Blockbusters

Mark A. Graves, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Philosophy, Morehead State University (KY), where he teaches courses in American literature, Southern literature, and film.F. Bruce Engle, PhD, is an instructor in the Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Philosophy, Morehead State University (KY), where he teaches courses in compostion, English and world literature, film, and women's studies.

One could discuss a passel of genres or, like the authors, settle on an even dozen: action-adventure, comedy, costume, epic, film noir, horror, musical, science fiction, suspense, war, Western, and women's films. Those looking for crime might locate films scattered across action-adventure, suspense, and film noir, even epics. The extensive index locates all film titles and every named individual (actors, directors, writers, and more). Each genre features an introduction delineating the defining characteristics, followed by a discussion of the subgenres, e.g., musical: backstage, revue, star showcase, adaptation, dance, and animated. Two-thirds of the volume is devoted to a decade-by-decade narrative history of each genre that often reads like a novel. In fact, the length of the history sections make this reviewer wonder if the entries might be too long for strictly reference-only usage. The writing is facile, using dozens of films to illustrate each section of text. This may assume a greater familiarity with the canon than some students have. Each chapter ends with a brief bibliography of key works; sadly, many are out of print. This volume will be a solid purchase for any library serving film studies or film buffs. Recommended. All levels.

• Action/Adventure; Comedy; Costume; Epic; Film Noir; Horror; Musicals; Science Fiction; Suspense; War; Western; Woman's Film.