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Filmmaking For Dummies
by Bryan Michael StollerNow updated--the step-by-step secrets to capturing great moments on filmWith all the recent advancements in filmmaking technology, more people than ever are trying their hand at filmmaking. Keeping up with the newest information in this booming field, this updated edition of Filmmaking For Dummies features up-to-the-minute coverage of the latest and greatest hardware, software, accessories, and trends--including high-definition technology and new outlets for films such as YouTube and MySpace. It demystifies the nuts-and-bolts of filmmaking, from developing a project and securing financing to hiring a cast and crew, editing, and getting distribution. This new edition also provides new movie examples and updated contacts and resources. Whether people want to become professional filmmakers or simply shoot quality home movies, this practical guide has all the advice and tips needed to succeed.
Flip Video For Dummies
by Joel Hutsko Drew DavidsonThe full-color guide to shooting great video with the Flip Video camera The inexpensive Flip Video camera is currently one of the hottest must-have gadgets. It's portable and connects easily to any computer to transfer video you shoot onto your PC or Mac. Although the Flip Video camera comes with a quick-start guide, it lacks a how-to manual, and this full-color book fills that void! Packed with full-color screen shots throughout, Flip Video For Dummies shows you how to shoot the best possible footage in a variety of situations. You'll learn how to transfer video to your computer and then edit it and share your Flip Video movies. Walks you through the basics of using a Flip Video camera and connecting it to your Mac or PC Explains how to shoot footage indoors, outdoors, and even underwater Covers editing video footage using FlipShare, Windows Movie Maker, or iMovie Shows you how to share Flip Video movies or upload them to YouTube, Facebook, and other sites You'll flip out when you discover just how easy a Flip Video camera can be when you have this book by your side!
The Dylanologists
by David KinneyFAN: "You don't know who I am, but I know who you are."BOB DYLAN: "Let's keep it that way."Bob Dylan is the most influential songwriter of our time and, after a half century, he remains a cultural touchstone, an enigma, and the subject of endless fascination. From the moment he arrived on the music scene, he attracted an intensely fanatical cult following, and in The Dylanologists, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Kinney ventures deep into this eccentric subculture to answer a question: What can Dylan's grip on his most enthusiastic listeners tell us about his towering place in American culture?Kinney introduces us to a vibrant underground: diggers searching for unheard tapes and lost manuscripts, researchers obsessing over the facts of Dylan's life and career, writers working to decode unyieldingly mysterious songs, road warriors who meticulously record and dissect every concert. It's an affectionate mania, but as far as Dylan is concerned, a mania nonetheless. Over the years, the intensely private and fiercely combative musician has been frightened, annoyed, and perplexed by fans who try to peel back his layers. He has made at least one thing crystal clear: He does not wish to be known.The story of Dylan's followers is also a revealing portrait of the artist himself. Here, reflected in the fans he inspired and the cultural movements he helped create, is every twist and turn in a career that has swerved from lefty activist to ultra-hip spokesman for a generation to woodsy recluse, from secular storyteller to fire-breathing Christian evangelist, from punch line to elder statesman. Dylan may refuse to explain himself to his followers, but their lives have become mirrors of his, so profoundly are their stories intertwined.Told with tremendous insight, intelligence, and warmth, by turns funny and affecting, The Dylanologists is ultimately a book about our universal quest for meaning. It is populated by characters both legendary and obscure, from aging hippies to idealistic twentysomethings and everyone in between--a young woman who, stirred by Dylan, attends law school and becomes a public defender; a man who crams his New York City apartment with memorabilia, transforming it into a pilgrimage spot for Dylan fanatics; a woman inspired by her hero's redemptive music to go clean after years of drug use. Here is a joyous, soulful, and poignant exploration of the origins and meaning of fandom, the healing power of art, and the importance of embracing what moves you, whatever that may be.
