, Santo, psycho-killers, cannibals, Big Bugs and so much more!"… (mais)

Performed by Lugosi is a unique pairing of literary and cinematic sensibilities. In one volume, S. Michael Wilson has collected the original pieces of fiction that inspired Lugosi’s on-screen performances and his own thorough and sharp-witted responses to how the film studios adapted the texts to their own use, with a special focus on Lugosi’s role in the process. Stories include classics by such renowned authors as Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

I was pleasantly surprised to find, alongside his informative and well-researched account of the films’ histories, a running current of Wilson’s own particular sly wit and his backhanded brand of movie reviewing, a style which is near and dear to my heart, and aptly suited to the callow treatment that film studios of the day often gave to their scripts’ literary roots.

Shining through the historic accounts and casual commentary is Wilson’s genuine regard for Bela Lugosi. Long a fan of Lugosi myself, I found this a very appealing mix of elements, and can only imagine that anyone curious about Bela will be likewise rewarded by their reading of this painstakingly assembled compilation. Drawing from a number of texts about Lugosi’s strange and complex relationship with the Hollywood studios of the day, Wilson discusses others’ ideas as well as his own about how Bela responded to the very particular requirements of the industry he found himself a part of, a sometimes-uncomfortable arrangement for all parties involved.

Each original story is present for the reader to absorb on their own, followed by an account of the movie that resulted. This section introduces the film’s vital statistics, including the studio’s often heavily-distorted, character-driven plot line, and the pre-screen treatment of the material, production notes, Bela’s involvement in the film, and, like a tasty dessert at the end, food for thought in the form of Wilson’s musings, which often provide an insightful and appreciative view of the movie.

As a side note to fellow Early Readers at LibraryThing.com, I would be remiss to not mention that this was a very carefully packaged volume – the author took the time to inscribe and sign the volume himself, which is something I have not seen from any other Early Reader contributor! In addition, the publisher included a very personable letter. Altogether a very positive experience.… (mais)

I should probably start out by saying that this book was not exactly what I expected after reading a brief synopsis and glimpsing the cover. I assumed the focus would be entirely on Bela Lugosi and his films, probably with a large amount of content about his role as Dracula. Had I thought more about the throwaway line on the cover: "A bold new look at the stellar icon of fantastic cinema and the tales that inspired his greatest roles" I may have noted the emphasis on the "tales that inspired" part of it. Turns out, the interpretation of literature into film is what this book is really all about, perhaps even more so than Lugosi.

Now, if I was a different person, this may have disappointed me. However, I actually LOVE looking at how stories are adapted into various forms of media, particularly film. The first thing I do when I finish a novel is search for movie versions. So this all turned out as a plus for me. If another reader was actively looking for thorough commentary about Lugosi and his work, however, I can see how they would be disappointed.

Another thing I liked about this book that others may hate was the inclusion of source material. The format of the book is as such: the original short story that inspired a film starring Lugosi is presented in full and is followed by discussion of the movie including plot synopsis, commentary, comparison to the story, and a bit about Lugosi's role specifically. What all that ends up meaning is that a good percentage of the book's content is not new material. In fact, it's most-likely public domain and is readily available in other forms. Personally, I enjoyed the inclusion; it meant I didn't have to go hunting for most of the material being discussed. Sure, if you've got a copy of Poe's complete tales and poems you've got half of it right there, but still... I felt like I spent enough time tracking down copies of the films, so not having to dig out various books was a plus.

Aside from all that, Wilson's actual criticism was spot on for the most part. His writing was informal though not uninformed, and he had a good sense of humor (with the exception of a few bad puns). You could tell he has an appreciation for Bela, but that didn't stop him from calling a bad flick when he saw one.

In general, Performed by Lugosi would appeal to big fans of the actor or someone interested in interpretations of literature, but perhaps not to those looking for a bio or criticism of the actor's entire body of work.… (mais)

Not a bad little book for those who enjoy Bela Lugosi's work.

Each chapter begins with the original story that the movie was based upon (or at least named for), then gives a synopsis of the movie and some essays on the movie itself and Lugosi's performance.

While not a book for one looking for deep narrative on Lugosi's life and career, it approaches eight of his works from a more humorous point of view. Just the stories alone would have made for a decent anthology of horror fiction.… (mais)