Film guides and reviews Books

Book SynopsisMark Kermode is a writer and broadcaster. He is chief film critic for The Observer, and co-presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Review on BBC Radio 5 and The Film Review on the BBC News channel. He is the author of several books including The Exorcist (2020, BFI Film Classics), Silent Running (2014, BFI Film Classics), How Does it Feel? (2018), Hatchet Job (2013), The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex (2011), and It's Only a Movie (2010).

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Book SynopsisBe they musicals or melodramas, war movies or animation, Russian films have a long and fascinating history of addressing the major social and political events of their time. From Sergei Eisenstein’s anti-tsarist drama, The Battleship Potemkin, to socialist realism, to the post-glasnost thematic explosion, this volume explores the sociopolitical impact of the cinema of Russia and the former Soviet Union. Introductory essays establish key players and situate important genres within their cultural and industrial milieus, while reviews and case studies analyse individual titles in considerable depth. For the film studies scholar, or for all those who love Russian cinema and want to learn more, Directory of World Cinema: Russia will be an essential companion.Trade ReviewA provocative and illuminating volume. Even seasoned Russian film experts stand to learn something from this volume, whether because it invited them to reevaluate their basic historiographical assumptions or because it introduces them to a number of under-the-radar films. -- Hannah Frank, Slavic and East European JournalPeppered with high-quality film stills and questions to consider while viewing, Directory of World Cinema: Russia encourages its reader to hunt out lesser-known films and to revisit his/her favourites. -- Rosemari Baker, Modern Language ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction Film of the Year Vasilii Sigarev’s Wolfy (2009) Interview Vasilii Sigarev and Iana Troianova Film Production in Russia: An Industry? Festival Focus Kinotavr What Does zhanr Mean in Russian? Directors Evgenii Bauer Sergei Eisenstein Dziga Vertov Andrei Tarkovskii Nikita Mikhalkov Aleksandr Sokurov Historical Film War Film Comedy and Musical Comedy Melodrama Literary Adaptation Biopic Action/Red Western Children’s Films Animation Documentary

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Book SynopsisEuro Noir by Britain's leading crime fiction expert Barry Forshaw (author of Nordic Noir) examines the astonishing success of European fiction and drama. This is often edgier, grittier and more compelling than some of its British or American equivalents, and the book provides a highly readable guide for those wanting to look further than the obvious choices. The sheer volume of new European writers and films is daunting but Euro Noir provides a roadmap to the territory and is also a perfect travel guide to the genre. Barry Forshaw covers influential Italian authors, such as Andrea Camilleri and Leonardo Sciascia and Mafia crime dramas Romanzo Criminale and Gomorrah, along with the gruesome Gialli crime films. He also considers important French and Belgian writers such as Maigret's creator Georges Simenon to today's Fred Vargas, cult television programmes Braquo and Spiral, and films, from the classic heist movie Rififi to modern successes such as Hidden, Mesrine and Tell No One. German and Austrian greats are covered including Jakob Arjouni and Jan Costin Wagner, and crime films such as Run Lola Run and The Lives of Others. Euro Noir also covers the best crime writing and filmmaking from Spain, Portugal, Greece, Holland and other European countries and celebrates the wide scope of European crime fiction, films and TV.Trade ReviewAn informative, interesting, accessible and enjoyable guide as Forshaw guides us through the crime output of a dozen nations -- Marcel Berlins * The Times *An exhilarating tour of Europe viewed through its crime fiction -- P D Smith * Guardian *Entertaining, illuminating, and indispensable. This is the ultimate road map for anybody interested in European crime books, film, and TV -- Andy Lawrence * Euro But Not Trash *Exemplary tour of the European crime landscape... supremely readable -- Jane Jakeman * The Independent *This is a book for everyone and will help and expand your reading and viewing -- Jo Harding * We Love This Book *

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Book SynopsisPicasso apparently said, "when critics get together, they talk about theory. When painters get together, they talk about turpentine.' That has been my experience, as far as film and film studies are concerned. Critics, academics, and theoreticians talk theory. That is what they know. Artists talk about their processes in making art. This is my attempt to apply what I know to a beginning study of film. Emerging filmmakers need to know the basics of their art form: the language of the camera, and lenses, the different crew roles, the formats, the aspect ratios. They also need to know some bare-bones theory: what an auteur is, what montage is, what genres are. Words like these are our currency: they must be known. But, even more urgently, young filmmakers need answers to their questions -- what lens was used? how did they do that effect? who paid for that picture? how did they get it past the censor? Most important, all filmmakers require serious grounding in film. You cannot be a great artist if you aren't versed in great art. And this doesn't just apply to the cinema. I believe 100% that a reasonably educated and intelligent person in any country of the world should be able to have a conversation about Luis Buñuel, about Akira Kurosawa, about Stanley Kubrick, about Fellini or Bergman, and talk knowledgeably about at least one of their films. Read this book, watch the films, and you can!Trade ReviewThis book by Alex Cox will give you great insights into the filmmaking process, from idea to production to cinema * Lock and Load, Brides of Christ *A thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable read -- Colin Odell and Michelle Le BlancAN INTRODUCTION TO FILM is setting out to reinvent film studies -- Simon Kennedy

