Film history, theory or criticism Books

Book SynopsisIsolde Standish is a Senior Lecturer in Film and Media Studies at SOAS, University of London.Trade ReviewAlthough this book is primarily about film, Isolde Standish has woven into it a vivid, and very gripping, social, political and cultural history of 1960s' Japan. She traces the struggle that was taking place over the narrative of post-war Japanese history: the ‘official story' and its reflection in mainstream studio output against which directors such as Oshima, Yoshida and Imamura reacted bitterly. These and other directors developed avant-garde cinematic and narrative strategies to confront the repression of the past as well as the repressive nature of the state in occupied Japan. Isolde Standish places the development of the avant-garde within its contemporary intellectual context, (including the influence of French thought and literature), the complex politics of the left and the diversifications of the film industry as it faced economic decline. The book is remarkable for the author's mastery of the subject, the clarity of her arguments and the depth of her scholarship. Rarely does one read a book in which the pieces of the jig-saw fall so precisely and illuminatingly into place. --Laura Mulvey, Professor of Film and Media Studies, Birkbeck University of London... an illuminating study of the avant garde... There is a good deal of interesting material here, particularly as regards the theoretical concepts and influences that helped shape Japan's "counter-cinema". -- Sight & Sound, Book of the Month FeatureTable of ContentsChapter One: Film and Philosophy: Towards a Cinema of Praxis; Chapter Two: War, Historicity, and Counter-Memory; Chapter Three: Sexuality, Perversions and Originary Worlds; Chapter Four: The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On.

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Book SynopsisA philosophical study of the historically dominant form of moving image media. It is suitable for students of aesthetics and cinema, as well as those interested in philosophy and the art of film.Trade Review'Clear and engaging, compact and balanced, this book provides an up-to-date introduction to some of the central issues in the philosophy of film. I can thoroughly recommend it.' Berys Gaut, Reader in Philosophy, University of St Andrews, UK'A clear and comprehensive introduction to the philosophy of film. This book will be a great resource for students as well as philosophers interested in learning about recent developments in the philosophy of film.' Thomas Wartenberg, Professor of Philosophy, Mount Holyoke College, USATable of ContentsPreface; 1. Film as Art; 2. Realism; 3. Authorship; 4. The Language of Film; 5. Narration in the Fiction Film; 6. The Thinking Viewer; 7. The Feeling Viewer; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisScreen Saviors studies how the self of whites is imagined in Hollywood moviesby white directors featuring white protagonists interacting with people of another color. This collaboration by a sociologist and a film critic, using the new perspective of critical white studies, offers a bold and sweeping critique of almost a century''s worth of American film, from Birth of Nation (1915) through Black Hawk Down (2001). Screen Saviors studies the way in which the social relations that we call race are fictionalized and pictured in the movies. It argues that films are part of broader projects that lead us to ignore or deny the nature of the racial divide in which Americans live. Even as the images of racial and ethnic minorities change across the twentieth century, Hollywood keeps portraying the ideal white American self as good-looking, powerful, brave, cordial, kind, firm, and generous: a natural-born leader worthy of the loyalty of those of another color. The book invites readers to conduct their own analyses of films by showing how this can be done in over 50 Hollywood movies. Among these are some films about the Civil WarBirth of a Nation , Gone with the Wind, and Glory; some about white messiahs who rescue people of another colorStargate, To Kill a Mockingbird, Mississippi Burning, Three Kings, and The Matrix; the three versions of Mutiny on the Bounty (1935, 1962, and 1984) and interracial romanceGuess Who''s Coming to Dinner. Forty years of Hollywood fantasies of interracial harmony, from The Defiant Ones and In the Heat of the Night through the Lethal Weapon series and Men in Black are examined. This work in the sociology of knowledge and cultural studies relates the movies of Hollywood to the large political agendas on race relation in the United States. Screen Saviors appeals to the general reader interested in the movies or in race and ethnicity as well as to students of comTrade ReviewThe study cuts through 84 years of films with many specific and accurate analyses. It will give instructors a new perspective and students tough questions to ask in many classes. Recommended. * CHOICE *Through a careful, detailed examination of an impressive number of significant American films, the authors vividly demonstrate the extent to which notions of white supremacy assert themselves, often unconsciously, even in works in which a liberal, ostensibly anti-racist viewpoint dominates. Screen Saviors is an important contribution to cinema studies and to the growing body of scholarship devoted to the study of white identity. -- Robert Elliot Fox, Southern Illinois UniversityAnalyzes the images of white protagonists interacting with people of another race or ethnicity in American movies from 1915's 'Birth of a Nation' to 'Black Hawk Down' in 2001. This book reveals the diverse, often disturbing ways in which movies manufacture the 'white self,' the image and the story of whiteness articulated by white film makers. * Beaches Leader *This book reveals the diverse, often disturbing ways in which movies manufacture the 'white self'—the image and story of whiteness articulated by white filmmakers. Avoiding polemical posturing and relying upon historical analysis, the authors provide us with an insightful project that is written with clarity and care. -- Daniel Bernardi, University of ArizonaProvocative book. There's plenty to enjoy. * Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal *A pioneering and highly original book. From Birth of a Nation to the latest Hollywood films, Vera and Gordon describe and critically analyze Hollywood movies made by dozens of different white directors, producers, and writers, people with different imaginations and styles. Yet virtually all the movies they have made fit the same mold of not challenging white privilege. -- Joe R. Feagin, from the ForewordIf you want to explore a colorful, controversial side of film lore, check out Screen Saviors. At the very least, it'll make you think about what you are watching. * Rockford Register Star *A valuable addition to the growing scholarship of hegemonic whiteness in America. * Contemporary Sociology *Table of ContentsChapter 1 Foreword: A Nation of Sheep Chapter 2 Learning to Be White through the Movies Chapter 3 The Divided White Self Chapter 4 The Beautiful White American: Sincere Fictions of the Savior Chapter 5 Amistad: Civilization and Its Contentments Chapter 6 Mutiny on the Bounty: Civilization and Its Discontents Chapter 7 Racism as a Project:Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Chapter 8 Scarlett and Mammy Revisited: White Women and Black Women in Hollywood Films Chapter 9 White Out: Racial Masquerade by Whites in American Film I Chapter 10 White Out: Racial Masquerade by Whites in American Film II Chapter 11 Black and White Buddies I Chapter 12 Black and White Buddies II Chapter 13 Conclusion: The Crisis of Whiteness

