American Cinema/American Culture

Book Description

Developed to accompany the Annenberg-funded telecourse American Cinema, and written under the aegis of The New York Center for Visual History, this text offers a fascinating look at the interplay between the movie industry and mass culture in America.

Ideal for film appreciation and film and culture courses found in Cinema Studies, English, History, American Studies, or other departments, American Cinema/American Culture first examines the industry, its narrative conventions, and its cinematographic style.

Following this introduction, students are exposed to the sweep of film history in the U.S. using five genres as the bases for discussion and focusing on the point at which each had the greatest affect on the industry, film aesthetics, and American culture.

Finally, the book concludes with a look at Hollywood post World War II, giving separate chapter coverage to the effects of the Cold War, television, the counterculture of the Sixties, directors from the film school generation, and the trends of the Eighties and Nineties.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent as a Historical Text Book.......2007-03-24

So, I expected this book to be a bit more fun. Unfortunately, the fun element is missing. However, in fairness, the book serves as a thorough textbook for the history of American Cinema and its techniques and various genres. I did enjoy reading about the early studio system and the vast amount of control this oligopoly held. There were some very good critiques and studies of specific films, and a bit about specific actors and actresses. Even a bit about directors. Though packed with information, the book just lacks an entertainment value that it could and should have pulled off based on the subject matter.

The different genres studied include:

Westerns
War Movies
Silent Films
Film Noire
Screwball Comedies

As well as an overall dissertation on Classical Hollywood Style and its various techniques.

Not very good..........2005-03-05

I got this book for a class on the history of cinema. Unfortunately, as the title implies, it only deals with American Cinema. If this is a book for school, check out the class to see if foreign films and film history will be discussed. This book is, again, as the title implies--one-sided. Most of the movies it discusses, gives away crucial plot-points and endings. Some movies that I've been dying to see were ruined in just one or two sentences. This book is also very puffed-up and biased (I don't know any other way of explaining it). Many times throughout the book, Belton seems like James Lipton of "Inside the Actor's Studio", and goes on and on about the greatness of Hollywood, actors, director's, and films with nothing negative to say. It's not at all critical of anything and the author frequently inserts his own interpretation of films into the general text, which I found a little pompous. The book does offer up some interesting facts about the early history and the birth of cinema, but there's something about the way this book was written that makes it hard to stay interested. I think the chapters about film genres exaggerate the importance of some of them, and neglects other genres completely, ie. Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-fi, Animation, Epics, etc. Again, question the instructor and/or look at the class syllabus before siging up if this is the only book for this class. I don't believe this is a comprehensive and unbiased view of cinema and it's history.

A very useful beginners guide to American film........2003-01-08

Years ago I took an intro-level film class at a community college. This was the text for the class. It was accompanied (at least in my class) by a PBS video series that combined film clips with interviews and historical information. Going into the class I had little more than a passing interest in film and film history. But after taking that class, my passion for film has grown exponentially with each year. But back to the book, I really liked this book and highlighted my way from the front cover to the back cover. There are of course limitations to this book. Firstly, it deals only with American films. Secondly, this book barely breaks the 300-page mark - hardly a comprehensive volume. You aren't going to get any information on John Cassavetes here or anything. Now if you have a chance to use this book in conjunction with the PBS films, I think you'll do much better (in fact I think the vids even give a nod to Cassavetes), but even then please note that this material is for an INTRO-level film class, and won't be much good for someone who already knows a fair amount about American film. But with that in mind, the book still has a lot to offer someone looking to introduce themselves to film history.

