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Criticism, Theory & History G to H by author See also: On Individual Films and Media > Film Criticism Black Magic: White Hollywood & African American Culture Krin Gabbard Gabbard, in Black Magic, argues clearly and rigorously that cultural critics have only begun to fathom the extent of racial appropriations of black culture in white film. Investigating the use of African American literature, music and art, and then contrasting that with the disturbing roles that blacks are asked to play in movies, Gabbard reveals a fascination with black music, magic and sexuality that is perversely pervasive. Softcover, 324 pp. $29.95. Teaching World Cinema Kate Gamm The aim of this guide is to provide teachers with a comprehensive approach to teaching World cinema topics. Included are sections on: key concepts and terms, investigations of 'World Cinema' as a classification, the role of New Wave cinema, major directors and stars, finance and distribution issues, and much more. Softcover, 90 pp. $37.95. Detecting Men: Masculinity and the Hollywood Detective Film Philippa Gates Detecting Men examines the history of the Hollywood detective genre and the ways that detective films have negotiated changing social attitudes toward masculinity, heroism, law enforcement and justice. Philippa Gates examines classical films of the thirties and forties as well as recent examples of the genre, including Die Hard, the Lethal Weapon films, The Usual Suspects, Se7en, Devil in a Blue Dress, and Murder by Numbers, in order to explore social anxieties about masculinity and crime and Hollywood's conceptions of gender. By investigating the evolution of the detective film, Gates suggests, perhaps we can detect the male. Softcover, 346 pp. $38.95. From Plato to Lumiere: Narration and Monstration in Literature Andre Gaudreault Building a theory of narrative on sources as diverse as Plato, The Arabian Nights, and Proust, From Plato to Lumiere challenges narratological orthodoxy by positing that all forms of narrative are mediated by an underlying who exists between the author and narrative text. Softcover, 225 pp. $27.95. Understanding Movies Third Canadian Edition Louis Gianetti & Jim Leach Long a staple of university courses, Understanding Movies is now available in its third Canadian edition. In addition to its remarkable chapters on film aesthetics, history, and theory, this special version includes sections on nonfiction films and Canadian films. Both a comprehensive primer and an essential reference book, Understanding Movies: Third Canadian Edition is a necessary addition to the library of any film student or movie buff. Softcover, 448 pp. $86.95. More Dirty Looks: Gender, Pornography and Power Pamela Church Gibson Hailed as 'a paradigm shift in feminist responses to pornography' when first published in 1993, Dirty Looks was instantly lauded as a landmark volume. This new edition adds to the core of the original selection no fewer than eleven new accounts of recent scholarship focused on the significance on pornography in debates around gender, feminism and masculinity. Softcover, 264 pp. $37.95. Natural Selection: Gary Giddins on Comedy, Film, Music, and Books Gary Giddins Long recognized as America's most brilliant jazz writer, Gary Giddins has also produced a wide range of stimulating and original cultural criticism in other fields. With Natural Selection, he brings together the best of these previously uncollected essays, including a few written expressly for this volume. The range of topics is spellbinding. Writing with insight, humor, and a famously deft touch, he offers sharp edged perspectives on such diverse subjects as Federico Fellini and Jean Renoir, Norman Mailer and Ralph Ellison, Marlon Brando and Groucho Marx, Duke Ellington and Bob Dylan, horror and noir. Softcover, 410 pp. $21.95. The Ultimate Film Ryan Gilbey From the 1930s to today, the book charts the diverse tastes that make up Britain's film favourites. The list, the first ever to be based on cinema admissions, is sure to provoke much debate and discussion. Each film is assessed in the context of the time of its release, as well as from a contemporary perspective. More than a movie book, The Ultimate Film offers a unique look at British culture and attitudes of the 20th century. Softcover, 336 pp. $44.95. Cinema: The Archaeology of Film and the Memory of a Century Jean-Luc Godard & Youssef Ishaghpour Born with the twentieth century, cinema became not just the century's dominant art form, but its best historian. This book is a dialogue between Godard and the celebrated cinephile Youssef Ishaghpour. Here Godard comes closest to defining a lifetime's obsession with cinema and cinema's lifelong obsession with history. Herein he presents his thoughts on film theory, cinematic technique, film histories, as well as the recent video revolution. Softcover, 143 pp. $24.00. The Coming of Sound Douglas Gomery The coming of sound to film was an event whose importance can hardly be overestimated. Sound transformed not only the Hollywood film industry but all of cinema. Theses illuminating essays on the coming of sound are an intergral part of any cinema studies library. Softcover, 181 pp. $35.95. Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology Barry Keith Grant This volume offers a concise evaluation of film genre, discussing genre theory and sample analyses of genre films, from the western, science fiction and the musical through to horror, comedy and the thriller. It introduces the topic in an accessible way to entry-level undergraduates, and includes sections on the first principles of studying and understanding 'the idea of genre', genre and popular culture, the narrative and stylistic conventions of specific genres and the relations of genres to culture and history, race, gender, sexuality, class and national identity, and the complex relations between genre and authorship. Softcover, 131 pp. $28.95. Film Genre Reader III Barry Keith Grant Since 1986, Film Genre Reader has been the standard reference and classroom text for the study of genre in film, with nearly 20,000 copies in print. Barry Keith Grant has again revised and updated the book to reflect the most recent developments in genre study. This third edition adds new essays on teen films, the question of genre hybridity, and neo-noir and genre in the era of globalization, along with an updated bibliography. The volume includes over thirty essays by some of cinema's most distinguished critics and scholars of popular film. Softcover, 636 pp. $38.95. Mob Culture: Hidden Histories of the American Gangster Film Lee Grieveson, Esther Sonnet & Peter Stanfield Mob Culture offers a long-awaited, fresh look at the American gangster film, exposing its hidden histories from the Black Hand gangs of the early twentieth century to The Sopranos. Departing from traditional approaches that have typically focused on the "nature" of the gangster, the editors have collected essays that engage the larger question of how the meaning of criminality has changed over time. Grouped into three thematic sections, the essays examine gangster films through the lens of social, gender, and racial/ethnic issues. Softcover, 311 pp. $35.95. Back to top

Film Criticism, Theory & History titles are listed alphabetically by author's last name. • New & Featured • A to C • D to F • G to H • I to L • M to Q • R to S • T to Z • Various authors Film Studies Annuals Biographies Director Biographies Producer Biographies Canadian Film Studies National Film Studies Film Criticism • Film Noir • Gay, Lesbian & Queer Criticism, Theory and History • Horror Films • Women, Gender & Feminist Criticism, Theory & History Film Glossaries & Encylopedias Film History Guides On Individual Films Directing & Producing Media Screenplays & Screenwriting Technical Film Actors & Acting

The Silent Cinema Reader Lee Grieveson & Peter Kramer The Silent Cinema Reader offers a wide-ranging and accessible guide to the development of cinema from its emergence in the 1890s to the introduction of sound in the late 1920s. Topics discussed include: the pioneering work of Thomas Edison, the emergence of film editing, the rise of nickelodeons, and the importance of films stars and major directors. Softcover, 423 pp. $49.95. Rethinking Third Cinema Anthony R. Guneratne and Wimal Dissanayake This innovative and timely anthology addresses established notions about Third Cinema theory and its impact on the cinematic practices of developing and postcolonial nations. The filmmakers discussed herein include: Ousmane Sembene, Satyajit Ray, Fernando Solanas, Tomas Gutierrez Alea, and Nelson Pereira dos Santos. Softcover, 240 pp. $39.95. Writing History in Film William Guynn Writing History in Film sets out the narratological, semiological, rhetorical, and philosophical bases for understanding how film can function as a form of historical interpretation and representation. With case studies and an interdisciplinary approach, William Guynn examines the key issues facing film students and scholars, historians and anyone interested in how we see our historical past. Softcover, 225 pp. $27.95. Holocaust and the Moving Image Representations in Film and Television since 1933 