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The Art of Watching Films (8th Edition)
by Dennis Petrie Joe BoggsWith an emphasis on the narrative film,The Art of Watching Films challenges students to take their film experience further by sharpening their powers of observation, developing the skills and habits of perceptive watching, and discovering complex aspects of film art that they might otherwise overlook. The Art of Watching Films introduces the formal elements and production process of films, and helps students analytically view and understand films within their historical, cultural and social contexts. The text presents an analytical framework that can be applied to all movies, as distinctly different as Avatar, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Vertigo, Iron-Man, Man on Wire, and The Hurt Locker.
The Art Of Watching Films (Seventh Edition)
by Dennis W. PetrieNot only is there an art to making films, there is also an art to watching films. We wrote this book to challenge students in introduction to film courses to sharpen their powers of observation, develop the skills and habits of perceptive watching, and discover complex aspects of film art that they might otherwise overlook. We designed the text to complement any film studied; its analytical framework can be applied to films as distincly different as The Grapes of Wrath, Caché, Dreamgirls, Batman Begins, Little Miss Sunshine, and Flags of our Fathers.
Joyless Streets: Women and Melodramatic Representation in Weimar Germany
by Patrice PetroPatrice Petro challenges the conventional assessment of German film history, which sees classical films as responding solely to male anxieties and fears. Exploring the address made to women in melodramatic films and in popular illustrated magazines, she shows how Weimar Germany had a commercially viable female audience, fascinated with looking at images that called traditional representations of gender into question. Interdisciplinary in her approach, Petro interweaves archival research with recent theoretical debates to offer not merely another view of the Weimar cinema but also another way of looking at Weimar film culture. Women's modernity, she suggests, was not the same as men's modernism, and the image of the city street in film and photojournalism reveals how women responded differently from men to the political, economic, and psychic upheaval of their times.
Choreographing Agonism: Politics, Strategies and Performances of the Left
by Goran Petrović-LotinaIn Choreographing Agonism, author Goran Petrović Lotina offers new insight into the connections between politics and performance. Exploring the political and philosophical roots of a number of recent leftist civil movements, Petrović Lotina forcefully argues for a re-imagining of artistic performance as an instrument of democracy capable of contesting a dominant politics.Inspired by post-Marxist theories of discourse theory, hegemony, conflict, and pluralism, and using tension as a guiding philosophical, political, and artistic force, the book expands the politico-philosophical debate on theories of performance. It offers both scholars and practitioners of performance a thought-provoking analysis of the ways in which artistic performance can be viewed politically as ‘agonistic choreo-political practice,’ a powerful strategy for mobilising alternative ways of living together and invigorating democracy.Choreographing Agonism makes a bold and innovative contribution to the discussion of political and philosophical thought in the field of Performance Studies.
French B Movies: Suburban Spaces, Universalism, and the Challenge of Hollywood (New Directions in National Cinemas)
by David A. PettersenIn the impoverished outskirts of French cities, known as the banlieues, minority communities are turning to American culture, history, and theory to make their own voices, cultures, and histories visible. Filmmakers have followed suit, turning to Hollywood genre conventions to challenge notions of identity, belonging, and marginalization in mainstream French film.French B Movies proposes that French banlieue films, far from being a fringe genre, offer a privileged site from which to understand the current state of the French film industry in an age of globalization. This gritty style appears in popular arthouse films such as Mathieu Kassovitz's La Haine and Bande de filles (Girlhood) along with the major Netflix hit series Lupin. David Pettersen traces how, in these works and others, directors fuse features of banlieue cinema with genre formulas associated with both Hollywood and Black cultural models, as well as how transnational genre hybridizations, such as B movies, have become part of the ecosystem of the French film industry.By combining film analysis, cultural history, critical theory, and industry studies, French B Movies reveals how featuring banlieues is as much about trying to imagine new identities and production models for French cinema as it is about representation.
