Film history, theory or criticism Books
Methuen Publishing Ltd Story Substance Structure Style and the
Book Synopsis'Good story means something worth telling that the world wants to hear. Finding this is your lonely task... but the love of a good story, of terrific characters and a world driven by your passion, courage and creative gifts is still not enough. Your goal must be a good story well told.' Robert McKeeTrade Review"'In difficult periods of writing, particularly with structure, I often turn to Robert McKee's wonderful book, Story, for guidance.' Dominic Dunne, author of Another City, Not My Own and The Two Mrs Grenvilles * 'stimulating, innovative, refreshingly practical.' Lawrence Kasdan, screenwriter, director of The Accidental Tourist, The Big Chill, Body Heat and The Empire Strikes Back * 'McKee is the arch defender of story: his book is a revelation.' Griffin Dunne, screenwriter, director, producer of After Hours, Addicted to Love, Running on Empty and Chilly Scenes of Winter * 'Since I first attended Robert McKee's course, I have sold four screenplays and two novels. I could not have done so without the wisdom and inspiration he provided.' Tim Willcocks, novelist / screenwriter of Bad City Blues, Green River Rising and Swept from the Sea"
£22.50
404 Ink Now Go: On Grief and Studio Ghibli: 13
Book SynopsisGrief is all around us. At the heart of the brightly coloured, vividly characterised, joyful films of Studio Ghibli, they are wracked with loss - of innocence, of love, of the connection to our world and of that world itself. Now Go enters these emotional waters to interrogate not only how Studio Ghibli navigates grief so well, but how that informs our own understanding of grief's manifold faces.
£999.99
Orion Publishing Co Cinema Speculation
Book Synopsis A unique cocktail of personal memoir, cultural criticism and Hollywood history by the one and only Quentin Tarantino. The long-awaited first work of nonfiction from the author of the number one New York Times bestselling Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: a deliriously entertaining, wickedly intelligent cinema book as unique and creative as anything by Quentin Tarantino.In addition to being among the most celebrated of contemporary filmmakers, Quentin Tarantino is possibly the most joyously infectious movie lover alive. For years he has touted in interviews his eventual turn to writing books about films. Now, with CINEMA SPECULATION, the time has come, and the results are everything his passionate fans - and all movie lovers - could have hoped for. Organized around key American films from the 1970s, all of which he first saw as a young moviegoer at the time, this book is as intellectually ri
£10.44
Faber & Faber Box Office Poison
Book SynopsisSo entertaining, smart and funny.' DAVID NICHOLLS ''Beautifully written. I really enjoyed it.'' MARINA HYDE ''A fabulous shadow history of Tinseltown.'' TLSFascinating.' EMPIRE''Wildly enjoyable.'' GUARDIAN''Hugely entertaining.'' PROSPECTFailure fascinates, for all the reasons that success is a drag . . .'In his hugely acclaimed alternative history of Hollywood, Tim Robey leads us through a century of its most notable flops. From Freaks to Land of the Pharaohs, Dune to Speed 2, and Catwoman to Cats here is the definitive take on these ill-fated, but essential celluloid failures.''Expertly researched.'' SIGHT & SOUND ''A rollicking, gossipy triumph.'' DAILY TELEGRAPHAmusing and wince-inducing in equal measure.' INDEPENDENT
£9.49
Titan Books Ltd Marvel Studios The Infinity Saga SpiderMan Homecoming The Art of the Movie
Book SynopsisThe official art book for the movie Spider-Man: Homecoming, the 15th title reissue of the 24-book Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga series published as a resized matching set.