Sleepless in Hollywood
by Lynda ObstBy the author of the bestseller Hello, He Lied, a veteran producer takes a witty look at the new Hollywood. Lynda Obst returns to dish on the experts, tastemakers, and moguls of today's Hollywood and the movies they make. She describes how the movie business has lost its MO--and is now losing its talent to network and especially cable TV.With the collapse of the DVD market, the movie industry was crippled. The business reacted by producing tentpoles (mega-hits) or tadpoles (which nobody gets a chance to see). Why? Since the majority of their revenue comes from the foreign market, especially China and Russia, studios are no longer dependent on expensive stars or dialogue (i.e. writers). Special effects and 3D replace people. Obst speaks from the front lines. Her subjects are friends, moguls, former employers, mentors, and even relatives, who express their opinions with disarming bluntness and hilarity. Obst combines her experiences with insights from the smartest people in the business. In what Obst calls the New Abnormal (because Hollywood wasn't normal to begin with), studios are paralyzed. Can the movie business be resurrected? Can it once again make the movies that make us laugh, cry, and wish we could own the DVD? Obst is ready.
A Life of Barbara Stanwyck
by Victoria WilsonFifteen years in the making, the first volume of the full-scale astonishing life of one of our greatest screen actresses whose career in pictures spanned four decades beginning with the coming of sound--the first to delve deeply into Stanwyck's rich, complex life and to explore her extraordinary range of eighty-eight motion pictures, many of them iconic; her work, her world, her Hollywood through an American century.Frank Capra called her, "The greatest emotional actress the screen has yet known." Yet she was one of its most natural, timeless, and underrated stars. Now Victoria Wilson, gives us the most complete portrait we have yet had, or will have, of this magnificent actresses, seen as the quintessential Brooklyn girl whose family was in fact of old New England stock...her years in New York as dancer and Broadway star...her fraught marriage to Frank Fay, Broadway genius, who influenced a generation of actors and comedians (among them, Jack Benny and Stanwyck herself)...the adoption of a son, embattled from the outset; her partnership with the "unfunny" Marx brother, Zeppo, together creating one of the finest horse breeding farms in the west; her fairytale romance and marriage to the younger Robert Taylor, America's most sought-after male star...Here is the shaping of her career working with many of Hollywood's most important directors: among them, Capra, King Vidor, Cecil B. Demille, Preston Sturges, all set against the times--the Depression, the rise of the unions, the coming of World War II and a fast-evolving coming-of-age motion picture industry. At the heart of the book, Stanwyck herself--her strengths, her fears, her desires--how she made use of the darkness in her soul, keeping it at bay in her private life, transforming herself from shunned outsider into one of Hollywood's--and America's--most revered screen actresses. Written with full access to Stanwyck's family, friends, colleagues, and never-before-seen letters, journals and photographs.
Screenwriting For Dummies, 2nd Edition
by Laura Schellhardt John LoganWrite a great script and get it into the hands of the Hollywood players! So you want to be a screenwriter? Whether you want to write a feature film or a TV script or adapt your favorite book, this friendly guide gives you expert advice in everything from creating your story and developing memorable characters to formatting your script and selling it to the studios. You get savvy industry tips and strategies for getting your screenplay noticed! The screenwriting process from A to Z -- from developing a concept and thinking visually to plotline, conflicts, pacing, and the conclusion Craft living, breathing characters -- from creating the backstory to letting your characters speak to balancing dialogue with action Turn your story into a script -- from developing an outline and getting over writer's block to formatting your screenplay and handling rewrites Prepare for Hollywood -- from understanding the players and setting your expectations to polishing your copy and protecting your work Sell your script to the industry -- from preparing your pitch and finding an agent to meeting with executives and making a deal Open the book and find: The latest on the biz, from entertainment blogs to top agents to box office jargon New story examples from recently released films Tips on character development, a story's time clock, dramatic structure, and dialogue New details on developing the nontraditional screenplay -- from musicals to animation to high dramatic style Expanded information on adaptation and collaboration, with examples from successful screenwriting duos
Breaking Into Acting For Dummies
by Wallace Wang Larry GarrisonProvides the expert advice you need to get your big break!Jump-start your career and land that paying partFrom preparing for auditions to finding an agent, the acting business is a challenging and competitive field. This indispensable guide is what every aspiring actor needs to get a foot in the door. Discover how to market yourself, choose a dynamic head shot, create a stellar acting resume, join unions, and pay the bills while you pursue your acting dreams.The Dummies Way* Explanations in plain English* "Get in, get out" information* Icons and other navigational aids* Tear-out cheat sheet* Top ten lists* A dash of humor and fun
Ballet For Dummies
by Scott Speck Evelyn CisnerosWhether you want to participate in ballet or just watch it, the ballet experience can excite and inspire you. Ballet is among the most beautiful forms of expression ever devised: an exquisite mix of sight and sound, stunning, aesthetics, and awesome technique. Ballet For Dummies is for anyone who wants to enjoy all that the dance forms offers - as an onlooker who wants to get a leg up on the forms you're likely to see or as an exercise enthusiast who understands that the practice of ballet can help you gain More strength Greater flexibility Better body alignment Confidence in movement Comfort through stress reduction Infinite grace - for life From covering the basics of classical ballet to sharing safe and sensible ways to try your hand (and toes) at moving through the actual dance steps, this expert reference shows you how to Build your appreciation for ballet from the ground up. Choose the best practice space and equipment. Warm up to your leap into the movements. Locate musical options for each exercise. Look for certain lifts in a stage performance. Tell a story with gestures. Picture a day in the life of a professional ballet dancer. Identify best-loved classic and contemporary ballets. Speak the language of ballet. Today you can find a ballet company in almost every major city on earth. Many companies have their own ballet schools - some for training future professionals, and others for interested amateurs. As you fine-tune your classical ballet technique - or even if you just like to read about it - you'll become better equipped to fully appreciate the great choreography and many styles of the dance. Ballet For Dummies raises the curtain on a world of beauty, grace, poise, and possibility!