Mind Reeling: Psychopathology on Film (SUNY series, Horizons of Cinema)
by Homer B. PetteyMind Reeling investigates how cinema displays and mirrors psychological disorders, such as bipolar disorder, amnesia, psychotic delusions, obsessive compulsive behavior, trauma, paranoia, and borderline personalities. It explores a range of genres, including biopics, comedies, film noirs, contemporary dramedies, thrillers, Gothic mysteries, and docufictions. The contributors open up critical approaches to audience fascination with film depictions of serious disturbances within the human psyche. Many films examined here have had little scholarly attention and commentary. These essays focus on how cinematic techniques contribute to popular culture's conception of mental dysfunction, trauma, and illness. This book reveals the complex artistic and generic patterns that produce contemporary images of psychopathology in cinema.
The Bear Must Go On
by Dev PettyIn this hilarious story of theatrical hijinks, plans go awry when four woodland friends stage a show--unless Bear can step up and save the day!Bear and his woodland friends are putting on a show, and there are lots of plans to be made. Their curtains need sequins! Their hats must be very, very tall! And their tickets have to be shiny! (No one will come if the tickets are dull.)Behind the scenes, shy Bear takes notes on every detail until his paws ache. But at least he won't have to go on stage. He could NEVER do that!. . . Or could he?In this uproarious tale of theatrical mishaps told with hilariously endearing art, four woodland friends bring down the house--and have plenty of fun along the way.Praise for The Bear Must Go On:"A snort-inducing lesson of both bravery and preparation." --Kirkus Reviews"The rewarding finale . . . applauds facing one's fears, being a good friend, and keeping an eye on the big picture." --Publishers Weekly"Witty and wonderful . . . A cheerful story, conveying the joy of creation, the fun of friendship, and the beauty of stepping outside one's comfort zone." --Booklist"Youngsters who find the spotlight too bright might be inspired by Bear's turn on the stage, and show stealers may also reconsider and revalue the contributions of pals who stay behind the scenes." --BCCB"This playful and endearing story offers young readers a heartfelt message about collaboration and overcoming fear, making it an excellent choice for most collections." --SLJ
Stealing the Show: African American Performers and Audiences in 1930s Hollywood
by Miriam J. PettyStealing the Show is a study of African American actors in Hollywood during the 1930s, a decade that saw the consolidation of stardom as a potent cultural and industrial force. Petty focuses on five performers whose Hollywood film careers flourished during this period--Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington, Lincoln "Stepin Fetchit" Perry, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and Hattie McDaniel--to reveal the "problematic stardom" and the enduring, interdependent patterns of performance and spectatorship for performers and audiences of color. She maps how these actors--though regularly cast in stereotyped and marginalized roles--employed various strategies of cinematic and extracinematic performance to negotiate their complex positions in Hollywood and to ultimately "steal the show. " Drawing on a variety of source materials, Petty explores these stars' reception among Black audiences and theorizes African American viewership in the early twentieth century. Her book is an important and welcome contribution to the literature on the movies.
Contact Zones: Memory, Origin, and Discourses in Black Diasporic Cinema
by Sheila J. PettyCreated at the crossroads of slavery, migration, and exile, and comprising a global population, the black diaspora is a diverse space of varied histories, experiences, and goals. Likewise, black diasporic film tends to focus on the complexities of transnational identity, which oscillates between similarity and difference and resists easy categorization. In Contact Zones author Sheila J. Petty addresses a range of filmmakers, theorists, and issues in black diasporic cinema, highlighting their ongoing influences on contemporary artistic and theoretical discourses. Petty examines both Anglophone and Francophone films and theorists, divided according to this volume's three thematic sections--Slavery, Migration and Exile, and Beyond Borders. The feature films and documentaries considered--which include Sankofa, Daughters of the Dust, The Man by the Shore, and Rude, among others--represent a wide range of cultures and topics. Through close textual analysis that incorporates the work of well-known diasporic thinkers like W. E. B. DuBois, Aimé Césaire, and Frantz Fanon along with contemporary notables such as Molefi Kete Asante, bell hooks, Clenora Hudson-Weems, René Depestre, Paul Gilroy, and Rinaldo Walcott, Petty details the unique ways in which black diasporic films create meaning. By exploring a variety of African American, Caribbean, Black British, and African Canadian perspectives, Contact Zones provides a detailed survey of the diversity and vitality of black diasporic contributions to cinema and theory. This volume will be a welcome addition to the libraries of scholars and students of film studies and Africana studies.
