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The Philosophy of Science Fiction Film
From Metropolis (1927) to The Matrix (1999), science fiction films have captivated audiences worldwide for more than seven decades. In recent years, philosophers have turned their eyes towards the same screen, attracted by the salient storylines, conflicts, and themes nestled amongst the new technologically and time altered landscapes. They have discovered that science fiction films offer more than an imaginative escape from the real world—they also provide a rich medium through which to address issues of identity, consciousness, agency, space, time, causality, and other categories of experience.
Editor Steven M. Sanders argues that the appeal of science fiction films has ...Read More
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With Amusement for All: A History of American Popular Culture since 1830
Popular culture is a central part of everyday life to many Americans. Personalities such as Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey, and Michael Jordan are more recognizable to many people than are most elected officials. With Amusement for All is the first comprehensive history of two centuries of mass entertainment in the United States, covering everything from the penny press to Playboy, the NBA to NASCAR, big band to hip hop, and other topics including film, comics, television, sports, dance, and music. Paying careful attention to matters of race, gender, class, technology, economics, and politics, LeRoy Ashby emphasizes the complex ways in ...Read More
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The Philosophy of Film Noir
A drifter with no name and no past, driven purely by desire, is convinced by a beautiful woman to murder her husband. A hard-drinking detective down on his luck becomes involved with a gang of criminals in pursuit of a priceless artifact. The stories are at once romantic, pessimistic, filled with anxiety and a sense of alienation, and they define the essence of film noir. Noir emerged as a prominent American film genre in the early 1940s, distinguishable by its use of unusual lighting, sinister plots, mysterious characters, and dark themes. From The Maltese Falcon (1941) to Touch of Evil ...Read More
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Hollywood's White House: The American Presidency in Film and History
Winner of the 2003 Ray and Pat Browne Book Award, given by the Popular Culture Association
The contributors to Hollywood’s White House examine the historical accuracy of these presidential depictions, illuminate their influence, and uncover how they reflect the concerns of their times and the social and political visions of the filmmakers. The volume, which includes a comprehensive filmography and a bibliography, is ideal for historians and film enthusiasts.
The essays are supported by numerous sources that provide some good leads . . . the chronological filmography will come in handy. Recommended. -- Library Journal
This well-written book, with contributions ...Read More
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From Mae to Madonna: Women Entertainers in Twentieth-Century America
Entertainers were the first group of successful women to capture the public eye, taking to the stage in vaudeville and film and redefining their place in society. June Sochen introduces the white, African American, and Latina women who danced on Broadway, fell on bananas in silent films, and wisecracked in smoky clubs, as well as the modern icons of today's movies and popular music. Sochen considers such women as Mae West, Bette Davis, Shirley Temple, Lucille Ball, and Mary Tyler Moore to discover what show business did for them and what they did for the world of entertainment. She uses ...Read More
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