Description

Book Synopsis

From the American underground film to the blockbuster superhero, this authoritative collection of introductory and specialized readings explores the core issues and developments in American cinematic history during the second half of the twentieth-century through the present day.

  • Considers essential subjects that have shaped the American film industryfrom the impact of television and CGI to the rise of independent and underground film; from the impact of the civil rights, feminist and LGBT movements to that of 9/11.
  • Features a student-friendly structure dividing coverage into the periods 1960-1975, 1976-1990, and 1991 to the present day, each of which opens with an historical overview
  • Brings together a rich and varied selection of contributions by established film scholars, combining broad historical, social, and political contexts with detailed analysis of individual films, including Midnight Cowboy, Nashville, Cat Ballou, Chicago

    Table of Contents

    Volume II: 1960 to the Present

    Acknowledgments xii

    Preface xiii

    Part I 1960–1975

    1 Setting the Stage: American Film History, 1960–1975 3

    Notes 21

    References 21

    2 Adults Only: Low-Budget Exploitation 23
    Eric Schaefer

    Note 35

    References 35

    3 Black Representation in Independent Cinema: From Civil Rights to Black Power 37
    Alex Lykidis

    Notes 52

    References 54

    4 Cinema Direct and Indirect: American Documentary, 1960–1975 56
    Charles Warren

    Notes 70

    References 70

    5 Comedy and the Dismantling of the Hollywood Western 72
    Teresa Podlesney

    Note 86

    References 86

    6 The New Hollywood 87
    Derek Nystrom

    Notes 103

    References 103

    7 “One Big Lousy X”: The Cinema of Urban Crisis 105
    Art Simon

    References 118

    8 Nashville: Putting on the Show: Or, Paradoxes of the “Instant” and the “Moment” 120
    Thomas Elsaesser

    Notes 131

    References 132

    9 Cinema and the Age of Television, 1946–1975 134
    Michele Hilmes

    Notes 146

    References 146

    Part II 1976–1990

    10 Setting the Stage: American Film History, 1976–1990 151

    Notes 173

    References 173

    11 Seismic Shifts in the American Film Industry 175
    Thomas Schatz

    Notes 188

    References 188

    12 Independent Film: 1980s to the Present 190
    Geoff King

    References 204

    13 Reclaiming the Black Family: Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, and the “L.A. Rebellion” 205
    Janet K. Cutler

    Notes 218

    References 221

    14 Feminism, Cinema, and Film Criticism 223
    Lucy Fischer

    References 238

    15 American Avant-Garde Cinema from 1970 to the Present 241
    Scott MacDonald

    Note 258

    References 258

    16 A Reintroduction to the American Horror Film 259
    Adam Lowenstein

    Note 274

    References 274

    17 Back to the Future: Hollywood and Reagan’s America 275
    Susan Jeffords

    References 285

    18 “Stayin’ Alive”: The Post-Studio Hollywood Musical 286
    Karen Backstein

    Notes 301

    References 302

    Part III 1991 to the Present

    19 Setting the Stage: American Film History, 1991 to the Present 307

    Notes 329

    References 329

    20 The Queer 1990s: The Challenge and Failure of Radical Change 330
    Michael Bronski

    Notes 344

    References 346

    21 24/7: Cable Television, Hollywood, and the Narrative Feature Film 347
    Barbara Klinger

    Notes 360

    References 360

    22 Plasmatics and Prisons: The Morph and the Spectacular Emergence of CGI 362
    Kristen Whissel

    References 375

    23 Mainstream Documentary since 1999 376
    Patricia Aufderheide

    References 391

    24 Truthiness Is Stranger than Fictition: The “New Biopic” 393
    Michael Sicinski

    Notes 407

    25 “Asia” as Global Hollywood Commodity 408
    Kenneth Chan

    Notes 421

    References 422

    26 The Blockbuster Superhero 423
    Bart Beaty

    Notes 437

    References 437

    27 Limited Engagement: The Iraq War on Film 438
    Susan L. Carruthers

    Notes 453

    References 453

    28 The Biggest Independent Pictures Ever Made: Industrial Reflexivity Today 454
    J. D. Connor

    Notes 468

    References 469

    29 Writing American Film History 471
    Robert Sklar

    References 481

    Index 483

American Film History

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Thu 25 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Cynthia Lucia, Roy Grundmann, Art Simon

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of American Film History by Cynthia Lucia

      Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
      Publication Date: 21/08/2015
      ISBN13: 9781118475126, 978-1118475126
      ISBN10: 1118475127
      Also in:
      Media, entertainment, information Society and culture: general

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      From the American underground film to the blockbuster superhero, this authoritative collection of introductory and specialized readings explores the core issues and developments in American cinematic history during the second half of the twentieth-century through the present day.

