Charting Asian German Film History
Provides a diachronic view of Asian German film history from early Orientalism to increasing collaboration as well as exploration of difference and alternate forms of national and cultural belonging. From re-creating seedy opium dens and Hindu temples on set to capturing dazzling sights of Tokyo's neon-lit streets and Berlin's bustling Dong Xuan Center on location, cinema has provided German-speaking audiences a window into the "exotic" cultures of Asia since the early 1900s. Over time, unilateral German imaginings of Asian cultures and people increasingly gave way to collaboration with Asian countries and more variegated portrayals of the diasporic experiences of Asians in Europe, though Orientalist tropes have not been fully mitigated. The present volume embraces several understudied regions of Asia as well as Austria and Switzerland. It incorporates archival research, close scene analyses, and genre overviews that elucidate the production and reception histories of individual films, drawing on the knowledge of film historians, cultural studies scholars, and Germanists based in North America, Europe, and Asia. The volume approaches film history by observing three distinct phenomena: early German cinematic imaginings of Asia, co-productions shot on location, and representations of the Asian German diaspora. The book aims to chart unwritten chapters of film history by pitching new readings of old masterpieces, exploring lesser-known works of prolific directors, and uncovering the roles of Asian collaborators from the early twentieth century to the new millennium.
Doctor Who
A nostalgic journey through sixty years of the cult-favorite television series Doctor Who and its cultural impact. From its first airing in the immediate wake of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Doctor Who has been a fascinating portal through which viewers observe changing times and standards. For over sixty years it has told the story of not just the central protagonist, the Doctor, but also of humanity. To understand the Doctor is to understand ourselves through the eyes of a stranger. In Doctor Who: A Cultural History, Graham Gibson highlights the incredible impact of the long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who on television by guiding readers through the show's history and evolution to remain a fixture of popular culture for over six decades. Investigating a range of topics from religion and politics to gender and technology and even the very nature of good and evil, Gibson demonstrates how the show reflects our society, sometimes showing a powerful prescience, sometimes not. Beginning with the first Doctor through to the fifteenth, this book covers everything from fan-favorite Doctors played by David Tennant and Matt Smith to the introduction of the first female and Black Doctors, respectively, as well as iconic lore such as the Tardis's origins, the Doctor's essential companions, and key foes from the Daleks to the Master. A fun and informative look at one of science fiction's most enduring shows, Doctor Who: A Cultural History is perfectly balanced for avid fans who want to better understand the history and societal impact of their favorite show while reliving the Doctor's best moments throughout time and space.
A Star Is Reborn
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the 1976 classic film version starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, a riveting, juicy exploration of the history and popularity of Hollywood's favorite story about itself, from its 1937 technicolor drama starring Janet Gaynor and the 1954 version with Judy Garland, through 2018's blockbuster Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper remake. A Star is Born is one of the most popular entertainment legends of all time--the story of a fading male star who falls in love with an ing矇nue whose fame quickly eclipses his own. It's been a showcase for some of the most talented female artists of their time--Janet Gaynor, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Lady Gaga--yet it is also a fascinating rumination on the nature of fame and the fragility of the male ego. Now, Robert Hofler offers a riveting behind-the-scenes journey through the movie's history, starting with 1932's What Price Hollywood?, based on the rocky real-life Hollywood marriage of silent movie star Colleen Moore and producer John McCormick. That storyline was reworked by producer David O. Selznick into 1937's A Star is Born, starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March in the first of four versions. From Cary Grant's refusal to star opposite Judy Garland due to her substance abuse (a problem that would cause the 1954 musical to go wildly over-schedule) to attempts to woo Elvis Presley to star in the 1976 blockbuster that eventually paired Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, How a Star is Reborn delves into the juicy tales behind the scenes. Hofler also traces the evolution of the story itself, as successive versions pivoted away from Hollywood and towards the world of rock music, culminating in 2018's wildly successful Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga remake. Captivating and superbly researched, How a Star is Reborn combines shrewd insights, little-known details, and Hofler's storytelling flair in this must-read for every fan of modern cinema.
Wanda
Actor-turned-writer/director Barbara Loden's only feature film, Wanda (1970), tells the story of an alienated working-class woman, Wanda Goronski (played by Loden), who abandons her life as a coal miner's wife and mother, electing instead to drift. Bracing in its realist texture and proto-feminist in its sensibility, it received critical acclaim upon release, winning the Critics' Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1970. Today, Wanda is considered one of the most notable films made by a woman director and a core work of American independent cinema. Elena Gorfinkel's study of this singular film traces Loden's creative process and unconventional approach to filmmaking. Drawing on archival sources, including scripts, interviews, production records, oral history, and previously unseen ephemera, she examines the film's de-dramatised aesthetic, one that rebukes the artifice and "slickness" of Hollywood. Gorfinkel considers Loden's craft in her framing of cinematic time, manipulation of gesture, voice, and posture, narrative ellipsis, and in her use of location and non-professional actors. Providing an account of Wanda's exhibition and reception in the 1970s and after, she traces the film's feminist legacies, and its lasting influence on contemporary filmmakers, artists and writers.