Toby Haggith & Joanna Newman Based on a major symposium held at the Imperial War Museum in 2001, this book is a unique blend of voices and perspectives -- archivists, curators, filmmakers, scholars, and Holocaust survivors. Each section of the book is dedicated to a different category of moving image: film as witness; propaganda; documentary in film and television; feature films; the legacy of the Holocaust and other genocides. These considerations are set within the wider context of the history of the Holocaust and how they may have contributed to awareness and understanding of the cataclysm since the war. Accessible, engaging and stimulating, this book is an excellent introduction to the subject. Softcover, 317 pp. $32.95. Pictures At a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood Mark Harris Pictures at a Revolution tracks five movies -- the milestones Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate, the popular hits Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night, and the big-budget disaster Doctor Dolittle -- on their five-year journey to Oscar night in the spring of 1968. It follows their fortunes through the last days of the studio system and the first sparks of a cultural upheaval that would launch maverick new stars and directors, topple more than one industry titan from his pedestal, and redefine what American movies could be. Softcover, 490 pp. $18.50. Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen Stephanie Harrison Memento, All About Eve, Rear Window, Rashomon, and 2001: A Space Odyssey are all well-known and much-loved movies, but what is perhaps a lesser-known fact is that all of them began their lives as short stories. This anthology brings together 35 pieces that have been the basis for films, many from giants of American literature and many that have not been in print for decades. Softcover, 616 pp. $22.95. Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts Third Edition Susan Hayward Providing accessible and authoritative coverage of a comprehensive range of genres, movements, theories and production terms, Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts is a must-have guide to a fascinating area of study and arguably the greatest art form of modern times. Now fully revised and updated for its third edition. Softcover, 586 pp. $30.95. The View From Here: Conversations with Gay and Lesbian Filmmakers Edited by Matthew Hays The history of gay and lesbian cinema is a storied one, and one that has become much larger in the post-Brokeback Mountain era. But the history of gay and lesbian filmmakers is a story all its own. In The View From Here, some of the world's leading queer film directors and screenwriters speak passionately and eloquently about the medium, and the challenges they face overcoming the demands of the Hollywood studio system and "the market" to create films that are entertaining, engaging, and truthful. Softcover, 383 pp. $26.95. Charlie Kaufman and Hollywood's Merry Band of Pranksters, Fabulists and Dreamers Derek Hill Young filmmakers like Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry, David O. Russell, Richard Linklater, and Sofia Coppola have managed to wage an aesthetic campaign against imaginative cowardice of all persuasions. This book analyses and traces the origins and pivotal films and directors in this undeclared war on the mundane. Softcover, 190 pp. $19.95. Afterimage: Film, Trauma, and the Holocaust Joshua Hirsch While much has been written about the question of film and the Holocaust, Joshua Hirsch's thoughtful and lucid analysis breaks new ground. Afterimage focuses on a selection of exemplary documentary and fictional films that have contributed to a post-traumatic historical consciousness in the aftermath of the Holocaust. This timely book will be of much value to anyone interested in the relationship between movies and history. Softcover, 213 pp. $32.95. Purity and Provocation: Dogma 95 Mette Hjort & Scott MacKenzie The audacious, attention-grabbing, tongue-in-cheek filmmaker's manifesto that was Dogma 95 has had a massive international impact. Coinciding with the arrival of affordable digital hardware, the aesthetic creed proposed by Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier has resonated with young and indie filmmakers in all continents and been credited with a revival of radical back-to-basics guerilla-style filmmaking. This new book brings together leading scholars from a number of disciplines, with an aim towards providing an in-depth and properly international discussion of the implications of von Trier's and Vinterberg's initiative on