      • Considers essential subjects that have shaped the American film industryfrom the impact of television and CGI to the rise of independent and underground film; from the impact of the civil rights, feminist and LGBT movements to that of 9/11.
      • Features a student-friendly structure dividing coverage into the periods 1960-1975, 1976-1990, and 1991 to the present day, each of which opens with an historical overview
      • Brings together a rich and varied selection of contributions by established film scholars, combining broad historical, social, and political contexts with detailed analysis of individual films, including Midnight Cowboy, Nashville, Cat Ballou, Chicago

        Table of Contents

        Volume II: 1960 to the Present

        Acknowledgments xii

        Preface xiii

        Part I 1960–1975

        1 Setting the Stage: American Film History, 1960–1975 3

        Notes 21

        References 21

        2 Adults Only: Low-Budget Exploitation 23
        Eric Schaefer

        Note 35

        References 35

        3 Black Representation in Independent Cinema: From Civil Rights to Black Power 37
        Alex Lykidis

        Notes 52

        References 54

        4 Cinema Direct and Indirect: American Documentary, 1960–1975 56
        Charles Warren

        Notes 70

        References 70

        5 Comedy and the Dismantling of the Hollywood Western 72
        Teresa Podlesney

        Note 86

        References 86

        6 The New Hollywood 87
        Derek Nystrom

        Notes 103

        References 103

        7 “One Big Lousy X”: The Cinema of Urban Crisis 105
        Art Simon

        References 118

        8 Nashville: Putting on the Show: Or, Paradoxes of the “Instant” and the “Moment” 120
        Thomas Elsaesser

        Notes 131

        References 132

        9 Cinema and the Age of Television, 1946–1975 134
        Michele Hilmes

        Notes 146

        References 146

        Part II 1976–1990

        10 Setting the Stage: American Film History, 1976–1990 151

        Notes 173

        References 173

        11 Seismic Shifts in the American Film Industry 175
        Thomas Schatz

        Notes 188

        References 188

        12 Independent Film: 1980s to the Present 190
        Geoff King

        References 204

        13 Reclaiming the Black Family: Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, and the “L.A. Rebellion” 205
        Janet K. Cutler

        Notes 218

        References 221

        14 Feminism, Cinema, and Film Criticism 223
        Lucy Fischer

        References 238

        15 American Avant-Garde Cinema from 1970 to the Present 241
        Scott MacDonald

        Note 258

        References 258

        16 A Reintroduction to the American Horror Film 259
        Adam Lowenstein

        Note 274

        References 274

        17 Back to the Future: Hollywood and Reagan’s America 275
        Susan Jeffords

        References 285

        18 “Stayin’ Alive”: The Post-Studio Hollywood Musical 286
        Karen Backstein

        Notes 301

        References 302

        Part III 1991 to the Present

        19 Setting the Stage: American Film History, 1991 to the Present 307

        Notes 329

        References 329

        20 The Queer 1990s: The Challenge and Failure of Radical Change 330
        Michael Bronski

        Notes 344

        References 346

        21 24/7: Cable Television, Hollywood, and the Narrative Feature Film 347
        Barbara Klinger

        Notes 360

        References 360

        22 Plasmatics and Prisons: The Morph and the Spectacular Emergence of CGI 362
        Kristen Whissel

        References 375

        23 Mainstream Documentary since 1999 376
        Patricia Aufderheide

        References 391

        24 Truthiness Is Stranger than Fictition: The “New Biopic” 393
        Michael Sicinski

        Notes 407

        25 “Asia” as Global Hollywood Commodity 408
        Kenneth Chan

        Notes 421

        References 422

        26 The Blockbuster Superhero 423
        Bart Beaty

        Notes 437

        References 437

        27 Limited Engagement: The Iraq War on Film 438
        Susan L. Carruthers

        Notes 453

        References 453

        28 The Biggest Independent Pictures Ever Made: Industrial Reflexivity Today 454
        J. D. Connor

        Notes 468

        References 469

        29 Writing American Film History 471
        Robert Sklar

        References 481

        Index 483

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