- Table View
- List View
Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions
by Christian LanderThey believe they're unique, yet somehow they're all exactly the same. You know who they are: They're white people. And they're here and you're gonna have to deal. Fortunately, here's a book that investigates, explains, and offers advice for finding social success with the Caucasian persuasion. So kick back on your IKEA couch and lose yourself in the ultimate guide to the unbearable whiteness of being.
Stuff We All Get: (stuff We All Get) (Orca Currents)
by K.L. DenmanFifteen-year-old Zack finds a home made CD with the word Famous written on it. Lonely and bored while suspended from school, he puts the CD on and loses himself in the music. Zack has sound-color synesthesia. He sees colors when he hears music, and the music on the Famous CD causes incredible patterns of color for him. Zack becomes obsessed with the girl on the CD and tries to find her. He tracks down the singer, Jolene, in a cafe where she works while she dreams of the big time. He convinces her to let him help her achieve her dreams, but soon discovers that in her quest for fame, Jolene has done a lot of damage. Stuff We All Get is a gentle critique of celebrity culture in North America. Also available in French.
The Stuff of Spectatorship: Material Cultures of Film and Television
by Caetlin Benson-AllottFilm and television create worlds, but they are also of a world, a world that is made up of stuff, to which humans attach meaning. Think of the last time you watched a movie: the chair you sat in, the snacks you ate, the people around you, maybe the beer or joint you consumed to help you unwind—all this stuff shaped your experience of media and its influence on you. The material culture around film and television changes how we make sense of their content, not to mention the very concepts of the mediums. Focusing on material cultures of film and television reception, The Stuff of Spectatorship argues that the things we share space with and consume as we consume television and film influence the meaning we gather from them. This book examines the roles that six different material cultures have played in film and television culture since the 1970s—including video marketing, branded merchandise, drugs and alcohol, and even gun violence—and shows how objects considered peripheral to film and television culture are in fact central to its past and future.
Studying Waltz with Bashir (Studying Films)
by Giulia MillerOn its release in 2008, Ari Folman's animated documentary Waltz with Bashir was heralded as a brilliant and original exploration of trauma, and trauma's impact on memory and the recording of history. But it is surprising that although the film is seen through the eyes of one particular soldier, a viewpoint portrayed using highly experimental forms of animation, this has not prevented Waltz with Bashir from being regarded as both an 'autobiographical' and 'honest' account of the director's own experiences in the 1982 Lebanon war. In fact, the film won several documentary awards, and even those critics focusing on the representation of trauma suggest that this trauma must be authentic. In this sense, it is the documentary form rather than the animation that has had the most influence upon critics.As Studying Waltz with Bashir will show, it is the tension between the two forms that makes the film so complex and interesting, allowing for multiple themes and discourses to coexist, including Israel's role during the Lebanon War and the impact of trauma upon narrative, but also the representation of Holocaust memory and its role in the formation of Israeli identity. In addition to these themes that coexist by virtue of the film's unusual animated documentary format, Waltz with Bashir can also be discussed in relation to a broad range of contexts; for example, the representation of war in film, the history of Israeli Holocaust cinema, and recent trends in experimental animation, such as Richard Linklater's Waking Life (2001) and A Scanner Darkly (2006), as well as Folman's most recent live action/animation work The Congress (2013).
Studying the British Crime Film
by Paul ElliottEver since its inception, British cinema has been obsessed with crime and the criminal. One of the first narrative films to be produced in Britain, the Hepworth's 1905 short Rescued by Rover, was a fast-paced, quick-edited tale of abduction and kidnap, and the first British sound film, Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (1930), centered on murder and criminal guilt. For a genre seemingly so important to the British cinematic character, there is little direct theoretical or historical work focused on it. The Britain of British cinema is often written about in terms of national history, ethnic diversity, or cultural tradition, yet very rarely in terms of its criminal tendencies and dark underbelly. This volume assumes that, to know how British cinema truly works, it is necessary to pull back the veneer of the costume piece, the historical drama, and the rom-com and glimpse at what is underneath. For every Brief Encounter (1945) there is a Brighton Rock (2010), for every Notting Hill (1999) there is a Long Good Friday (1980).