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Book SynopsisFrom the vengeful ghosts of J-horror to the walking dead in 28 Days Later and World War Z, from the creepiness of Spain's haunted houses to the graphic gore of the New French Extremism, horror is everywhere in the twenty-first century. This lively and illuminating book explores over 100 contemporary horror films, providing insightful and provocative readings of what they mean while including numerous quotes from their creators. Some of these films, including The Babadook, The Green Inferno, It Follows, The Neon Demon, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and The Witch are so recent that this will be one of the first times they are discussed in book form. The book is divided into three main sections: 'nightmares', 'nations' and 'innovations'. 'Nightmares' looks at new manifestations of traditional fears, including creepy dolls, haunted houses and demonic possession as well as vampires, werewolves, witches and zombies; and also considers more contemporary anxieties such as dread of home invasion and homophobia. 'Nations' explores fright films from around the world, including Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Spain and Sweden as well as the UK and the US. 'Innovations' focuses on the latest trends in terror from 3D to found-footage films, from Twilight teen romance to torture porn, and from body horror and eco-horror to techno-horror. Parodies, remakes and American adaptations of Asian horror are also discussed.Trade ReviewMeticulously examining the most influential films from the last two decades, this guide provides an original perspective on today's culture for horror fanatics and cinema buffs alike -- Debi Moore * Dread Central *Keesey does an excellent job in his analysis... the material is surprisingly rich with information -- ZigZag * Horror Talk *

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Book SynopsisDescribed by its maker as a 'poem of horror', Vampyr (1932) is one of the founding works of psychological horror cinema, adapted from a collection of gothic stories by Sheridan Le Fanu and directed by the revered Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer. Despite the fact that there is no definitive print and many English versions are marred by poor quality subtitles, the film remains a vivid, extraordinary artwork in which the inner human state is made hauntingly visible. In a reading as passionate as it is analytic, David Rudkin reveals how this film systematically binds the spectator – spatially and morally – into its mysterious world of the undead. This second edition features a new foreword, discussion of the Martin Koerber and Cineteca di Bologna restoration of the film in 2008, and original cover artwork by Midge Naylor.Table of ContentsForeword.- 1. Carl Theodor Dreyer (1889-1968).- 2. Locating Vampyr in Dreyer's Cinema and it its Sources.- 3. The 'Problem' of Vampyr.- 4. Vampyr: Towards a Reading.- 5. The Journey to Our Grave.- Notes.- Credits.

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Book SynopsisA legendary fusion of science fiction and horror, Ridley Scott''s Alien (1979) is one of the most enduring films of modern cinema its famously visceral scenes acting like a traumatic wound we seem compelled to revisit.Tracing the constellation of talents that came together to produce the film, Roger Luckhurst examines its origins as a monster movie script called Star Beast, dismissed by many in Hollywood as B-movie trash, through to its afterlife in numerous sequels, prequels and elaborations.Exploring the ways in which Alien compels us to think about otherness, Luckhurst demonstrates how and why this interstellar slasher movie, this old dark house in space, came to coil itself around our darkest imaginings about the fragility of humanity.This special edition features original cover artwork by Marta Lech.

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Book SynopsisGround-breaking in its departure from its predecessors, When Harry Met Sally (1989) established classic romantic comedy themes and tropes still being employed today. Placing the film in its historical, social and generic contexts, Tamar Jeffers-McDonald explores how writer Nora Ephron and director Rob Reiner used structure, filmic devices, music and classic romcom concepts in innovative new ways. In her fresh and timely appraisal of this definitive, much-loved classic, Jeffers McDonald reflects on the film's enduring legacy and influence on popular culture to give readers a wider perspective on the continuing evolution and importance of the romcom genre.Table of ContentsIntroduction and Acknowledgments.- 'When Harry Met Sally...'.- Notes.- Credits.

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Book SynopsisThe multiple award-winning Doctor Zhivago (1965) is one of America's finest films of all time. Ian Christie contextualizes the film as an epic Russian love story and a Cold War classic, charts its production and reception, including the contribution of designer John Box, and discusses the unique history of the Bruce Pasternak novel it is based on.

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Book SynopsisThe eagerly awaited fourth Terminator movie, "Terminator Salvation", starring Christian Bale and directed by McG, reaches cinemas on 22 May 2009. In a brand-new chapter in the Terminator saga, Judgement Day has come to pass and Skynet has destroyed much of the world's population. In this post-apocalyptic world populated by deadly killing machines, the resistance, including John Connor, continues its brutal fight for survival. "The Official Movie Companion" takes you behind-the-scenes of the making of the brand-new movie and contains exclusive interviews with the cast and crew, including Christian Bale and McG, as well as an abundance of stunning, previously unseen photos.

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Book Synopsis"Du rififi chez les hommes" (1955), directed by the exiled American film director Jules Dassin, recounts the nail-biting tale of a Parisian gangster heist gone wrong. Famed for its extended dialog free robbery sequence, it is both a classic French film noir and one of the greatest, most influential crime films. In this lively companion to the film, Alastair Phillips reveals Dassin's role as a director of socially conscious Hollywood film noir and argues that his seminal contribution to the regeneration of the thriller in post war France therefore uniquely complicated relations between French genre cinema and American mass culture. Phillips also examines the film's innovative narrative construction and use of sound, its performance style and mise-en-scene, and discusses the film's legacy, showing how even today, the term 'Rififi' remains a byword for both criminal glamor and the enduring virtues of French popular classical film making.Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgements Synopsis I: Introduction II: The Route to Rififi A Cosmopolitan Life Hollywood and Film Noir The Politics of Exile The Tradition of French Film Noir Auguste le Breton and the Série Noire Production History III: Reading Rififi Beginnings Du rififi chez les hommes and the Aesthetics of the Heist Thriller Space and Genre: the Nightclub Space and Genre: the City Men and Trouble A Transnational Film Noir? IV: Reviewing Rififi A Surprise Success ‘A Film Without Indulgence’ The Politics of Realism Audiences, Trade and Culture V: Reviving Rififi After Du rififi chez les hommes Influences The Rififi Brand Rififi Returns Appendix 1: Credits Appendix 2: Jules Dassin Filmography Appendix 3: Auguste le Breton Filmography Appendix 4: Films referred to in the book Appendix 5: ‘Rififi à travers le monde’ Bibliography Appendix 6: Select Bibliography

