This book examines the television serials created by influential showrunner David Simon. The book argues that Simon’s main theme is the state of the contemporary American city and that all of his serials (barring one about the Iraq War) explore different facets of the metropolis. Each series offers distinctly different visions of the American city, but taken together they represent a sustained and intricate exploration of urban problems in modern America. From deindustrialisation in The Wire and residential segregation in Show Me a Hero to post-Katrina New Orleans in Treme and the transformation of the urban core in The Deuce, David Simon’s American city traces the urban through-line in Simon’s body of work. Based on sustained analysis of these serials and their engagement with contemporary politics and culture, David Simon’s American city offers a compelling examination of one of television’s most arresting voices. -- .

This first and only in-depth directory to the life and career of Gordon MacRae pays tribute to a truly versatile entertainer. In an industry where success is rare and fleeting, MacRae achieved stardom in six show business arenas: film, theater, radio, nightclubs and concerts, television, and records. Insights and quotes from celebrities close to MacRae highlight Bruce R. Leiby's reference to MacRae's professional accomplishments and honors, his political and charitable involvements, and his personal struggles and triumphs. The biography section traces Gordon MacRae's rise from child performer to award-winning star whose honors include Emmy nominations, gold and charted records, and a star on the Walk of Fame. On the personal side, Leiby writes about MacRae's triumph over alcoholism, his stroke, and the battle with cancer that claimed his life in 1986. Following the biography is a separate section on each of MacRae's media credits, listing his achievements in film, records, Broadway and stock theater, television, nightclubs and concerts, and radio--including a complete Railroad Hour radio log. Where applicable, Leiby includes dates, places, production details, critical reviews, and information on where to find copies of MacRae's work today. Ending with an annotated bibliography, a song index, a title index, and a general index, this is an indispensible reference for libraries and researchers, as well as fans and students of film, television, radio, theater, and music.

Very little has been published about the profession of theatrical lighting design, and less has been written about the individuals who practice this art. Until recently, the field was not recognized as a craft separate from stage design, and lighting designers were not credited in playbills or programs. Over four hundred individuals who designed lighting are profiled here in biographical sketches, each accompanied by a chronological listing of Broadway credits for lighting, and for scenic and costume design when relevant. An introduction briefly surveys the lighting design profession and its development on Broadway. Appendixes list winners of the three major awards in the field, and a selective bibliography on lighting design is included. The index provides access from the play title to the designer's name, and, in doing so, indicates every play for which a lighting designer was credited. The frontispiece reproduces a light plot by Jean Rosenthal for Night of the Iguana (1962). This comprehensive volume will be valuable to researchers and professionals in lighting design, stage design, and theatre history generally.

As evidenced in interviews included in this volume, many African American filmmakers consider themselves artists first, their ethnicity being only part of what influences their work. This is the first book by an African American on contemporary African American filmmakers. Here directors and producers speak for themselves, posing challenges to current thinking in the field. Special emphasis is given to the filmmakers' productions and their experiences. Essays on historic figures reveal the rich history of the African American contribution to cinema. From Oscar Micheaux and Spencer Williams to Neema Barnett and the team of George Jackson and Doug McHenry, this revealing reference work will enlighten scholars, students, and film buffs.

As early as 1899, African Americans were involved in the filmmaking industry. Oscar Micheaux took directing, writing, and producing to a higher level with the release of his first film in 1918; by 1948 he had made more than forty films. Currently, by international world cinema standards, the African American tradition rivals cinema from anywhere in the world, but these filmmakers face a quandary: whether to make films through the Hollywood system or follow an independent vision. This book presents a cross-section of filmmakers from each camp and also focuses on those who work in both arenas.

From the creators of the podcast and bestselling book Ghibliotheque, this is a young film fan's comprehensive guide to one of the most exciting and influential film studios in cinema history, creators of beloved classics ranging from Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro to Ponyo and Kiki's Delivery Service. Across eight chapters, we will get up close and personal with the movies, learn who's who at the Oscar-winning studio and explore the impact that Ghibli World has left on our planet.

