August Classic of the Month, Ben Hur, Releases in Theaters Next Week!

More than fifty years since its last adaption, Ben-Hur will be remade once again. The film, which releases August 19 in the United States in 2D, 3D, RealD 3D, Digital 3D and IMAX 3D, will star Boardwalk Empire actor Jack Huston alongside legendary Morgan Freeman, Toby Kebbell, Nazanin Boniadi, Haluk Bilginer and Rodrigo Santoro.

Once the best-selling and most widely read American novel by Lew Wallace, and the first work of fiction to be blessed by the Pope, Ben-Hur has given rise to numerous stage and film adaptions since its creation. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ chronicles the journey of Judah Ben-Hur and the life of Jesus, from Ben-Hur's quest for vengeance against the Romans and his search for his imprisoned family to the birth of Jesus in the manger and the Crucifixion. Cleverly connecting two story-lines to create both an exciting tale of adventure---with shipwrecks, chariot races, and duels---and a compelling story of love and spiritual growth, Ben-Hur has continued to engage readers and entertain audiences for more than a century.

Cosimo is proud to offer this title in both hardcover and paperback at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (hardcover, paperback) and Amazon (hardcover, paperback).

Celebrate our August Classic of the Month by reading this great book before grabbing your popcorn and heading to a movie theater near you!

New Film Examines Paranormal Events in "The Bridgewater Triangle"

On October 20, 2013, famed cryptozoologist Loren Coleman will speak at the premiere of the new documentary The Bridgewater Triangle. The documentary examines paranormal activity and unexplained occurrences in a 200-square mile section of land in the Southeastern portion of Massachusetts--an area Coleman dubbed the "Bridgewater Triangle" in his guidebook to the paranormal, Mysterious America (initially released in 1983 followed by several new editions.)

The Bridgewater Triangle is a 200-square-mile section of land that encompasses the now infamous Hockomock Swamp. Many consider the swamp the epicenter of paranormal and unexplained activity within the Triangle. The Wampanoag Native Americans gave the swamp its name, which means "place where spirits dwell," and it has also been referred to as "Devil's Swamp." Legend has it that the persecution of the Wampanoag by early Colonists led to a curse upon the land.

For decades local residents have spotted UFOs, ghosts, monsters, mysterious lights, and Thunderbirds (massive bird-like creatures) in the Triangle. That most famous of cryptids--Bigfoot--has also been spotted many times in the swamp.

The Bridgewater Triangle features interviews with local residents and noted paranormal researchers, including author Chris Balzano, "Ghost Adventures" writer and researcher Jeff Belanger, and journalist Tim Weisberg.

The film premieres on October 20, 2013 at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Main Auditorium. Tickets are available to attend the event live or stream it, in real time, to your computer. Click here for tickets and more information. For more on Loren Coleman's work, check out our previous blog posts on his legacy and his famous work regarding the Mothman.


Mysterious America is available for Kindle and in paperback using the link below; Mothman and Other Curious Encounters is available for Kindle and in paperback using the link below, and its ebook is also available for a special discount at reKiosk.

Spotlight on Loren Coleman: Cryptozoology and the Unknown

CRYPTOZOOLOGY: Literally the "study of hidden animals," the science of seeking out animals whose existence has not been proven

 Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman has a lot to celebrate this month: he’ll appear on both the small and big screen, celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the International Cryptozoology Museum, and (rather fittingly) marry his fiancée, Jenny White, on Halloween.

Coleman has been researching and investigating cryptozoological mysteries and folklore since 1960, and has hundreds of articles and numerous books to show for it. If it’s strange and unexplained, Coleman’s probably an expert on it. For example, his most famous work, Mysterious America, is a comprehensive field guide to sightings of everything from The Minnesota Iceman to The Jersey Devil, Bigfoot, and lake monsters. 

His enthusiasm and expertise have made him a frequent contributor to television shows and films concerned with the super- and preter- natural. His knowledge of the Mothman, for example, led to his inclusion on the DVD extras for the Richard Gere film The Mothman Prophecies, and to the publication of Mothman and Other Curious Encounters by Paraview Press (now available in print or for Kindle here, and in various e-reader formats at reKiosk).

This month Coleman will be featured on the Travel Channel show "Mysteries of the Museum" and he is featured heavily in the documentary feature The Bridgewater Triangle, which premieres on October 20^th. Indeed, Coleman coined the term "Bridgewater Triangle" in Mysterious America, referring to an area of Massachusetts plagued by strange occurrences. It's fitting, therefore, that he'll be introducing the film before the premiere at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Cryptozoology fans can purchase tickets to attend the event live or simulcast screen it to their computers (complete with Coleman’s introduction and a post-film Q&A).

For more on cryptozoology, be sure to check out Coleman's website, which provides a history of the term, as well as other helpful and informative links. You can also find him on Twitter, where he tweets frequently about cryptozoology events and sightings.