The first third of the book starts with the birth of film, moves quickly on to the Hollywood studio system, and walks us through the basics of film style (camerawork, lighting, editing, etc.). The second third covers the basics of film genre; there is a chapter about film noir, one on comedies, one on war films, and one on westerns. This second section was particularly useful to me. I could read each chapter, jot down a list of promising titles, hit my local video store, and I was good to go. The third section covers American film after World War II. In this section things seem a little compressed. 110 pages for 50 years of film? A lot is lost on the cutting room floor. But there's lots to dig into all the same. There's a chapter on Hollywood during the McCarthy years (yikes!), one on film's evolution during the emergence of television, a chapter on 1960s counterculture films, one on the film school directors of the 1970s and 1980s, and finally a pretty weak chapter on film in the 1990s. Oh yeah, and at the end of the book there's a handy glossary (in case you're ever stuck on what point-of-view editing is) and a pretty thorough index.

Again, not a book for someone who already has a good feel for film history. But definitely a great resource for someone new to film studies, or for someone who has trouble finding a movie at Blockbuster on Fridays. It did a great job getting me excited about movies, and I imagine its done the same for others.... A good companion to this text (or possibly an all-out replacement of it) is Scorsese's VHS/DVD, "A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies."

Movie spoiler.......2002-10-08

This would be a great book to read if you have no intention of watching the films discussed within, or if you've already seen them. On quite a few films, it tells the whole plot, in detail, from opening to end credits.

I also don't like the prose of the author, as he excessively uses sentences "in quotations". The writing structure is very formulaic and boring. The "5 paragraph essay" format is good for high school students learning to write, but imagine an entire book written that way. I can only read it for 15 minutes before losing interest.

The book does, however, provide plenty of examples from a variety of films.

Book Description

Slavoj Zizek, a leading intellectual in the new social movements in Eastern Europe, provides a virtuoso reading of the psychoanalytic theory of Jacques Lacan through the works of contemporary popular culture, from horror fiction and detective thrillers to popular romances and Hitchcock films.

Slavoj Zizek is a Researcher in the Institute of Sociology at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. He ran as a proreform candidate for the presidency of the republic of Slovenia, then part of Yugoslavia, in 1990.

Customer Reviews:

Lacanian heresy inside! Beware of being tainted!.......2004-10-05

I am struck by the negative reviews that caution readers: "Zizek is not an orthodox Lacanian! Read him only if you have already understood Lacan!" This is, of course, the typically cultish--really Catholic--approach to Lacan that treats him as a holy text, pre-supposes a series of high priests who have been properly anoited and through whom one must receive the officially sanctioned interpretation. I don't read Zizek for Lacan--I read him for Zizek, and I encourage others to do likewise. *Looking Awry* and *Enjoy Your Symptom* are prehaps the easiest approaches to Zizek and his brand of cultural criticism, as they rely almost entirely on popular culture, especially film. Zizek's perverse (and often dirty) sense of humor and tendency to read against the grain at all costs are apparent on nearly every page, which makes this a very engaging read, indeed. Intellectually, there are some problems with his approach, of course--but Zizek's voice is such a refreshing change of pace, and his constant turn to a reading that you thought was impossible (but turns out to be preversely appealing) makes them all worthwhile.

Perfect - if that's what you want........2004-05-15

That's what I wanted, at least: An illustration of the key Lacanian concepts. What Zizek'bokk gives you, in fact, is the key to reading Lacan.

Lacan's seminar is an unreadable text - if that's your first/second/third etc. time. Lacan, you see, does not make conclusions. To illustrate that:
- You are writing a paper on, let's say, "Gaze". You would like to know what's Lacan's take on gaze. You open "On Gaze as Object a" chapter from "Four Fundamentals".
- you read a paragraph. You do not quite understand what you have read.
- you read the following paragraph. Now, understanding this one is even more difficult, because Lacan is assuming that you have fully understood the previous one. Ok, third paragragh ... Should I continue?
- You either think that this book is non-sense or that you are stupid. Both conclusions are wrong.

As soon as you get the background - Lacan's non-sense makes perfect sense. Zizek give this background in a highly entertaining manner (his writing is a jewel - keeps you thinking "If only I could write like that!"). I am currently doing a PhD in literature, and I have to go through plenty of academic rubbish - dry and actually, useless critical books, that make use of Lacan, Foucault and others to get published and never be read. Zizec is a breath of fresh air.