£26.99
Luath Press Ltd Outlander and Scotland
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£13.49
Faber & Faber The Unfinished Harauld Hughes
Book Synopsis''So funny Nabokov meets Spinal Tap.'' STEPHEN MERCHANT''Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.'' TIM KEY''Absolutely miraculous.'' JESSE EISENBERG''A brain-swirlingly funny quest.'' ROBERT POPPERRichard Ayoade's fictional quest to rescue Harauld Hughes the almost mythical mid-century playwright from obscurity.The gifted filmmaker, corduroy activist and amateur dentist, Richard Ayoade, first chanced upon a copy of The Two-Hander Trilogy by Harauld Hughes in a second-hand bookshop. At first startled by his uncanny resemblance to the author's photo, he opened the volume and was electrified. Terse, aggressive, and elliptical, what was true of Ayoade was also true of Hughes's writing, which encompassed stage, screen, and some of the shortest poems ever published.Ayoade embarked on a documentary, The Unfinished Harauld Hughes, to understand the unfathomable collapse of Hughes's final film O Bedlam! O Bedlam!, taking us deep inside the mind of the most furious British writer since the Boer War.This is the story of the story of that quest.Readers love The Unfinished Harauld Hughes:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Buy it, it''s hilarious.''⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Intelligent humour at its best.''⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Terrific, funny, nuts!''⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''I was snorting with laughter.''⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Very clever, very funny.''
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Hannibal Lecter
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£21.22
Frances Lincoln Colours of Wes Anderson
£15.29
Titan Books Ltd Creating Worlds The Disney and 20th Century Studios Cinematic Art of Dylan Cole
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£39.99
Kensington Publishing A Star Is Reborn
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£22.09
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Cinema of Sofia Coppola
Book SynopsisThe Cinema of Sofia Coppola provides the first comprehensive analysis of Coppola's oeuvre that situates her work broadly in relation to contemporary artistic, social and cultural currents. Suzanne Ferriss considers the central role of fashion - in its various manifestations - to Coppola's films, exploring fashion's primacy in every cinematic dimension: in film narrative; production, costume and sound design; cinematography; marketing, distribution and auteur branding. She also explores the theme of celebrity, including Coppola's own director-star persona, and argues that Coppola's auteur status rests on an original and distinct visual style, derived from the filmmaker's complex engagement with photography and painting.Ferriss analyzes each of Coppola's six films, categorizing them in two groups: films where fashion commands attention (Marie Antoinette, The Beguiled and The Bling Ring) and those where clothing and material goods do not stand out ostentatiously, but Trade ReviewScholar Ferriss traces and deconstructs how Coppola’s knowledge of interior design, fashion, architecture, art and music informs every aspect of her movies – and their carefully crafted, painterly compositions – and illuminates how deftly style becomes substance. * Everything Zoomer *Suzanne Ferriss presents us with an indispensable study that effectively captures the complexities of Sofia Coppola's universe through the lens of fashion, culture and celebrity. * The Journal of Dress History *Thought provoking for fans of Coppola’s work and casual viewers alike. * Film Criticism *Ferriss offers a sophisticated and wide-ranging analysis of Coppola's films and their intersections with fashion, art and celebrity culture. This is the first study, in particular, that positions Coppola's aesthetic preoccupations from the perspective of neither feminism nor post-feminism, but rather from that of art history. This book, therefore, offers a genuinely new, vital and fascinating take on a currently neglected, or under-studied, aspect of Coppola's oeuvre. Ferriss combines rich analysis with extensive knowledge of Coppola's artistic influences and writes both lucidly and beautifully. This study will be indispensable to both undergraduate students and serious scholars of not only film, but also those working in interdisciplinary subjects such as fashion studies, gender studies and art history. -- Anna Backman Rogers, Senior Lecturer in Feminism and Visual Culture, University of Gothenburg, SwedenSuzanne Ferriss’s timely and lively book makes a convincing case for considering Sofia Coppola a designer as much as a director, creating beautifully fashioned story worlds. Threading together analysis of Coppola’s use of costume, her carefully curated locations, and her eclectic range of photographic and fine art references, this book will appeal not just to devotees of Coppola but also scholars interested in the vibrant interconnections Ferriss demonstrates between fashion, film, and visual cultures. -- Fiona Handyside, Associate Professor of Film Studies, University of Exeter, UKThis vibrant addition to the growing body of Coppola scholarship is an exquisitely