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Book Synopsis'Ancient Rome at the Cinema' is a lucid study of the worlds created in Roman historical epics. Based on analysis of the visual and narrative fabric of seven films set in Ancient Rome, 'Ancient Rome at the Cinema' demonstrates how cinematic versions of Ancient Rome have been able to captivate us, and inscribe their versions of the city and its history onto our imagination. Theodorakopoulos uses film theory and criticism to examine the ways in which historical drama creates the past through story-telling and visual effects. Particular emphasis is put on the tension between narrative and spectacle which is an inherent feature of cinema, and a long-standing preoccupation of film critics and theorists from the 1930s to the present. The book also examines the techniques and the rhetoric of realism which feature especially prominently in historical films. 'Ancient Rome at the Cinema' is a companion volume to 'Ancient Greece in Film and Popular Culture' by Gideon Nisbet (9781904675785, 2008, 2nd edition).Trade ReviewTheodorakopoulos ist eine weitgehend koharente Auseinandersetzung mit wichtigen Erzeugnissen des Antikfilmgenres gelungen, wobei gerade die Heterogenitat der Beispiele aus dem Mainstream-Kino und dem Autorenfilm die Untersuchung bereichert. Durch ein gut strukturiertes Theoriekapitel, in dem die Autorin auf wichtige Theorien zum Medium Film, zum Historienfilm sowie zur Thematik der Metahistorie eingeht, werden die Betrachtungen zu den einzelnen Produktionen gut vorbereitet. Die Bezugnahme auf unterschiedliche Theorien aus den verschiedensten interdisziplinaren Bereichen an der Schnittstelle zwischen Medien- und Geschichtswissenshaften macht diese Publikation auch fur den Einsatz im didaktischen Bereich wertvoll. H-Soz-u-KultTable of Contents List of Illustrations vi Introduction 1 1 Narrative and Spectacle, Realism and Illusion, and the Historical Film 9 2 Ben-Hur: ‘Tale of the Christ’ or Tale of Rome? 30 3 Spartacus and the Politics of Story-Telling 51 4 The Fall of the Roman Empire: The Filmmaker as Historian 77 5 Gladiator: Making it New? 96 6 Fellini Satyricon: ‘Farewell to Antiquity’ or ‘Daily Life in Ancient Rome’? 122 7 Titus: Rome and the Penny Arcade 145 Conclusion 168 Notes 173 Further Reading and Viewing 186 Bibliography 190 Filmography 196 Index

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Book SynopsisIn this vibrant and dynamic book-length study drawing on a broad tapestry of research, Terence McSweeney offers an exploration of The Hurt Locker (2009), its stylistic and narrative devices, its cultural impact, its reception, and its relationship to the genre of the war film. McSweeney places the film in a richly textured historical, political, and industrial context, arguing that The Hurt Locker is part of a long tradition of films about American wars that play a considerable role in how audiences come to understand the conflicts that they depict. Thus, films about a nation’s wars are never “only a movie” but rather should be considered a cultural battleground themselves on which a war of representation is waged.

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Book Synopsis'The ultimate guide to every apocalypse movie ever made' - David Quantick The 1980s. A time of fear: fear of the unknown, fear of your neighbours, fear of drugs, fear of sex, fear of strangers, fear of videos, and the very real fear that the world would end at any moment in an awful, and very sudden, nuclear attack. However, in those times of turmoil and worry, there was a comfort that soothed the mind, and acted as a quiet balm: action movies. Video shops were bursting at the seams with rampant gunfire, sex, drugs, rock, roll, cars on fire, people on fire, guns, bombs, and people dressed in army fatigues (and that was just the staff). Heroes were born shrouded in fire and violent revenge, they were not only armed with guns, but also red-hot quips, that served as a muscly arm around the shoulder, and a wink that everything was going to be okay. So thank you Arnold, Sylvester, Sigourney, Bruce, Eddie, Charles, Patrick, Mel, Chuck and everyone else that made it happen. You saved the world, in your own inimitable way. Join John Rain, the author of the critically-acclaimed Thunderbook: The World of Bond According to Smersh Pod, as he examines a choice selection of the greatest action movies from the decade when the explosion was king.Trade Review'Weapons. Wounds. Warlords. Watford! Explodobook is a hilarious, gripping and muscular flex through every bulge and bruise of 80s action cinema, and a truly heartfelt paean to the lost joys of VHS culture. I LOVE this book' -- Séamas O'Reilly'Funny, hilarious, comic and very well-informed, Explodobook is the ultimate guide to every apocalypse movie ever made' -- David Quantick'John Rain’s hilarious new book is a laugh-out-loud, impeccably detailed nostalgia trip through the golden era of action movies. It’s like watching these films again with an old friend. I loved it' -- Jim Howick'In shades and a bloodied vest, bogies everywhere, John Rain kicks down the doors and gloriously celebrates the great action movies of the 1980s. Pulse-pumping, hilarious and deeply affectionate, I fell in love with those films all over again. Yippee-ki-yay, motherf*****' -- Alistair Petrie

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Book SynopsisFargo – that bloody tale of greed, kidnapping and murder set in the freezing tundra of Minnesota – was the Coen brothers’ break-out film, scooping two Oscars and a towering snowdrift of critical and commercial acclaim. On the 25th anniversary of its release, former Minnesota resident Nige Tassell slips on his snowboots to revisit the film and its landscape. The result is a leisurely stomp around Fargo’s intricate plot, its snappy dialogue and its unforgettable characters. Insightful, revealing, entertaining and esoteric, And It’s A Beautiful Day strips back the film’s multiple layers to pose intriguing questions. What has made car salesman Jerry Lundegaard such a desperate man? Does Carl Showalter deserve to be fed into a woodchipper? And just how much food can police chief Marge Gunderson put away in a single sitting? Sharp and snappy and full of quirkiness and humour, And It’s A Beautiful Day is perfect companion to one of the all-time great cult movies.Trade Review'Shrewd, profoundly appreciative, beautifully written and benefits from the author's own Minneapolis connection. If you love Fargo, and of course you do, you'll need this' -- David Stubbs'And It's A Beautiful Day is a labour of love that's no labour to read: a microscopic examination of the big picture, in both senses of the word. A chipper read' -- David Quantick