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Book SynopsisChris Meigh-Andrews is Professor of Electronic & Digital Art and Director of the Electronic and Digital Art Unit at the University of Central Lancashire. He studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths and has a PhD from the Royal College of Art. A practising artist specialising in electronic & digital media, he has been exhibiting his videotapes, projections and installations internationally since 1978. His most recently completed work, The Monument Project (2009-2011) which produces a continuously updated time-lapse panoramic view from the top of the Monument in the City of London was commissioned by Julian Harrap Architects. In 2010 Meigh-Andrews was awarded a Diawa Foundation grant to research early artists' video in Japan.Trade ReviewMeigh-Andrews views his history through the lens of technological development, whilst never losing sight of the many artists' creative and subjective visions, which he covers through representative case studies of significant works. The extensive new picture research offers resonant images that evoke memories for some and discovery for new readers. This book is essential reading for all students, scholars, artists and curators who are interested in the subject. -- Professor Stephen Partridge, artist and Principal Investigator for REWIND | Artists' Video in the 1970s & 80s, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee, UKNo other writer on video has Meigh-Andrews' grasp of the feeling of working with electronic media, in all their forms since the 1960s: the artist's perspective on making and showing. With new material expanding the temporal and geographic reach of the book, A History of Video Art is the essential guide to the art form that more than any other defines seeing over the last half century. -- Sean Cubitt, Professor of Film and Television, Goldsmiths, University of London, UKCovering both video art many other related media technologies and art forms of the second part of the 20th century, this book is a fantastic and unique resource. I highly recommend to anybody interested in the history, aesthetics, and social context of media art. -- Lev Manovich, Professor, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA and Director, Software Studies LabMeigh-Andrews’ own significant contribution to video practice and his obvious familiarity with the British video art scene has resulted in an insightful guide to the development of the medium and the surrounding discourses. The book is an ideal introduction to video for the student or general reader while providing for the historian of contemporary art an effective key for opening up the complexities of the historical and technological nuances of the medium. -- Samantha Lackey, “Screen Studies”, The Art Book, Vol. 14, Issue 3, August 2007, Blackwell Synergy, pp 63-64. * First Edition review *An excellent and welcome addition to contemporary writing on video art. It has what a lot of the other books are missing: it has much more detail on the technology behind the cameras, editing systems and installations; it situates video art in relation to the other art movements; and it offers an in-depth discussion of video art's links to experimental music. If you (or your students) have access to the Video Data Bank "Surveying the First Decade," this book is a great compliment to many of the videos featured in this collection. It provides detailed accounts of many key works and is particularly strong on figures like Woody and Steina Vasulka, British video art and European video art which a lot of books ignore entirely. I would recommend this in tandem with Illuminated Video. -- Andrew Dimirjian, NYC, US * First edition review *Table of ContentsPreface to the 2nd edition Part 1. The Origins of Video Art: The Historical and Cultural Context Chapter 1. In The Beginning: The Origins of Video Art Chapter 2. Crossing Boundaries: International Tendencies and Influences in Early Artists’ Video Chapter 3. Technology, Access and Context: Social and Political Activists and Their Role in the Development of Video Art Chapter 4. Expanded Cinema: The Influence of Experimental, Avant-Garde and “Underground” Film Chapter 5. Musique Concrete, Fluxus and Tape Loops: The Influence of Sound Recording and Experimental Music on Artists’ Video Chapter 6. Theory and Practice: The Impact of Theoretical Ideas on Early Technology-Based Practice in the 1970s Chapter 7. Beyond the Lens: Abstract Video Imagery and Image Processing Part 2: A Discussion of Some Representative and Influential Video Art Works Set in Relation to Their Technological and Critical Context Chapter 8. In and Out of the Studio: The Advent of Inexpensive Non-Broadcast Video Chapter 9. Cutting It: Accessible Video Editing Chapter 10. Mixing it: Electronic/Digital Image Manipulation Chapter 11. The Gallery Opens its Doors: Video Installation and Projection Chapter 12. The Ubiquity of the Video Image: Artists’ Video as an International Phenomenon Part 3: The Development of Artists’ Video and Installation in Response to Technological Change and Accessibility Chapter 13. Fields, Lines & Frames: Video as an Electronic Medium Chapter 14. The Means of Production: Feminism, Race, Gender, Technology and Access Chapter 15. Off the Wall: Video Sculpture and Installation Chapter 16. Going Digital: The Emergence of Digital Video Editing, Processing and Effects Chapter 17.Video Art in the New Millennium: New Developments in Artists’ Video since 2000 Part 4. References • Technical Glossary • Bibliography • Index

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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