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).
Donald Shebib's 'Goin' Down the Road'
by Geoff PevereSince its release in July 1970, Donald Shebib's low-budget road movie about displaced Maritimers in Toronto has become one of the most celebrated Canadian movies ever made. In this study of Goin' Down the Road, renowned film critic Geoff Pevere provides an engaging account of how a film produced under largely improvised circumstances became the most influential Canadian movie of its day as well as an enduring cultural touchstone.Featuring extensive interviews with the film's key participants, Pevere provides behind-the-scenes history and explores how the movie's meaning and interpretation have changed over time. He gives special attention to the question of why the film's creative mix of documentary techniques, road movie tropes, and social commentary have proven so popular and influential in Canadian filmmaking for decades.
Damn Shame: A Memoir of Desire, Defiance, and Show Tunes
by David PevsnerA funny, daring, bawdy and incredibly honest memoir from the anti-ageist, anti-body shaming, pro-sex advocate and erotic provocateur.Over the course of his 40-year career in show business, David Pevsner has done it all. He&’s acted on Broadway, off-Broadway, in independent films and on numerous TV network shows including Grey&’s Anatomy, Modern Family and Criminal Minds. As he continues his career in entertainment, Pevsner has also dedicated himself to exploring his deepest sexual fantasies. In his late 30s he became a mature male escort and over the last several years has attracted a large international fan base through his blog of erotic photographs celebrating nudity and sexuality. Damn Shame is David Pevsner&’s incredible story and is a passionate and poignant look at one man&’s journey from a thin, shy boy ashamed of his body and sexuality to a defiant, fearless everyman exploring his erotic desires, everything from leather and S&M to nude/erotic/hardcore modelling. Along the way, he fights back against society&’s demonization of gay sex, body shaming and ageism while pursuing his own very personal definition of success and seeking love, validation and self-esteem. Damn Shame gives a loud and powerful voice to a generation of mature men who have been conditioned to believe from society (and especially younger members of the gay community) that they are sexually irrelevant, old and undesirable. Pevsner&’s life story goes in directions that many couldn&’t imagine, but the lessons learned through his experiences will resonate with readers of every age.
The Beethoven Medal (Pennington #2)
by K. M. Peyton"There are plenty of nice steady boys you could go out with," her mother told her, but Ruth Hollis knew that beside Patrick other boys would seem insipid and dull. Ruth was quiet, but she had a streak of stubbornness in her nature, and she enjoyed a challenge. When she was younger and crazy about horses, she had always liked to ride the most difficult ponies; so perhaps it wasn't surprising that now, as a girl of sixteen, she should find herself involved with Patrick Pennington--a singularly complex, wild, and talented young man. Nevertheless, Ruth found herself wondering if this particular challenge was going to prove too much for her--with far-reaching consequences for herself and her family. K. M. Peyton, winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Award for her distinguished contribution to children's literature, has written a tender, funny, and convincing story of two very appealing young people on the verge of love.
