Film history, theory or criticism

Film itself is an artifact of memory.

Devoted to his craft--sometimes to the detriment of his reputation--cinematographer John Alton (1901-1996) was sought after by such directors as Vincente Minnelli, Richard Brooks and Anthony Mann but was disdained by others of comparable talent.

How does a culture respond when the limits of childhood become uncertain?

Nick McLean was one of the most acclaimed camera operators in American cinema of the 1970s, during which time he shot many classics of the New Hollywood movement including McCabe & Mrs.

With no formal training as an actor, Welsh-born Ray Milland (1907-1986), a former trooper in the British Army's Household Cavalry, enjoyed a half-century career working alongside some of the great directors and stars from the Golden Age of cinema.

In the era of Hollywood now considered its Golden Age, there was no shortage of hard-luck stories--movie stars succumbed to mental illness, addiction, accidents, suicide, early death and more.

The period in film history between the regimentation of the Edison Trust and the vertical integration of the Studio System--roughly 1916 through 1920--was a time of structural and artistic experimentation for the American film industry.

Actor and director John Derek was born in Hollywood, where his striking good looks helped get him a contract with David O' Selznick.

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American silent film comedies were dominated by sight gags, stunts and comic violence.

Our love of films often leads us to discuss them in enthusiastic, if not necessarily sophisticated, conversations.

One of the powerful icons of 1930s Hollywood film, Jean Harlow died a tragically early death in 1937 at age 26.

Considered one of the finest performers in world cinema, Japanese actor Takashi Shimura (1905-1982) appeared in more than 300 stage, film and television roles during his five-decade career.

When people hear the term "e;role-playing games,"e; they tend to think of two things: a group of friends sitting around a table playing Dungeons & Dragons or video games with exciting graphics.

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"e;Wizard rock"e;--music based on the Harry Potter series by J.

The literature on snakes is manifold but overwhelmingly centered on the natural sciences.

Twenty-first century American television series such as Revolution, Falling Skies, The Last Ship and The Walking Dead have depicted a variety of doomsday scenarios--nuclear cataclysm, rogue artificial intelligence, pandemic, alien invasion or zombie uprising.

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Conflicts among Hollywood studios and exhibitors have been going on for years.

One of the most versatile actors of his generation, Edmond O'Brien made a series of iconic noir films.

Gene Hackman (b.

After several years of small roles and experimental screenwriting during his early career, Jack Nicholson got his big break in 1969 with Easy Rider.

In sharp contrast to many 1960s science fiction films, with idealized views of space exploration, Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) terrified audiences, depicting a harrowing and doomed deep-space mission.

Since the first films played in nickelodeons, controversial movies have been cut or banned across the United States.

With the queasy U.

Though it lasted just two seasons, Twin Peaks (1990-1991) raised the bar for television and is now considered one of the great dramas in TV history.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe--comprised of films, broadcast television and streaming series and digital shorts--has generated considerable fan engagement with its emphasis on socially relevant characters and plots.

Women are now central to many science fiction films--but that has not always been the case.

The Rwandan genocide was one of the most shameful events of the 20th century.

The apocalypse on the big screen has expanded beyond the familiar end-of-the-world movies.

In 1954, a massive irradiated dinosaur emerged from Tokyo Bay and rained death and destruction on the Japanese capital.

Set in the American Southwest, "e;desert terror"e; films combine elements from horror, film noir and road movies to tell stories of isolation and violence.

Andy Clyde starred in the second-longest series of shorts at Columbia Pictures (after the Three Stooges), with nearly 80 productions from 1934 to 1956.

The theme of death is an essential component of film narrative, particularly in how it affects the hero.

"e;Egyptomania,"e; the West's obsession with the strange and magnificent world of Ancient Egypt, has for centuries been reflected in architecture, literature and the performing arts.

Beginning with early Arab American playwright, poet and novelist Kahlil Gibran and concluding with contemporary playwright Yussef El Guindi, this book provides an historical overview and critical analysis of the plays, films and performances of self-identified Arab Americans.

Civilization seems to move ever more toward the power of words over weapons.

In the early 20th century, postcards were one of the most important and popular expressions of holiday sentiment in American culture.

A chronological listing of the creative output and other antics of the members of the British comedy group Monty Python, both as a group and individually.

When the first season of Star Trek opened to American television viewers in 1966, the thematically insightful sci-fi story line presented audiences with the exciting vision of a bold voyage into the final frontiers of space and strange, new galactic worlds.

Following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, numerous "e;atomic narratives"e;--books, newspapers, magazines, textbooks, movies, and television programs--addressed the implications of the bomb.

Released in May 1977, the original Star Wars movie inaugurated the age of the movie blockbuster.

From the early days of film came Laurel and Hardy, a comedy team that created slapstick hilarity from life's simplest situations.

This detailed chronological analysis of British World War II movies from 1939 until the present explores how films projected recognizable stereotypes of British national character and how the times in which a film was made shaped its perspectives.

This history of literary Arabic describes the evolution of Arabic poetry and prose in the context of music, ritual performance, the arts and architecture.

Beloved, controversial, influential, the creator of such fascinating and award-winning films as My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, Elephant, and Milk, Gus Van Sant stands among the great international directors, equally at home in Hollywood and the avant-garde.

"e; She was homely, overweight, and over the hill, but there was a time when Marie Dressler outdrew such cinema sex symbols as Garbo, Dietrich, and Harlow.