Films, cinema Books
Reaktion Books Mad, Bad and Dangerous?: The Scientist and the
Book SynopsisSince its origin cinema has had an uneasy relationship with science and technology: scientists are almost always impossibly mad or impossibly saintly, and technology is nearly always very bad for you. In "Mad, Bad and Dangerous", Christopher Frayling explores the genealogy of the film scientist in films made in Western Europe, and especially in Hollywood after the 1930s, showing how in film the scientist has often been used to represent the prevailing phobias of the time. In the 1950s, for example, films were dominated by the fear of botched atomic research, and were a showcase of mutated, outsized creatures and radioactive zombies. Since Hitchcock's "The Birds", however, the role of the scientist has been less straightforward, and by the 1970s damage to the environment and the spread of diseases were the predominant consequences of science gone wrong. Scientists - and the corporations that controlled them - became the 'baddies'. The author also examines in parallel the portrayal of real-life scientists in the movies, noting how they are in the main depicted as misfits, immersed in their work, sacrificing any normal life to the interests of science, yet distrusted by the scientific establishment. Interestingly, the cinematic portrayal of fictional and real-life scientists follow very similar dramatic conventions, and Frayling concludes that the mad scientist and the saintly one are two sides of the same Hollywood coin.Trade Review'Christopher Frayling's entertaining and illuminating book focuses on emblematic films ... [Frayling] looks at changing representations of scientists and the social anxieties they gave expression to.' - Financial Times 'Frayling's book, visually enhanced by scores of black-and-white illustrations, successfully breaks through the walls that often separate art and science. The end product is a highly readable, jargon-free account of scientists on screen that will appeal to both cinema buffs and scientific boffins.' - Scotland on Sunday 'Frayling has reviewed in detail the changing role and perception of scientists in more than a hundred years of cinema [...] He covers films [...] rigorously, detailing lost or forgotten reels with the precision and loving hand of a devoted film historian.' - Nature 'a splendidly impartial account of how scientists have been portrayed [...] This most entertaining book has wide appeal. The illustrations have been carefully selected, and there is a long list of references. Above all, it has been meticulously researched.' - Patrick Moore, The Times Higher Education Supplement 'Christopher Frayling's book characterises several thematic variations in the portrayal of scientists and doctors in Western cinema, from silent movies to modern blockbusters. He has cast his net widely, studying posters and publicity stills as well as films and scripts, and compiled an entertaining survey.' - British Medical Journal
£19.95
Reaktion Books Turkish Cinema: Identity, Distance and Belonging
Book Synopsis"Turkish Cinema: Identity, Distance and Belonging" is the first comprehensive study of the cinema of Turkey to be published in English. A recurring theme in the book is the Turkish quest for a modern identity in a world where borders, attitudes and people themselves are shifting and relocating. Turkey is a society striving to reconcile modern attitudes to morals with traditional values and centuries-old customs and its films reflect these contradictions. Against this background Gonul Donmez-Colin evaluates contemporary Turkish filmmakers, as well as the films of those who have left and those who have been exiled from Turkey. Themes of internal and external migration, as well as the voices of the 'denied identities' such as the Kurds are integral to the book. Gender and sexuality, taboo subjects that only the new generation of filmmakers dare to expose are also discussed homosexuality, lesbianism, honour killings, and incest are some of the ground-breaking points of the author's account. Written by a film scholar familiar with Turkish language and culture who has undertaken extensive research both in Turkey and its neighbouring countries, this is an indispensable reference for students of cinema and Middle Eastern studies, as well as the general reader interested in this dynamic, rich and thoroughly modern national cinema.Trade ReviewTurkish Cinema is a serious and open-minded study, thoroughly documented and researched, illustrated with summaries of films that support its many contentions. To be sure, it is an essential tool for the study of Turkey's cinema, but it is equally vital to an understanding of the ideologies that shaped it: why certain kinds of films were made and what led to their demise; how nation-building exercises are mirrored in cinema; how reigning ideologies and rhetoric give rise to new forms and how relationships between films and viewers build or undo new archaeology in the Seventh Art. The Asian Age Turkish Cinema provides non-Turkish readers with a welcome introduction to a subject which hitherto has received scant critical attention. Screen an engrossing introduction to a national cinema that has received little English-language attention ... what Donmez-Colin has successfully achieved is to present a cinema full of interest and surprises ... it presents Turkish cinema as interesting in general while helpfully singling out specific films that seem like must-see items for any reasonable cinephile's wish list. Screening the Past This volume provides an in-depth yet accessibly written analysis of the various visual and conceptual themes that run through Turkish film from the early 20th century to the present. It specifically examines the ways in which Turkish cinema both reflects and attempts to create a modern national identity for Turkey. Middle East Journal With interest in Turkish cinema so high, it is particularly apt that renowned film scholar Gonul Donmez-Colin has chosen to bring out her insightful and comprehensive review of Turkish cinema, from its 1896 beginnings in Istanbul as a European plaything to the critically acclaimed productions of recent years ... I heartily recommend this book as scholarly, lucid and readable. It is profusely illustrated ... Most importantly, its discussion of the underlying circumstances of each production will enhance the viewing experience. Edinburgh Review this book is a great historical introduction to Turkish cinema and the reader will benefit from the journalistic ease of the language. Turkish Book Review an invaluable resource for film scholars and cinephiles alike ... its insightful and thorough examination of national and contemporary Turkish Cinema makes an important contribution to the abundance of new work on transnational systems of cinema Media/Culture Journal A much needed book, Gonul Donmez-Colin's Turkish Cinema offers challenging and innovative perspectives on this rich national film tradition. Thoroughly researched, fluently written and always thought-provoking, Turkish Cinema is an indispensable work for anyone interested in the complex and persistent role of film in defining identities. -- Alberto Elena
