Books by Chris Wade

Chris Wade looks at two films which have been sadly sidelined over the past two decades. Both films were released in the same year, and both starred Madonna in completely opposing scenarios and roles. Body Of Evidence was seen as a Basic Instinct erotic thriller rip off, but many missed the irony and black hunour of the whole piece. Dangerous Game was a rough and raw exercise in the film with a film format, directed by the brilliant Abel Ferrara. In the former, Madonna put her all into the role of a femme fatale being trialled for murder. In the latter, Madonna played an actress gaining credibility by appearing in a movie for acclaimed cult director Eddie Israel, played by Harvey Keitel. She gave what is arguably her finest performance to date. This book is an appreciation of these two films, which are explored in depth throughout. The links, similarities and contrasts between them are also highlighted, and there is an insightful interview with Ken Kelsch, the cinematographer of Dangerous Game.

The Classic Film Series highlights movies from the past, forgotten, overlooked and cherished alike, selected for their influence, relevance and worth. In this edition, writer, musician and filmmaker Chris Wade looks at one of the more overlooked films about the after effects of the Vietnam War, Henry Jaglom's TRACKS, first released in 1977. Featuring a startling performance from film legend Dennis Hopper, Jaglom's lost classic charts the mental disintegration of a veteran on a long train journey, escorting the body of a fellow soldier to his funeral. Featuring recollections from Jaglom himself, the book goes into the making of the movie, its subtext, themes, place within the Vietnam movie genre, and the legacy of the movie itself.

The Kinks' 1968 album, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, is one of the most treasured records in the history of popular music. Rejected upon its original release, it gathered a cult following as the decades went by, and is now seen as the seminal Kinks LP. Taking place in an idyllic English setting, lead songwriter Ray Davies struck a chord with his songs of china shops, mystic cats, wicked witches and a quaintness which has vanished from our culture. In this book, writer, musician and filmmaker Chris Wade explores the wonderful world Davies and The Kinks created for themselves. "I wonder if it's not what it says on that album, but the images it conjures up, that people like," Ray Davies said of his masterpiece. And those images are explored in this book, a tribute to one of the finest records of all time.