Average customer rating:
- Excellent as a Historical Text Book
- Not very good...
- A very useful beginners guide to American film.
- Movie spoiler
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American Cinema/American Culture
John Belton
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
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Similar Items:
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Study Guide to Accompany American Cinema/American Culture
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Study Guide for American Cinema
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A Short Guide to Writing about Film (Short Guides Series)
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Freeing Shakespeare's Voice: The Actor's Guide to Talking the Text
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Anatomy of Film
ASIN: 007004466X |
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.
This book is a companion piece to the PBS series by the same name. The series is much more interesting. Don't bother with the book. A much better film text is "Film: An Introduction", by William Phillips, ISBN: 0312258968.
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
Book Description
This comprehensive introduction to film focuses on three topics: how movies express meanings, how viewers understand those meanings, and how cinema focuses globally as both an art and a business.
Using clear, accessible, and jargon-free writing, this is the only introduction to film to examine the elements of film style and the viewer's contribution to the cinema experience. How do viewers interpret the effects filmmakers create? How do filmmakers anticipate, and build on, the likely ways viewers will react to certain kinds of stories and audio-visual designs? Accordingly, the text examines how filmmakers create images and sounds and also closely examines the mechanisms and processes by which viewers make sense of images and stories on screen. This approach helps readers understand not only the basic concepts but also how their own reactions and opinions impact the overall film experience, making the course even more meaningful.
For anyone interested in film and film appreciation.
Book Description
Inspiring and practical, Inner Drives goes to the very source of character motivation and action. Explores the fascinating world of archetypes, mythology, and the chakra system.
Customer Reviews:
Reads too much like a history book.......2007-10-03
I don't understand why the consensus rating is 5/5. I found this book extremely wordy and it reads like a history book. If you want dozens of pages on the historical aspects of (insert your favorite chakra here), then this book is for you. If you want to see the same movies quoted and re-quoted over and over as examples of (insert your favorite chakra here), then this book is for you. If your idea of fun is combing through over one hundred pages dripping with hippy-isms looking for the "meat" you can use, then this book is for you. However, if you want a book that gives you a fair amount of background on a subject, fresh movie examples, and then leaves you with concrete ideas and examples of how to leverage the content matter to improve your characters and stories, then this book is not for you.
Notice how many times I repeat "this book is for you" and you'll get the idea of how this books reads. I am disappointed, especially given the 5/5 rating. It's more a 2/5 in my opinion, I got almost nothing useful out of it.
Every Actor Needs This Book.......2007-06-27
And I thought I knew about acting. You know nothing until you apply this book. You can forget the first two chapters. Go back and read them later for a "wow" crash course in philosophy. Just accept that the chakra system works as viable structure (and how) start at chapter three and apply to your craft. Ms. Smith knows her stuff. I get so excited with this stuff.
So many books on the acting craft never get down to the fact that you are an actor helping tell a story; a story that you tell with other people onstage and offstage. This book will show you you where you fit in to the ensemble and what you need to do so your character is true to life. Like Michael Shurtleff's "Audition," it takes a subjective art form, acting, and makes it objective. You get to view your work from outside yourself, and where to apply everything else you have learned. Not until now have I found anything that helped me do that. I have tried Inner Drives and am having a blast. You will be making choices that people will want to see and keep coming back to you for more. You will never read or act a script the same way again.
Plus, it's a damn good read about movies.
A Real Writers Journey.......2006-03-31
Wow. This is a great screenwriting book -- but it's so much more. Not only does it give you a better understanding of character, but it gives you a better understanding of human nature!
Pamela Jaye Smith has written one of the most intelligent, thought-provoking, and in-depth explanations and explorations on the key motivational centers of human beings. You won't ust learn how to build better characters, you'll discover how to develop your own character. No kidding. This is not just a manual for better writing -- it's a manual for better living!
Buy it. Devour it. Apply it. And read it again...and again...
Plenty of examples teamed with exercises to help writers structure characters.......2005-11-06
There are some basic principles to writing good characters into novels and dramas and with them the aspiring screenwriter or novelist can produce powerful, three-dimension figures. Inner Drives: How To Write & Create Characters Using The Eight Classic Centers Of Motivation surveys these principles from the world of mythology, using plenty of examples teamed with exercises to help writers structure characters, devise subplots, make logical connections and more. Chapters discuss 'inner drive centers', link art and writing to New Age concepts, and survey archetypes and classic examples.
