Over the last two decades, Japanese filmmakers have produced some of the most important and innovative works of cinematic horror. At once visually arresting, philosophically complex, and politically charged, films by directors like Tsukamoto Shinya (Tetsuo: The Iron Man [1988] and Tetsuo II: Body Hammer [1992]), Sato Hisayasu (Muscle [1988] and Naked Blood [1995]) Kurosawa Kiyoshi (Cure [1997], Séance [2000], and Kaïro [2001]), Nakata Hideo (Ringu [1998], Ringu II [1999], and Dark Water [2002]), and Miike Takashi (Audition [1999] and Ichi the Killer [2001]) continually revisit and redefine the horror genre in both its Japanese and global contexts. In the process, these and other directors of contemporary Japanese horror film consistently contribute exciting and important new visions, from postmodern reworkings of traditional avenging spirit narratives to groundbreaking works of cinematic terror that position depictions of radical or ‘monstrous’ alterity/hybridity as metaphors for larger socio-political concerns, including shifting gender roles, reconsiderations of the importance of the extended family as a social institution, and reconceptualisations of the very notion of cultural and national boundaries.

Scott Walker and the Song of the One-All-Alone offers, in detailed interpretative commentaries of his best songs, a sustained assessment of the work and career of Scott Walker, one of the most significant and perplexing artists of the late 20th and 21st century. For Brian Eno, Walker was not only a great composer and a superlative lyricist but also a significant contemporary poet. Marc Almond goes further, 'an absolute musical genius, existential and intellectual and a star right from the days of The Walker Brothers'. As Almond suggests, Walker's work is marked by a continual engagement with existentialist philosophy informing his approach to art, politics and life. In particular, the device of the solitary figure or 'one-all-alone' evoked in his songs provides the basis for his lyrical exploration of the singularity of existence – in all its darkness as well as light. Through following his own path, Walker arrived at a unique sound according to his own method that produced a genuinely new form of song. Looking closely at these songs, this book also considers the wider political implications of his approach in its rejection of external authorities and common or consensual ideals.

At dawn on April 28, 1789, Captain William Bligh and eighteen men from HMS Bounty were herded onto a twenty-three-foot launch and abandoned in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Thus began their extraordinary journey to Java. Covering 4,162 miles, the small boat was battered by continuous storms, and the men on board suffered crippling illness, near starvation, and attacks by islanders. The journey was one of the greatest achievements in the history of European seafaring and a personal triumph for a man who has been misjudged by history. Captain Bligh's Portable Nightmare reveals Bligh's great mapmaking skills, used to particular effect while he was exploring with Captain Cook. We discover his guilt over Cook's death at Kealakekua Bay. We learn of the failure of the Bounty expedition and the myths that surround the mutiny led by Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, the trials and retributions that followed Bligh's return to England, his successes as a navigator and as a vice admiral fighting next to Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen. Combining extensive research with dazzling storytelling, John Toohey tells a gripping tale of seafaring, exploration, and mutiny on the high seas, while also dismissing the black legend of the cruel and foulmouthed Captain William Bligh and reinstating him not just as a man of his times but as a true hero.

What do you do when clues to an unsolved murder have been coded in a stolen $50 million painting? You try to steal it back. Only you have to deal with corrupt collectors, crazy thieves, lust-powered women, shootouts, betrayals, double-crosses and surprises. And a psychic dog named Hillary.It's not as easy as it sounds.

This is the first site-specific birding book written especially for the casual or novice birder. It is a fully illustrated look at more than 60 top birding sites on Oahu, Kauai, the Big Island, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. Every spot described offers something special: forest-dwelling birds unique to Hawaii, seabirds that rarely visit the shore, or introduced birds found in city parks and gardens. Birds of greatest interest and those most likely to be seen at each site are given particular attention, with information on seasonal occurrences to help visitors plan their birding trips. Site descriptions note activities and nearby points of interest, detailed directions to the sites, and available facilities for visitors. Helpful occurrence tables show at a glance where common and uncommon birds can be found. General information on birding in Hawaii, a description of the processes that led to extensive speciation, and a review of the threats against Hawaiian birdlife are included.

A game designed to shatter the minds of the people who play it. A thief on a mission to save his sister. An ambitious demon masquerading as an artificial intelligence When Ramzan steals from the Chechnyan Mafia to create a better life for his sister, he knows he’s pissing off the wrong people. They want their money, and they’ve created a diabolical method of extracting information from their enemies. Full Immersion Virtual Reality sounds great, until he learns the horrors this incredible technology can cook up. Now, he must keep his wits up and his sanity points high as he battles hordes of fearsome abominations on his quest to escape. Zombies, lycanthropes, slime monsters and more stand in his way, controlled by a devious programmer that doesn’t play fair. Can Ramzan protect his secrets and maintain his sanity against this psychological onslaught? Will he succumb to the terror, and become the monster he set out destroy? He’s gotta stay sharp, and he’s gotta stay sane, if he has a hope of escaping… The Nightmare Game System. The original MMORPG Murder, Mutilation, Offensive, Repulsive Player Game

On one frigid night, Max discovers his life is in danger when he is made a target for an evil demon-like faction who siphon the soul out of those who are hopeless. In order to stop them , Max will need to find a crystal which renews the hope within a human. Can he find the crystal? Or will he succumb to a life of despair and despondency?