This book explores British cinema in relation to its social political and cultural contexts. Each chapter deals with a specific topic and includes close readings of key films from different historical periods. Topics include realism, expressionism, popular cinema, film and theater, sexuality and gender, comedy, class and ideology, heritage film, and diasporic cinema. Demonstrating the richness and variety of a national cinema that has traditionally struggled to define itself between the paradigms of Hollywood popular film and European art cinema, British Film also addresses the problematic concept of 'national character' as it has been applied in studies of national cinemas and cultures, and the increasing pressure on all of these ideas in the age of globalization. Designed for the general reader, this volume is suitable for use as a textbook, providing comprehensive coverage of British cinema and detailed discussion of specific films that can be used in tandem with screenings.

This book explores British cinema in relation to its social political and cultural contexts. Each chapter deals with a specific topic and includes close readings of key films from different historical periods. Topics include realism, expressionism, popular cinema, film and theater, sexuality and gender, comedy, class and ideology, heritage film, and diasporic cinema. Demonstrating the richness and variety of a national cinema that has traditionally struggled to define itself between the paradigms of Hollywood popular film and European art cinema, British Film also addresses the problematic concept of 'national character' as it has been applied in studies of national cinemas and cultures, and the increasing pressure on all of these ideas in the age of globalization. Designed for the general reader, this volume is suitable for use as a textbook, providing comprehensive coverage of British cinema and detailed discussion of specific films that can be used in tandem with screenings.

The heist-a carefully organized robbery of a financial institution or other lucrative business-has been a persistent and popular mainstay of the crime film. The Best Laid Plans: Interrogating the Heist Film asks the question: why has the heist film proved so appealing to audiences over many years and in diverse cultural contexts? The twelve essays in this volume, edited by Jim Leach and Jeannette Sloniowski, explore the significance of the heist film in different national cinemas, as well as its aesthetic principles and ideological issues such as representation of gender, race, and class. The essays are organized in three parts dealing with the heist film's international presence, the subgenre's social and cultural implications, and some theoretical ways of approaching it. For example, contributor Gaylyn Studlar surveys heist films in light of feminist theories that illuminate stereotypical characterizations of both men and women in the heist; and Hamilton Carroll compares James Marsh's documentary Man on a Wire-which draws on heist conventions to depict Philippe Petit's unauthorized tightrope walk in 1974 between the two towers of the World Trade Center-to Spike Lee's New York-set heist film Inside Man. The Best Laid Plans includes an accessible group of essays that will meet the needs of students and scholars in film and media studies by offering new insights into an important and neglected area in genre criticism.

This is a comprehensive account of ""Doctor Who"" as a television series and product of popular culture. ""Doctor Who"", the iconic British science-fiction series following a time-traveling alien scientist, was first broadcast November 23, 1963, on BBC Television. Though modestly conceived and produced, its depiction of the alien but strangely human 'Doctor' proved to be such a commercial success that the program was shown in more than forty countries over twenty-six seasons - from 1963 to 1989 - and returned successfully to television in 2005. In ""Doctor Who"", Jim Leach explores the reasons behind the original series' popularity and the ways it evolved during its long run. Leach analyzes in detail seven representative episodes from the original run of the series to trace the development of the seven 'regenerations' of the main character by different actors. In addition to detailing each actor's contribution to the role, he also tackles such issues as the show's self-reflexivity, its attitude toward science and technology, and its generic mix of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Leach considers ""Doctor Who"" as a 'fantastic' text, with its concept of regeneration and the complex experience of time that evolved during its run. He also looks at the series' manipulation of the medium of television and its broader cultural influences and implications. Leach concludes with a section that looks at the continuities and differences found in the new series. ""Doctor Who"" is an accessible and intriguing guide to one of the most popular series in television history. Film and television studies scholars, fans of the show, and general readers interested in popular cultural studies will enjoy this enlightening volume.

The new edition of Film in Canada offers a current and comprehensive look at Canadian cinema in its political and cultural contexts. In this thoroughly updated and revised edition, author Jim Leach discusses the most recent films from prominent Canadian filmmakers, including Arcand, Egoyan, Maddin, and Polley, alongside well-established Canadian works. Scores of new film commentaries and a present-day look at Canadian film--complicated by the impact of globalization and impacted by technological developments--affirm Film in Canada as the most up-to-date authority on Canadian film.
Highlighting films and filmmakers that have defined the national industry since the 1960s, this second edition continues to provide balanced and comprehensive treatment of new and well-established English- and French-language films. The book also looks at many of the factors that have influenced Canadian filmmaking to date: ethnic and linguistic diversity, national identity, Hollywood, and the global marketplace.
Each chapter explores both historical trends and current examples of topics and themes, allowing material to be used in sequence or independently. Full of brand-new teaching resources and fresh new film stills, the new edition of Film in Canada will interest students and enthusiasts of Canadian arts and culture alike.