Phobias are common, an intrinsic part of growing up. But severe adult phobia contains something intensely irrational - the anxiety at the sight of a bird's feather, the thought of crossing a bridge. Using everyday experience, horror stories, Hitchcock's cinema, and the cultural history of racism, Phobia illuminates the individual and social nightmare world of phobic phenomena.
'I so enjoyed reading this book! Its arguments about surrealism and film are lucid and persuasive and presented with compelling clarity. I couldn't put it down.' Mary Ann Caws, author of Surrealism: themes and movements and Surrealist Painters and Poets: an anthology 'There is nothing that would compel one to not recommend this intelligent and fiercely radical study of Surrealism and cinema, which ranges further in its scope, is more up-to-date, and is more thorough in its investigation than any other.' Manticore: Surrealist Communication 'Richardson begins where most other commentators leave off.'
What Cinema Is! offers an engaging answer to Andre Bazin's famous question, exploring his 'idea of cinema' with a sweeping look back at the near century of Cinema's phenomenal ascendancy. Written by one of the foremost film scholars of our time Establishes cinema’s distinction from the current enthusiasm over audio-visual entertainment, without relegating cinema to a single, older mode Examines cinema's institutions and its social force through the qualities of key films Traces the history of an idea that has made cinema supremely alive to (and in) our times.
Hollywood’s New Radicalism - War, Globalisation and the Movies from Reagan to George W. Bush
Provides an up-to-date, insightful take on modern American cinema's relations with, and influence on Reagan's, Clinton's and both Bush's administrations. George W.Bush, Clinton and Ronald Reagan's relations are revealed with radical celebrities like Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Warren Beatty. It contains unique 'behind the scenes' stories and exclusive, revealing interviews with Hollywood celebrities. Described by Tony Garnett as 'an ambitious and refreshing book', "Hollywood's New Radicalism" is a timely and contentious account of the last twenty-five years of American cinema.
Understanding Movies: The Art and History of Film (The Modern Scholar) (Audiobook)
Why does the cinema have the power to move the heart, stimulate the mind, and dazzle the imagination? How did the art of film develop from its origins to the present day? This course covers the history and aesthetics of the movies. It traces the experiments and innovations that gave rise to the modern cinema, developing a vocabulary that helps explain the variety of choices filmmakers make when they construct shots and edit them together. In each lecture, Professor Raphael Shargel introduces a period of film history, talks about its importance, covers aspects of cinematic technique, and illustrates his points by analyzing specific movies from the era under discussion.