Please believe me - do not give up on Lacan, do not call him bad names, (like "idiotic nonsense, nobody ever understood him, they were all pretending to understand him because they were afraid to look stupid in the 60s") - before you read Zizec.

This book is great; those below who don't like it are clowns.......2002-09-22

Jacques Lacan's theories are completely, utterly undecipherable. The only way to begin to understand the fundamentals of psychoanalytic theory is to read somebody else writing on Lacan. And thank God Zizek does that for us. To understand Lacan, I've always had to turn to film theory critism--Laura Mulvey--but none of that ever goes beyond theories of the gaze, neglecting to dispell the mystery around some of the most basic concepts of Lacan. Zizek rolls through these various terms and ideas, always providing an exemplification of the idea in popular culture, usually in Hitchcock or within Sci-Fi genres, and then a clear-to-understand definition. So if you're confused as to what desire, drive, lack, objet a, other, Other, the Real, or the Thing are in terms of Lacanian jargon, this might be your book.

Titling awry.......2001-07-08

This book is very interesting but I think it would have been better to call it "An Introduction to Popular Culture trhough Jaques Lacan". This would be a proper title because Zizek dedicates more space to tell us what some products of popular culture are about (i.e. Stephen King's novel "Pet Sematary"; Robert Sheckley's short story "The Store of the Worlds") than to explain, or even outline, the theories of Jaques Lacan. This in itself is not a critique, I just want to say that the title can be misleading. You will not find here an explanation or an introduction to Lacan, but rather a Lacanian reading or interpretation of some products of popular culture (novels, short stories and films.) If you are looking for an easy or brief rendering of Lacan, this book will not be of much help. Moreover, I would say that the readers who will profit the most are those who are already familiar with, or at least know something about, Lacanian thought. This said, I think that Zizek's Lacanian reading of popular works is very good in some cases, and somewhat poor in others. For example, he recalls the novel "Pet Sematary" but he explains almost nothing about it. The good cases, however, make it worth the effort to read the book (Zizek's writing is complicated, but so is Lacan's), and even if you do not agree with some of his points, they are still useful to encourage thought and discussion. If you are interested in the study of popular culture, the interpretation of film and literature, or in the application of Lacanian theory to social analysis, this book will certainly be of use.

Looking Awry This Book.......2000-06-01

This book consists of three parts each of which treats so wide range of topics that there seems to be no logical consistency except Lacanian theory. In the first part, Zizek applys Lacanian theory on reality to various topics such as Zenofs paradox, Shakespearefs gHamleth, Stephen Kingfs gPet Semataryh, and Steven Spielbergfs gEmpire of the Sunh. Then, the second part focuses on Hitchcockfs works and the third part discusses gFantasy, Bureaucracy, Democracyh, however, both parts treat various works in popular culture, too. Actually, Zizek treats Lacanian theory on reality in the first part, on psychoanalysis in the second part, and on gthe Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Realh in the third part, and the third part arranges the preceding parts. But I feel that this book is about how to analyze popular culture rather than about Lacan. As an introduction to Jacques Lacan, I think this book is too difficult. However, this bookfs style which does not have a logical consistency like an ordinary thesis might be more easy to know Lacanian theory than compactly explaining book with many diagrams.

Average customer rating:

The best single-volume book on film history
comparison
Comprehensive, nicely packaged
Just great

Film History: An Introduction
Kristin Thompson , and David Bordwell
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0070384290

Book Description

Written by two leading film scholars, Film History: An Introduction is a comprehensive survey of film-from the backlots of Hollywood, across the United States, and around the world. As in the authors' bestselling Film Art, concepts and events are illustrated with actual frame enlargements, giving students more realistic points of reference than competing books that use publicity stills.