An Insightful Book on New Techniques for Creating New Millennium Films.......2005-09-28
Pamela Jaye Smith's ground-breaking book is the first to connect the exciting field of subtle energy and esoteric anatomy with a character's motivation, style, and archetype. By showing how the chakra system affects behavior, she offers writers new pathways to creating authentic, multi-dimentional, and unforgettable personalities.
This is a must read for new-millennium screenwriters, breaking new ground in screenwriting. The inspired techniques for character development, described in "Inner Drives," go hand-in-hand with the stories we need to tell, to break through old paradigms and move into new possibilities in story telling.
This book is a treasure. I highly recommend "Inner Drives!"
Celeste Allegrea Adams
Author, "Keepers of the Dream"
Book Description
From China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong to Singapore and Hollywood, from martial arts films of the early twentieth century to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon at the turn of the twenty-first century, Chinese-language films have opened new doors to the imaging and construction of national and ethnic identity. This volume, the most comprehensive work to date on Chinese film, explores the manifold dimensions of the subject and highlights areas overlooked in previous studies.
In the essays in this collection leading scholars take up issues and topics covering the entire range of Chinese cinema. Their cross-cultural engagements with individual films, accomplished with an acute sense of chronology and history, tackle questions of issues related to historiography, poetics, aesthetics, genres, and directorial styles; at the same time, they address the economics of film production and consumption as well as the cultural politics of globalization, identity, subjectivity, nationality, citizenship, and gender formation as embodied in filmic texts. They offer insightful, detailed analyses of films by such internationally renowned directors as Zhang Yimou, Hou Hsia-hsien, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-wai, Zhang Yuan, Jia Zhangke, Tsai Ming-liang, Lin Cheng-sheng, Jiang Wen, Ann Hui, Sylvia Chang, Wu Nianzhen, Eric Koo, and others.
Chinese-Language Film makes a significant contribution to international film studies. It will become required reading for all those, whether student, specialist, or general reader, who are interested in Chinese cinema and international film culture or concerned with questions of nationalism, transnationalism, globalization, and multiculturalism.
Book Description
The up-to-date, acclaimed guide to writing and selling screenplays to today's film and TV markets. This is the new screenwriter's bible.
Customer Reviews:
Still Unbeatable.......2007-04-27
I'll go straight to the point: the part on character creation and development is worth all the books published about the subject in the last twenty years. The simple-straightforward-logical method displayed here is simply unbeatable.
This is really an old book, but don't make the mistake to think of it as outdated. Sure, it's kind of weird read things as "recent films like Rambo" but all the eighties movies that he mentions and uses as practical examples are totally time tested.
Also, I would pay its full price for the single analysis of The Karate Kid included. Laugh if you want. I'm sure you will learn a lot.
A final thought: There are two kinds of "how-to" books. The ones that should be called "how-should" (yeah, that ones that tell you how a good script should look judging by the subsequent movie, i can do that too) and real "how-to's", that guide you step by step with a logical process so you can learn.
Obviously, Hauge's book stands proud among the last ones. Thank you, Mike, wherever you are.
I love this book.......2007-04-17
I just finished taking a continuing education course on script writing at my local college and this book has been very helpful with supplimenting what I learned. It is packed with all kinds of info and is very easy to read. There are several good books out there and this is one of them.
AWESOME Book for anyone who wants to learn or improve your Screen writing.......2007-03-31
I purchased this book and Mike's Hero's Journey DVD and he has a great way to explain the magic of screen writing, his advices and examples are clear and helps you apply right away to your screen writing. I enjoyed very much reading his book and seeing his DVD. I highly recommend any book or materials from Mike to anyone that might be aspiring to become a screen writer or wants to improve your screen writing techniques.
The best first book on screenwriting without a doubt.......2006-12-24
First of all, I feel I have to say that English is not my mother language, but never mind; I have read this book easily. To be honest, I've just read only a first half of the book; the second part - An Analysis of The Karate Kid - I was not interested in.
However, the first half (which is about 160 to 170 pages) gave me the full insight of the ingredients of a good screenplay and how to obtain them. Although the book is not perfect, I think that after reading it you can easily write your first screenplay with the confidence.
These days I am reading Ray Frensham's Teach Yourself Screenwriting which (in my opinion) has more extensive approach to screenwriting, although it is more concise written. However, the knowledge gained from the Writing Screenplays that sell helps me great to absorb the material from that book very easy.
So, if you want to start learning how to write screenplay from the beginning, first read Writing Screenplays That Sell, and you will not regret. On the contrary, you will be very satisfied with that decision. After that, you can read any book you like or immediately start writing you first screenplay, whatever you wish.
How great is this book? I've bought five copies!.......2006-11-02
If my house were burning, and I could only rescue ONE screenwriting book of the 60 that I own and (yes) have read, it would be Michael Hauge's "Writing Screenplays That Sell."
