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Looking at contemporary film and television, this book explores how
popular genres frame our understanding of on-screen performance. It
brings together ground-breaking and inspiring work on this topic
from both renowned and newer academics in the field. Previous
studies of screen performance have tended to fix upon star actors,
directors, or programme makers, or they have concentrated upon
particular training and acting styles. Moving outside of these
confines, this book provides a truly interdisciplinary account of
performance in film and television and examines a much neglected
area in our understanding of how popular genres and performance
intersect on screen. Each chapter concentrates upon a particular
genre or draws upon generic case studies in examining the
significance of screen performance. Individual chapters examine
contemporary film noir, horror, the biopic, drama-documentary, the
western, science fiction, comedy performance in 'spoof news'
programmes and the television 'sit com' and popular Bollywood
films.
This book explores what science fiction can tell us about the human
condition in a technological world, with the ethical dilemmas and
consequences that this entails. This book is the result of the
joint efforts of scholars and scientists from various disciplines.
This interdisciplinary approach sets an example for those who, like
us, have been busy assessing the ways in which fictional attempts
to fathom the possibilities of science and technology speak to
central concerns about what it means to be human in a contemporary
world of technology and which ethical dilemmas it brings along. One
of the aims of this book is to demonstrate what can be achieved in
approaching science fiction as a kind of imaginary laboratory for
experimentation, where visions of human (or even post-human) life
under various scientific, technological or natural conditions that
differ from our own situation can be thought through and commented
upon. Although a scholarly work, this book is also designed to be
accessible to a general audience that has an interest in science
fiction, as well as to a broader academic audience interested in
ethical questions.
This book explores what science fiction can tell us about the human
condition in a technological world, with the ethical dilemmas and
consequences that this entails. This book is the result of the
joint efforts of scholars and scientists from various disciplines.
This interdisciplinary approach sets an example for those who, like
us, have been busy assessing the ways in which fictional attempts
to fathom the possibilities of science and technology speak to
central concerns about what it means to be human in a contemporary
world of technology and which ethical dilemmas it brings along. One
of the aims of this book is to demonstrate what can be achieved in
approaching science fiction as a kind of imaginary laboratory for
experimentation, where visions of human (or even post-human) life
under various scientific, technological or natural conditions that
differ from our own situation can be thought through and commented
upon. Although a scholarly work, this book is also designed to be
accessible to a general audience that has an interest in science
fiction, as well as to a broader academic audience interested in
ethical questions.
This major new study offers a broad historical and theoretical
reassessment of the science fiction film genre. The book explores
the development of science fiction in cinema from its beginnings in
early film through to recent examples of the genre. Each chapter
sets analyses of chosen films within a wider historical/cultural
context, while concentrating on a specific thematic issue. The book
therefore presents vital and unique perspectives in its approach to
the genre, which include discussion of the relevance of psychedelic
imagery, the 'new woman of science', generic performance and the
prevalence of 'techno-orientalism' in recent films. While American
films will be one of the principle areas covered, the author also
engages with a range of pertinent examples from other nations, as
well as discussing the centrality of science fiction as a
transnational film genre. Films discussed include The Day the Earth
Stood Still, The Body Snatchers, Forbidden Planet, The Quatermass
Experiment, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Demon Seed, Star Trek: The
Motion Picture, Star Wars, Altered States, Alien, Blade Runner, The
Brother from Another Planet, Back to the Future, The Terminator,
Predator, The One, Dark City, The Matrix, Fifth Element and
eXistenZ. Key Features *Thematically organised for use as a course
text. *Introduces current and past theories and practices, and
provides an overview of the main themes, approaches and areas of
study. *Covers new and burgeoning approaches such as generic
performance and aspects of postmodern identity. *Includes new
interviews with some of the main practitioners in the field: Roland
Emmerich, Paul Verhoeven, Ken Russell, Stan Winston, William
Gibson, Brian Aldiss, Joe Morton, Dean Norris and Billy Gray.
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