Film History

A probing biography of world-renowned Jewish singer and actor Al Jolson and the history of his performance in and the making of The Jazz Singer Al Jolson, born Asa Yoelson, immigrated from a shtetl in Lithuania to the United States in 1894 after his father secured a job as a rabbi in Washington...

Nadia moves between the competing perspectives of two survivors of the 1990s Balkan Wars who have escaped to London, only to discover that the war has followed them there. Nadia is a young refugee who just wants to forget the past—until Iggy starts temping at her London office. Afraid he may...

The right reasons to fall in love with The Bachelor When it debuted in 2002, The Bachelor raised the stakes of first-wave reality television, offering the ultimate prize: true love. Since then, thrice yearly, dozens of camera-ready young-and-eligibles have vied for affection (and roses) in front of a devoted audience of millions. In this funny, insightful examination of the world’s favorite romance-factory, Suzannah Showler explores the contradictions that are key to the franchise’s genius, longevity, and power and parses what this means for both modern love and modern America.

The Boys in the Band's debut was revolutionary for its fictional but frank presentation of a male homosexual subculture in Manhattan. Based on Mart Crowley's hit Off-Broadway play from 1968, the film's two-hour running time approximates real time, unfolding at a birthday party attended by nine men whose language, clothing, and behavior evoke a range of urban gay "types." Although various popular critics, historians, and film scholars over the years have offered cursory acknowledgment of the film's importance, more substantive research and analysis have been woefully lacking. The film's neglect among academics belies a rich and rewarding object of study. The Boys in the Band merits not only the close reading that should accompany such a well-made text but also recognition as a landmark almost ideally situated to orient us amid the highly complex, shifting cultural terrain it occupied upon its release-and has occupied since.

The winner of 11 Tony awards for the 2015-16 season, Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" is a breathtaking musical based on the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. The ground-breaking musical, filled with both hip-hop and traditional Broadway songs, tells the story of Hamilton, whose life included poverty, loss, political success and a great love story has surprising relevance to our world today.

Ila Arun burst into public view with the controversial song from Khal Nayak (1993), Choli Ke Peechhey. But several years before that, she was already well known for her contribution to Rajasthani folk music.Mumbai soon became her home, and it was in this city of glamour that Ila made a name for...

The Towering Inferno (1974) was the crowning achievement of über-producer Irwin Allen, the self-proclaimed “Master of disaster.” Crafted from two best-selling books and with a budget-busting cast headed by two mega-stars, it took two studios to bring it to the screen. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Towering Inferno, biographer-historian Nat Segaloff (who was a member of the film’s special publicity unit) writes about the production, its innovative marketing campaign, and the goings-on before, during, and after its box office success.

In Manav’s world, memories are like little birds perched upon the windowsill of time. In his world there are no boundaries between thoughts and reality. In his world the past and the present form a mirror that disintegrates into the memory of a single day…Known for writing silences and...

Allahabad, early twentieth century. The British rule across India, but Avadhi culture is thriving. In this city where singers, musicians and poets assemble, a star emerges. Janki Bai Ilahabadi enthrals listeners wherever she performs, and counts as her fans maharajas and maharanis, poets and...

El pueblo de Chinchero -a 28 kilómetros del Cusco- estaba, en 1970, en un territorio hermoso, todavía intocado por la maquinaria aplastante del turismo masivo. Hasta ahí llegó el joven y conflictivo Dennis Hopper para rodar la que vislumbraba como una obra maestra de la contracultura hippie: The Last Movie.

What if Rome never fell? Electa, on the cusp of womanhood, faces an uncertain future in Latia, the capital state in Appia. While sun-drenched Latia may be a paradise for some, it is a prison for others. Her talent for deception is the only thing keeping her alive, for now, but if Electa is anything, it’s defiant, and she will defy the path fate has laid before her and the will of men who try to control her until her last breath. Electa’s fight started as one for survival and freedom, but revelations about her own nature will change her and Appia forever.

Fruto de três anos de profundas pesquisas, História do cinema mundial traz um viés inédito para o estudo do tema: o enfoque geográfico e cultural da sétima arte.

More than 60,000 books have been published on the Civil War. Most Americans, though, get their ideas about the war why it was fought, what was won, what was lost not from books but from movies, television, and other popular media. In an engaging and accessible survey, Gallagher guides listeners through the stories told in recent film and art, showing how they have both reflected and influenced the political, social, and racial currents of their times.

Эльдар Александрович Рязанов—советский и российский кинорежиссёр, сценарист, актёр, поэт, драматург, телеведущий, педагог, продюсер. На страницах книги раскрывается внутренний мир известного режиссера. Эльдар Рязанов рассказывает о сути комедийного жанра, поднимает важные проблемы современного кинематографа и ТВ.

Ever wonder what the people who bring us our TV entertainment are thinking? Television and pop culture historian and author Herbie J Pilato has, and now takes listeners on a provocative and entertaining look into the agenda behind TV shows and the resulting trends. Even when it seemed television programming was primarily mindless, there was serious thought behind what audiences were presented. The networks, after all, believe in giving the people what they want, even when the people should have known better.

Este libro analiza la metamorfosis del mito desde la leyenda del castillo de Transilvania hasta su reinterpretación animada en el cine. Los niños del pasado temían a los vampiros; los de hoy en día quieren ser uno. Y los adultos encuentran en su promesa de felicidad un refugio ante los empleos precarios, las relaciones tóxicas y las megacorporaciones que nos chupan la sangre a diario.

For five decades, no American filmmaker has been as prolific or as paradoxical as Woody Allen. From Play It Again, Sam (1972) to Midnight in Paris (2011) and Blue Jasmine (2013), Allen has produced an average of one film a year; yet in many of these movies Allen reveals a progressively skeptical attitude toward both the value of art and the cultural contributions of artists.

This is the first full-length biography of this mid-twentieth century multi-faceted star. One of the central tensions of Dale's life revolved around chasing the elusive work/family balance, making her story instantly relatable to women today. In addition to fame, Dale longed for a happy, stable, family life. Her roles of wife and mother became the foundation for her public persona: the smart, smiling, cheerful cowgirl. Unusual for the time were Dale Evans's attempts to control the trajectory of her career at a time when men dominated decision-making in the entertainment fields.

In 1947, the Cold War came to Hollywood. Over nine tumultuous days in October, the House Un-American Activities Committee held a notorious round of hearings into alleged Communist subversion in the movie industry. The blowback was profound: the major studios pledged to never again employ a known Communist or unrepentant fellow traveler. The declaration marked the onset of the blacklist era, a time when political allegiances, real or suspected, determined employment opportunities in the entertainment industry. Hundreds of artists were shown the dooror had it shut in their faces.

An intimate peek into the life of the soldier-turned-lyricist Anand Bakshi, from his formative years in undivided Punjab to eventually moving to Bombay and landing his first film Bhala Aadmi in 1958. Along the way, he lost his mother, his place of birth, and his home and wealth, but his...