Some Like It Hot
Billy Wilder's classic screwball comedy Some Like it Hot (1959), starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe, tells the story of two struggling Jazz musicians who accidentally witness a mob massacre in Chicago who then, disguised as women, join a female band to escape the gangsters' pursuit. Despite the film's popular reception, with Academy Award nominations for Wilder and star Jack Lemmon, the film gained notoriety for its crossdressing plot and gender-bending comedy. Steven Cohan's study of the film disentangles its production history and subsequent notoriety from the film itself, reconsidering the ways in which it playfully challenged generic and gender conventions of the 1950s. He provides an in depth analysis of the film's near perfect comedic structure, Wilder's aesthetic choices and self-reflexive star performances by Curtis, Lemmon and Monroe. He goes on to consider the film's queerness, as well as its promotion and reception in 1959. Contextualizing the film within its contemporary moment, he argues its textual richness, one that allows it to be viewed differently across generations, securing its lasting influence in popular culture.
Mutants, Androids, and Aliens
In both literature and film, mutants, androids, and aliens have long functioned as humanity's Other--nonhuman bodies serving as surrogates to explore humanity's prejudice, bigotry, and hatred. Scholars working in fields of feminism, ethnic studies, queer studies, and disability studies, among others, have deconstructed representations of the Othered body and the ways these fictional depictions provide insight into the contested terrains of identity, subjectivity, and personhood. In science fiction more broadly and the superhero genre in particular, the fictional Other--often a superhero or a villain--is juxtaposed against the normal human, and such Others have long been the subject of academic investigation. Author James A. Tyner shifts this scholarly focus to consider the ordinary humans who ally with or oppose Othered superheroes. Law enforcement officers, military officials, politicians, and the countless, nameless civilians are all examples of humans who try to make sense of a rapidly changing more-than-human and other-than-human universe. The resulting volume, Mutants, Androids, and Aliens: On Being Human in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, provides a critical posthumanist reading of being human in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Centering the MCU's secondary human characters, including Matthew Ellis, Ellen Nadeer, Rosalind Price, as well as Jimmy Woo, Sadie Deever, Holden Radcliffe, and others, Tyner considers how these characters attempt to monitor, incarcerate, or exterminate those beings considered "unnatural" and thus threatening. Placing into conversation posthumanism, environmental ethics, and myriad philosophical and biological ontologies of life and death, Tyner maintains that the superhero genre reflects the current complexities of meaningful life--and of what happens in society when "the human" is no longer the unquestioned normative standard.
Mutants- Androids- and Aliens
In both literature and film, mutants, androids, and aliens have long functioned as humanity's Other--nonhuman bodies serving as surrogates to explore humanity's prejudice, bigotry, and hatred. Scholars working in fields of feminism, ethnic studies, queer studies, and disability studies, among others, have deconstructed representations of the Othered body and the ways these fictional depictions provide insight into the contested terrains of identity, subjectivity, and personhood. In science fiction more broadly and the superhero genre in particular, the fictional Other--often a superhero or a villain--is juxtaposed against the normal human, and such Others have long been the subject of academic investigation. Author James A. Tyner shifts this scholarly focus to consider the ordinary humans who ally with or oppose Othered superheroes. Law enforcement officers, military officials, politicians, and the countless, nameless civilians are all examples of humans who try to make sense of a rapidly changing more-than-human and other-than-human universe. The resulting volume, Mutants, Androids, and Aliens: On Being Human in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, provides a critical posthumanist reading of being human in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Centering the MCU's secondary human characters, including Matthew Ellis, Ellen Nadeer, Rosalind Price, as well as Jimmy Woo, Sadie Deever, Holden Radcliffe, and others, Tyner considers how these characters attempt to monitor, incarcerate, or exterminate those beings considered "unnatural" and thus threatening. Placing into conversation posthumanism, environmental ethics, and myriad philosophical and biological ontologies of life and death, Tyner maintains that the superhero genre reflects the current complexities of meaningful life--and of what happens in society when "the human" is no longer the unquestioned normative standard.
Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect
Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect, Sixth Edition, stands alone among screenwriting books by emphasizing that human connection, though often overlooked, is as essential to writing effective screenplays as conflict. This ground-breaking book remains an absolute must-have resource for students of screenwriting.
Producing Film and Television
This book is about what it takes to be a producer, the person responsible for getting a project off the ground and seeing it through to a conclusion. Written by two highly experienced television and film producers, this is the ultimate guide to navigating the world of film and television production in the UK.
Mothers on American Television
Mothers on American television takes an in-depth look at how motherhood is represented on some of the most popular television series produced this century. Adopting a feminist, Marxist, cultural studies and psychoanalytical approach, the book offers a history of the positioning of mothers within American society. It provides detailed analysis of The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Handmaid's Tale and more, while reflecting on the newspaper 'mommy wars', employment patterns and alternative views of motherhood.
Disabled People Transforming Media Culture for a More Inclusive World
This book tells the stories of disabled people who have been influential in creating modern mass media.
Habiba Djahnine
This volume focuses on contemporary Algerian feminist documentary filmmaker Habiba Djahnine as a 'memory-bearer' who gives voice to her compatriots to tell their own stories in her films. It provides the reader with exposure to key issues in contemporary Algerian culture and history (colonial, the Algerian War, the Black Decade of the 1990s), memory and women's and human rights. The book gives a brief overview of Algerian cinema, Algerian women filmmakers and situates Djahnine's oeuvre and its significance within the North African context. It examines her work as a feminist, teacher and poet and how she transmits this locally and transnationally. The book also explores how Djahnine uses documentary film form for personal and autobiographical explorations of Algerian history, culture, memory and trauma.