Film Studies

In this quintessential work of queer theory, Jack Halberstam takes aim at the protected status of male masculinity and shows that female masculinity has offered a distinct alternative to it for well over two centuries. Demonstrating how female masculinity is not some bad imitation of virility, but a lively and dramatic staging of hybrid and minority genders, Halberstam catalogs the diversity of gender expressions among masculine women from 19th-century pre-lesbian practices to contemporary drag-king performances.

Encompassing the 35 year span between the initial development of film technology in the mid-1890s and the adoption of synchronized sound in the late 1920s, the cinema's silent era is both one of the most important epochs of film history and one of the most misunderstood within the popular imagination. In this brief, engaging account, these formative decades come vividly to life.

Brought to you by Penguin. From the remarkable man whose life inspired the heartstopping film, ‘I Swear’, a book that offers extraordinary insight into what it’s like to live with a severe form of Tourette’s Syndrome: a fascinating, complex condition that’s more common than most of us...

An ode to the great pop culture monuments of the 20th century, by the legendary critic Camille Paglia. The singular and iconoclastic critic delivers a significant new book—an ode to and brilliant examination of some of the great pop culture monuments of the 20th century and beyond. From Gone...

This open access study offers queer readings of 10 key film productions of Shakespeare plays from the past 80 years. A range of mainstream and independent English language film productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Twelfth Night, and The Merchant of Venice take...

In his analysis of films, novels, paintings, photographs, popular music, jokes, and videos, Peter Lehman investigates the patriarchal culture that keeps the male body, and especially male genitals, out of sight.

In the early 20th century, World War I was the most devastating event humanity had yet experienced. New machines of war left tens of millions killed or wounded in the most grotesque of ways. The Great War remade the world's map, created new global powers, and brought forth some of the biggest problems still facing us today. But it also birthed a new art form: the horror film, made from the fears of a generation ruined by war. From Nosferatu to Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man, the touchstones of horror can all trace their roots to the bloodshed of the First World War. 

Experience the ultimate film history journey, tracing visual storytelling from optical parlor tricks to high art. Whether you're upgrading your daily commute or seeking an intellectual deep dive, this immersive chronicle captures the magic of the silver screen. Step behind the camera to see how...

Начинается эпоха интерактивного сторителлинга: компьютерные игры, кино, медиа и театр переживают бурную технологическую трансформацию. Netflix делает интерактивный проект по вселенной Minecraft. Игры заимствуют эпизодический нарративный формат у сериалов. Венецианский кинофестиваль посвящает VR-премьерам отдельную программу, показывая, что будущее виртуальной реальности – за нарративом. Антон Уткин и Ната Покровская, режиссеры и сценаристы московской студии Lateral Summer, написали книгу, которая поможет вам в создании собственного проекта.

'At a time when fluff and gossip reign supreme, Hanna Flint's work is consistently insightful, informative and engaging all at once. I always finish reading it feeling just a tad bit smarter.' Candice Frederick, Huffington Post 'One of the smartest pop culture commentators out there.' Toby Moses...

America’s most trusted and best-known film critic Roger Ebert presents one hundred brilliant essays on some of the best movies ever made. Roger Ebert, the famed film writer and critic, wrote biweekly essays for a feature called "The Great Movies," in which he offered a fresh and fervent...

In a captivating realm where cinematic narratives enchant countless viewers, how can one harmonize their faith with the craft of filmmaking? The Wages of Cinema encourages a deep dive into this relationship, drawing upon the significant reflections of Dorothy L. Sayers defending the authenticity of art and truth's manifestation.

Former physicist Andrew Maynard threads together his love of science-fiction movies with his expertise on emerging technologies to engage, entertain, and make you think about the relationship between technology and society. Through the imagination and creativity of science-fiction movies, Maynard introduces listeners to the profound capabilities presented by new and emerging technologies, and the complex personal and societal challenges they present. 

Experience a thrilling pop culture history of how restless inventors and shrewd moguls built our entertainment empire. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive narrative transforms dry facts into an energetic saga of technology, money, and art colliding. Whether you are a lifelong...

Longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award, Nonfiction AN ALLSTORA'S QUEER HISTORY 101 BOOK CLUB PICK "An absorbing landmark of film criticism.” --The Chicago Tribune, "The 10 Best Books of the Year" A blazingly original history celebrating the persistence of queerness onscreen...

They've traded punches in knockdown brawls, crashed biplanes through barns, and raced to the rescue in fast cars. They add suspense and drama to the story, portraying the swimmer stalked by the menacing shark, the heroine dangling 20 feet below a soaring hot air balloon, or the woman leaping nine feet over a wall to escape a dog attack. Only an expert can make such feats of daring look easy, and stuntwomen with the skills to perform - and survive - great moments of action in movies have been hitting their mark in Hollywood since the beginning of film.

Robert Altman and the Elaboration of Hollywood Storytelling reveals an Altman barely glimpsed in previous critical accounts of the filmmaker. This re-examination of his seminal work during the "Hollywood Renaissance" or "New Hollywood" period of the early 1970s (including M*A*S*H and Nashville) sheds new light on both the films and the filmmaker, reframing Altman as a complex, pragmatic innovator whose work exceeds, but is also grounded in, the norms of classical Hollywood storytelling rather than someone who rejected those norms in favor of modernist art cinema.

Beyond Bombshells analyzes the cultural importance of strong women in a variety of current media forms. Action heroines are now more popular in movies, comic books, television, and literature than they have ever been. Their spectacular presence represents shifting ideas about female agency, power, and sexuality. This book explores how action heroines reveal and reconfigure perceptions about how and why women are capable of physically dominating roles in modern fiction.

From Muscle Beach to Hollywood superstar to The Governator—Ian Halperin, investigative journalist and # 1 New York Times bestselling author, reveals the untold story about the outsized and often outrageous Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former Austrian bodybuilding icon turned movie action hero...

Do you watch movies with your eyes open? You buy your tickets and concessions, and you walk into the theater. Celluloid images flash at 24 frames per second, and the hypnotic sequence of moving pictures coaxes you to suspend disbelief and be entertained by the implausible. Unfortunately, many often suspend their beliefs as well, succumbing to subtle lessons in how to behave, think, and even perceive reality.