Customer Reviews:

The best single-volume book on film history.......2006-05-01

If you are interested in film history on the whole, please, give yourself a treat by purchasing this book. It is not cheap but it is worth every penny. I had it after a course in film history and despite being someone who usually sell or dump away my texts after graduation, I find it very hard to give this one away. Boy, am I glad I did not. As one's scope and experience in world cinema grows, so too does one's interest in this book. Bordwell and Thomas's style is academic but always enthusiastic, and theirs is the most comprehensive account of world cinema in English (pre-war Japanese cinema, anyone?). I have not found another general film book on world cinema history to match, and I will certainly be purchasing its third edition (what I have is the first) if that ever comes by.

comparison.......2006-01-26

here's a short comparison I made between the following 3 film history books:

A History of the Cinema from Its Origins to 1970 (Eric Rhode)
A Short History of the Movies (Gerald Mast)
Film History: An Introduction, (Thompson-Bordwell)

I was looking for a technical/historical overview of the development of cinema, without idiosyncratic criticism and with emphasis on the origins of film techniques, genealogy of influences of filmmakers, relevant references to history, literature and other arts, and impartial accounts of filmmakers' careers.

Instead of a verdict, I will simply quote passages about two greats:

Rhode: [about Fellini] "Fellini's greatest works are inevitably works of laughter and tears. [...] Fellini gets into trouble when he deserts feeling for thought. La Dolce vita (1959) is a sterile thematic exercise [...] In the film's first sequence, a helicopter [...] The film, intellectualy, is over. Christ has been petrified into wood; he is the tool of modern machinery [...] Although the film has nothing more to say, Fellini continues for two hours, contrasting sensual things [...] Juliet of the Spirits [...] suffers from a similar over-schematization."

Mast: [about Antonioni] "Antonioni sometimes has trouble in allowing his images to accrete meaning [...] His failure to generalize experience was to be total in La notte (1960). Lacking any understanding of how writers think and feel, his portrait of the author, [...] is so unconvincing that the spectator may be tempted to think that Giovanni's crisis of conscience is no more than a rationalization of his inability to escape from his wife's purse-strings."

Thompson-Bordwell: [about Antonioni] "From the start of his career Antonioni demonstrated a mastery of deep focus (Fig. 19.30) and the long take with camera movement (pp. 427-429). The early works also pioneered [...] Antonioni's muted dramatization of shallow or paralyzed characters found a sympathetic response in an era that also welcomed Existentialism. [...] Juan Bardem, Miklos Jansco, and Theo Angelopoulos learned from his distinctive style. Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974) and Brian De Palma's Blow-Out (1981) derive directly from Blow-Up."

nuff said...

Comprehensive, nicely packaged.......2002-02-12

I used this book in a film studies class about four years ago and I kept it because of the wealth of information. For the first time I understood the different epochs of film not only in the U.S. but also around the world. I was introduced to a wider variety of international film and the work of Eisenstein, Renoir, Kurosawa, and others. I highly recommend this book for the concise language, easy explanations, and beautiful black and white and color reproductions from many films. This book is a page turner.

Just great.......1997-02-22

this is one of the most comprensive and clear books on film history. Just great to use it as a main reference book to college student

Average customer rating:

THE DEFINITIVE INTRODUCTORY TEXT FOR FILM STUDY
Finally--a Relevant Film Book!
Not very informative
Informative, easy to grasp, introduction to film concepts

Film: An Introduction
William H. Phillips
Manufacturer: Bedford Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1403942900

Book Description

An introduction to the film medium for both general readers and college-level film students. The book has three parts: The Expressiveness of Film Techniques, Types of Films, and Responses to Films. Also included are marginal definitions, a twenty-page illustrated glossary, a forty-page four column chronology, and more than 500 photographs and drawings.