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Book SynopsisWriter, producer, and director Wes Craven has successfully tapped into the horror vein for over forty years, serving up scary, funny, cutting-edge thrillers that have become classics in the genre. His films have been both critical and commercial successes, most notably Nightmare on Elm Street, which spawned a series of sequels and made Craven (and his creation, Freddy Kruger) an international sensation. He then created a second indelible series in the horror movie trope with Scream. In Screams & Nightmares, Brian J. Robb examines Craven's entire career, from his low-budget beginnings to his most recent box office hits, from the banned thriller The Last House on the Left and the cult classic The Hills Have Eyes to the outrageous Shocker and The People Under the Stairs. Through exclusive interviews with Craven, Robb provides in-depth accounts of the making of each of the films – including the final instalments of the Scream series – Craven's foray into writing novels, and his numerous television projects.Trade Review'Brian J Robb focuses on the films, including the obscure ones. He writes engagingly and with detail . . . As Craven once said, “I’m a person who understands how people are afraid.” And Robb understands how he transferred that fear to the screen' -- Ed Potton * The Times *'definitive . . . info-packed and exceptionally well written . . . there is no writer better qualified to chronicle the life and work of a remarkable talent' -- Barry Forshaw * The Dark Side *'a remarkably addictive and easy-to-read guide to Craven’s work, piling in juicy snippets and lesser-known background . . . a comprehensive picture of Craven and his output' -- Nick Joy * Si-Fi Bulletin *

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Book SynopsisThis critical history of Doctor Who covers the series 60 years, from the creation of the show to its triumph as Britain's number one TV drama. Opening with an in-depth account of the creation of the series within the BBC of the early 1960s, each decade of the show is tackled through a unique political and pop cultural historical viewpoint, exploring the links between contemporary Britain and the stories Doctor Who told, and how such links kept the show popular with a mass television audience. Timeless Adventures reveals how Doctor Who is at its strongest when it reflects the political and cultural concerns of a mass British audience (the 1960s, 1970s and 21st Century), and at its weakest when catering to a narrow fan-based audience (as in the 1980s). The book also addresses the cancellation of the show in the late 1980s (following the series becoming increasing self-obsessed) and the ways in which a narrowly-focused dedicated fandom contributed to the show's demise and yet was also instrumental in its regeneration for the 21st Century under Russell T. Davies, and analyses the new series to reveal what has made it so popular, reflecting real world issues like consumerism and dieting.

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Book SynopsisSPACE. THE FINAL FRONTIER. THESE WERE ALMOST THE VOYAGES OF THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE. We think we know the history of Star Trek. Born at the height of 1960s popular culture, the five-year mission of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew faced early cancellation, bounced back with a series of beloved movies in the 1980s and gave way to a fleet of successful sequels and spin-offs that kept on exploring strange new worlds. In Lost Federations: The Unofficial Unmade History of Star Trek, author A. J. Black tells a different story. This is an alternate history of the franchise, one filled with roads not taken, from early 1960s feature-films and spin-offs, the original sequel Star Trek: Phase II in the 1970s, via epic planned movies such as Planet of the Titans and into many untold episodes, arcs and character stories from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, all the way through to the modern era. Bringing together pre-existing material over decades for the first time in one space, plus some new reflections from Star Trek writers and analysis of how it all fits into the wider cultural trends of the last sixty years, Lost Federations invites you to boldly explore a history you may not already know . . .Trade Review'An innovative and unusual account of Star Trek’s lost voyages that makes for a fascinating alternate history' -- Brian J. Robb * Sci-Fi Bulletin *'This is, quite simply, as comprehensive an examination as you could ever hope for . . . engaging and informative, Lost Federations will sit comfortably alongside the very best writing not just on Star Trek in all its many forms, but also on entertainment media as a whole' -- Lee Thacker * Set the Tape *

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Book SynopsisJames Agee brought to bear all his moral energy, slashing wit, and boundless curiosity in the criticism and journalism that established him as one of the commanding literary voices of America at mid-century. In 1944 W. H. Auden called Agee’s film reviews for The Nation “the most remarkable regular event in American journalism today.” Those columns, along with much of the movie criticism that Agee wrote for Time through most of the 1940s, were collected posthumously in Agee on Film: Reviews and Comments, undoubtedly the most influential writings on film by an American. This Library of America volume supplements the classic pieces from Agee on Film with previously uncollected writings on Ingrid Bergman, the Marx Brothers, Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat, Vittorio De Sica’s Shoeshine, and a wealth of other cinematic subjects. Whether reviewing a Judy Garland musical or a wartime documentary, assessing the impact of Italian neorealism or railing against the compromises in a Hollywood adaptation of Hemingway, Agee always wrote of movies as a pervasive, profoundly significant part of modern life, a new art whose classics (Chaplin, Dovzhenko, Vigo) he revered and whose betrayal in the interests of commerce or propaganda he often deplored. If his frequent disappointments could be registered in acid tones, his enthusiasms were expressed with passionate eloquence. Agee’s own work as a screenwriter is represented by his script for Charles Laughton’s unique and haunting masterpiece of Southern gothic, The Night of the Hunter, adapted from the novel by Davis Grubb. This collection also includes examples of Agee’s masterfully probing reporting for Fortune—on subjects as diverse as the Tennessee Valley Authority, commercial orchids, and cockfighting—and a sampling of his literary reviews, among them appreciations of William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, S. J. Perelman, and William Carlos Williams.LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

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Book SynopsisThis thought-provoking examination of The Matrix explores the technological challenges, religious symbolism, and philosophical dilemmas the film presents. Essays by renowned scientists, technologists, philosophers, scholars, social commentators, and science fiction authors provide engaging and provocative perspectives. Explored in a highly accessible fashion are issues such as the future of artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The symbolism hidden throughout The Matrix and a few glitches in the film are revealed. Discussions include "Finding God in The Matrix," "The Reality Paradox in The Matrix," and "Was Cypher Right?: Why We Stay in Our Matrix." The fascinating issues posed by the film are handled in an intelligent but nonacademic fashion.