Marion's Angels (Pennington #4)
by K. M. PeytonMarion's Angels is an unusual novel about a lonely girl and her love for an impressive medieval church on the river marsh near her father's cottage. "That queer little Marion", the villagers would say, "Why would she want a church of her own?" But Marion, in an emotional tangle after her mother's death, didn't care what they thought of her strange fascination. She carefully tended the church and its twelve beautifully carved angels that seemed to her almost alive, praying intensely for the money to save it from ruin. A miracle seems to result from her passionate prayers for her angels. A world famous violinist takes up the cause and arranges a series of benefit performances. Marion is tumbled into a world of concerts and professional musicians--and a confusing web of relationships and connection with the supernatural. In the end crisis, one of Marion's angels seems to save her life--another miracle or just chance? This is a compelling novel for young people, sympathetically portraying a sensitive young girl and her mysterious glimpses of seemingly supernatural coincidences. Peyton, long acknowledged as an outstandingly original writer, tells this story with characteristic warmth and humor, and provides as well interesting insights into the world of professional musicians. It is a story that lingers with the reader long after it has been put down. K. M. Peyton was born in Birmingham, England, and educated at Wimbledon High School, Kingston School of Art and Manchester Art School. It was while an art student that she met her husband, who is a freelance commercial artist. Mrs. Peyton has been writing since she was nine--she had her first book published at fifteen--and when her first daughter was born, she gave up her job as an art teacher to follow a full-time career in writing. Since then she has won several awards, including the Carnegie Medal, and two of her books have been chosen as American Library Association Notable Books. Her celebrated trilogy Flambards has been televised in England.
Pennington's Heir (Pennington #3)
by K. M. PeytonGetting out of prison was like being born again, said Patrick Pennington. His adoring girl friend, seventeen-year-old Ruth Hollis, was waiting for him. Professor Hampton, Pat's piano teacher, had waited, too, for his impetuous star pupil to get out and get back to his music again. Now it looked like a sure, straight road to success, if Pat could just keep himself out of trouble and stick with his studies. But trouble and Pat Pennington have an affinity for each other. When Ruth tells him she is going to have his baby, Pat must face a new kind of problem--one that threatens both his personal happiness and his future as a concert pianist. Patrick Pennington, the rebellious and talented anti-hero of Pennington's Last Term and The Beethoven Medal, doesn't settle easily into the role of husband, father, and breadwinner. With humor, compassion, and deep insight, K. M. Peyton portrays a very young, very loving couple's rocky first year of marriage.
Streampunks: YouTube and the Rebels Remaking Media
by Maany Peyvan Robert KynclAn entertainment and tech insider—YouTube’s chief business officer—delivers the first detailed account of the rise of YouTube, the creative minds who have capitalized on it to become pop culture stars, and how streaming video is revolutionizing the media world.In the past ten years, the internet video platform YouTube has changed media and entertainment as profoundly as the invention of film, radio, and television did, more than six decades earlier. Streampunks is a firsthand account of this upstart company, examining how it evolved and where it will take us next.Sharing behind-the-scenes stories of YouTube’s most influential stars—Streampunks like Tyler Oakley, Lilly Singh, and Casey Neistat—and the dealmakers brokering the future of entertainment like Scooter Braun and Shane Smith, Robert Kyncl uses his experiences at three of the most innovative media companies, HBO, Netflix, and YouTube, to tell the story of streaming video and this modern pop culture juggernaut. Collaborating with Google speechwriter Maany Peyvan, Kyncl explains how the new rules of entertainment are being written and how and why the media landscape is radically changing, while giving aspiring Streampunks some necessary advice to launch their own new media careers.Kyncl persuasively argues that, despite concerns about technology impoverishing artists or undermining artistic quality, the new media revolution is actually fueling a creative boom and leading to more compelling, diverse, and immersive content. Enlightening, surprising, and thoroughly entertaining, Streampunks is a revelatory ride through the new media rebellion that is reshaping our world.
Stanley Kubrick: Adapting the Sublime
by Elisa PezzottaAlthough Stanley Kubrick adapted novels and short stories, his films deviate in notable ways from the source material. In particular, since 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), his films seem to definitively exploit all cinematic techniques, embodying a compelling visual and aural experience. But, as author Elisa Pezzotta contends, it is for these reasons that his cinema becomes the supreme embodiment of the sublime, fruitful encounter between the two arts and, simultaneously, of their independence. Stanley Kubrick's last six adaptations—2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon (1975), The Shining (1980), Full Metal Jacket (1987), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999)—are characterized by certain structural and stylistic patterns. These features help to draw conclusions about the role of Kubrick in the history of cinema, about his role as an adapter, and, more generally, about the art of cinematic adaptations. The structural and stylistic patterns that characterize Kubrick adaptations seem to criticize scientific reasoning, causality, and traditional semantics. In the history of cinema, Kubrick can be considered a modernist auteur. In particular, he can be regarded as an heir of the modernist avant-garde of the 1920s. However, author Elisa Pezzotta concludes that, unlike his predecessors, Kubrick creates a cinema not only centered on the ontology of the medium, but on the staging of sublime, new experiences.