detailed celebration of her luscious visual style, in the particular context of costume and fashion, photography and fame. Ferris explores Coppola’s unique set of influences and firmly demonstrates her cultural prestige and indisputable significance. -- Lucy Bolton, Deputy Head of Film, Queen Mary, University of London, UKA tour de force of extensive range yet admirable clarity, The Cinema of Sofia Coppola stands apart in the rapidly expanding field of Coppola studies for its definitive demonstration of the filmmaker's debt and contribution to fashion cultures, broadly defined. Moving nimbly between areas as diverse as fine art, phenomenology and business, Suzanne Ferriss' study conjures vividly the far-reaching impact of "Coppolism" as a densely intermedial aesthetic and social phenomenon. -- Mary Harrod, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick, UKThe Cinema of Sofia Coppola will fast become the go-to reference volume for any student, scholar or cinephile interested in the films of this talented, award-winning director. Writing in a readable and engaging style, the author provides a wealth of well-researched material about the complicated itinerary that lead to the success of one of the world’s most prominent women auteurs. -- Hilary Radner, Professor Emeritus, University of Otago, New ZealandTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Self-Fashioning 2. Fashioning Worlds 3. Film Style 4. The Fashion-Fame-Film Industrial Complex Conclusion Fashion and Film Timeline Bibliography Index
£26.09
Saraband It Came From the Closet: Queer Reflections on
Book Synopsis“Horror opened me up to new possibilities for survival … I saw power in freakery and transgression and wondered if it could be mine.” The relationship between horror films and the LGBTQ+ community? It’s complicated. Haunted houses, forbidden desires and the monstrous can have striking resonance for those who’ve been marginalised. But the genre’s murky history of an alarmingly heterosexual male gaze, queer-coded villains and sometimes blatant homophobia, is impossible to overlook. There is tension here, and there are as many queer readings of horror films as there are queer people. Edited by Joe Vallese, and with contributions by writers including Kirsty Logan and Carmen Maria Machado, the essays in It Came from the Closet bring the particulars of the writers’ own experiences, whether in relation to gender, sexuality, or both, to their unique interpretations of horror films from Jaws to Jennifer’s Body. Exploring a multitude of queer experiences from first kisses and coming out to transition and parenthood, this is a varied and accessible collection that leans into the fun of horror while taking its cultural impact and reciprocal relationship to the LGBTQ+ community seriously.Trade Review'A brilliant display of expert criticism, wry humor, and original thinking. This is full of surprises.' -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)'A critical text on the intersections of film, queer studies, and pop culture.' -- Booklist (starred review)'An essential look at how spooky movies so often offer solace through subversiveness.' -- Electric Literature'An impressively diverse array of queer voices contributes their opinions on how and why particular horror movies made a personal and indelible impression on them.' -- Bay Area Reporter'A really terrific collection of essays by a great selection and variety of different authors—both fiction authors, poets, and essayists—about the intersection between queer studies and queer identity and horror movies.' -- Gothamist'In this wonderful and only somewhat disturbing book (the subject is horror, after all), queer and trans writers explore the horror films that have shaped them and most reflected their own experiences. Horror, the anthology argues, while often full of misogyny and anti-trans, homophobic tropes, is also uniquely subversive and queer.' -- Shondaland'This book is perfect for exploring the queerness of horror through a kaleidoscopic lens.' -- Them'Weaving elegantly between passages on theory to first sexual encounters and wrenching experiences with a surrogate, the essays take surprising turns and don’t look for easy answers. The movies they take on are as varied as the writing styles and traverse the queer spectrum.' -- Bomb
£13.49
Atria Books Scream with Me
£24.67
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) Against Progress
Book SynopsisWhat does progress' mean? Can things get better? And how, when we are constantly battered on all sides by deepfakes, doomers and disorienting relativisms, can we make any headway at all in the face of unprecedented ecological, social and political crises? In this collection of iconoclastic essays, Slavoj Žižek disrupts the death-grip that neoliberalists, Trumpian populists, toxic self-improvement industries and accelerationists alike have established on the idea of progress. In a whirlwind tour that takes in everything from gentrification to the theory of relativity, Lacan to Lenin, Putin to Mary Poppins and Kierkegaard to the end of the world, these essays never stop asking hard questions of imagined futures. Nor does Žižek shrink from the hardest question of all: How do we free ourselves from the hypocritical, guilt-ridden dreaming in which we're enmeshed, and begin to build a better world?