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Book SynopsisAndy Warhol’s The Chelsea Girls had its premiere at the Film-Maker’s Cinémathèque on 15 September 1966. It sold out a 200-seat theatre and went on to become the first film to move from the underground to commercial cinema. Since 1972, when Warhol pulled all of his films out of distribution, the public has had extremely limited access to The Chelsea Girls , outside of museum screenings. In honour of the 20th Anniversary of The Andy Warhol Museum and what would have been Warhol’s 85th birthday, hundreds of Warhol’s films – some never seen before – have been converted to a digital format with the partnership of The Andy Warhol Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Moving Picture Company (MPC), a Technicolor Company. This book is an in-depth look at Warhol’s most famous film. It includes all newly digitized film stills, never-before-published transcripts, unpublished archival materials, and expanded information about each of the individual films that comprise the three- plus hour film. As the film alternates sound between the left and right screens, the book reproduces the transcript in complete form as one hears it, with imagery from the corresponding reels. There is also a full transcription of the unheard reels in the back of the book. This is a substantial contribution to the scholarship on Warhol’s complex and most commercial film.

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Book SynopsisRereleased for Star Trek: The Original Series ' 50th Anniversary, this in-depth analysis of the groundbreaking TV show features an updated introduction by Robert J. Sawyer and foreword by David Gerrold Trekkies and Trekkers alike will get starry-eyed over this eclectic mix of essays on the groundbreaking original Star Trek, one of the most culturally impactful TV shows of the last 50 years. Star Trek scriptwriters D. C. Fontana, David Gerrold, Norman Spinrad, and Howard Weinstein, science fiction writers including Allen Steele and Lawrence Watt-Evans, and various academics share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, discuss the show's enduring appeal and influence, and examine some of the classic features of the series. Inside: Communications and media theorist Paul Levinson shows how the unprecedented success of the "seventy-nine jewels" in syndication changed the way we look at television forever. Star Trek writer D. C. Fontana remembers Gene Roddenberry and what it was like on the set and behind the scenes. Hugo Award--winning author Allen Steele explores the strong science fiction tradition that made the show so great. Cultural theorist Eric Greene details the show's complex dialogue with the Vietnam War, highlighting the evolving stances on interventionist politics. Science fiction novelist DON Debrandt contends that the famously logical Spock isn't quite as rational as Star Trek's writers would have you believe. Scientist Robert A. Metzger proves that Scotty's ability to lie makes him the most valuable member of the Enterprise crew. Fanfiction author Melissa Dickinson explains why we still feel compelled to write our own stories about Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the show's memorable characters.

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Book SynopsisAs one of popular culture’s most popular arenas, sports are often the subject of cinematic storytelling. But boxing films are special. There are more movies about boxing, by a healthy margin, than any other sport, and boxing accompanied and aided the medium’s late nineteenth-century emergence as a popular mass entertainment. Many of cinema’s most celebrated directors—from Oscar Micheaux to Martin Scorsese—made boxing films. And while the production of other types of sports movies generally corresponds with the current popularity of their subject, boxing films continue to be made regularly even after the sport has wilted from its once-prominent position in the sports hierarchy of the United States. From Edison’s Leonard-Cushing Fight to The Joe Louis Story, Rocky, and beyond, this book explores why boxing has so consistently fascinated cinema and popular media culture by tracing how boxing movies inform the sport’s meanings and uses from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century.Trade Review“While focusing on African American representation and racial conflict, Travis Vogan offers a fluent and engaging survey of boxing’s transmedia history.” -- Leger Grindon * author of Knockout: the Boxer and Boxing in American Cinema *"29 Best New Cinema Books To Read In 2021" * Book Authority *"I have a soft spot for boxing movies. They are about the triumph of humanity and the specificity of training. This is another book that takes on an entire genre and breaks it down from memorable hits to forgotten titles." * No Film School *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Boxing Film Over Time and Across Media 1. The Boxing Film through the Golden Age of Sports Media 2. St. Joe Louis, Surrounded by Films 3. TV Fighting and Fighting TV in the 1950s 4. Muhammad Ali, The Super Fight, and Closed-Circuit Exhibition 5. The 1970s, Rocky, and the Shadow of Ali 6. HBO Sports: Docu-Branding Boxing 7. Protecting Boxing with the Boxing Film Conclusion: Handling the Rules Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisAs one of popular culture’s most popular arenas, sports are often the subject of cinematic storytelling. But boxing films are special. There are more movies about boxing, by a healthy margin, than any other sport, and boxing accompanied and aided the medium’s late nineteenth-century emergence as a popular mass entertainment. Many of cinema’s most celebrated directors—from Oscar Micheaux to Martin Scorsese—made boxing films. And while the production of other types of sports movies generally corresponds with the current popularity of their subject, boxing films continue to be made regularly even after the sport has wilted from its once-prominent position in the sports hierarchy of the United States. From Edison’s Leonard-Cushing Fight to The Joe Louis Story, Rocky, and beyond, this book explores why boxing has so consistently fascinated cinema and popular media culture by tracing how boxing movies inform the sport’s meanings and uses from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century.Trade Review“While focusing on African American representation and racial conflict, Travis Vogan offers a fluent and engaging survey of boxing’s transmedia history.” -- Leger Grindon * author of Knockout: the Boxer and Boxing in American Cinema *"29 Best New Cinema Books To Read In 2021" * Book Authority *"I have a soft spot for boxing movies. They are about the triumph of humanity and the specificity of training. This is another book that takes on an entire genre and breaks it down from memorable hits to forgotten titles." * No Film School *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Boxing Film Over Time and Across Media 1. The Boxing Film through the Golden Age of Sports Media 2. St. Joe Louis, Surrounded by Films 3. TV Fighting and Fighting TV in the 1950s 4. Muhammad Ali, The Super Fight, and Closed-Circuit Exhibition 5. The 1970s, Rocky, and the Shadow of Ali 6. HBO Sports: Docu-Branding Boxing 7. Protecting Boxing with the Boxing Film Conclusion: Handling the Rules Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisPutting Asian and European musicals into conversation with Hollywood classics like Singin’ in the Rain and La La Land, this study demonstrates the flexibility and durability of the genre. It explores how the movie musical mediates between nostalgia and technical innovation, while foregrounding the experiences of women, immigrants, and people of color.Trade Review"In her follow-up to The Migration of Musical Film, Desiree Garcia discards the ‘boom and bust’ narrative stubbornly bonded to the Hollywood musical—along with its link to ‘mindless’ escapism. Through attentive, close readings, The Movie Musical unearths ways that musicals accommodate changing times and audiences, acknowledging their insights about the cultures and audiences in which they work—and actually help construct. A welcome addition to film musical and genre scholarship." -- Caryl Flinn * author of Brass Diva and The Sound of Music (BFI Film Classics) *"‘S Wonderful! ‘S Marvelous! How can such a diverse genre be covered so well in so short a book? Desirée Garcia’s The Movie Musical adeptly surveys its long history and recurring conventions while offering a global perspective that enables her to discuss the genre in original and innovative ways." -- Steven Cohan * author of Incongruous Entertainment, Hollywood by Hollywood, and Hollywood Musicals *"Dartmouth College professor and author Desirée J. Garcia’s tightly packed and deeply researched study examines the genre’s illumination of more than just our collective daydreams and escape impulses." * Chicago Tribune *“The Movie Musical covers the genre’s history and conventions well while offering some interesting new perspectives on what the musical is, what it has done, and what it can do.” -- Medien Wissenschaft * Drew Bassett *Table of ContentsContents INTRODUCTION THE MUSICAL AS ARCHIVE THE MUSICAL AS SOCIETY THE MUSICAL AS MEDIATION ACKNOWLDEGEMENTS FURTHER READING WORKS CITED INDEX