A comprehensive anthology of women's theatre writing, spanning the history of modern and romantic theatre. This book caters to contemporary syllabi across theatre studies, covering major courses across BA degrees. No other collection of women's theatre writing exists on this scale.

This examination and comprehensive assessment of apocalyptic film studies fifty films that illustrate the variety, range and different categories of the genre. Apocalyptic films are those that depict, on screen as part of the story, an event threatening the extinction of mankind. A brief overview identifies seven major categories of apocalyptic films: the religious or supernatural, celestial collision, solar or orbital disruption, nuclear war and radioactive fallout, germ warfare or pestilence, alien device or invasion, and scientific miscalculation. Alphabetically arranged entries rate the films and provide production information, an annotated cast listing, a synopsis of the film, a critique, and representative quotes.

Film scholars and those with a special interest in apocalyptic cinema will appreciate the overview and detailed analysis of the films. Appendices provide additional examples of apocalyptic movies excluded from the main text, a sampling of post-apocalyptic cinema which is distinct from the apocalyptic genre and examples of apocalyptic television. Illustrations are included.

Examines the impact and importance of the health education film in Europe and North America in the first half of the twentieth century. During the twentieth century, film came to be seen as a revolutionary technology that could entertain, document, instruct, and transform a mass audience. In the fields of medicine and public health, doctors, educators, health advocates, and politicians were especially enthusiastic about the potential of the motion picture for communicating about health-related topics, including sexually transmitted diseases, cancer, tuberculosis, smoking, alcoholism, and contraception. Focusing on the period from the 1910s to the 1960s, this book is the first collection to examine the history of the public health education film in Europe and North America. It explores how a variety of commercial, governmental, medical, and public health organizations in Europe and North America turned to movies to educate the public, reform their health behaviors, and manage their anxieties and hopes about health, illness, and medical and public health interventions. Moreover, by looking at categories of movies as well as individual examples, the book tackles questions of the representativeness of individual films and the relationship between the publichealth film and other forms of motion picture. CONTRIBUTORS: Christian Bonah, Tim Boon, David Cantor, Ursula von Keitz, Anja Laukötter, Elizabeth Lebas, Vincent Lowy, Kirsten Ostherr, Miriam Posner, Alexandre Sumpf Christian Bonah is a professor of the history of health and life sciences at the University of Strasbourg. David Cantor is a historian at the National Institutes of Health and the School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park. Anja Laukötter is a historian at the Center for the History of Emotions at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin.

This is not a book of facts; it’s a book of ‘facts’. Should you finish it believing we became the planet’s dominant species because predators found us too smelly to eat; or that the living bloodline of Christ is a family of Japanese garlic farmers – well, that’s on you. Why are we here? Do ghosts exist? Did life on Earth begin after a badly tidied-up picnic? Was it just an iceberg that sank the Titanic? Are authors stealing their plotlines from the future? Will we ever talk to animals? And why, when you’re in the shower, does the shower curtain always billow in towards you? We don’t know the answers to any of these questions. But don’t worry, no matter what questions you have, you can bet on the fact that there is someone (or something) out there, investigating it on your behalf. From the sports stars who use cosmic energy to office plants investigating murders, The Theory of Everything Else will act as a handbook for those who want to think differently.

Luminous presence: Derek Jarman's life-writing is the first book to analyse the prolific writing of queer icon Derek Jarman. Although he is well known for his avant-garde filmmaking, his garden, and his AIDS activism, he is also the author of over a dozen books, many of which are autobiographical. Much of Jarman's exploration of post-war queer identity and imaginative response to HIV/AIDS can be found in his books, such as the lyrical AIDS diaries Modern Nature and Smiling in Slow Motion. This book fully explores, for the first time, the remarkable range and depth of Jarman’s writing. Spanning his career, Alexandra Parsons argues that Jarman’s self-reflexive response to the HIV/AIDS crisis was critical in changing the cultural terms of queer representation from the 1980s onwards. Luminous presence is of great interest to students, scholars and readers of queer histories in literature, art and film. -- .