£30.00
Unisa Press Gender terrains in African cinema
Book SynopsisThe highly talented author, Dominica Dipio was inspired by a desire to undertake this study from her interest in gender, and the increasing attention African cinema is drawing in the history of world cinemas. Attaining its identity in the 1960s, this cinema is characteristically a post colonial art form. The first group of filmmakers and critics saw themselves, together with the political elite, as responsible for building their new nations and came up with a series of statements which underline what cinema should be in their contexts - an instrument for educating, decolonising the mind and developing critical participatory viewership. To some extent, the cinema continues the role of the griot with a difference.The interests in this subject led the author to analyse how the cinema and the filmmaker are located within the predominantly patriarchal hegemonic structure as they address issues related to gender and, in particularly, the position of women in African communities. The central question is the representation of women and gender discourses in the cinema. The films selected for analysis are all directed by male filmmakers that are considered representative of African filmmaking. The films selected span from the 1970s to the 2000s. The focus is the comprehensive analysis of gender relations reflected in the portrayal of the girl child, the young woman and mature, as well as the grandmother, vis à vis their male counterparts.Table of Contents1: Theoretical introduction; 2: Imaging the girl child; 3: Negotiating spaces within patriarchy; 4: Positioning the elderly in gender relations; 5: Recurrent trends in gender representation in African cinema.
£33.20
Wallflower Press The Star System
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£16.19
Wallflower Press Science Fiction Cinema
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£16.19
Wallflower Press Light Readings
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£19.80
Wallflower Press The Western Genre
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£999.99
Wallflower Press New Chinese Cinema
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£999.99
Wallflower Press Women′s Cinema
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£16.19
Wallflower Press British Social Realism
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£999.99
Wallflower Press Cinema′s Missing Children
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£64.00
Wallflower Press Early Cinema
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£16.19
Wallflower Press The Hollywood Story to Know About the American
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£25.20
Wallflower Press East–West Encounters
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£16.19
Wallflower Press East–West Encounters
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£999.99
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Latin America
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£25.20
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Latin America
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£64.00
Wallflower Press Liquid Metal – The Science Fiction Film Reader
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£999.99
Wallflower Press Alternative Europe
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£999.99
Wallflower Press Keeping It Real – Irish Film and Television
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£19.80
Wallflower Press Keeping It Real – Irish Film and Television
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£64.00
Liverpool University Press Studying Gladiator: Instructor's Edition
Book SynopsisGladiator was one of the great commercial successes of the early twenty-first century, a fascinating example of how an old genre can be resuscitated for a new generation. The film's story is not complex yet the ways in which it is told says much about mainstream narrative techniques. And beneath its action-packed scenes and richly detailed sets, Gladiator carries specific values and messages which deserve close scrutiny. In Studying Gladiator, Sandy Irvine considers:Film language – how Gladiator overcomes incredulity with compelling use of sound, costume and mise-en-scène; The industrial context – Gladiator as a product of a partnership between an infant studio (DreamWorks) and a transnational corporation (Universal); Genre and Narrative – what do we mean by an 'epic', and can we describe Gladiator as such? Audience – how did the makers of Gladiator 'win the crowd' and appeal to today's block-buster audience? Film-makers – what did Ridley Scott personally bring to Gladiator, and can he be considered an auteur? Representation and Ideology – can we relate historical representations to contemporary society?Trade Reviewwell researched and clearly presented this guide will be really helpful. I think it is unlikely that you will study the film long enough to exhaust all the material here. * In the Picture *
£27.96
Liverpool University Press Studying The Usual Suspects: Instructor's Edition
Book SynopsisThe story of The Usual Suspects has the kind of "rags to riches" back story that makes not only the film itself, but the tale of its creation a tale worth telling. Inspired by a magazine headline, it was a poster before it was a screenplay, yet it stands in opposition to the High Concept Hollywood movie. Studying The Usual Suspects is an analysis of a film that is both a ripping yarn and an exercise in virtuoso technique. Author Judith Gunn offers: a thorough introduction to semiotics as a way of approaching the multiple meanings of the film; a consideration of the film's noir antecedents and influences; a discussion of the film's playful approach to narrative; an overview of John Ottman's unique role as both composer and editor and how this affects the finished article, including a shot-by-shot analysis of the dramatic and mysterious opening sequence; and a definitive account of the film's genesis from idea to film festival acclaim.