Film and Video Budgets (Fifth Edition)
by Deke SimonFor over a decade, this classic budgeting book has helped filmmakers figure out: How do I put a budget together? How much will my project cost? How do I build an impressive-looking budget for Investors and funders'. . . and answers to hundreds of questions you may not have thought of! The 5th edition of this "industry bible" (over 45,000 copies sold) includes: Downloadable budget templates for free. Adapt these for your own use, and save yourself money and hundreds of hours of tedious data entry. Expanded chapter on preproduction. New site survey report. New information about shooting in High-Definition. All the sample budgets have been updated to include either digital capture or nonlinear digital post (picture and sound) line items and explanations. New appendix, resource section, and index. Book jacket.
Please, Please, Please
by Rachel VailBest friends stick together in Rachel Vail's Friendship Ring series! Growing up is never easy. But when things get tough, you can always count on your best friends. CJ, Olivia, Morgan and Zoe know one thing for sure: they'll always have each other! CJ has been taking ballet for years. But doing ballet means lots of practice and missing out on stuff like soccer with her friends and the big seventh-grade field trip. On top of that, the friendship ring she bought with Zoe is causing trouble in the group. CJ is sure that quitting ballet will make things better with her friends, but it would devastate her mother. All CJ wants is a chance to be happy without hurting anyone else, but is that possible?
This Wheel's On Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of The Band
by Levon HelmThe singer and drummer of The Band details, in this book, the history of one of the most influential groups of the 1960s. While their music evoked a Southern mythology with their beautifully crafted, image-rich songs, only their Arkansan drummer, Levon Helm, was the genuine article. This updated edition of his life story includes a new epilogue that covers the last dozen years of his life. From the cotton fields to Woodstock and from seeing Sonny Boy Williamson and Elvis Presley to playing for President Clinton, This Wheel's on Fire replays the tumultuous life of Levon Helm in his own unforgettable folksy drawl. The Band, who backed Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965 and then turned out a half-dozen albums of beautifully crafted, image-rich songs, is now regarded as one of the most influential rock groups of the '60s. But while their music evoked a Southern mythology, only their Arkansawyer drummer, Levon Helm, was the genuine article. From the cotton fields to Woodstock, from seeing Sonny Boy Williamson and Elvis Presley to playing for President Clinton, This Wheel's on Fire replays the tumultuous history of our times in Levon's own unforgettable folksy drawl. This edition is expanded with a new epilogue covering the last dozen years of Levon's life.
