Showing titles in History & Criticism

In 1911, famed cartoonist Winsor McCay debuted one of the first animated cartoons, based on his sophisticated newspaper strip Little Nemo in Slumberland, itself inspired by Freud’s recent research on dreams. McCay is largely forgotten today, but he unleashed an art form and the creative energy of artists from Otto Messmer and Max Fleischer to Walt Disney and Warner Bros.’ Chuck Jones. Wild Minds is an ode to our colorful past and to the creative energy that later inspired The Simpsons, South Park, and BoJack Horseman.

From the beginning, American cinema has been both a powerful mythmaker and a social critic. D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation, arguably the first feature film, shows us just how early in its history cinema had established its influence. Birth of a Nation famously portrayed the Ku Klux Klan in a favorable light, a portrayal that contributed to the modern resurgence of the group and brought racist depictions of African Americans imported from the minstrel show to the silver screen. In response, filmmakers of color have created nuanced and indelible portraits of race.

Danny Plotnick showcases the history of Super 8 filmmaking in this must-listen audiobook. Super 8 offers a detailed look at the beloved medium - one not only embraced by suburban dads, the target audience of the format, but by the art world, punk rockers, and ultimately popular culture. Filmmakers who got their start in Super 8 include Robert Zemeckis, Jim Jarmusch, Todd Haynes, Sam Raimi, Wes Anderson, and Alex Gibney.

From the creators of the hit podcast Again with This comes a hilarious and substantive 90210 book that is perfect for celebrating the 30th anniversary of the show's first episode. Join Tara Ariano and Sarah D. Bunting as they journey through the top 100 episodes of the series, covering everything from episode rankings to season overviews, character spotlights, and listicles. You'll rediscover what you've forgotten and perhaps learn what you never knew.

For a moment in the 1980s, Carolyn Pfeiffer was the only woman in Hollywood who could greenlight a movie. Working with directors like Sam Shepard and Wes Craven, and with actors like River Phoenix and Bette Davis, she had a hand in producing or distributing many landmark films, among them Ridley Scott's The Duellists, Alan Rudolph's Choose Me, and the Academy Award-winning Kiss of the Spider Woman. However, long before establishing herself as a player in the world of film, Carolyn was a horseback-riding tomboy who dreamed of exploring the world beyond her small hometown.

In Marilyn Monroe Day by Day: A Timeline of People, Places, and Events, Carl Rollyson provides a documentary approach to the life and legend of this singular personality. With details of her childhood, her young adult years, her ascent to super-stardom, and the hour-by-hour moments leading to her tragic early death, this volume supplements - and, in some cases, corrects - the accounts of previous biographies.

In Good Evening, Friends, Houston's iconic Eyewitness News anchor Dave Ward shares his untold personal and professional stories. Known as “the most trusted voice in Houston”, Ward first joined ABC's KTRK-Channel 13 in 1966 and today hosts Dave Ward's Houston on ABC13. His journey from a simple life as the son of an East Texas pastor to become a welcome daily presence in the homes of millions of Houstonians unfolds as if it were preordained.

Animators work within a strictly defined, limited space that requires difficult artistic decisions. The blank frame presents a dilemma for all animators, and the decision of what to include and leave out raises important questions about artistry, authorship, and cultural influence. In Animating Space: From Mickey to WALL-E, renowned scholar J. P. Telotte explores how animation has confronted the blank template, and how responses to that confrontation have changed.

Xavier James counts down the most recent television shows that hurt black America. 

In his debut essay collection, Nicholas Belardes uses today’s pop culture and self-deprecating humor as a filter for discussing personal stories of family, writing, gender, art, and race. He dives into the Harry Potter play and discusses his cursed childhood home. He tells coming-of-age tales of Dungeons & Dragons and blames Stranger Things for jogging those hilarious memories. 

This eBook contains two essays on film:  "On Viewing Hans Richter's Rhythmus 21": the search for cinematic meaning in one of the most famous early German avant-garde films. "The Perfect Filmic Appositiveness of Jack Smith": impressions of the films of one of cinema's most eccentric auteurs.

In Lucas Mann's trademark vein—fiercely intelligent, self-deprecating, brilliantly observed, idiosyncratic, personal, funny, and infuriating—Captive Audience is an appreciation of reality television wrapped inside a love letter to his wife, with whom he shares the guilty pleasure of watching "real" people bare their souls in search of celebrity.

The first ever in-depth analysis of the tactics and equipment used by the heroes and villains of the Star Wars universe has arrived! Spanning all of the films, this comprehensive audiobook goes into detail about the various guerrilla tactics of the Rebel Alliance and the awe-inspiring might of the Grand Army of the Republic and Darth Vader's Empire. 

Called the most promising artist of his generation, handsome, modest, and affectionate, Richard Dadd rubbed shoulders with the great luminaries of the Victorian Age. He grew up along the Medway with Charles Dickens and studied at the Royal Academy Schools under the brilliant and eccentric J. M. W. Turner. Based on Dadd’s tragic true story, Mad Richard follows the young artist as he develops his craft, contemplates the nature of art and fame - as he watches Dickens navigate those tricky waters - and ultimately finds himself imprisoned in Bedlam for murder, committed as criminally insane.

Movie Nightcap continues its series of exclusive episodes known as the Reserve Collection. In this high octane follow-up, hosts Jill Tighe, Abe Saffer, and Nate Fisher bring you more antics, more beer, and of course, more movies. For Volume 2, the hosts further explore the world of beer and movies and sit down with artists from both industries. We hope you enjoy this collection of episodes that is equal parts comedy, education, and passionate conversation.

银河情结，不尽眷念；回眸影坛，群星闪耀。曾经筚路蓝缕，开启民族电影新路；毕竟艺高才卓，成就中华一代巨星。影帝影后，风华绝代；大腕红角，名冠一时。…… 銀河情結，不盡眷念；回眸影壇，群星閃耀。曾經篳路藍縷，開啟民族電影新路；畢竟藝高才卓，成就中華一代巨星。影帝影后，風華絕代；大腕紅角，名冠一時。

From the ongoing podcast Movie Nightcap comes the Reserve Collection, a series of exclusive episodes featuring hosts Jill Tighe, Abe Saffer, and Nate Fisher. Each episode is a journey of discovery fueled by beer. The hosts are joined by special guests, and the conversations span from well-thought-out critiques to the most arbitrary and inane criticisms. As the night goes on, there is no telling where the discussion will go.

Negli ultimi anni abbiamo assistito all'ascesa irresistibile delle serie TV, un genere tradizionalmente considerato di serie B che oggi raggiunge spesso il prestigio e la considerazione che tradizionalmente venivano riservati al cinema. E non c'è sa stupirsi se le trame e le riprese sono sempre più curate, e gli attori migliori fanno a gara per partecipare a questi format televisivi.

"I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth". On July 4, 1939, baseball great Lou Gehrig delivered what has been called "baseball's Gettysburg Address" at Yankee Stadium and gave a speech that included the phrase that would become legendary. He died two years later and his fiery widow, Eleanor, wanted nothing more than to keep his memory alive. With her forceful will, she and the irascible producer Samuel Goldwyn quickly agreed to make a film based on Gehrig's life, The Pride of the Yankees.

Come and join international best-selling author Mark Williams on a James Bond odyssey as he continues to explore the phenomenon that is James Bond, this time with the Bond film that made number nine on the list: On Her Majesty's Secret Service.