Customer Reviews:

THE DEFINITIVE INTRODUCTORY TEXT FOR FILM STUDY.......2006-07-15

An outstanding beginning text for film study students. I am a film study and English teacher at the high school level, and I have been using this text for the past two years. The first four chapters provide essential terminology to effectively read and analyze a film. From mise-en-scene to cinematography to editing to sound, these first four chapters develop a solid foundation for beginning film students. The book provides classic film examples, both early classics and modern classics, and there are numerous examples of shots from these films to illustrate film terminology. The second half of the book provides some meaningful discussion of film genres, the context of film in society, and alternatives to live-action films. As a beginning resource, this text is user-friendly and interesting. I highly recommend this textbook for the beginning film study student.

Finally--a Relevant Film Book!.......2005-07-29

FILM by William H. Phillips has as its strongest point its relevancy to current events in light of past film endeavors. Recent films are discussed in the 3rd Edition as well as other editions with clarity and insight. Also, it is a rare film book that discusses the economics of film making and marketing of film in theaters and video formatting.

This work shows that other countries than the US also have an important cinematic history. This book encompasses both the American scene and the world historical perspective with its extensive chronology 1895-2003, and the relationship and mirroring of world events in film. This is a book to add to any collection of film reference guides. It is prime value for the money with 669 pages of prolific color plates and black and white photos of actual film shots.

Not very informative.......2005-04-04

I've taken a couple film classes in college so far and I have to say that this book is not very enlightening. For the most part, this book discusses film concepts and assigns them terms. It spends a lot of time stating the obvious and little time going into any significant depth.

It is a long book full of general information that you will already know if you are a regular movie-goer, nevermind a student of film. It lacks significant coverage of the history of film.

I recommend avoiding it if you can and buying an inexpensive used copy if you must buy it for class.

You can learn far more about film simply by using Google or Wikipedia. The freely available information on the Internet far surpasses the mediocre offerings of this book! Don't waste your money!

Informative, easy to grasp, introduction to film concepts.......1999-09-11

Phillips has written an accessible, up-to-date, and lively book suitable for anyone who wants a basic understanding of the art of film. It is arranged so that a discussion of film techniques is first, liberally illustrated with shots from numerous films (including newer releases). One of the nice features of the book is it identifies and points out the differences between publicity stills and frame enlargments. The rest of the book discusses how movies are developed, their sources, genres, and characteristics. There is a detailed chapter on alternatives to live-action films (especially focused on animation). The book's final section addresses the social meanings of films, and provides a sample analysis of Altman's "The Player." Throughout the text are sample student papers, to demonstrate how to write about film in a critical way. In the introductory film appreciation class that I teach, students preferred this book to Bordwell and Thompson's "Film Art." For them, all the examples and photographs enhanced the concepts, while the marginal definitions helped them remember key terms. Students also appreciated the inclusion of recent movies they have seen, as well as classics like "Citizen Kane." From this college professor's point of view, the book is best for beginners, who just want to know more about film techniques and analysis. However, even advanced students would find it a useful summary of film concepts.

Philosophy Goes to the Movies: An Introduction to Philosophy

Average customer rating:

Philosophy Goes to the Movies: An Introduction to Philosophy
Christop Falzon
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415237416

Book Description

Philosophy Goes to the Movies is a new kind of introduction to philosophy that makes use of the movies to explore philosophical ideas and positions. From art-house movies like Cinema Paradiso to Hollywood blockbusters like The Matrix, the movies we have grown up with provide us with a world of memorable images, events and situations that can be used to illustrate, illuminate and provoke philosophical thought.

Average customer rating:

Lots of Information, Boring to Read

Media and Society: An Introduction
Michael O'Shaughnessy , and Jane Stadler
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195517563

Book Description

Media and Society: An Introduction examines the role of the media in contemporary society and analyses representations of the world found in advertisements, film, television, photographs, language, and music. It clearly and simply presents theoretical approaches and includes many examples,
definitions, issues, questions, and explanations to aid students' understanding.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of Information, Boring to Read.......2003-11-04

This is the book for my "Introduction to Electronic Mass Media" class. It is VERY boring to read. The professor seldom refers to it, maybe 3 or 4 times in class. However, there are some very good sections, that even though they aren't interesting, they are useful. An example is the 2 sections on semiotics. There is an entire chapter that can be used as a outline for a semiotic analysis, as well as an appendix in the back of the book about a semiotic analysis, with pictures.