Studying the British Crime Film (Studying British Cinema Ser.)
by Paul ElliottEver since its inception, British cinema has been obsessed with crime and the criminal. One of the first narrative films to be produced in Britain, the Hepworth’s 1905 short Rescued by Rover, was a fast-paced, quick-edited tale of abduction and kidnap, and the first British sound film, Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail (1930), centered on murder and criminal guilt. For a genre seemingly so important to the British cinematic character, there is little direct theoretical or historical work focused on it. The Britain of British cinema is often written about in terms of national history, ethnic diversity, or cultural tradition, yet very rarely in terms of its criminal tendencies and dark underbelly. This volume assumes that, to know how British cinema truly works, it is necessary to pull back the veneer of the costume piece, the historical drama, and the rom-com and glimpse at what is underneath. For every Brief Encounter (1945) there is a Brighton Rock (2010), for every Notting Hill (1999) there is a Long Good Friday (1980).
Studying Talk to Her
by Emily HughesTalk to Her (2002) is a hugely rich and interesting, but ambiguous, film which met with both popular success and critical acclaim. The film won the 2003 Oscar for best original screenplay and has been hailed by some critics as Pedro Almodóvar's masterpiece. But like most of Almodóvar's films, little is clear cut; the characters are complex and our affinity and empathy for them shifts throughout the film. In Studying Talk to Her, Emily Hughes provides an in-depth analysis of both the formal elements of the film (narrative, genre, auteur study) and the themes and issues that arise, including the social context of modern Spain and the old traditional iconography, the shifting attitudes towards gender, and, crucially, the uneasy, morally ambiguous depiction of rape and the spectator's reaction to it.
Studying Talk to Her (Studying Films)
by Emily HughesTalk to Her (2002) is a hugely rich and interesting though ambiguous film that met with both popular success and critical acclaim. The film won an Oscar for best original screenplay and has been hailed by some critics as Pedro Almodóvar's masterpiece. Yet like most of Almodóvar's films, little is clear cut. The characters are complex and our affinity and empathy for them shifts throughout the film. In Studying Talk to Her, Emily Hughes provides an in-depth analysis of both the formal elements of the film (its narrative, genre, and auteur study) and the themes and issues it raises, discussing the social context of modern Spain and its old, traditional iconography; shifting attitudes towards gender; and, crucially, the film's uneasy, morally ambiguous depiction of rape and the spectator's reaction to it.
Studying Indian Cinema (Auteur)
by Omar AhmedThis book traces the historical evolution of Indian cinema through a number of key decades. The book is made up of 14 chapters with each chapter focusing on one key film, the chosen films analysed in their wider social, political and historical context whilst a concerted engagement with various ideological strands that underpin each film is also evident. In addition to exploring the films in their wider contexts, the author analyses selected sequences through the conceptual framework common to both film and media studies. This includes a consideration of narrative, genre, representation, audience and mise-en-scene. The case studies run chronologically from Awaara (The Vagabond, 1951) to The Elements Trilogy: Water (2005) and include films by such key figures as Satyajit Ray (The Lonely Wife), Ritwick Ghatak (Cloud Capped Star), Yash Chopra (The Wall) and Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!).
Studying The Hurt Locker (Studying Films)
by Terence McSweeneyIn this vibrant and dynamic book-length study drawing on a broad tapestry of research, Terence McSweeney offers an exploration of The Hurt Locker (2009), its stylistic and narrative devices, its cultural impact, its reception, and its relationship to the genre of the war film. McSweeney places the film in a richly textured historical, political, and industrial context, arguing that The Hurt Locker is part of a long tradition of films about American wars that play a considerable role in how audiences come to understand the conflicts that they depict. Thus, films about a nation’s wars are never “only a movie” but rather should be considered a cultural battleground themselves on which a war of representation is waged.
Studying Hot Fuzz (Studying Films)
by Neil ArcherBy the power of Greyskull! In their second big-screen collaboration after Shaun of the Dead (2004), with Hot Fuzz (2007) director and co-writer Edgar Wright and co-writer and star Simon Pegg took aim at the conventions of the Hollywood action movie, transplanting gratuitous slo-mo action sequences into the English village supermarket and local pub. In this first critical study of arguably the most influential British film-makers to emerge this century, Neil Archer considers to what extent a modestly funded film such as this can be considered 'British' at all, given its international success and distribution by an American studio, and how far that success depends upon what he calls its 'cultural specificity'. He considers the film as a parody of the action movie genre, and discusses exactly how parody works – not just in relation to the conventions of the action film but also in the depiction of English space. Exactly what and who is Hot Fuzz poking fun at?
Studying Horror Cinema
by Bryan TurnockAimed at teachers and students new to the subject, Studying Horror Cinema is a comprehensive survey of the genre from silent cinema to its twenty-first century resurgence. Structured as a series of thirteen case studies of easily accessible films, it covers the historical, production, and cultural context of each film, together with detailed textual analysis of key sequences. Sitting alongside such acknowledged classics as Psycho and Rosemary’s Baby are analyses of influential non-English language films as Kwaidan, Bay of Blood, and Let the Right One In. The author concludes with a chapter on 2017’s blockbuster It, the most financially successful horror film of all time, making Studying Horror Cinema the most up-to-date overview of the genre available.
