Praise for Richard Matheson on Screen
“Bradley is resolutely the right man for this task. Without relying on hyperbole, without resorting to blind praise, Bradley carefully and patiently charts the multi-decade film and television contributions of this remarkable talent, a man who has achieved more in Hollywood than virtually any other writer you can name. Yes, even more than Stephen King. Because of Bradley’s attention to detail and straight-forward, informative writing style, Richard Matheson on Screen is a work of solid scholarship, and more than that, a compelling window on a one-in-a-million career. I particularly enjoyed the book’s commentary regarding authorship in film and television; what it means and how it is seen within the industry….Within each section, Bradley provides a clear, concise introduction and background information. Then generally, he gets out of the way. He lets interview material with Matheson—from a wide variety of sources, including those the author conducted himself for the great magazine Filmfax—recount the interesting details of the story. I think this is a very clever, very thoughtful, very respectful way of approaching the book. Bradley is excellent with words and with organizing his material, but he never makes the book about him; or how he turns a sentence. He willfully keeps out of the limelight and at the same time weaves an extremely thorough, extremely involving narrative. His writing is crisp and clear. He’s a good guide. There’s an abundance of interesting anecdotes in the book as well.”
“Matthew R. Bradley’s book concentrates on one aspect of Matheson’s notable career…with details given about the various productions, how they came about, casting decisions, and interviews with those involved as well as the man himself to provide remarkable insight as to the goings-on from initial idea to finished product….Bradley tells the behind-the-scenes stories of rewrites and sends fans drooling for movies that might have been….Richard Matheson on Screen is a remarkable tribute to one of the true luminaries of not just horror, but literature in general. The respect with which Bradley treats it is appreciated without being maudlin. Any fan of Matheson needs to have this book in his collection, as does any fan of cinema. This is the sort of primer that should be required reading for anyone who loves film.”
“This remarkable book provides a wealth of information…”
“…exhaustive and indispensable…If you’re a Matheson aficionado, you’ll definitely want to include this book in your library. Bradley covers everything you could ever hope to track down (and then some), and draws upon numerous interviews with Matheson, making this the permanent record on the subject. I’d go so far as to say that Bradley knows more about the filmed works of Matheson than Matheson himself, and we’re lucky he’s chosen to share his knowledge with the rest of us.”
—John Scoleri, bare•bones e-zine
“Bradley’s book is essential reading for every horror fan…”
–Zombos’ Closet of Horror
“If I had only one word to describe this book it would be… exhaustive. ‘Informative’ just wouldn’t begin to cover it. It has everything, and a lot of it. This is a book that catalogues and anecdotes every single thing from television and film that has ever been attributed to one of the great writers of the 20th Century, Richard Matheson….There is just so much here that is fascinating. So much about Richard Matheson’s 50-plus year career that is fascinating. And Matthew R. Bradley compiles a ton of it in a comprehensible and fun-to-read way. This book is just an amazing resource for anyone interested in Matheson, the history of sf cinema and television, and/or the inner workings of Hollywood from the writer’s perspective.”
–Sam Christopher, Rhetoric Askew
“Although other books have been written about this master of sci-fi and horror, this is by far the most comprehensive look at his work….If you admire Matheson’s work, this book can be considered as essential.”
“In addition to being an excellent reference source, Richard Matheson on Film creates an interest in many of Matheson’s print and film works, and also serves to illustrate the often maddening twists and turns that occur during the knotty path from book to movie, as well as the disasters that often result when one persons vision doesn’t jell with another’s….Even if you’re not as enthusiastic about Matheson’s work as Bradley is—and he doesn’t rave about everything—you’ll find this book a good, entertaining and noteworthy film study….Exhaustive and informative.”
–William Schoell, Great Old Movies
BRADLEY ON FILM 