A Companion to Early Cinema
by André Gaudreault Nicolas Dulac Santiago HidalgoAn authoritative and much-needed overview of the main issues in the field of early cinema from over 30 leading international scholars in the field First collection of its kind to offer in one reference: original theory, new research, and reviews of existing studies in the field Features over 30 original essays from some of the leading scholars in early cinema and Film Studies, including Tom Gunning, Jane Gaines, Richard Abel, Thomas Elsaesser, and André Gaudreault Caters to renewed interest in film studies' historical methods, with strict analysis of multiple and competing sources, providing a critical re-contextualization of films, printed material and technologies Covers a range of topics in early cinema, such as exhibition, promotion, industry, pre-cinema, and film criticism Broaches the latest research on the subject of archival practices, important particularly in the current digital context
A Companion to François Truffaut
by Dudley Andrew Anne GillainThe 34 essays of this collection by leading international scholars reassess Truffaut's impact on cinema as they locate the unique quality of his thematic obsessions and his remarkable narrative techniques. Almost 30 years after his death, we are presented with strikingly original perspectives on his background, influences, and importance. Bridges a gap in film scholarship with a series of 34 original essays by leading film scholars that assess the lasting impact of Truffaut's work Provides striking new readings of individual films, and new perspectives on Truffaut's background, influences, and importance Offers a wide choice of critical perspectives ranging from current reflections in film theories to articles applying methodologies that have recently been neglected or considered controversial Includes international viewpoints from a range of European countries, and from Japan, New Zealand, and Brazil Draws on Truffaut's archives at the BiFI (Bibliotheque du film) in Paris Includes an extended interview with French filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin concerning Truffaut's shifting stature in French film culture and his manner of thought and work as a director
Hollywood Stardom
by Paul McdonaldBy integrating star studies and film industry studies, Hollywood Stardom reveals the inextricable bonds between culture and commerce in contemporary notions of film stardom.Integrates the traditions of star studies and industry studies to establish an original and innovative mode of analysis whereby the 'star image' is replaced with the 'star brand'Offers the first extensive analysis of stardom in the 'post-studio' eraCombines genre, narrative, acting, and discourse analysis with aspects of marketing theory and the economic analysis of the film marketDraws on an extensive body of research data not previously deployed in film scholarshipA wide range of star examples are explored including George Clooney, Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, and Julia Roberts
A Companion to Luis Buñuel
by Rob StoneA Companion to Luis Buñuel presents a collection of critical readings by many of the foremost film scholars that examines and reassesses myriad facets of world-renowned filmmaker Luis Buñuel's life, works, and cinematic themes. A collection of critical readings that examine and reassess the controversial filmmaker's life, works, and cinematic themes Features readings from several of the most highly-regarded experts on the cinema of Buñuel Includes a multidisciplinary range of approaches from experts in film studies, Hispanic studies, Surrealism, and theoretical concepts such as those of Gilles Deleuze Presents a previously unpublished interview with Luis Buñuel's son, Juan Luis Buñuel
A Companion to Jean Renoir
by Ginette Vincendeau Alastair PhillipsFrançois Truffaut called him, simply, 'the best'. Jean Renoir is a towering figure in world cinema and fully justifies this monumental survey that includes contributions from leading international film scholars and comprehensively analyzes Renoir's life and career from numerous critical perspectives.New and original research by the world's leading English and French language Renoir scholars explores stylistic, cultural and ideological aspects of Renoir's films as well as key biographical periodsThematic structure admits a range of critical methodologies, from textual analysis to archival research, cultural studies, gender-based and philosophical approachesFeatures detailed analysis of Renoir's essential worksProvides an international perspective on this key auteur's enduring significance in world film history
Voice Acting For Dummies
by David Ciccarelli Stephanie CiccarelliMake a career out of your voice? Easy.Voice acting is like acting, but just using your voice! It's a unique career where the actor's voice can be heard worldwide-in commercials, on audiobooks, in animated movies, documentaries, online videos, telephone systems and much, much more. The point is to bring the written word to life with the human voice.With step-by-step explanations and an abundance of examples, Voice Acting For Dummies is the ultimate reference for budding voice actors on auditioning, recording, producing voice-overs, and promoting themselves as a voice actor.Creating a voice acting demoFinding your signature voiceInterpreting scriptsUsing audio editing softwarePromoting your voice acting talentsIf you're an aspiring voice actor or an actor or singer considering a career transition, Voice Acting For Dummies has everything you need to let your voice talents soar.
