The Brothers Coen: Unique Characters of Violence spans the career of the two-time Oscar-winning producer/director team, exploring the theme of violence that runs through a genre-spanning body of work, from the neo-noir of Blood Simple to the brutal comedy Burn After Reading (2008).

In chapters focusing on major characters, Ryan Doom looks at the chaotic cinematic universe of the Coens, where violent acts inevitably have devastating, unintended consequences. The remarkable gallery of Coen characters are all here: hardboiled gangster Tom Regan from...

"Roman Polanski: A Life in Exile" is a revealing look at this acclaimed filmmaker whose life in exile seems to have made his films all the more personal and powerful.

Written by a film critic, this insightful book follows Polanski's story from his childhood in a World War II Jewish ghetto to his early films in Poland; from his American breakout, "Rosemary's Baby," to his wife's murder by the Manson family; from the spectacular return of "Chinatown," to his exile as a convicted sex criminal, to the monumental career peak, "The Pianist." The Holocaust, the oppression of communism, the...

Charlie Kaufman got his start in television, but it was his first film, the eccentric "Being John Malkovich," that won notice for his unique storytelling style. With the aid of a plethora of contributions from those with whom the writer has worked, "Charlie Kaufman: Confessions of an Original Mind" presents the intriguing story of that movie and others as it examines one of the most innovative voices in modern film.

This exhaustive study of Kaufman's life and work is organized chronologically to cover his early influences as well as his most-recent ventures. Highlights include...

Arranged chronologically, "Gus Van Sant: His Own Private Cinema" provides a comprehensive overview of the life and art of this talented director, covering his mainstream, commercial, and avant-garde projects. More than a biography, the book examines Van Sant's incredibly diverse body of work, exploring the influence of his open homosexuality; of fine art, literature, and music; and of the range of cinema styles to which he has been exposed.

Stressing Van Sant's wide-ranging content, genre, style, and cinematic presentation, author Vincent LoBrutto details the filmmaker's...

"Quentin Tarantino: Life at the Extremes" explores the uses of violence in the films Tarantino has written, directed, and produced. Arguing that extreme violence is central to Tarantino's art, the book helps readers understand its purpose in his films--as metaphor, as movement, and as motivation. For Tarantino, the book explains, violence serves the purposes of film. In each of his movies, he explores the boundaries of taste and audience reaction, using violence and shock to bring questions of responsibility and expectation to the forefront of discussions on cinema.

After introductory...

This first full-length consideration of this noted director's work, "Wes Anderson: Why His Movies Matter" is organized chronologically to encompass all of Anderson's films, from 1996's "Bottle Rocket" to "Rushmore," " The Royal Tenenbaums," and the 2009 release, "The Fantastic Mr. Fox." The study includes analysis of Anderson's work in commercials, his representation of race and class, his main stylistic influences, and his innovations in the use of frame.

Beyond that, author Mark Browning considers whether Anderson's allusions create resonance or simply play a game with an audience...

"The Coppolas: A Family Business" examines the lives, films, and relationship of two exemplary filmmakers, Francis Ford Coppola and his daughter Sofia. It looks at their commonalities and differences, as artists and people, and at the way those qualities are reflected in their work.

Much of the book is devoted to Francis and his outstanding achievements--and equally notable failures--as a screenwriter, director, producer, and presenter of landmark works of cinema. The narrative goes beyond the heyday of his involvement with Hollywood to analyze his more recent projects and the choices...

This insightful study probes the iconic filmmaker's career as a director and shaper of American culture. It not only sheds light on the ways in which Lee's background, influences, and outlook affect his films but also discusses how he participates in, transforms, and transcends the tradition of black American filmmaking.

Each chapter offers a critical assessment of at least one, and sometimes multiple, Lee films, examining their production history; their place in Lee's filmography; and their aesthetic, cultural, and historical significance. Readers will come away from this first...