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Book SynopsisPutting Asian and European musicals into conversation with Hollywood classics like Singin’ in the Rain and La La Land, this study demonstrates the flexibility and durability of the genre. It explores how the movie musical mediates between nostalgia and technical innovation, while foregrounding the experiences of women, immigrants, and people of color.Trade Review"In her follow-up to The Migration of Musical Film, Desiree Garcia discards the ‘boom and bust’ narrative stubbornly bonded to the Hollywood musical—along with its link to ‘mindless’ escapism. Through attentive, close readings, The Movie Musical unearths ways that musicals accommodate changing times and audiences, acknowledging their insights about the cultures and audiences in which they work—and actually help construct. A welcome addition to film musical and genre scholarship." -- Caryl Flinn * author of Brass Diva and The Sound of Music (BFI Film Classics) *"‘S Wonderful! ‘S Marvelous! How can such a diverse genre be covered so well in so short a book? Desirée Garcia’s The Movie Musical adeptly surveys its long history and recurring conventions while offering a global perspective that enables her to discuss the genre in original and innovative ways." -- Steven Cohan * author of Incongruous Entertainment, Hollywood by Hollywood, and Hollywood Musicals *"Dartmouth College professor and author Desirée J. Garcia’s tightly packed and deeply researched study examines the genre’s illumination of more than just our collective daydreams and escape impulses." * Chicago Tribune *“The Movie Musical covers the genre’s history and conventions well while offering some interesting new perspectives on what the musical is, what it has done, and what it can do.” -- Medien Wissenschaft * Drew Bassett *Table of ContentsContents INTRODUCTION THE MUSICAL AS ARCHIVE THE MUSICAL AS SOCIETY THE MUSICAL AS MEDIATION ACKNOWLDEGEMENTS FURTHER READING WORKS CITED INDEX