£9.99
Abrams Gandolfini
Book Synopsis A deeply reported, perceptive, and celebratory biography of beloved actor James Gandolfini from a prominent critic and film historianMore than a decade after his sudden passing, James Gandolfini still exerts a powerful pull on television and film enthusiasts around the world. His charismatic portrayal of complex, flawed, but always human men illuminated the contradictions in all of us, as well as our potential for grace, and the power of love and family. In Gandolfini, critic and historian Jason Bailey traces the twinned stories of the man and the unforgettable roles he played. Gandolfini’s roots were working class, raised in northern New Jersey as the son of Italian immigrants, and acting was something he loved for a long time before he could see it as a career. It wasn’t until he was well into his bohemian twenties that he dedicated himself to a life on the stage and screen. Bailey traces his rise, from bit parts to character rol
£18.69
Titan Books Ltd Marvel Studios The Infinity Saga Thor Ragnarok The Art of the Movie
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£28.00
Simon & Schuster Leave the Gun Take the Cannoli
Book SynopsisThe definitive, behind-the-scenes story of the making of The Godfather.
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group The Animation Atlas
Book SynopsisAnimation is a global artform, and The Animation Atlas is your essential guide to this exciting, expansive world.From Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham, authors and hosts of the Ghibliotheque podcast, comes this whistle-stop tour through animated film history. A cartography of cartoons, The Animation Atlas takes in everything from titans of animation such as Disney, Pixar, Aardman and Studio Ghibli to pioneers, innovators and rising stars from the wider world of cinema.A truly global history of animation - Each of the 30 chapters sets down in a different country to focus on local talent that has made a global impact on the form, from Spain to South Africa and China to Chile.Box office hits and hidden gems - Features a dazzling selection of films, from hand-drawn Hollywood classics (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and award-winning CG masterpieces (Flow), to the works of revered artists such as Lotte Reiniger (The Adventures of Prince Achmed), Jan Švankmajer (Alice) and Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbour Totoro).Dozens of gorgeous illustrations - Includes more than 150 photographs, artworks and stills from some of the most beautiful animated films ever made. A perfect gift for film lovers.
£20.00
Silver Press Quantum Dreaming
Book Synopsis
£7.59
Manchester University Press Shakespeare's Cinema of Love: A Study in Genre
Book SynopsisThis engaging and stimulating book argues that Shakespeare's plays significantly influenced movie genres in the twentieth century, particularly in films concerning love in the classic Hollywood period. Shakespeare's 'green world' has a close functional equivalent in 'tinseltown' and on 'the silver screen', as well as in hybrid genres in Bollywood cinema. Meanwhile, Romeo and Juliet continues to be an enduring source for romantic tragedy on screen. The nature of generic indebtedness has not gained recognition because it is elusive and not always easy to recognise. The book traces generic links between Shakespeare's comedies of love and screen genres such as romantic comedy, 'screwball' comedy and musicals, as well as clarifying the use of common conventions defining the genres, such as mistaken identity, 'errors', disguise and 'shrew-taming'. This challenging and entertaining book will appeal to those interested in Shakespeare, movies and the representation of love in narratives.Trade Review‘R.S. White’s timely book on the influence of Shakespeare on Hollywood cinema offers a refreshing account of the ‘contestatory and symbiotic’ relationship between Shakespeare’s generic innovations and the development of cinematic genres in early Hollywood.’ David McInnis, Australian Book Review June 2017 -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: Shakespeare shaping modern movie genres1.'Madly mated': The Taming of the Shrew and odd-couple comedy2. Dreams in the forest: romantic comedy3. 'The guy's only doing it for some doll': musical comedy4. Of errors and Eros: a brief digression on twins5. Comedy of disguise and mistaken identity6. 'Star-crossed lovers': Romeo and Juliet and romantic tragedyConclusionBibliographyIndex
£17.85
WW Norton & Co The Science of Interstellar
Book SynopsisA journey through the otherworldly science behind Christopher Nolan’s award-winning film, Interstellar, from executive producer and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Kip Thorne.
£18.99
Brandeis University Press The Academy and the Award
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£19.00
Bloomsbury Academic Shoah
Book SynopsisSue Vice is Professor of English Literature at the University of Sheffield, UK, where her interests lie in the areas of contemporary literature, film and Holocaust studies. Her latest book is Claude Lanzmann's Shoah' Outtakes: Holocaust Rescue and Resistance (Bloomsbury Academic, 2021) and she is currently writing a study of Holocaust representation in popular British and Irish fiction.
