The Fantasy Film Worlds Of George Pal

Before George Lucas and the Industrial Light and Magic Company redefined motion picture special effects, the best known master of film magic was George Pal. Arnold Leibovit's carefully crafted biography blends interviews and film clips to assemble a portrait of this gentle and remarkable man. We see Pal develop and perfect the art of "dimensional animation" with his extremely popular Puppetoons of the 1940's, and then go on to set new standards in science fiction filmmaking during the 1950's. The viewer is treated to a number of behind-the-scenes looks at some of Pal's major works, like The Conquest of Space and War of the Worlds. By the time of his death in 1980, George Pal had garnered 8 Academy Awards. Aimed at a general audience rather than film buffs, this is a good choice for almost any collection. Recommended. (Elliott Swanson, Kitsap Regional Library, Bremerton, WA).