Animals and Greek Cinema
This book offers a non-anthropocentric account of a national cinema. Drawing on cutting-edge developments in Animal (film) studies, the book gathers a wide range of species and genres to discuss the Greek cinematic animal. This en-tails recalibrating the readers'/viewers' gazes to include particular nonhumans, often displaced in the frame's margins. While acknowledging the cost paid in animal suffering for Greek cinema to rise, the book features instances of animal-human bonding. Combining close readings with interviews with directors, human actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, producers, special effects artists, and animal wranglers, this book proposes a paradigm of human-animal praxis, arguing that revisiting nonhuman images can lead to renewed ethical relations, and to less speciesist cinemas, film industries, and societies..
Save the Cat!(r) Writes Horror
"It's he-e-e-re"... the most heart-pounding, jump-out-of-your-seat, scream-worthy book in the Save the Cat! series.Veteran horror screenwriter and novelist Jamie Nash leads us into the shadows of Blake Snyder's legendary Monster in the House genre--and sheds light over the secrets to crafting truly terrifying tales.Save the Cat! Writes Horror is your guide to writing and delivering blood-chilling films and novels using the world's most successful storytelling method, including: - A deep dive into horror's core ingredients--Monster, House, and Sin--with subtypes, examples, and tools to help you design your own uniquely terrifying tale- The mad science of turning Save the Cat!'s 15 beats into a horror story that builds tension, sharpens scares, and leaves your audience squirming- How to balance Scares, Gross-outs, and Dread to torment your audience just right- Why knowing your horror's heartbeat--Slow Burn vs. Relentless--changes everything- How to use the Dread-O-Meter to engineer terrifying scenes with precision- How to build memorable horror characters--from first-to-die victims to final girls and guys--while exploring how their flaws, choices, and arcs mirror deeper fears and social truths- Plus: real case studies, scarecraft tools, career advice, and a deep dive into what makes the genre tick (and bleed)Whether you're a screenwriter, novelist, or seasoned horrorhound, Save the Cat! Writes Horror will help you write the kind of story that lingers long after the lights go out.
Gooey Media
The Graphic User Interface, or GUI, is the adhesive centre of today's screen entertainment web. From films and television to apps and videogames, it holds together a multitude of media and shapes the way they are accessed, organised, created, consumed, and manipulated. However, it does not do so without leaving viscous traces, and Gooey Media: Screen Entertainment and the Graphic User Interface examines this residue and its consequences, revealing how the GUI exerts a powerful influence on contemporary media.Focusing on aesthetics and adopting a media agnostic approach, Jones explores cinema, streaming platforms, television, user-generated content, videogames, apps, virtual reality, VFX, design software, and more in order to show how they cross-pollinate with one another and with our desktop interfaces. The result is a new approach for analysing convergent media in the digital era.
Archivability of Television
This anthology critically evaluates archives and archival processes that collect, order, and preserve elements of television as historically, culturally, socially, politically, and economically significant material. What do we know about how television moved from ephemeral broadcasts and mounds of paperwork documenting bureaucratic and creative processes to become historical material housed in archives? This book's guiding principles are to interrogate where television as historical material "lives" and to collect the stories of some ways television preservation has been and continues to be deeply circumstantial and idiosyncratic. Bringing together work by academics, archivists, and practitioners, the book offers insights into the archival processes that confer television programs with historical value. With a focus on television's archival spaces, the book contributes more broadly to theories, histories, and practices of archiving. Likewise, the theories and questions about archives provide insights into the specificities of the medium, the relations between technologies and culture, the political economy of the culture industries, and the minutiae of television's "place" in American society.
Welcome to the O.C.
"A fascinating peek behind the making of a megahit, and a delightful bit of nostalgia for those of us who remember life before streaming TV." --Town & CountryWelcome to the O.C., b*tch: it's the definitive oral history of beloved TV show The O.C., from the show's creators, featuring interviews with the cast and crew, providing a behind-the-scenes look into how the show was made, the ups and downs over its four seasons, and its legacy today. On August 5th, 2003, Ryan Atwood found himself a long way from his home in Chino--he was in The O.C., an exclusive suburb full of beautiful girls, wealthy bullies, corrupt real-estate tycoons, and a new family helmed by his public defender, Sandy Cohen. Ryan soon warms up to his nerdy, indie band-loving new best friend Seth, and quickly falls for Marissa, the stunning girl next door who has secrets of her own. Completing the group is Summer, Seth's dream girl and Marissa's loyal--and fearless--best friend. Together, the friends fall in and out of love, support each other amidst family strife, and capture the hearts of audiences across the country.Just in time for the show's twentieth anniversary, The O.C.'s creator Josh Schwartz and executive producer Stephanie Savage are ready to dive into how the show was made, the ups and downs over its four seasons, and its legacy today. With Rolling Stone's chief TV critic and bestselling author Alan Sepinwall conducting interviews with the key cast members, writers, and producers who were there when it all happened, Welcome to the O.C. will offer the definitive inside look at the beloved show--a nostalgic delight for audiences who watched when it aired, and a rich companion to viewers currently discovering the show while it streams on HBO Max and Hulu.The O.C. paved the way for a new generation of iconic teen soaps, launched the careers of young stars, and even gave us the gift of Chrismukkah. Now, it's time to go back where we started from and experience it all over again. Includes exclusive interviews with: Ben McKenzie * Mischa Barton * Adam Brody * Rachel Bilson * Peter Gallagher * Kelly Rowan * Melinda Clarke * Tate Donovan * Chris Carmack * Autumn Reeser * Willa Holland * Samaire Armstrong * Alan Dale * Colin Hanks * Amanda Righetti * Navi Rawat * Shannon Lucio * Michael Cassidy * McG * Imogen Heap * Alex Greenwald * Ben Gibbard * Paul Scheer * Doug Liman * and many more! This comprehensive oral history goes beyond the screen to reveal the full story: Unfiltered Cast and Crew Interviews: Hear directly from Ben McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson, and creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage as they share candid memories of overnight fame, on-set dynamics, and the moments that defined their careers.Behind-the-Scenes Secrets: Discover the real stories behind the casting shake-ups, creator clashes with the network, and the creative decisions that shaped all four seasons of the iconic show.Anatomy of a Pop Culture Phenomenon: Trace the show's journey from a risky idea to a global sensation that influenced music, fashion, and an entire generation of television.A 20th Anniversary Celebration: Packed with nostalgic details, this is the definitive companion for original fans and new viewers, commemorating two decades of Chrismukkah, Captain Oats, and California dreams.
Secret Museums
When Arthur Lipsett's first film was nominated for an Academy Award in 1962, the event marked the arrival of an influential turn in cinema. The film's dark humour and dancing rhythms had captured the spirit of his times. When Lipsett committed suicide in 1986, the humour and joy of his work was eclipsed by that sardonic darkness. It all came to feel like an omen. Secret Museums is a study in the life and work of Canadian collage filmmaker Arthur Lipsett, whose struggles with mental illness have overshadowed his vital and innovative work. Author Stephen Broomer explores the spiritual themes and formal challenges posed by Lipsett's films and the artist's absurdist, comic, beatnik sensibility. As a critical biography, Secret Museums follows the trajectory of Lipsett's life through his years as a filmmaker (1960-1975) and after, with new interpretations and analysis of his eight completed films. In Secret Museums, Lipsett's films are recognized as riotous comedies that reflect the artist's resilience. It serves as a new interpretation of Lipsett and his films, positioning him as both a visionary force and a holy fool, illuminating fresh pathways through his work that reflect his understandings of his sources and his world.
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.
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.