£12.34
Feminist PR Absolute Pleasure
Book Synopsis
£20.62
Titan Books Ltd Jaws Memories from Marthas Vineyard Revised
Book SynopsisThe first behind-the-scenes account of the making of Jaws to focus on the production's local participants, featuring hundreds of never-before-seen photos, previously untold accounts and anecdotes, and a Foreword by director Steven Spielberg.
£44.99
Silver Press Grandmas Story
Book Synopsis
£7.59
Taschen GmbH Donald Duck. The Ultimate History
Book SynopsisSince 1934, Donald Duck, one of the most published comic book subjects, has been seen in more films than any other Disney character. This volume includes rare animation drawings, vintage comics, behind-the-scenes photographs, charming memorabilia, unfinished film projects, and unpublished artworks by the Duck Man, master storyteller Carl Barks.
£148.75
Hodder Education WJEC Eduqas Film Studies for A Level AS Student
Book SynopsisRevised and updated to match the latest WJEC Eduqas A Level Film Studies specification and covering a range of films from the latest list of film texts, this key resource provides high-quality content, insight and analysis.
£38.00
Simon & Schuster As You Wish
Book SynopsisFrom actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes the New York Times bestselling account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with the cast and crew. The Princess Bride has been a family favourite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come. Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-
£8.54
Titan Books Ltd Marvel Studios The Infinity Saga Black Panther The Art of the Movie
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£28.00
Quarto Publishing PLC Christopher Nolan
Book SynopsisThis comprehensive and in-depth study delves into the life and works of one of modern films most celebrated, successful and intriguing auteurs, Christopher Nolan.‘What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient…highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate.’ - Cobb, Inception How has Nolan become this leading director? Is he the new Kubrick? What do audiences get out of his games? Visually, he offers a steely science-fiction noir with the highlights of big stars and a magician’s flourishes, whether he is tackling Victorian London or the far reaches of outer space. In narrative terms, his films twist and turn, provoking as many questions as they answer. This book will look to crack open the magic box of Nolan’s twisting universe. As a charactTrade Review "White Lion Publishing and author Ian Nathan have put something special together with this new (oversized) book all about Christopher Nolan. It seeks to understand exactly how the filmmaker has found success and the unique storytelling process he uses. From thorough breakdowns of each of Nolan’s films and insights into how they were made, this would be an ideal gift for any movie-lover." * Cinelinx.com *"...a highly informative and insightful read into the mind of one of the most definitive mind-bending directors in cinema. It is a gloriously packaged presentation that journeys you through the filmmakers historic trajectory with poignant anecdotes, quotations and in-depth behind-the-scenes knowledge to create a fully formed comprehensive picture of the man, his cinematic style and how the works interconnect thematically as it progresses." * The Reel Vision *"The 175 page book is filled with 150 great images from Nolan’s iconic films, many of them being behind-the-scenes shots. This book offers a full-breakdown of Nolan’s films individually, as well as a insightful account of the man himself. I’m a huge Nolan fan, so this book was an easy sell for me, but it’s a fantastic book all-around. * ReelTalker.com *"Nathan serves as a literary archeologist, excavating Nolan’s films, digging into their production, their themes, and the reactions they earned...well researched and highly recommend for Nolan aficionados." * Cinema Sentries *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION THE HYBRID KID The early days and Following (1998) THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Memento (2000) & Insomnia (2002) THE INTIMIDATION GAME Batman Begins (2005) THE TRANSPORTED MEN The Prestige (2006) WHY SO SERIOUS? The Dark Knight (2008) HEAD SPINNING Inception (2010) THE BIG GOODBYE The Dark Knight Rises (2012) THE FIFTH DIMENSION Interstellar (2014) ON THE BEACH Dunkirk (2017) APOCALYPTIC THINKING Tenet (2020) Oppenheimer (2023) SOURCES
£23.80
Taylor & Francis Ltd Film Theory The Basics
Book SynopsisFully updated and expanded throughout, this second edition of Film Theory: The Basics provides an accessible introduction to the key theorists, concepts, and debates that have shaped the study of moving images. The book examines film theory from its emergence in the early twentieth century to its study in the present day, and explores why film has drawn special attention as a medium, as a form of representation, and as a focal point in the rise of modern visual culture. It also emphasizes how film theory has developed as a historically contingent discourse, one that has evolved and changed in conjunction with different social, political, and intellectual factors. This second edition offers a detailed account of new theoretical directions at the forefront of film studies in the twenty-first century, and draws additional attention to how theory engages with today's most pressing questions about digital technologies, the environment, and racial justice. Complete wiTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Theory Before Theory, 1915-1960 2. French Theory, 1949-1968 3. Screen Theory, 1969-1996 4. Post-Theory, 1996-2015 5. Theory After Film Theory
£24.32
Titan Books Ltd Star Trek III The Search for Spock The Making of
Book SynopsisAn in-depth look at the making ofStar Trek III: The Search for Spock, featuring rare and previously unseen production art and new and exclusive interviews.
