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Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Films, cinema
Rewatching on the Point of the Cinematic Index offers a
reassessment of the cinematic index as it sits at the intersection
of film studies, trauma studies, and adaptation studies. Author
Allen H. Redmon argues that far too often scholars imagine the
cinematic index to be nothing more than an acknowledgment that the
lens-based camera captures and brings to the screen a reality that
existed before the camera. When cinema's indexicality is so
narrowly defined, the entire nature of film is called into question
the moment film no longer relies on a lens-based camera. The
presence of digital technologies seemingly strips cinema of its
indexical standing. This volume pushes for a broader understanding
of the cinematic index by returning to the early discussions of the
index in film studies and the more recent discussions of the index
in other digital arts. Bolstered by the insights these discussions
can offer, the volume looks to replace what might be best deemed a
diminished concept of the cinematic index with a series of more
complex cinematic indices, the impoverished index, the indefinite
index, the intertextual index, and the imaginative index. The
central argument of this book is that these more complex indices
encourage spectators to enter a process of ongoing adaptation of
the reality they see on the screen, and that it is on the point of
these indices that the most significant instances of rewatching
movies occur. Examining such films as John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr.
Banks (2013); Richard Linklater's oeuvre; Paul Greengrass's United
93 (2006); Oliver Stone's World Trade Center (2006); Stephen
Daldry's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011); and
Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk (2017), Inception (2010), and Memento
(2000), Redmon demonstrates that the cinematic index invites
spectators to enter a process of ongoing adaptation.
The years following the signing of the Armistice saw a
transformation of traditional attitudes regarding military conflict
as America attempted to digest the enormity and futility of the
First World War. During these years popular film culture in the
United States created new ways of addressing the impact of the war
on both individuals and society. Filmmakers with direct experience
of combat created works that promoted their own ideas about the
depiction of wartime service-ideas that frequently conflicted with
established, heroic tropes for the portrayal of warfare on film.
Those filmmakers spent years modifying existing standards and
working through a variety of storytelling options before achieving
a consensus regarding the fitting method for rendering war on
screen. That consensus incorporated facets of the experience of
Great War veterans, and these countered and undermined previously
accepted narrative strategies. This process reached its peak during
the Pre-Code Era of the early 1930s when the initially prevailing
narrative would be briefly supplanted by an entirely new approach
that questioned the very premises of wartime service. Even more
significantly, the rhetoric of these films argued strongly for an
antiwar stance that questioned every aspect of the wartime
experience. For No Reason at All: The Changing Narrative of the
First World War in American Film discusses a variety of Great
War-themed films made from 1915 to the present, tracing the
changing approaches to the conflict over time. Individual chapters
focus on movie antecedents, animated films and comedies, the
influence of literary precursors, the African American film
industry, women-centered films, and the effect of the Second World
War on depictions of the First. Films discussed include Hearts of
the World, The Cradle of Courage, Birthright, The Big Parade, She
Goes to War, Doughboys, Young Eagles, The Last Flight, Broken
Lullaby, Lafayette Escadrille, and Wonder Woman, among many others.
Complete with behind-the-scenes diary entries from the set of Vachon's best-known fillms, Shooting to Kill offers all the satisfaction of an intimate memoir from the frontlines of independent filmmakins, from one of its most successful agent provocateurs -- and survivors. Hailed by the New York Times as the "godmother to the politically committed film" and by Interview as a true "auteur producer," Christine Vachon has made her name with such bold, controversial, and commercially successful films as "Poison," "Swoon," Kids," "Safe," "I Shot Andy Warhol," and "Velvet Goldmine." Over the last decade, she has become a driving force behind the most daring and strikingly original independent filmmakers-from Todd Haynes to Tom Kalin and Mary Harron-and helped put them on the map. So what do producers do? "What don't they do?" she responds. In this savagely witty and straight-shooting guide, Vachon reveals trheguts of the filmmaking process--rom developing a script, nurturing a director's vision, getting financed, and drafting talent to holding hands, stoking egos, stretching every resource to the limit and pushing that limit. Along the way, she offers shrewd practical insights and troubleshooting tips on handling everything from hysterical actors and disgruntled teamsters to obtuse marketing executives. Complete with behind-the-scenes diary entries from the sets of Vachon's best-known films, Shooting To Kill offers all the satisfactions of an intimate memoir from the frontlines of independent filmmaking, from one of its most successful agent provocateurs-and survivors.