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Book SynopsisHaunted Homes is a short but groundbreaking study of homes in horror film and television. While haunted houses can be fun and thrilling, Hollywood horror tends to focus on haunted homes, places where the suburban American dream of safety and comfort has turned into a nightmare. From classic movies like The Old Dark House to contemporary works like Hereditary and the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, Dahlia Schweitzer explores why haunted homes have become a prime stage for dramatizing anxieties about family, gender, race, and economic collapse. She traces how the haunted home film was intertwined with the expansion of American suburbia, but also explores works like The Witch and The Babadook, which transport the genre to different times and places. This lively and readable study reveals how and why an increasing number of films imagine that home is where the horror is. Watch a video of the author discussing the topic Haunted Homes (https://youtu.be/_irTEfvtZfQ).Trade Review"Dahlia Schweitzer's brilliantly-crafted book provides a perfect autopsy of the haunted house genre. Haunted Homes is not just a useful dissection of a popular subgenre of horror, it provides the perfect re-watch list for fans seeking to confront their inner fears." — Chris Gore, co-founder of Film Threat Dahlia Schweitzer’s “Haunted Homes” A Little Nerd News— The Mo'Kelly Show "Dahlia Schweitzer’s book Haunted Homes is a fascinating exploration of our culture's nearly insatiable desire for films that explore this genre. It is as hard to put down as it is to avert your eyes from the screen, even as you know you’re going to cower in fear." — Michael Grais, co-writer of Poltergeist New Books Network: New Books in Popular Culture interview with Dahlia Schweitzer — New Books Network: New Books in Popular Culture "Exclusive Excerpt from Dahlia Scweitzer's Haunted Homes"— Film Threat "In this highly entertaining book Dahlia Schweitzer takes readers on a tour of the American middle-class suburbs where true evil lurks, from The Cat and the Canary (1927) to The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix, 2018). The American dream to own one’s home has a flipside, namely to be stuck in a place that can be economically draining and literally the entrance to hell. Haunted Homes is one of those rare finds where state-of-the-art research and excellent prose go hand in hand and make you finish this book faster than a thriller.” — Rikke Schubart, author of Mastering Fear: Women, Emotions, and Contemporary Horror "Haunted Homes is a book for anyone who has ever awoken in the depths of the night, convinced that they heard someone–or something–lurking beyond their bedroom door. Through engaging analyses of American Horror Story (2011–) and Get Out (2017), amongst many others, Schweitzer proves that home ownership really is ‘a literal nightmare’."— Alison Peirse, editor of Women Make Horror SKYLIT: Dahlia Schweitzer, “HAUNTED HOMES”— Skylit: Skylight Books Podcast SeriesTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 The Suburbs 2 The Suburban Gothic 3 Gender, Horror, and the Family 4 Race, Horror, and the Family Conclusion Acknowledgments Further Reading Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisHaunted Homes is a short but groundbreaking study of homes in horror film and television. While haunted houses can be fun and thrilling, Hollywood horror tends to focus on haunted homes, places where the suburban American dream of safety and comfort has turned into a nightmare. From classic movies like The Old Dark House to contemporary works like Hereditary and the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, Dahlia Schweitzer explores why haunted homes have become a prime stage for dramatizing anxieties about family, gender, race, and economic collapse. She traces how the haunted home film was intertwined with the expansion of American suburbia, but also explores works like The Witch and The Babadook, which transport the genre to different times and places. This lively and readable study reveals how and why an increasing number of films imagine that home is where the horror is. Watch a video of the author discussing the topic Haunted Homes (https://youtu.be/_irTEfvtZfQ).Trade Review"Dahlia Schweitzer's brilliantly-crafted book provides a perfect autopsy of the haunted house genre. Haunted Homes is not just a useful dissection of a popular subgenre of horror, it provides the perfect re-watch list for fans seeking to confront their inner fears." — Chris Gore, co-founder of Film Threat Dahlia Schweitzer’s “Haunted Homes” A Little Nerd News— The Mo'Kelly Show "Dahlia Schweitzer’s book Haunted Homes is a fascinating exploration of our culture's nearly insatiable desire for films that explore this genre. It is as hard to put down as it is to avert your eyes from the screen, even as you know you’re going to cower in fear." — Michael Grais, co-writer of Poltergeist New Books Network: New Books in Popular Culture interview with Dahlia Schweitzer — New Books Network: New Books in Popular Culture "Exclusive Excerpt from Dahlia Scweitzer's Haunted Homes"— Film Threat "In this highly entertaining book Dahlia Schweitzer takes readers on a tour of the American middle-class suburbs where true evil lurks, from The Cat and the Canary (1927) to The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix, 2018). The American dream to own one’s home has a flipside, namely to be stuck in a place that can be economically draining and literally the entrance to hell. Haunted Homes is one of those rare finds where state-of-the-art research and excellent prose go hand in hand and make you finish this book faster than a thriller.” — Rikke Schubart, author of Mastering Fear: Women, Emotions, and Contemporary Horror "Haunted Homes is a book for anyone who has ever awoken in the depths of the night, convinced that they heard someone–or something–lurking beyond their bedroom door. Through engaging analyses of American Horror Story (2011–) and Get Out (2017), amongst many others, Schweitzer proves that home ownership really is ‘a literal nightmare’."— Alison Peirse, editor of Women Make Horror SKYLIT: Dahlia Schweitzer, “HAUNTED HOMES”— Skylit: Skylight Books Podcast SeriesTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 The Suburbs 2 The Suburban Gothic 3 Gender, Horror, and the Family 4 Race, Horror, and the Family Conclusion Acknowledgments Further Reading Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisThe 2010s might be remembered as a time of increased polarization in American life. The decade contained both the Obama era and the Trump era, and as the nation’s political fissures widened, so did the gap between the haves and have-nots. Hollywood reflected these divisions, choosing to concentrate on big franchise blockbusters at the expense of mid-budget films, while new players like Netflix and Amazon offered fresh opportunities for low-budget and independent filmmakers. As the movie business changed, films ranging from American Sniper to Get Out found ways to speak to the concerns of a divided nation. The newest installment in the Screen Decades series, American Cinema in the 2010s takes a close look at the memorable movies, visionary filmmakers, and behind-the-scenes drama that made this decade such an exciting time to be a moviegoer. Each chapter offers an in-depth examination of a specific year, covering a wide variety of films, from blockbuster superhero movies like Black Panther and animated films like Frozen to smaller-budget biopics like I, Tonya and horror films like Hereditary. This volume introduces readers to a decade in which established auteurs like Quentin Tarantino were joined by an exceptionally diverse set of new talents, taking American cinema in new directions. Trade Review"American Cinema of the 2010s offers a lively compendium of insights about the complicated relationship between Hollywood cinema and the cultural zeitgeist." -- Virginia Wexman * editor of Directing *"American Cinema of the 2010s offers a lively compendium of insights about the complicated relationship between Hollywood cinema and the cultural zeitgeist." -- Virginia Wexman * editor of Directing *Table of ContentsTimeline: 2010s Introduction: Movies and the 2010s DENNIS BINGHAM 2010 Movies and Recessionary Gender Politics MICHELE SCHREIBER 2011 Movies and Masculinity at a Crossroads DAVID GREVEN 2012 Movies and Myths, Heroes, and History RAYMOND HABERSKI JR. 2013 Movies and Personhood ALEXANDRA KELLER 2014 Movies and the Unexpected Virtue of How the Sausage Gets Made DANIEL SMITH-ROWSEY 2015 Movies and Female Agency LISA BODE 2016 Movies and the Solace of Progressive Narratives CYNTHIA BARON 2017 Movies and the Right to Be Heard JULIE LEVINSON 2018 Movies and Revolution MIKAL J. GAINES 2019 Movies, Anniversaries, and the Limits of Looking Back DENNIS BINGHAM Select Academy Awards, 2010–2019 Acknowledgments Works Cited and Consulted Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisStar Wars may have started out as a film about a Manichean battle between good and evil, but as countless filmmakers, novelists, animators, fan artists and even cosplayers have taken the opportunity to play in the fictional world George Lucas created, it has expanded into something far greater, resulting in a richly layered and diverse Star Wars multiverse. Drawing from a full range of Star Wars media, including comics, children’s books, fan films, and television shows like Clone Wars and The Mandalorian, Carmelo Esterrich explores how these stories set in a galaxy far far away reflect issues that hit closer to home. He examines what they have to say about political oppression, authoritarianism, colonialism, discrimination, xenophobia, and perpetual war. Yet he also investigates subtler ways in which the personal is political within the multiverse, including its articulations of gender and sexuality, its cultural hierarchies of language use, and its complex relationships between humans, droids and myriad species. This book demonstrates that the Star Wars multiverse is not just a stage for thrilling interstellar battles, but also an exciting space for interpretation and discovery.Trade ReviewE2K: Eager to Know podcast, "Seriously Star Wars" episode interview with Carmelo Esterrich— Eager to Know podcast (e2K) "Things are never as simple as they seem. While the stories of Star Wars span multiple media forms, the universes of the franchise are vast and uncharted. In this insightful volume, Carmelo Esterrich mines the unique and multifaceted Star Wars multiverse in all its complexities, delving deeply into discussions of diversity, war, fandom, and gender across the galaxy. Whether discussing the Canon and the Legend, the Fan and the Creator, or the human and the alien (and the droid!), Esterrich proves that the force is strong with Star Wars. Don’t be a nerf herder – get this book now!" — Paul Booth, author of Board Games as Media "Alumnus authors book, a 'conversation starter,' about all things Star Wars"— Penn State News "Associate Professor Carmelo Esterrich to publish Star Wars Multiverse in 2021"— Columbia College ChicagoTable of ContentsPreface: Seriously, Star Wars 1 Navigating a Multiverse: Watching, Reading, Wearing Star Wars 2 Humans and Creatures + Droids: Hierarchies of Life 3 Imperial Desires: War, Order, Colonialism 4 Beyond Princesses and Flyboys: Gender and Sexuality in Star Wars Conclusion: Star Wars, Seriously Acknowledgments Further Reading Works Cited Filmography Index