Man on the Run
by Tom DoyleAn illuminating look at the most tumultuous decade in the life of a rock icon--the only McCartney biography in decades based on firsthand interviews with the ex-Beatle himself. As the 1970s began, the Beatles ended, leaving Paul McCartney to face the new decade with only his wife Linda by his side. Holed up at his farmhouse in Scotland, he sank into a deep depression. To outsiders, McCartney seemed like a man adrift--intimidated by his own fame, paralyzed by the choices that lay before him, cut loose from his musical moorings. But what appeared to be the sad finale of a glorious career was just the start of a remarkable second act. The product of a long series of one-on-one interviews between McCartney and Scottish rock journalist Tom Doyle, Man on the Run chronicles Paul McCartney's decadelong effort to escape the shadow of his past, outrace his critics, and defy the expectations of his fans. From the bitter and painful breakup of the Beatles to the sobering wake-up call of John Lennon's murder, this is a deeply revealing look at a sometimes frightening, often exhilarating period in the life of the world's most famous rock star. Sensing that he had nowhere to go but up, Paul McCartney started over from scratch. With emotional--and musical--backing from Linda, he released eccentric solo albums and embarked on a nomadic hippie lifestyle. He formed a new band, Wings, which first took flight on a ramshackle tour of British university towns and eventually returned Paul to the summit of arena rock superstardom. In Man on the Run, Doyle follows McCartney inside the recording sessions for Wings' classic album Band on the Run--and provides context for some of the baffling misfires in his discography. Doyle tracks the dizzying highs and exasperating lows of a life lived in the public spotlight: the richly excessive world tours, the Japanese drug bust that nearly ended McCartney's career, his bitter public feuds with his erstwhile Beatle bandmates, and the aftermath of an infamous drug-and-alcohol-fueled jam session where McCartney helped reconcile the estranged John Lennon and Yoko Ono. For Paul McCartney, the 1970s were a wild ride with some dark turns. Set against the backdrop of a turbulent decade, Man on the Run casts the "sunny Beatle" in an entirely new light.Advance praise for Man on the Run "Tom Doyle's Man on the Run is a riveting dispatch from the seventies. Paul McCartney's story is told with clever pacing, unflinching honesty, and a gripping narrative drive that benefits from his intimate participation via interviews and support. This is simply one of the best rock biographies anyone has written."--Stephen Davis, bestselling author of Hammer of the Gods and Watch You Bleed "Man on the Run is simply brimming with enough fascinating facts and expertly rendered anecdotes to make even the most ardent McCartney follower do an abrupt about-face. Maybe I'm amazed? You better believe it."--Kent Hartman, music industry executive and bestselling author of The Wrecking Crew "What happens when you can do anything you like but nothing will ever be good enough? Doyle makes sense of a stoned shaggy dog story that has none of the narrative neatness of the Beatles' rise and fall."--The Guardian (U.K.), "Music Books of the Year" "[Doyle] offers a level-headed and admirably nonjudgmental portrait of a turbulent ten years, punctuated by great music, creative misfires and frequent run-ins with the law."--Sunday Express (U.K.)From the Hardcover edition.
Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese
by Michael J. NelsonYou might think that after ten seasons on the Peabody Award-winning TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000, Mike Nelson has seen enough bad movies for one lifetime. As the guys at Cahiers du Cinema say, au contraire! Hollywood's spigot of stupidity shows no sign of slowing, and cheesy films continue to flood our multiplexes and gunk up our home entertainment centers at an alarming rate. This dire situation calls for a specialist. A professional. An expert in wading through motion pictures so vile that they aren't released; they escape. We need Mike Nelson! Hey, settle down there, pal--you got him! In more than sixty laugh-out-loud reviews and essays featuring his unique combination of erudite wit and shameless clowning, this screenscarred veteran takes us deep into the recesses of cinematic cheese. He examines legendary showbiz families like Culkin, Baldwin, and Estevez; uncovers an ancient quatrain in which Nostradamus foretells the coming of David Hasselhoff; makes the case for the Food Network and the Three Stooges; and skewers all kinds of movies, including Lost in Space, Twister, Anaconda, The Postman, Spring Break, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Bridges of Madison County, The Blair Witch Project, and many, many more. Here is a film critic for the rest of us: the outrageous, hilarious Mike Nelson.