£31.99
Lawrence & Wishart Ltd June Givanni
Book SynopsisA journey through the archive of BAFTA award-winning curatorand film programmer, June Givanni. It contains thousands of films fromacross Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora amassed in over forty years. Using four filmfestivals as her touchstones, author Onyeka Igwe offers a way to encounterPan-African film.
£18.06
Taschen GmbH Horror Cinema
Book SynopsisGet ready to quake in fear with this revised and expanded edition of our history of horror cinema. This chilling volume packs 640 pages full with the finest slashers, ghosts, zombies, cannibals, and more, curating the very creepiest screen creations from the flickering spooks of the 1920s to the special-effect terrors of the 21st century. Across 10 illustrated chapters, the compendium gets under the skin of some of horror’s favorite figures and themes, whether the vampire, the haunted house, the female killer, or the werewolf. Each classic device is explored in aesthetic and historical terms, probing horror’s manipulation of archetypal human fears as much as socially and culturally specific anxieties. A subsequent Top 50 movies section brings readers up close and trembling with 50 horror showpieces, from black-and-white classics like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Godzilla to Rosemary’s Baby, The Wicker Man, The Shining, The Blair Witch Project, and much, much more. Throughout, the book’s featured images include movie posters, set designs, film stills, and on-set shots.Trade Review“The ideal volume for every movie buff’s bookshelf.” * Art Journal *
£18.00
Luath Press Ltd The Quest for the Wicker Man
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Titan Books Ltd Batmobile The Complete History Revised and Expanded
Book SynopsisDelve into more than 85 years of the most iconic vehicle in superhero history withBatmobile: The Complete Historynow expanded to include the most exciting Batmobile exploits of the last decade!
£39.99
State University of New York Press Overhearing Film Music
Book Synopsis
£26.12
Faber & Faber The Book of Illusions
Book SynopsisAuster''s tale of obsession from the author of contemporary classic The New York Trilogy: ''a literary voice for the ages'' (Guardian)The Book of Illusions, written with breath-taking urgency and precision, plunges the reader into a universe in which the comic and the tragic, the real and the imagined, and the violent and the tender dissolve into one another.One man''s obsession with the mysterious life of a silent film star takes him on a journey into a shadow-world of lies, illusions, and unexpected love. After losing his wife and young sons in a plane crash, Vermont professor David Zimmer spends his waking hours mired in grief. Then, watching television one night, he stumbles upon a lost film by silent comedian Hector Mann, and remembers how to laugh . . .Mann was a comic genius, in trademark white suit and fluttering black moustache. But one morning in 1929 he walked out of his house and was never heard from again. Zimmer''s ob
£9.49
Faber & Faber Blockbusters Why Big Hits and Big Risks are the
Book SynopsisWhat is behind the phenomenal success of entertainment businesses such as Warner Bros., Marvel Enterprises and Manchester United - along with such stars as Jay-Z and Lady Gaga? Which strategies give leaders in film, television, music, publishing, and sports an edge over their rivals? Anita Elberse, Harvard Business School''s expert on the entertainment industry, has done pioneering research on the worlds of media and sports for more than a decade. Now, in this groundbreaking book, she explains a powerful truth about the fiercely competitive world of entertainment: building a business around blockbuster products - the movies, television shows, songs and books that are hugely expensive to produce and market - is the surest path to long-term success. Along the way, she reveals why entertainment executives often spend outrageous amounts of money in search of the next blockbuster, why superstars are paid unimaginable sums and how digital technologies are transformi
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd If Looks Could Kill
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Faber & Faber Werner Herzog A Guide for the Perplexed
Book Synopsis''One of the best things published about cinema.'' Sight & SoundHerzog was once hailed by Francois Truffaut as the most important director alive. Famous for his frequent collaborations with mercurial actor Klaus Kinski including the epics Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo, and the terrifying Nosferatu and more recently with documentaries such as Grizzly Man, Cave of Forgotten Dreams and Into the Abyss, Herzog has built a body of work that is one of the most vital in post-war German cinema. Here, he reflects on his legendary and inspiring career.