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Book SynopsisStar Wars may have started out as a film about a Manichean battle between good and evil, but as countless filmmakers, novelists, animators, fan artists and even cosplayers have taken the opportunity to play in the fictional world George Lucas created, it has expanded into something far greater, resulting in a richly layered and diverse Star Wars multiverse. Drawing from a full range of Star Wars media, including comics, children’s books, fan films, and television shows like Clone Wars and The Mandalorian, Carmelo Esterrich explores how these stories set in a galaxy far far away reflect issues that hit closer to home. He examines what they have to say about political oppression, authoritarianism, colonialism, discrimination, xenophobia, and perpetual war. Yet he also investigates subtler ways in which the personal is political within the multiverse, including its articulations of gender and sexuality, its cultural hierarchies of language use, and its complex relationships between humans, droids and myriad species. This book demonstrates that the Star Wars multiverse is not just a stage for thrilling interstellar battles, but also an exciting space for interpretation and discovery.Trade ReviewE2K: Eager to Know podcast, "Seriously Star Wars" episode interview with Carmelo Esterrich— Eager to Know podcast (e2K) "Things are never as simple as they seem. While the stories of Star Wars span multiple media forms, the universes of the franchise are vast and uncharted. In this insightful volume, Carmelo Esterrich mines the unique and multifaceted Star Wars multiverse in all its complexities, delving deeply into discussions of diversity, war, fandom, and gender across the galaxy. Whether discussing the Canon and the Legend, the Fan and the Creator, or the human and the alien (and the droid!), Esterrich proves that the force is strong with Star Wars. Don’t be a nerf herder – get this book now!" — Paul Booth, author of Board Games as Media "Alumnus authors book, a 'conversation starter,' about all things Star Wars"— Penn State News "Associate Professor Carmelo Esterrich to publish Star Wars Multiverse in 2021"— Columbia College ChicagoTable of ContentsPreface: Seriously, Star Wars 1 Navigating a Multiverse: Watching, Reading, Wearing Star Wars 2 Humans and Creatures + Droids: Hierarchies of Life 3 Imperial Desires: War, Order, Colonialism 4 Beyond Princesses and Flyboys: Gender and Sexuality in Star Wars Conclusion: Star Wars, Seriously Acknowledgments Further Reading Works Cited Filmography Index

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Book SynopsisVivid images of the apocalypse proliferate throughout contemporary cinema, which pictures the death of civilization in wildly different ways. Some films imagine a future where humanity is wiped out entirely, while others envision humans as an endangered species, enslaved by alien invaders or hunted by zombie hordes. This book provides a lively overview of apocalypse cinema, including alien invasions, nuclear annihilation, asteroid collisions, climate change, and terrifying plagues. Covering pivotal films from the silent era to the present day, including Metropolis, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dr. Strangelove, Contagion, and Avengers: Endgame, Stephen Prince explores how these dark visions are rooted in religious and prophetic traditions, and he considers how our love for apocalypse cinema is tied to fundamental existential questions and anxieties that never go out of fashion. Trade Review“From stories of cosmic catastrophes and space invaders to nuclear and natural disasters, Stephen Prince provides here an expertly-crafted, lively account of the apocalyptic visions made possible only by the movies.” — Carl Plantinga, author of Alternative RealitiesTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Sources and Traditions in Apocalyptic Cinema 2. Astrophobia 3. I’m Not Saying We Wouldn’t Get Our Hair Mussed 4. The Revenge of Nature Acknowledgements Further Reading Works Cited Index

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