£27.96
Liverpool University Press Sitcom: Classroom Resources: A Teacher's Guide
Book SynopsisExperienced teacher and INSET deliverer Julie Patrick explores the various contexts of the sticom genre to provide teachers with tangible pedagogic material for the classroom.
£32.99
Liverpool University Press Studying Chungking Express: Student Edition
Book SynopsisWong Kar-wai's 1994 Chungking Express has quickly been recognised as one of the most important examples of 'World Cinema' in the last two decades. It explores time and desire and, on an allegorical level, the perceived loss of independence that many felt would take place post-1997. Studying Chungking Express considers these historical details but also the key issues of film form, author-ship, representation and identity. Required reading for all those studying contemporary World Cinema or Asian Studies, Studying Chungking Express considers these historical details but also the key issues of film form, author-ship, representation, and identity. In particular: Its central place within the Hong Kong New Wave film movement; its radical film form - notably the cut-and mix play with editing techniques; the signature of Wong Kar-wai as an auteur; the film's representation of the postmodern city; the film's relationship to both Hollywood cinema and European art film.Trade ReviewAlways interesting and extremely useful. * Media Education Journal *
£27.96
Liverpool University Press Studying Videogames
Book SynopsisStudying Videogames is the first book to look at videogames as media texts. Written specifically for advanced level/undergraduate students it covers a broad range of games, industry contexts, and research findings. The book challenges conventional media-analysis approaches; sets out the history, present, and future of games; and interrogates claims about their "social effects." Featuring student activities, interviews with key players in the industry, and an extended case study of the Grand Theft Auto cycle, Studying Videogames seriously engages with this powerful media.
£31.87
Liverpool University Press Studying Videogames
Book SynopsisStudying Videogames is the first book to look at videogames as media texts. Written specifically for advanced level/undergraduate students it covers a broad range of games, industry contexts, and research findings. The book challenges conventional media-analysis approaches; sets out the history, present, and future of games; and interrogates claims about their "social effects." Featuring student activities, interviews with key players in the industry, and an extended case study of the Grand Theft Auto cycle, Studying Videogames seriously engages with this powerful media.
£82.00
Liverpool University Press Studying British Cinema: The 1960s
Book SynopsisAimed explicitly at students and teachers coming to British cinema for the first time, the Studying British Cinema series considers key texts from the decade under discussion and accessibly considers them in their artistic and historical contexts. Beginning with an extended introduction, 1960s British Cinema analyses this famously revolutionary decade, showing how changes in society and culture changed the face of Britain irreversibly, beginning freedoms and trends that would affect the way the country would be perceived forever. Using key filmic texts as its starting point, 1960s British Cinema examines the events that changed the country reflected in the film of the day. The book examines the reputation of the decade as 'swinging' and explores issues of class, race and sexuality whose boundaries paved the way for a greater awareness of the county's identity. Contents: A Glimpse of the Future - Peeping Tom (1960); Keeping it Real - Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and Billy Liar (1963); Living the Dream - A Hard Day's Night (1964); The Empire Strikes Back - Goldfinger (1964); Sex and the Sixties: Darling (1965); Agent of Change - The Ipcress File (1965); London Life - The Knack...and How to Get It (1965); Kaleidoscopic Nation - Blow Up (1966); Decadence and Rebellion - If... (1968).
£999.99
Liverpool University Press Studying Disaster Movies
Book SynopsisThe disaster film taps into our fear of events beyond our control, ones that are often rooted in real-life experience, making the genre a particularly potent mixture of entertainment and grounded events. Studying Disaster Films provides a comprehensive introduction to a sub-genre that has flourished since the 1970s, fully accounting for the genre's origins and focusing on key films, including Airport, The Towering Inferno, The Day After Tomorrow, and, most recently, Cloverfield. Each case study presents a complete examination of the film, covering production, distribution, and marketing, and tackles such major critical areas as close textual analysis of scenes, issues of representation ,and critical reaction. Within this context, The Day After Tomorrow and Cloverfield are examined as products of current moral panics. There is also a consideration of "reality" disaster films, such as United 93. Written in a lively manner, this volume synthesizes central film and media concepts, affording the reader a thorough overview of the sub-genre.
£27.96
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Central Europe
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£999.99
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Central Europe
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£64.00
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Scandinavia
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£999.99
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Scandinavia
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£64.00
Wallflower Press Film Performance – From Achievement to
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£16.19
Wallflower Press The Red and the White – The Cinema of People`s
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£999.99
Wallflower Press The Red and the White – The Cinema of People′s
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£64.00
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Britain and Ireland
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£25.20
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Britain and Ireland
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£64.00
Wallflower Press The Czechoslovak New Wave
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£64.00
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Spain and Portugal
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£25.20
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Spain and Portugal
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£64.00
Wallflower Press The Cinema of France
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£68.00
Wallflower Press Italian Neorealism
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£16.19
Wallflower Press War Cinema Hollywood on the Front Line
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£16.19
Wallflower Press The New Hollywood – From Bonnie and Clyde to Star
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£16.19
Wallflower Press The Cinema of Canada
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£22.50
Wallflower Press Uncovering the Holocaust – The International
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£19.80
Wallflower Press Uncovering the Holocaust – The International
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£64.00