£17.09
Quercus Publishing Christopher Nolan
Book SynopsisFew filmmakers have made such a seismic impact on Hollywood during the past two decades as Christopher Nolan. Whether mind-twisting crime thrillers or vast sci-fi epics, his films are consistently huge crowd pleasers, despite his bold and complex visions never being compromised.Featuring fresh insights from a writer who has witnessed Nolan at work first-hand on several of his films, this is the definitive guide to the most significant British director since Hitchcock. From Memento to The Dark Knight Trilogy to Inception to Oppenheimer, it takes you on a cinematic odyssey that is truly like no other.
£13.49
Polaris Publishing Limited Lost Federations: The Unofficial Unmade History
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 *
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Hitchcockian Thrillers
Book SynopsisStephen Rebello is a well-known film historian, screenwriter, and commentator. He has been invited to speak about Hitchcock and his work in England, Japan, China, Italy, and throughout the U.S. Stephen has been interviewed about Hitchcock on Today, Larry King Live, Good Morning, America, and numerous other national TV shows. He has recorded three audio commentaries for Hitchcock films on DVD and Blu-ray, and recorded the audio commentary for the home entertainment release of the 2012 feature film Hitchcock, on which he was a screenwriter.
£31.44
Alfred A. Knopf Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties
Book SynopsisA fascinating look at Hollywood’s most turbulent decade and the demise of the studio system—set against the boom of the post–World War II years, the Cold War, and the atomic age—and the movies that reflected the seismic shiftsHollywood in the 1950s was a period when the film industry both set conventions and broke norms and traditions—from Cinerama, CinemaScope, and VistaVision to the epic film and lavish musical. It was a decade that saw the rise of the anti-hero; the smoldering, the hidden, and the unspoken; teenagers gone wild in the streets; the sacred and the profane; the revolution of the Method; the socially conscious; the implosion of the studios; the end of the production code; and the invasion of the ultimate body snatcher: the “small screen” television.Here is Eisenhower’s America—seemingly complacent, conformity-ridden revealed in Vincente Minnelli’s Father of the Bride, Walt Disney&rs
£26.40
Canongate Books The Story of Looking
Book SynopsisIn The Story of Looking, Mark Cousins takes us on a lightning-bright tour - in words and images - through how our looking selves develop over the course of a lifetime, and the ways that looking has changed over the centuries. From great works of art to holiday photos, from cityscapes to cinema, through science and history, protest and propaganda, and the refusal to look, this book illuminates how we construct as well as receive the things we see.Trade ReviewA wide-ranging history of looking . . . you will gaze at it in wonder * * Guardian * *A history of the human gaze . . . Illuminating . . . Roams freely across history, art, film, photography, science and technology . . . Indispensable as a reference book * * Observer * *Bloody genius -- CHRISTOPHER DOYLEIntriguing and beautiful . . . [A] gloriously haphazard intellectual scrapbook . . . Wide-ranging, deep-seeing and clever * * Scotland on Sunday * *An attempt to catalogue how and why we look, what we look at and how our social and cultural surroundings shape what we see . . . the result is, by turns, learned, often surprising . . . Fascinating * * Glasgow Sunday Herald, Arts Books of the Year * *Brilliant . . . His taste is eclectic and his judgments precise and persuasive * * New York Times * *Extraordinary . . . Visually ensnaring and intellectually lithe * * Telegraph on The Story of Film * *Dazzling in its breadth and intelligence . . . A hugely impressive work by a uniquely talented storyteller * * Guardian on A Story of Children and Film * *
£17.00