A Companion to Rainer Werner Fassbinder
by Brigitte PeuckerA Companion to Rainer Werner Fassbinder is the first of its kind to engage with this important figure. Twenty-eight essays by an international group of scholars consider this controversial director's contribution to German cinema, German history, gender studies, and auteurship.A fresh collection of original research providing diverse perspectives on Fassbinder's work in films, television, poetry, and underground theatre.Rainer Werner Fassbinder remains the preeminent filmmaker of the New German Cinema whose brief but prolific body of work spans from the latter half of the 1960s to the artist's death in 1982.Interrogates Fassbinder's influence on the seminal ideas of his time: auteurship, identity, race, queer studies, and the cataclysmic events of German twentieth century historyContributions from internationally diverse scholars specializing in film, culture, and German studies.Includes coverage of his key films including: Gods of the Plague (1970), Beware of a Holy Whore (1971), The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), Martha (1973) (TV), World on a Wire (1973), Effi Briest (1974), Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974), Fox and His Friends (1975), Fear of Fear (1975), Chinese Roulette (1976), In a Year With 13 Moons (1978), Despair (1978), The Third Generation (1979), Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) (TV), and Querelle (1982).
Dissonance
by Erica O'RourkeIn this inventive romantic thriller, Del has the power to navigate between alternate realities—and the power to save multiple worlds.<P> Delancey knows for sure that there is more than one universe. Many more. Because every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world is spun off the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left instead of right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed—all of these choices create alternate universes in which echo selves take the roads not traveled. Del knows all of this because she’s a Walker, someone who can navigate between the worlds, and whose job is to keep the dimensions in harmony.<P> But Del’s decisions have consequences too. Even though she’s forbidden from Walking after a training session goes horribly wrong, she secretly starts to investigate other dissonant worlds. She’s particularly intrigued by the echo versions of Simon Lane, a guy who won’t give her the time of day in the main world, but whose alternate selves are uniquely interested. But falling for Simon draws Del closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide—a secret that threatens the fate of the entire multiverse.
Film Noir
by William LuhrFilm Noir offers new perspectives on this highly popular and influential film genre, providing a useful overview of its historical evolution and the many critical debates over its stylistic elements.Brings together a range of perspectives on a topic that has been much discussed but remains notoriously ill-definedTraces the historical development of the genre, usefully exploring the relations between the films of the 1940s and 1950s that established the "noir" universe and the more recent films in which it has been frequently revivedEmploys a clear and intelligent writing style that makes this the perfect introduction to the genreOffers a thorough and engaging analysis of this popular area of film studies for students and scholarsPresents an in-depth analysis of six key films, each exemplifying important trends of film noir: Murder, My Sweet; Out of the Past; Kiss Me Deadly; The Long Goodbye; Chinatown; and Seven
America on Film
by Sean Griffin Harry M. BenshoffAmerica on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in the Movies, 2nd Edition is a lively introduction to issues of diversity as represented within the American cinema. Provides a comprehensive overview of the industrial, socio-cultural, and aesthetic factors that contribute to cinematic representations of race, class, gender, and sexuality Includes over 100 illustrations, glossary of key terms, questions for discussion, and lists for further reading/viewing Includes new case studies of a number of films, including Crash, Brokeback Mountain, and Quinceañera
Storytelling in World Cinemas
by Lina KhatibStorytelling in World Cinemas, Vol. 2: Contexts addresses the questions of what and why particular stories are told in films around the world, both in terms of the forms of storytelling used, and of the political, religious, historical, and social contexts informing cinematic storytelling. Drawing on films from all five continents, the book approaches storytelling from a cultural/historical multidisciplinary perspective, focusing on the influence of cultural politics, postcolonialism, women's social and cultural positions, and religious contexts on film stories. Like its sister volume, Storytelling in World Cinemas, Vol. 1: Forms, this book is an innovative addition to the academic study of world cinemas.
Visions of the Apocalypse: Spectacles of Destruction in American Cinema
by Dixon Wheeler WinstonVisions of the Apocalypse examines the cinema's fascination with the prospect of nuclear and/or natural annihilation, as seen in such films as Saving Private Ryan, Bowling for Columbine, We Were Soldiers, Invasion U.S.A., The Last War, Tidal Wave, The Bed Sitting Room, The Last Days of Man on Earth and numerous others. It also considers the ways in which contemporary cinema has become increasingly hyper-conglomerised, leading to films with ever-higher budgets and fewer creative risks. Along the way, the author discusses such topics as the death of film itself, to be replaced by digital video; the political and social tensions that have made these visions of infinite destruction so appealing to the public; and the new wave of Hollywood war films, coupled with escapist comedies, in the post-9/11 era. Encompassing both questions of physical and filmic mortality Visions of the Apocalypse is a meditation on the questions of time, memory and the cinema's seemingly unending appetite for spectacles of destruction.