Whether re-creating an actual event or simply being set in a bygone era, films have long taken liberties with the truth. While some members of the audience can appreciate a movie without being distracted by historical inaccuracies, other viewers are more discerning. From revered classics like Gone with the Wind to recent award winners like Argo, Hollywood films often are taken to task for their loose adherence to the facts. But what obligation do filmmakers have to the truth when trying to create a two-hour piece of entertainment? In Bringing History to Life through Film: The Art of Cinematic...
Whether re-creating an actual event or simply being set in a bygone era, films have long taken liberties with the truth. While some members of the aud...
The American Indian has figured prominently in many films and television shows, portrayed variously as a villain, subservient friend, or a hapless victim of progress. Many Indian stereotypes that were derived from European colonial discourse--some hundreds of years old--still exist in the media today. Even when set in the contemporary era, novels, films, and programs tend to purvey rehashed tropes such as Pocahontas or man Friday. In Native Americans on Network TV: Stereotypes, Myths, and the "Good Indian," Michael Ray FitzGerald argues that the colonial power of the U.S. is clearly evident...
The American Indian has figured prominently in many films and television shows, portrayed variously as a villain, subservient friend, or a hapless vic...
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, transnational European cinema has risen, not only in terms of production but also in terms of a growing focus on multiethnic themes within the European context. This shift from national to trans-European filmmaking has been profoundly influenced by such historical developments as the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the subsequent ongoing enlargement of the European Union. In European Cinema after the Wall: Screening East-West Mobility, Leen Engelen and Kris Van Heuckelom have brought together essays that critically examine representations of...
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, transnational European cinema has risen, not only in terms of production but also in terms of a growing foc...
Featuring ordinary people, celebrities, game shows, hidden cameras, everyday situations, and humorous or dramatic situations, reality TV is one of the fastest growing and important popular culture trends of the past decade, with roots reaching back to the days of radio. The Tube Has Spoken provides an analysis of the growing phenomenon of reality TV, its evolution as a genre, and how it has been shaped by cultural history. This collection of essays looks at a wide spectrum of shows airing from the 1950s to the present, addressing some of the most popular programs including Alan Funt's Candid...
Featuring ordinary people, celebrities, game shows, hidden cameras, everyday situations, and humorous or dramatic situations, reality TV is one of the...
From the late 1940s until the early 1990s, the Cold War was perhaps the most critical and defining aspect of American culture, influencing television, music, and movies, among other forms of popular entertainment. Films in particular were at the center of the battle for the hearts and minds of the American public. Throughout this period, the Cold War influenced what movies got produced, how such movies were made, and how audiences understood the films they watched. In the post-Cold War era, some genres of film suffered from the shift in our national narratives, while others were quickly...
From the late 1940s until the early 1990s, the Cold War was perhaps the most critical and defining aspect of American culture, influencing television,...
One of the most popular presidents of the twentieth century, John F. Kennedy has been the subject of countless books, documentaries, and portrayals both on television and in feature films. Whether depicting his exploits during World War II (PT-109), capturing crucial moments during his presidency (Thirteen Days), or providing a fictionalized account of his assassination (Executive Action), films continue to portray Kennedy and his legacy. In The JFK Image: Profiles in Docudrama, Raluca Lucia Cimpean examines John F. Kennedy's representations in motion pictures, focusing on how the late...
One of the most popular presidents of the twentieth century, John F. Kennedy has been the subject of countless books, documentaries, and portrayals bo...
From early cinematic depictions of food as a symbol of ethnic and cultural identity to more complex contemporary portrayals, movies have demonstrated how our ideas about food are always changing. On the big and small screens, representations of addiction, starvation, and even food as fetish reinforce how important food is in our lives and in our culture. In Food on Film: Bringing Something New to the Table, Tom Hertweck brings together innovative viewpoints about a popular, yet understudied, subject in cinema. This collection explores the pervasiveness of food in film, from movies in which...
From early cinematic depictions of food as a symbol of ethnic and cultural identity to more complex contemporary portrayals, movies have demonstrated ...
For nearly 25 years, Pauline Kael was one of America's most respected, controversial, and talked-about film reviewers. A contributor to the New Yorker from 1968 until 1991, Kael's reviews were collected in several volumes, including I Lost It at the Movies, Kiss Kiss Bang, Bang Bang, and 5001 Nights at the Movies, as well as a volume for the Library of America series. Although Kael was the subject of an acclaimed biography by Brian Kellow, her writings have never been systematically discussed or analyzed. In Talking about Pauline Kael: Critics, Filmmakers, and Scholars Remember an Icon, Wayne...
For nearly 25 years, Pauline Kael was one of America's most respected, controversial, and talked-about film reviewers. A contributor to the New Yorker...
The Holocaust has been the focus of countless films in the United States, Great Britain, and Europe, and its treatment over the years has been the subject of considerable controversy. When finally permitted to portray the atrocities, filmmakers struggled with issues of fidelity to historical fact, depictions of graphic violence, and how to approach the complexities of the human condition on all sides of this horrific event. In Hollywood and the Holocaust, Henry Gonshak explores portrayals of the Holocaust from the World War II era to the present. In chapters devoted to films ranging from The...
The Holocaust has been the focus of countless films in the United States, Great Britain, and Europe, and its treatment over the years has been the sub...
This is an in-depth look at the life and career of James Stuart Blackton (1875-1941), the first great commercial vendor of cinema who grasped that motion pictures were not merely a technical innovation, but a popular entertainment form for the masses. Blackton was a man of m...
This is an in-depth look at the life and career of James Stuart Blackton (1875-1941), the first great commercial vendor of cinema who grasped that mot...