Studying French Cinema
by Isabelle VanderscheldenAdopting a textual approach, with an emphasis on recent popular films, Studying French Cinema is geared toward nonspecialists studying French and film studies, as well as the general reader who might be interested in postwar French cinema. Each chapter focuses on one or more key films, from the groundbreaking output of the Nouvelle Vague ( Les 400 coups, 1959) to contemporary documentaries ( Etre et avoir, 2002) and situates these works within explorations of childhood, adolescence, and coming of age; auteur ideology and individual style; the representation of recent French history; aesthetic approaches; transnational production practices; and popular cinema, comedy, and gender issues. Taken together, this history provides a fresh perspective on postwar French history and points readers toward further study of related films.
Studying French Cinema (Auteur Ser.)
by Isabelle VanderscheldenTaking a text-led approach, with the emphasis on more recent popular films, Studying French Cinema is directed at non-specialists such as students of French, Film Studies, and the general reader with an interest in post-war French cinema. Each of the chapters focuses on one or more key films from the ground-breaking films of the nouvelle vague (Les 400 coups, 1959) to contemporary documentary (Etre et avoir, 2002) and puts them into their relevant contexts. Depending on the individual film, these include explorations of childhood, adolescence and coming of age (Les 400 coups, L'Argent de poche); auteur ideology and individual style (the films of Jean-Luc Godard and Agnes Varda); the representation of recent French history (Lacombe Lucien and Au revoir les enfants); transnational production practices (Le Pacte des loups); and popular cinema, comedy and gender issues (e.g. Le Diner de cons). Each film is embedded in its cultural and political context. Together, the historical discussions provide an overview of post-war French history to the present. Useful suggestions are made as to studies of related films, both those discussed within the book and outside.
Studying Fight Club (Studying Films Ser.)
by Mark RameyFight Club is, on one level, pop-culture phenomena and on another, a deeply philosophical and satirical exploration of modern life. David Fincher’s 1999 film (and Chuck Palahniuk’s source novel) has had a huge impact on audiences worldwide leading to spoofs, homage, merchandising and numerous Internet fan sites. On initial release the film was met with wide hostility from critics who either failed to appreciate its satirical intent or believed the film failed to deliver on its satirical promise. Early in its DVD afterlife, however, a wider audience began to appreciate the film’s significance and radical message. Although attracted by the film’s playfulness and star wattage, however, many students struggle with its theoretical notions such as Capitalism, materialism, anarchy and so on. This is one film, which therefore merits a thoughtful and provocative analysis but also an accessible one, and Mark Ramey has provided just that.
Studying Fight Club
by Mark RameyA thoughtful and provocative but also accessible analysis of a pop-culture phenomenon and a deeply philosophical and satirical exploration of modern life.
Studying Fight Club
by Mark RameyA thoughtful and provocative but also accessible analysis of a pop-culture phenomenon and a deeply philosophical and satirical exploration of modern life.
Studying Feminist Film Theory (Auteur)
by Terri MurrayThis book is aimed at helping media and film studies teachers introduce the basics of feminist film theory. No prior knowledge of feminist theory is required, the intended readers being university undergraduate teachers and students of film and media studies. Areas of emphasis include spectatorship, narrative, and ideology. Many illustrative case studies from popular cinema are used to offer students an opportunity to consider the connotations of visual and aural elements of film, narrative conflicts and oppositions, the implications of spectator “positioning” and viewer identification, and an ideological critical approach to film. Explanations of key terminology are included, along with classroom exercises and practice questions. Each chapter begins with key definitions and explanations of the concepts to be studied, including some historical background where relevant. Case studies include film noir, Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days and the work of directors Spike Lee, Claire Denis, and Paul Verhoeven.Studying Feminist Film Theory is a revised and expanded version of Feminist Film Studies: A Teacher’s Guide, published by Auteur in 2007.
Studying Early and Silent Cinema
by Keith WithallIn this accessible introduction to early and silent cinema, which is currently enjoying a renaissance, both academically and in the popular imagination thanks to The Artist, Keith Withall provides both a comprehensive chronology of the period until the birth of sound and also a series of detailed case studies on the key films from the period – some well known (including Griffith's The Birth of a Nation, Eisenstein's Strike and Chaplin's The Kid), some perhaps less well familiar (including Murnau's The Last Laugh and Oscar Micheaux's Within Our Gates). As well as covering in detail the major film-making figures and nations of the period, the author also provides insights into the industry in less well documented areas. Throughout, the films and film-makers are placed in the context of rapid worldwide industrial change. (Please note this book is a revised and expanded version of Early and Silent Cinema: A Teacher's Guide, published by Auteur in 2007.)