contemporary cinema and arts.Softcover, 237 pp. $34.95. The Magic Hour: Film at Fin de Siecle J. Hoberman This fascinating book of critical commentaries on the movies, comes courtesy of one of the most astute voices in contemporary film criticism, J. Hoberman. With typical wit and intellect, Hoberman writes with astonishing range about everything from the low brow comic stylings of There's Something About Mary, to the austere artistry of In the Mood for Love. Softcover, 272 pp. $32.95. The Dream Life: Movies, Media, and theMythology of the Sixties J. Hoberman With the 1960s being the most tumultuous decade in U.S. history, films of this era were necessarily reflecting the socio-political climate. As a result, movies became political events, and political events became a kind of ongoing movie spectacular. In The Dream Life, J. Hoberman uses wildly entertaining reinterpretations of key Hollywood movies to reconstruct the hidden political history of '60s cinema. Softcover, $25.95. Contemporary American Independent Film Chris Holmund & Justin Wyatt Examining the uneasy relationship between independent filmmakers and the major studios, this anthology traces the changing ideas and definitions of independent cinema, and the diversity of independent film practices. Softcover, 299 pp. $37.95. Screening the Gothic Lisa Hopkins Screening the Gothic offers a radical new way of understanding the relationship between film and the Gothic as it surveys a wide range of films, many of which have received scant critical attention. Lisa Hopkins takes the original approach of identifying the Gothic not by stylistic tropes, but rather by its central characteristics. Thus, she surprises readers by revealing Gothic elements in films such as Sense and Sensibility and Mansfield Park, as well as exploring more obviously Gothic films like The Mummy and The Fellowship of the Ring. Softcover, 170 pp. $26.95. Dogville vs. Hollywood Jake Horsley Interpreting Lars von Trier's Dogville as a comment on the Hollywood film industry and the moviegoing process, Jake Horsley examines the age-old conflict between 'artistic' and 'commercial' filmmaking. He proposes that the term 'independent', when applied to filmmaking, refers to sensibility and vision rather than backing or funds. Included are detailed analyses of work from early independent visionaries such as Francis Ford Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, and Roman Polanski, through 80s indie cinema and 90s slacker films to present day pioneers such as Keith Gordon, Charlie Kaufman and Richard Linklater. Softcover, 379 pp. $25.95. Once Upon a Time in the Italian West Howard Hughes Authoritative and entertaining, Once Upon a Time in the Italian West offers detailed critical and historical analyses of 20 key films. Taken together, these essays identify the salient trends, tropes, and filmmakers of this popular genre, and provide a useful guide to its signature films. Softcover, 266 pp. $26.95. The History on Film Reader Marnie Hughes-Warrington Historical film studies is a burgeoning field, with a large and ever growing number of publications from across the globe. This reader distills the mass of work, offering readers an introduction to just under 30 of the most critical and representative writings on the relationship between film and history. Softcover, 326 pp. $53.95. The Bad Mirror Jack Hunter These 18 chapters, culled from each of the 18 volumes in the Creation Cinema library, represent the best in scholarship on the subject of cult, exploitation, and underground cinema. Subjects of focus run the gamut, from "meat movies" and beat cinema, to freak films and hard-core pornography. Softcover, 282 pp. $20.99. A Theory of Adaptation Linda Hutcheon If you think that adaptation can be understood by using novels and films alone, you're wrong. Today there are cover songs rising up the pop charts, video game versions of fairy tales, and even roller coasters based on successful movie franchises. Adaptation has always been a central mode of storytelling and deserves to be studied in all its breadth and range as both a process of creation and reception, and as a product unto itself. Persuasive and illuminating, A Theory of Adaptation is a bold rethinking of how adaptation works across all media and genres that may put an end to the age-old question of whether the book was better than the movie, or the opera, or the theme park. Softcover, 232 pp. $28.95. Back to top

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Last modified December 28, 2009. Please note that all prices are in Canadian dollars. All prices are subject to change without notice.