Explore over eighty years of Batman history in this updated edition
that features a wealth of new content, including a new chapter on
acclaimed feature film The Batman. Featuring two new chapters and
exclusive content from the new feature film The Batman, this
updated volume tells the complete story of Batman across comics,
TV, animation, film, video games, and beyond. Covering the complete
history of Batman in vivid detail, this deluxe edition features
exclusive commentary from the key creatives who have been
instrumental in building the Dark Knight's ongoing legacy,
including Neal Adams, Tim Burton, Paul Dini, Steve Englehart, Mark
Hamill, Grant Morrison, Julie Newmar, Christopher Nolan, Denny
O'Neil, Joel Schumacher, Scott Snyder, and Zack Snyder. Along with
taking readers on an unparalleled journey into the creation of the
most memorable Batman moments in the character's eighty-year
history-from the "Knightfall" comics arc to Tim Burton's films and
the Arkham video game series the book busts open the DC Comics and
Warner Bros. archives to deliver an avalanche of never-before-seen
visual treasures that are guaranteed to blow the minds of Batman
fans everywhere. Filled with exclusive insert items that further
deepen the reading experience, this updated edition of Batman: The
Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond,
is the ultimate exploration of a true legend whose impact on our
culture has no limits.
Delmer Daves (1904-1977) was an American screenwriter, director,
and producer known for his dramas and Western adventures, most
notably Broken Arrow and 3:10 to Yuma. Despite the popularity of
his films, there has been little serious examination of Daves's
work. Filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier has called Daves the most
forgotten of American directors, and to date no scholarly monograph
has focused on his work. In The Films of Delmer Daves: Visions of
Progress in Mid-Twentieth-Century America, author Douglas Horlock
contends that the director's work warrants sustained scholarly
attention. Examining all of Daves's films, as well as his
screenplays, scripts that were not filmed, and personal papers,
Horlock argues that Daves was a serious, distinctive, and
enlightened filmmaker whose work confronts the general conservatism
of Hollywood in the mid-twentieth century. Horlock considers
Daves's films through the lenses of political and social values,
race and civil rights, and gender and sexuality. Ultimately,
Horlock suggests that Daves's work-through its examination of
bigotry and irrational fear and depiction of institutional and
personal morality and freedom-presents a consistent, innovative,
and progressive vision of America.
The definitive account of the motion picture phenomenon, E.T. the
Extra-Terrestrial: The Ultimate Visual History is a must-have for
fans of the beloved Steven Spielberg classic. Documenting the
complete history of E.T., the book explores Spielberg's initial
inspiration for the story, the challenging shoot, and the
record-breaking success, as well as the film's endurance, examining
the merchandising it inspired and the reasons E.T. holds a
permanent place in the hearts of movie fans the world over. E.T.
the Extra-Terrestrial: The Ultimate Visual History features
exclusive interviews with key members of the creative team,
including cast and crew. Filled with visual treasures, the book
also includes rare and never-before-seen imagery from the Amblin
Entertainment archives, including on-set photography, concept art,
and storyboards, plus a wealth of removable insert items, such as
annotated script pages, studio memos, preliminary sketches, and
more. The perfect tribute to a film that defines movie magic, E.T.
the Extra-Terrestrial: The Ultimate Visual History is the final
word on a modern masterpiece.
Go under the hood of Batman's iconic vehicle in this user's manual
for the Batmobile. Ever since its first appearance in the pages of
Detective Comics back in 1939, the Batmobile has captured the
imaginations of fans around the world, becoming an essential
component of the Dark Knight's crime-fighting arsenal. This user's
manual reveals the secrets behind the most iconic versions of the
Batmobile across decades of comics and films, giving readers a
never-before-seen look at the most beloved vehicle in pop culture.
Featuring detailed cutaways, schematics, blueprints, and more, this
book is full of original art, giving fans the most detailed
exploration of the Batmobile to date. A definitive volume,
Batmobile Owner's Manual examines the vehicle's many iterations
throughout Batman's history, from films such as Batman (1989), The
Dark Knight Trilogy, and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, to
graphic novels including The Dark Knight Returns and the most
current run of Batman comics. An immersive, must-have collectible,
Batmobile Owner's Manual will reveal the technological wonders
behind the most awe-inspiring, powerful, and feared vehicle in
Gotham City.
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