Film Studies: Books

Alfred Hitchcock and Film Noir : The Darker Side

Alfred Hitchcock was a major figure in the development and flourishing of film noir. His noir films became an inspirational foundation of the neo-noir movement beginning in the 1970s, from Brian de Palma’s mash-up homages to Hitchcock originals such as Obsession (1976) and Body Double (1984) to the dark political thrillers of the era that explore the underside of American life, all of which owe a substantial debt to Hitchcock.

However, the central role of Hitchcock in the long history of film noir has seldom been acknowledged in work devoted to his career and noir criticism more generally. Instead, there has been a tendency to consider Hitchcock’s many dark thrillers and crime melodramas as sui generis, that is, as "Hitchcock films" that are somehow separate and distinct from industry trends. But this is to take a narrow view of the director's accomplishments that underestimates his substantial contributions to film history.

Alfred Hitchcock and Film Noir will be the first book-length treatment of the impressive corpus of Hitchcock noir films considered as such, as well as of his connection more generally to the emergence and flourishing of this important cinematic trend. (Provided by Publisher.)

Ageing, Dementia and Time in Film

Offers the first sustained analysis of films about ageing and dementia through a temporal framework. Significantly broadens the field of work on ageing and cinema through a temporal perspective. Interdisciplinary in focus, drawing from the fields of Film Studies, Cultural Studies, Performance Studies, Gerontology, and Dementia Studies. Focuses on eleven case study films about dementia from across a world of cinemas, from Hollywood to Asia. Ageing, Dementia and Time in Film: Temporal Performances offers the first sustained analysis of films about ageing and dementia through a temporal framework. Analysing the aesthetics of films like A Moment to Remember (2004), Memories of Tomorrow (2006) and Happy End (2017), Deng provides new insights into our understanding of how ageing is temporally produced, presented, received and interrogated in and through cinema. Bringing together Gilles Deleuze's philosophy of difference and ideas on time, and building on scholars like Alia Al-Saji, Henri Bergson, Bliss Cua Lim, and David Martin-Jones, the book develops a conceptual framework of relational change - of temporal performances - and suggests that everyone and everything experiences time differently (Provided by Publisher).

Dr MaoHui Deng is a Lecturer in Film Studies at The University of Manchester.

Beyond the Essay Film

In the wake of the explosion in the production of essay films over the last twenty-five years and its subsequent theorization in scholarly literature, this volume seeks to historicize these intertwined developments within the 'long duree' of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. 'Beyond the Essay Film' seeks to not only acknowledge the influential predecessors of this - in the view of many critics - most interesting type of contemporary filmmaking - but also to speculate about its possible transformation as we move forward into the uncharted waters of the twenty-first - digital - century. Focusing on three specific axes that underpin and shape the articulation of the essay film as a specific cultural form - subjectivity, textuality and technology - this book explores how changes along and across these dimensions affect historical shifts within essay film practice and its relation to other types of cinema and neighbouring art forms (Provided by Publisher).

What Film Is Good For: On the Values of Spectatorship

For well over a century, going to the movies has been a favourite pastime for billions across the globe. But is film actually good for anything? This volume brings together thirty-six scholars, critics, and filmmakers in search of an answer. The result is a series of responses that recast current debates about film ethics, ranging from the most personal to the most theoretical. Movie-watching here emerges as a wellspring of value, able to sustain countless visions of 'the good life.' Films, these authors affirm, make us reflect, connect, adapt; they evoke wonder and beauty; they challenge and transform. In a word, its varieties of value make film invaluable (Provided by Publisher).

This title was acquired through the Library's Order a Book service.

The K-Wave On-Screen : in Words and Objects

The K-Wave On-Screen provides an engaging and accessible exploration of the meaning of 'K-' through the lens of words and objects in K-dramas and K-films. Once a small subculture known only to South Korea's East Asian neighbours, the Korean Wave has exploded in popularity around the globe in the last decade. Its success has been fuelled by social media and the advanced technological capabilities of South Korea. With #KpopTwitter having amassed 7.8 billion tweets and with K-films receiving acclaim from major award ceremonies, the K-wave is now a global cultural phenomenon. This book touches on globally popular productions, such as Parasite (2019), Squid Game (2021), Pachinko (2022), SKY Castle (2018), and Kim Ji-young: Born 1982 (2019) to highlight that 'K-' has departed from the traditional meaning of 'Korean-ness' to become a new, globally-informed, and hybrid entity. This book will be of interest to students in East Asian studies, and those engaged with Korean language learning. The book will also appeal to those interested in Korean culture and media (Provided by Publisher).

Film Landscapes of Global Youth

This book explores the dynamic landscapes of global youth through spatially grounded chapters focused on film and media. It is a collection of incredible works concerning children and young people in, out and through media as well as an examination of what is possible for the future of research within the intersections of geography, film theory, and children's studies. It contains contributions from leading academics from film, media, and children's geographies, with chapters focused on a spatial area and the representations and relationships of children in that area through film and media. The insights presented also provides a unique and eclectic perspective on the current state of children's research in relation to the ever-changing media landscape of the 21st century. 

(Provided by Publisher).