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FILM PIONEER GEORGES MÉLIÈS'S LONG-LOST AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Created by Jon Spira

The autobiography of George Melies, the father of cinema. Available for the first time since 1945, finally translated into English.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

NEWS!
almost 8 years ago – Thu, Apr 05, 2018 at 05:54:21 AM

Hello backers, 

What an exciting day! We are *in* the news and also I *have* some really cool news for you. 

First things first, the campaign has made it onto the BBC news site. I'm so grateful to Dave Gilyeat, one of our earliest backers, for covering it. You can check it out here and please do share this link with all your friends (you have total bragging rights as early adopters):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-43643115

And on to our awesome news...

Those of you who have backed at the Box Set level might have been wondering when you would get information as to the exclusive print that you will be receiving. Well, I'm ridiculously pleased to announce that it will be a portrait of Méliès by legendary film poster artist Graham Humphreys. 

Graham has been a national film-geek treasure since the 80s when his dramatic painted posters for The Evil Dead and A Nightmare on Elm Street demonstrated his ability to combine the traditional with the bombastic to great effect. He has never stopped working and the stream of special edition Blu-rays, film posters and book covers he has created have never stopped bringing joy to film fans all over the world. We'll be revealing the final artwork after the campaign has closed. This print will be 100% exclusive to this Kickstarter box set. Backers who have selected the book-only level can change to the box set level very easily. I'm so excited about this print. Below are some examples of Graham's work (copyright applies to these images)

That's all for now, feel free to message me anytime, I've really been enjoying chatting with you guys. 

Jon

Mon Dieu!
about 8 years ago – Wed, Apr 04, 2018 at 07:56:37 AM

I'm not sure what to say first - 'hello' or 'thank you'...

How about Hellthankyou?

This project is now officially happening - fully funded within 24 hours. As thrilled as I am about that, it's also been really special to get so many messages from you guys expressing your enthusiasm and sharing your passion for the work of Méliès. It's just so exciting that his memoir is finally going to see the light of day. I can't wait for you to read it!

Please do continue to share the project with people you think would like to come aboard. In the next few days, I'll work out some stretch goals so that we can sweeten the package even more.

I thought I'd share a Méliès film with you each time I do an update. So, how about this one...

 This is The Haunted Castle from 1896. It was released as The Devil's Castle in the UK. It's not his best film - aesthetically he has yet to become as bold as the work we know him best for - but it's a significant film. What you're looking at is widely acknowledged to be the world's first ever horror film. It's the story of a sometimes-brave, sometimes-not cavalier who is hounded by the devil. Hey, it was 1896. At 3 minutes long, this was actually really groundbreaking, most films were around a minute in length back then. Another moment of significance is the first screen occurrence of a bat transforming into human form.  The woman in the cauldron, by the way, went on to be Méliès's second wife.

I hope you enjoy it.

Hey, again, thank you so much! If you have any questions, just message me.

All the best,

Jon