While it is terrific for the beginner, I had already written three scripts before reading this book, but the advice and guidance in this book focused me so well that I now judge my writing experience as "pre-Hauge," and "post-Hauge." Post-Hauge, I have had five scripts reach Semi-Final stage in the Nicholl Fellowship, and three have been optioned.
I have also bought this book as gifts for five friends, including my son, who said that they wanted to learn how to write a feature script.
You won't go wrong following the advice in this book.
Book Description
A revised and expanded sequel to Stealing Fire from the Gods, this 2nd edition includes important new revelations concerning the ultimate source of unity, the structures of the whole story passage, the anti-hero's journey, the high-concept great idea, the secrets of charismatic characters, and the analyses of many important new stories and successful films.
Customer Reviews:
Stealing Money From The Schlubs.......2007-09-26
Okay, I have my MFA in screenwriting, and have read many a book on writing (and there are some very good ones out there). But if, like me, you want additional tools or methods to improve your story/writing/script, then this book is "practically" useless. I say "practically", because after spending half the book on the history of story and other incidentals (academic), the author reserves the last quarter of the book for a complicated bit of story construction/deconstruction mumbo-jumbo that was part Joseph Campbell, part mysticism, and part fevered-dream. There is no "practical" here. Oh, there are boxes for you to put your story into, then based on that box (or paradigm), specific paths for your story to follow. However, so many other books do it so much better (and more practically). Heck, read Michael Hague, he'll give you four fundamental hero types/goals; and read Joseph Campbell yourself. And for gosh sakes, there's nothing like reading screenplays.
The book made me mad. This much money for this little is a bookish crime.
Slightly over my head.......2007-09-13
[3.5 stars]
I have to give this a three-and-a-half-star review, because like an opera viewer, while I can recognize the skill of the singers, I am technically inept at understanding the reasons for that skill.
This is advanced level writing, and I can sort of catch glimpses of brilliance in how the author describes story but, for me, that brilliance is frequently hidden from view by the ponderous language and the intricate psychological contrivances. I wanted to really understand this book, but I don't know if that's possible as a neophyte screenwriter. I believe this is a book I will return to when I have a bit more knowledge and confidence.
In the meantime, I will finish reading Syd Field.
Lots of info but not motivational and boring.......2007-09-06
This is a book full of information on writing. It breaks down the task of writing into almost like a math problem or some sort of physics formula.
It's a good way to analyze your script when you are done but a beginner writer shouldn't be required to follow this formula or else the first draft of the script will never be done.
I got this book hoping to learn some tips on writing before I started my script but looking at the book, chapter titles and flipping through it reminded me of a calculus book.
The analysis was not motivational or interesting at all. It actually made me procrastinate on reading this book and also using it to help me write.
Don't get overwhelmed with these formulas and just start writing.
One good book is "Alone in a Room".
Subconscious Source.......2007-08-31
This book came just in the nick of time for me. After my first re-write on a screenplay I needed something a little more abstract than 3 act structure descriptions. Stealing Fire gives an overview of what stories can be about as well as what they can mean to the viewer. It gave me new hope that creating stories that move audiences, is an important contribution to our social structure and evolving history. James Bonnet asks us to consider the archaic power of story lines and archetypes, the importance of story in every stage of life and to see that it is vital, after having come up with a passable story, to dig deeper and use intuition to start communicating with that muddy subconscious source within us to tell stories that inspire and ignite passion as well as entertain.
one of the most stimulating books on storytelling.......2007-05-19
This second edition of James Bonnet's guide to storytelling expands on the original by some forty pages. Like Christopher Vogler, Bonnet is inspired by C. G. Jung and Joseph Campbell's works, so anyone acquainted with The Hero's Journey will feel at home immediately. However, Stealing Fire goes far beyond the basic hero myth. Bonnet traces the entire LIFE of the hero, from his auspicious beginnings to his final doom. In this way, he opens the door to telling other types of stories than the overexposed coming-of-age hero myth - and about time too.
Another important concept here is the `whole story', namely the entire sequence of events which form the backdrop and the future of the screenplay or novel. For instance, if we consider World War II to be a whole story, then Casablanca and Saving Private Ryan are specific moments of its storywheel.
Stealing Fire is an incredibly rich book, filled with ideas and concepts which stimulate the storytelling mind. However, it's not an `easy-to-use' method which depends on a single, easy to remember formula. The second edition material is mainly concerned with making the book more immediately practical for writers. It succeeds, but there are still many concepts and ideas here which could have been treated in more depth (for instance the Anti-Hero's Journey is described in just two pages). I also feel that the visual representation of the Golden Paradigm described here is too complex and abstract. Nevertheless, James Bonnet's book is thought-provoking, insightful and creatively exceptionally stimulating.