One thing that really stands out when you think of books that are used as college textbooks, this one doesn't have vocab words. Though a lot of students hate vocab because it is one more thing for the prof to put on the test, I think that it would be useful in this book because there are a lot of terms (i.e. semiotics, gender codes, etc.) that can be summed up in a sentence or two, so that the student will have a better understand and will be about to follow. It would also be nice to have the terms bold-faced for studying.

Book Description

Alan Bennett is one of England's best-loved playwrights. He is perhaps best known there for the BBC production of his Talking Heads TV plays, while the rest of the world may recognize him for the film adaptation of his play The Madness of King George. Over the last thirty years, Bennett has written ten stage plays, three screenplays, eight television documentaries, and over thirty plays for television. Yet Bennett's work has resisted "serious" reviews in academic publications, as his reputation as a comedic player during the early '60's has saddled him with the label "lovable." Joseph O'Mealy demonstrates that Bennett is a social critic, interested in depicting and analyzing the role playing of everyday life, a'la sociologist Erving Goffman. After providing a general introduction to Bennett as multifaceted playwright and actor, O'Mealy looks in depth at Bennett's oeuvre, starting with Beyond the Fringe and concluding with his most recent production, The Lady in the Van.

Average customer rating:

Good on facts...low on theory
A First Rate Introduction to Film - it will get my degree !
This Intro to Film Studies is indispensible.
WE ARE THE: WE LOVE JILL NELMES FANCLUB!
Simply the best

An Introduction to Film Studies
Jill Nelmes
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415173108

Book Description

An Introduction to Film Studies is a comprehensive introduction to the study of cinema. This completely revised and updated second edition provides a guide to key issues and concepts in the field and also traces the historical development of film, while introducing some of the world's key national cinemas.

Written by experts in the field and lavishly illustrated with over 160 film stills and production shots, it will be essential reading for any introductory student of film. Key features of the second edition are:

* updated coverage of a wide range of concepts, theories and issues in film studies
* in-depth discussion of the contemporary film industry
* a new chapter on spectatorship in cinema
* marginal key terms, notes, cross-referencing, review questions and follow-up activities
* new case studies and examples, website resources and a glossary of terms
* suggestions for further reading, further viewing and a comprehensive bibliography.

Lively and accessible, An Introduction to Film Studies is perfect for serious film buffs, or any film-goer who wants to enrich their experience of the movies.

Customer Reviews:

Good on facts...low on theory.......2006-01-30

This is an excellent book as far as hard facts are concerned, but needs to be read in conjunction with, for example, Studying the Media by Tim O'Sullivan for a complete knowledge of film theory and analysis.

A First Rate Introduction to Film - it will get my degree !.......2003-06-12

The book is very strong on context and easily absorbed hard facts - espeecially for instance Kochberg's first long section. Here his infectious style, grasp of the essentials and bang up to date comment on the evolving Industry pay dividends. I have heard him on a lecture tour and he leaves you wanting to make that film - and knowing how to do it ! I have ordered the new 3rd addition for the class behind and I will be using it it my tutorials as I approach my own degree deadline. Kochberg is the most articulate contributor -- his Intro To Documentary Film is also essential -- but the other writers are very strong of core knowledge and context. Cleverly chosen illustrations.

This Intro to Film Studies is indispensible........2003-06-11

This excellent Film Studies Introduction -- just out now in its 3rd edition at June 2003 - is direct, fact filled, challenging to the Intro student and global in its scope and mercifully free of acadenic buzz words. Kochberg's first part is very relevant Intro students - a low key triumph of context and explication/ Refer to Kochberg's new book from Wallflower: Intro to Documentary Film. A team book for the student film team.