Studying Early and Silent Cinema
by Keith WithallA comprehensive chronology of the period until the birth of sound and also a series of detailed case studies on the key films from the period
Studying Early and Silent Cinema
by Keith WithallA comprehensive chronology of the period until the birth of sound and also a series of detailed case studies on the key films from the period
Studying Dance Cultures Around The World: An Introduction To Multicultural Dance Education
by Pegge VissicaroAn introductory textbook for college and university students in dance appreciation and humanities-based courses. This book facilitates the critical examinations of dance in its varied contexts around the world. The objective is to provide a holistic approach that addresses key topics for learning about dance cultures, situated within a broad theoretical framework.
Studying City of God
by Stephanie MuirA leading example of a resurgent Latin American cinema - 'la buena onda' - in the early twenty-first century, City of God was a huge international popular and critical success. A combination of intoxicating, Hollywood-style genre film-making and hard-hitting, social-realist subject matter, it was hailed as a masterpiece at Cannes in 2002 and seen by over 3 million people in Brazil, including the Brazilian cabinet.In Studying City of God, Stephanie Muir considers the historical and industrial context of City of God - a brief history of Latin American cinema is followed by a more detailed account of film-making in Brazil - from light-hearted travelogues to Cinema Novo and after - all in the context of increasing globalisation. She analyzes narrative and genre - how the film uses the components of narrative in a complex way, experimentally manipulating time while using traditional genre conventions that are highly recognisable to mainstream audiences. The formal elements of the film are dissected through a detailed illustrated analysis of the kinetic, scene setting opening sequence. She also discusses audience responses - from establishment critical reaction to fan-based Internet sites and student feedback - and issues of representation and ideology - just how 'authentic' can a film such as City of God hope to be? Does its style overwhelm its subject matter?
Studying City of God (Studying Films)
by Stephanie MuirA leading example of a resurgent Latin American cinema – 'la buena onda' – in the early twenty-first century, City of God was a huge international popular and critical success. A combination of intoxicating, Hollywood-style genre film-making and hard-hitting, social-realist subject matter, it was hailed as a masterpiece at Cannes in 2002 and seen by over 3 million people in Brazil, including the Brazilian cabinet.In Studying City of God, Stephanie Muir considers the historical and industrial context of City of God – a brief history of Latin American cinema is followed by a more detailed account of film-making in Brazil – from light-hearted travelogues to Cinema Novo and after – all in the context of increasing globalization. She analyzes narrative and genre – how the film uses the components of narrative in a complex way, experimentally manipulating time while using traditional genre conventions that are highly recognizable to mainstream audiences. The formal elements of the film are dissected through a detailed illustrated analysis of the kinetic, scene setting opening sequence. She also discusses audience responses – from establishment critical reaction to fan-based Internet sites and student feedback – and issues of representation and ideology – just how 'authentic' can a film such as City of God hope to be? Does its style overwhelm its subject matter?
Studios Before the System: Architecture, Technology, and the Emergence of Cinematic Space (Film and Culture Series)
by Brian JacobsonBy 1915, Hollywood had become the epicenter of American filmmaking, with studio "dream factories" structuring its vast production. Filmmakers designed Hollywood studios with a distinct artistic and industrial mission in mind, which in turn influenced the form, content, and business of the films that were made and the impressions of the people who viewed them. The first book to retell the history of film studio architecture, Studios Before the System expands the social and cultural footprint of cinema's virtual worlds and their contribution to wider developments in global technology and urban modernism.Focusing on six significant early film corporations in the United States and France—the Edison Manufacturing Company, American Mutoscope and Biograph, American Vitagraph, Georges Méliès's Star Films, Gaumont, and Pathé Frères—as well as smaller producers and film companies, Studios Before the System describes how filmmakers first envisioned the space they needed and then sourced modern materials to create novel film worlds. Artificially reproducing the natural environment, film studios helped usher in the world's Second Industrial Revolution and what Lewis Mumford would later call the "specific art of the machine." From housing workshops for set, prop, and costume design to dressing rooms and writing departments, studio architecture was always present though rarely visible to the average spectator in the twentieth century, providing the scaffolding under which culture, film aesthetics, and our relation to lived space took shape.