I’m happy to announce the availability of two new books.
The first book is a 5th edition update of “A Guidebook To 'Breaking Bad' Filming Locations: Albuquerque as Physical Setting and Indispensable Character,” updated through the recently-finished Season 4 of “Better Call Saul.”
Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/172446910X/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6S8KHM
The second book, “'Breaking Bad' Signs and Symbols: Reading Meaning into Sets, Props, and Filming Locations,” aims to understand some of the symbolism embedded in the backgrounds of "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul." Vince Gilligan and crew have hidden coded messages in the backgrounds of scenes. Elements of Albuquerque architecture are used as ideograms, and when strung together, can tell stories of surprising sophistication.
A series of tables are used to isolate how certain architectural features are used: Pueblo Deco Arches, Gentle Arches, Bell-Shaped Lamps, Parallel Beams in the Ceiling; Five-Pointed Stars; Octagons, etc. In particular, daylighting innovations that were pioneered or promoted in Chicago are examined: Glass Block Windows, Luxfer Prismatic Tile Windows, and Plate Glass Windows.
Like many cities in America’s Great Plains and Mountain West, Albuquerque obtained much of its architecture directly from Chicago via the AT&SF railroad and Highway 66. In “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” Albuquerque is used as a stunt double for the City of Chicago.
Certain symbols advance the plot - foreshadowing symbols like Pueblo Deco Arches, or danger symbols like bell shapes and stagger symbols. Other features, like Glass Block Windows or Parallel Beams in the Ceiling, tell stories about the legacies and corruptions of modernity, particularly those deriving from Chicago’s “Century of Progress” (1833-1932).
Most stories appear to be tributes to the film business – favorite actors, directors, TV series, and movies. Stories include: The Legacy of El Chapo; Tributes to Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest”; The Badger Comes To Entrap; The Five Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe; The Legacy of London's Crystal Palace; and an Homage to Patrick McGoohan’s “The Prisoner.”
At the least, watching the backgrounds provides an alternative understanding of the television shows. Instead of wondering whether or not Jane will accept Jesse’s invitation to watch his big-screen TV, one can wonder instead about whether Jesse’s ceiling will be visible (because that would be bad).
Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1720441618/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K5WSK83
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