"Many introductions to film theory confuse and confound the beginner. Kevin McDonald's addition to Routledge's 'The Basics' series is different. It is one of the most accessible introductions to film theory currently available, and should become the first stop for students embarking on any future study of film theory." Warren Buckland, Reader in Film Studies, Oxford Brookes University
Kevin McDonald is a Lecturer in the Department of Communication Studies at California State University, Northridge where he teaches popular culture and cultural theory. His research focuses on film theory and contemporary Hollywood. He is currently co-editing a collection entitled The Netflix Effect.
Introduction 1 Theory Before Theory, 1915-1960 I. Early American Theorists and the Quest for Legitimacy II. France, Film Culture, and Photogenie III. Soviet Russia and Montage Theory IV. Germany and the Frankfurt School V. Post-War France: From Neorealism to the New Wave Summary 2 French Theory, 1949-1968 I. The Linguistic Turn II. Lacan and the Return to Freud III. Althusser and the Return to Marx IV. Cinema and Semiotics V. May 1968 and Afterward Summary 3 Screen Theory, 1969-1996 I. Screen and Theory II. Feminist Film Theory III. Postcolonial Theory IV. Queer Theory V. A Postmodern End Summary 4 Post-Theory, 1996-2015 I. Theory's Critics, Cognitive Science, and Historical Poetics II. Deleuze and the Return of Philosophy III. New Media and Post-Film Theory Summary Appendix I: Glossary of Key Terms Appendix II: Glossary of Key Theorists Bibliography