WE ARE THE: WE LOVE JILL NELMES FANCLUB!.......2000-04-13

WHAT A FANTASTIC BOOK! Ms NELMES IS RENOWNED FOR BEING AN UNENTHUSIASTIC SARKY SELFISH NON-CONSIDERATE PERSON! WHO QUITE FRANKLY HAS MADE MY LIFE HELL BUT I'M NOT BITTER, OH NO! I AM NOT. SERIOUSLY WHAT A GREAT BOOK FOR ANY ONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THE REST OF THEIR LIVES CONDEMNED TO SHEER MISERY AND DEPRESSION

Simply the best.......2000-02-03

Wow, everybody should own this book, simply wonderful. I am on my way to becoming a film maker, and this book helped me all the way. Without this book, I am nothing!

Average customer rating:

Performance Studies Review

Performance Studies 2E: An Introduction
Richard Schechner
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415372461

Book Description

The second edition of an important introductory textbook by a prime mover in the field of Performance Studies, which was a defining moment for the discipline. It provides a lively and accessible overview of the full range of performance for undergraduates at all levels and beginning graduate students in performance studies, theatre, performing arts and cultural studies. It includes discussion of the performing arts and popular entertainment, rituals, play and games as well as the performances of every day life. Supporting examples and ideas are drawn from the performing arts, anthropology, post-structuralism, ritual theory, ethology, philosophy and aesthetics. The text has been fully revised and updated, developed with input from leading teachers and trilled with students.
User-friendly, with a special text design, it also includes the following features:
· Extracts from primary sources giving alternative voices and viewpoints
· Biographies of key thinkers
· "Things to think about" and "things to do" to stimulate fieldwork, classroom exercises and discussion
· Key reading lists for each chapter
· 20 line drawings and 173 b/w photographs drawn from private and public collections around the world.

Customer Reviews:

Performance Studies Review.......2007-03-08

The item was in perfect condition and I received it in a timely fashion. I enjoy the reading, though sometimes the author is not clear in his intentions and it leaves you confused.

Philosophy Goes to the Movies: An introduction to philosophy, Second edition

Average customer rating:

a popular approach

Philosophy Goes to the Movies: An introduction to philosophy, Second edition
Christopher Falzon
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Philosophical Traditions: A Text with Readings

ASIN: 0415357268

Book Description

From Metropolis to The Matrix, from Gattaca to Groundhog Day, films can help to illustrate and illuminate complex philosophical thought. Philosophy Goes to the Movies is a new kind of introduction to philosophy, that makes use of film to help us understand philosophical ideas and positions. Drawing on a wide range of films from around the world, and the ideas of a diverse selection of thinkers from Plato and Descartes to Marcuse and Foucault, Christopher Falzon introduces and discusses central areas of philosophical concern, including:

*the theory of knowledge

*the self and personal identity

*ethics

*social and political philosophy

*critical thinking

Ideal for beginners, this book guides the reader through philosophy using lively and illuminating cinematic examples including A Clockwork Orange, Mulholland Drive, Blade Runner, Modern Times, Wings of Desire and The Lord of the Rings. This fully revised and updated second edition features an expanded introduction providing guidance on teaching and discussing philosophy through film, as well as new material on notable philosophers such as Rousseau, Aquinas and Nietzche, and discussion of a wide range of recent films.

Download Description

This is a new kind of introduction to Philosophy that uses the movies to explore philosophical ideas. Ideal for the beginner, this book guides the student through philosophy using lively cinematic examples including Total Recall.

Customer Reviews:

a popular approach.......2007-06-01

Every author wants as large an audience as possible. Given his field of philosophy, Falzon takes the approach that teaching this via popular movies is one way to get attention. Hence, by looking at examples like Star Trek: The Next Generation, he segues into discussions of self and personal identity. Bringing in luminaries like Locke and Kant. Probably a far easier approach than traditional philosophy texts that invoke these people and their writings.

It also affords some lighthearted ways to raise serious issues. By considering Groundhog Day or High Noon, the book brings in questions of morality and justice. At a level made comprehensible by these common cultural references.

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