Hard Times High (Make Me a Star #6)
by Susan Beth PfefferA cast member of TV's number-one show is about to be fired--how will Alison, Bill, TJ, Rafe, Molly, Miranda, and Susie handle the possibility of being unemployed? A bombshell has just been dropped on the cast of TV's Hard Time High: A major new storyline is being introduced. But it means someone is going to get canned from the show. Former childhood star TJ has lived through this before, when his previous hit TV show was canceled. Used to the steady paycheck after a life on the road, Molly makes a list of her options. Left with a mountain of debt if he gets axed, Rafe's only hope is the movie he just filmed. If ex-teen beauty queen Alison loses her job, how will she go on supporting her family? After years of commercials and made-for-TV movies, Bill doesn't want to lose his chance at a real career. Miranda can't imagine being let go when she's still learning the acting ropes. And Susie worries that she was only cast in the first place because she's the producer's daughter. But one of the seven is going to be kicked off the show. The bigger surprise is what will happen next.
Love Scenes (Make Me a Star #5)
by Susan Beth PfefferMiranda, Molly, Alison, TJ, Bill, and Rafe are becoming stars on TV's biggest show, but with fame come responsibilities . . . Can they really have it all? Miranda is celebrating her seventeenth birthday. She can't believe it's been a whole year since she was cast in Hard Time High. Now she just got her own car and may finally get out from under the thumb of her family. But does she really want to move in with her costar Molly and her mother--especially since she and Molly aren't on great terms at the moment? Miranda's personal life starts looking up when she agrees to go on a blind date with Adam, who has a crush on the character Miranda plays on the show. The Los Angeles University senior is tall, dark, and totally un-California. And with Alison offered the chance to move beyond her beauty-queen looks as cohost of a teen talk show, Rafe wrapping a movie, and TJ's fan base growing, it looks like they're all getting ready for the next big thing. Will the upcoming season bring them the fame and happiness they've been searching for?
On the Move (Make Me a Star #4)
by Susan Beth PfefferOn their first hiatus from TV's cool new prime-time series, Bill, Miranda, TJ, Alison, Rafe, and Molly are looking forward to getting back to the real world--but will they ever be normal teenagers again? The first season of Hard Time High is over, and Bill, Miranda, TJ, Alison, Rafe, and Molly have three whole weeks to themselves. It's back to high school for Bill--no more cramming in homework between takes--and spending quality time with his girlfriend, Calista. After years of acting on the road, Molly can't wait to share a real Thanksgiving with Miranda and her family in New England. Between a commitment to a holiday parade and a spread for a fashion magazine, Alison won't have much time for herself. Rafe is taking his parents on an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii. And TJ's headed to Indiana to visit his mom. Then it's on to New York to meet his East Coast fan club before he strikes out for London and Paris. But it seems that Rafe, Molly, and TJ are keeping major, scandal-worthy secrets. In between reuniting with old friends and doing normal stuff like attending football games, they're all trying to cope with their new celebrity and wondering what the new season has in store.
Prime Time (Make Me a Star #1)
by Susan Beth PfefferThe first book in Susan Beth Pfeffer's Make Me a Star series introduces six Teenagers, each waiting for that first big break Open call! Now casting for brand-new prime time series. No experience necessary. Tenth grader Miranda Newgate is visiting Los Angeles on spring break when her cousin hears about a casting call for extras on a new TV series. Miranda goes to the audition, but ends up reading for a bigger part. Then it's back to Massachusetts, to term papers and biology projects while waiting for the call that could change her life. Stage star Molly O'Malley is a serious actress. But she could sure use the exposure from a network show that will be seen from coast to coast. Alison Blake is Miss Young America, but that doesn't give her a free pass. She has to work harder than anyone else to prove she isn't just another pretty face. Former child star T. J. Tyler is ready for his comeback. He needs the leading role to show the world he wasn't washed up at eleven. Rafe Marquez has no acting experience. But he's hot and hunky and goes after what he wants--and he wants to make it big. Bill Douglas has been on so many TV shows, this one should be a breeze. But in this business, you never know. Who will make the final cut and rise to stardom on Hard Time High?