Average customer rating:
- An Excellent Intro to Film Study
- I've looked at clouds from both sides now
- TWO THUMBS DOWN
- fine, blessedly concise guide
- Intelligence and accessibility
|
A Short Guide to Writing about Film
Timothy Corrigan
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Understanding Movies
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American Cinema/American Culture
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Film Art: An Introduction
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A History of Film (History of Film)
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Anatomy of Film
ASIN: 0321096657 |
Book Description
This best-selling text is a succinct guide to thinking critically and writing precisely about film. With numerous student and professional examples along the way, this engaging and practical guide progresses from taking notes and writing first drafts to creating polished essays and comprehensive research projects. Moving from movie reviews to theoretical and critical essays, the text demonstrates how an analysis of a film becomes more subtle and rigorous as part of a compositional process.
Both an introduction to film study and a practical writing guide, this brief text introduces students to film terms and the major film theories to enable them to write more critically.
For individuals who want to think and write critically about film.
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Intro to Film Study.......2007-09-10
Timothy Corrigan, in the preface to "A Short Guide to Writing About Films, sixth edition," says, "Writing essays about films is, in short, one of the most sophisticated ways to respond to them." In this concise book, he lucidly explains how to write screen reports, movie reviews, as well as theoretical and critical essays on films.
Here's a sample of his lucid writing. Defining terms often used in film study: mise-en-scene -- "the arrangement of the so-called theatrical elements before they are actually filmed; these include sets, lighting, costumes, and props"; shot/reverse shot -- "an editing pattern that cuts between individuals according to the logic of their conversation"; jump cut -- "a cut within the continuous action of a shot, creating a spatial or temporal jump or discontinuity within the action."
Moreover, this updated edition explains the supplementary features often included in DVDs such as story boards, behind-the-scene documentaries, and interviews with the cast and crews.
Even if you don't intend to write about films, reading this blessedly brief book will enhance your enjoyment of watching films. Five shining stars.
-- C J Singh
I've looked at clouds from both sides now.......2003-08-08
One thing I can say is I enjoy a good film. O.K. if it moves I'll watch it. But until I read this book I really was just looking with out seeing.
It is nice to have this guide confirm what one knows as common sense. Probably because the guide is designed to take you from ground zero to a level of appreciation and allow you to convey your opinion intelligently.
If you have an earlier edition you will still get the essence of the book. Newer editions add different resources and research information.
Some of the highlights are:
* A shot-by shot analysis of a sequence from the film "Potemkin"
* Suggestions on using the Internet
* Sample student writing
Some contents:
Writing about the Movies
Preparing to Watch and Preparing to Write
Film Terms and Topics
Six Approaches to writing about Film
Style and Structure in Writing
Researching the Movies
Manuscript Form
This guide is an eye opener.
TWO THUMBS DOWN.......2001-01-28
I am currently a film major who is being forced to read this book. Let me say that so far I am only to chapter three and have suffered through every page of it. It is filled with basic, common sense, (i.e., the best way to write about film is to take notes during the screening. and if you can, it's good to see the movie more than once), which is explained in several pages. Give me a break. Not only does he present basic knowlnedge but he repeats himself in so many words. The truth is, the only way to successfully analize film is to develop an eye for symbolism. No book, I don't care who writes it, can teach you that. It is something that must be personally developed. Why someone would waste their time writing a book trying to teach people how to do that blows my mind. I give it one star, cause after all, everyone deserves a little comething for at least trying.
fine, blessedly concise guide.......2001-01-07
I'm writing to second mitry's opinion of the book and to add to mitry's comment about kenosha's complaint of textual errors. I have the second edition of the book, and Corrigan speaks of Captain Willard and refers to Marlowe as "the other Captain Willard" (p. 43). It's clear from the context that he is comparing the film character with Conrad's protagonist. I doubt Corrigan would have revised the 2nd edition text here to make an error in the 3rd edition. Don't get turned off by an erroneous review!
Intelligence and accessibility.......2000-08-02
This a marvelous book, packed with information and much more accessible than far more expensive books. It's the perfect companion for almost any film course since it not only introduces students to the language and methods of film analysis (including how to take notes) but does so while guiding students through the work of writing a good essay (with great suggestions for doing research). The writing is clear and accurate (with none of the errors referred to by the Kenosha reviewer). I recommend it without hesitation to all students of film.
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