This book offers the only examination of the television writing of David Milch and David Simon as significant contributions to American culture, literature, and social realism. David Milch and David Simon are two of the most prolific and successful television drama writers in the last 30 years. These talented writers have combined real-world knowledge with wild imaginations and understandings of the human psyche to create riveting shows with realistic environments and storylines. Minch and Simon's writing have resulted in television series that have earned both critical acclaim and millions of viewers. The Wire, Deadwood, Homicide, and NYPD Blue: Violence is Power is the most comprehensive text yet written about Milch and Simon, and documents how television dramas of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s mirrored American culture with unprecedented sociological accuracy. The author explains how both individuals are not only capable dramatists, but also insightful cultural critics. This book also examines the full range of Milch's and Simon's authorial careers, including Milch's books True Blue: The Real Stories behind NYPD Blue and Deadwood: Tales of the Black Hills and Simon's Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood.

Forty years ago, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan saw Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise crew face one of the greatest foes in Star Trek history, Khan Noonien Singh, as well as the death of Spock. Celebrate this landmark anniversary by taking a deep dive into the stories behind this iconic science fiction classic. This beautiful coffee-table book is full to the brim with rare and previously unpublished archival material, behind-the-scenes photography, production art, cut scenes, script extracts, and much more, alongside new and exclusive interviews with the creatives, including director Nicholas Meyer.

This book compares production and consumption of Asian horror cinemas in different national contexts and their multidirectional dialogues with Hollywood and neighboring Asian cultures.

Often referred to as the actor's actor, Spencer Tracy's subtle introspection and thoroughly naturalistic style continue to impress actors and audiences alike. He began his career on the stage, and then went on to attain considerable acclaim as a film star for Fox Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He won back-to-back Academy Awards in 1937 and 1938, began a legendary personal and professional relationship with Katharine Hepburn, and worked as an independent film star in the 1950s and 1960s.

This volume provides detailed information for Tracy's many performances in film, radio, television, and drama. The book begins with a short biography that summarizes Tracy's professional development. The chapters that follow chronicle his fascinating career. Each chapter is devoted to his work in a particular medium and provides entries for his individual performances. Entries present cast and credit information, plot synopses, reviews, and commentary. An annotated bibliography discusses sources of additional information about Tracy, and photos illustrate his life and work.

This tragic coming-of-age story follows three disillusioned local youths struggling to navigate Hong Kong public housing projects and late adolescence amid violent crime, gang pressure, and broken homes. Shot on a very low budget, the film marked the beginning of Chan's career as an independent film director.

My book is a close study of Johnnie To Kei-fung's film PTU providing an interpretive framework for appreciating the director's laconic style of whimsical storytelling and technical mastery of cinema.

The film Bullet in the Head functions both as an apocalyptic melodrama and as an allegory of fears concerning the implications of the Tiananmen Square incident for Hong Kong residents. This book argues for its central importance as a major work of contemporary Hong Kong cinema.

The volume is dedicated to the work of Jenny Saville (Cambridge, 1970), one of the greatest contemporary painters and a leading voice in the international art scene. Saville transcends the limits between figurative and abstract, between informal and gestural, managing to transfigure the news into a universal image, which puts the human figure at the center of the history of art. Huge, naked bodies, with a carnal physicality and oppressed by a weight that is more existential than material, Saville is linked to the great European pictorial tradition in constant comparison with the modernism of Willem de Kooning and Cy Twombly and the portraiture of Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon. Her work also outlines a strong correlation with the masters of the Italian Renaissance, in particular with some of Michelangelo’s great masterpieces.  The volume contains a rich catalogue of paintings and drawings from the 1990s to today.