Revenge of the Aztecs: A Story of 1920s Hollywood
by Susan Beth PfefferIn 1923, Alicia Martinez, living with Los Angeles oil millionaires, is thrilled to be cast in Revenge of the Aztecs, an epic film being produced in Hollywood by her best friend's father. When idols topple, rocks roll down hills, and other mysterious events occur, Alicia must find out if these happenings are just accidents or if she is the target of a criminal plan that threatens the completion of the movie as well as her safety. If they are not accidents, who is behind them? Could it be someone Alicia has loved and trusted for years? And if it is, can Alicia ever trust again? Reading Level 5-8 Interest Level 6-8.
Starring Peter and Leigh
by Susan Beth PfefferLeigh trades in her acting career to play a starring role in her own life Most people don't get to retire at age sixteen, but that's what Leigh is planning to do when she moves to Long Island to live with her mom and her new stepfather. Leigh has been acting all her life, most recently on a successful TV show, and she can't wait to be the kind of normal high school student she's only ever played on screen. For advice on playing the role of a normal teenager, Leigh turns to her new stepbrother, Peter. Peter has hemophilia, a medical condition that has kept him out of school for a while--but missing out on high school life has given him a good eye for what normal looks like. Together, they figure two outsiders can create one socially successful high school student. They might even be right. Peter is smart, wryly funny, and a good friend when he's not being a bad invalid. And Leigh knows she can do it--after all, acting is what she's good at. But the thing about acting is that at the end of the day you get to go back to being yourself, a luxury Leigh starts to think she might not have appreciated enough when she had it.
Take Two and . . . Rolling! (Make Me a Star #2)
by Susan Beth PfefferSix teenagers have been cast in prime time's hottest new TV series--can they take their shot at the spotlight without sacrificing the things that matter most? A starring role on the prime-time show Hard Time High could give Molly O'Malley the fame and fortune she craves. But the real payoff, besides a steady income, is something the on-the-road actress has wanted for years: the chance to put down roots and live a normal life. And she'd get to celebrate her real birthday and stop pretending she's almost fifteen when she's barely fourteen, a fact she only recently discovered. But even fame has its price; Molly's mother wants a job on the show. And Molly has to keep up with her schooling. The show is giving Rafe Marquez his first taste of stardom. Maybe one day he'll be able to buy a mansion with a pool for his folks. But he's never going to abandon his dream of being lead guitarist in a famous band. Things are changing faster than Molly, Rafe, TJ, Miranda, Alison, and Bill ever imagined. Will this mark the beginning of new friendships and maybe even love?
Wanting It All (Make Me a Star #3)
by Susan Beth PfefferAlison, Molly, TJ, Miranda, Rafe, and Bill have been on Hard Time High for five months--but real life is a lot more complicated than any TV script could make it seem Things are changing on the set of prime time's new hit series. For starters, the producer's daughter, bratty twelve-year-old Susie Goldstein, now has a role on the show. Sixteen-year-old Alison Blake, a former Miss Young America, has been wowing audiences since she was three . . . and supporting her family on her looks. Now she wants to be judged on her own merits. She gets a welcome reality check when her high school boyfriend, Seth Lewin, shows up on the set and announces he's moving to Los Angeles to be near her. Alison has to fight for the right to date Seth while keeping a secret that could get Molly fired from the show. Seasoned TV veteran Bill Douglas is vice president of his junior class. He wants to have it all--success, celebrity, and love. But his longtime girlfriend, Calista Hasbrouck, doesn't seem to see things his way. They're all on their way to stardom. But will the limelight translate into lasting fame--or leave them with broken dreams?