British Film Institute – serie

British films of the 1960s are undervalued. Their search for realism has often been dismissed as drabness and their more frivolous efforts can now appear just empty-headed. Robert Murphy's Sixties British Cinema is the first study to challenge this view. He shows that the realist tradition of the late 50s and early 60s was anything but dreary and depressing, and gave birth to a clutch of films remarkable for their confidence and vitality: Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, A Kind of Loving, and A Taste of Honey are only the better known titles. Sixties British Cinema revalues key genres of the period - horror, crime and comedy - and takes a fresh look at the 'swinging London' films, finding disturbing undertones that reflect the cultural changes of the decade. Now that our cinematic past is constantly recycled on television, Murphy's informative, engaging and perceptive review of these films and their cultural and industrial context offers an invaluable guide to this neglected era of British cinema.

This work maps the rich, varied cinema of Eastern Europe, Russia and the former USSR. Over 200 entries cover a variety of topics spanning a century of endeavour and turbulent history from Czech animation to Soviet montage, from the silent cinemas dating back to World War I through to the varied responses to the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. It includes entries on actors and actresses, film festivals, studios, genres, directors, film movements, critics, producers and technicians, taking the coverage up to the late 1990s. In addition to the historical material of key figures like Eisenstein and Wadja, the editors provide separate accounts of the trajectory of the cinemas of Eastern Europe and of Russia in the wake of the collapse of communism.

This work examines major box office hits like 'The Full Monty' as well as critically acclaimed films like 'Under the Skin'. It explores the role of distribution and exhibition, the Americanisation of British film culture, Hollywood and Europe, changing representations of sexuality and ethnicity.

In the conference Africa and the History of Cinematic Ideas held in London in 1995, film-makers, cultural theorists and critics gathered to debate a range of issues. Views were exchanged on such topics as imperialism, and the problems of distribution.

What will prove to be the lasting impact of New Media on film and television? What kinds of transformations of moving image media are really already under way? The term 'new media' has become an effective catch word both as a description of the digital delivery of media via the Internet, DVD, and digital television and as a reference to the 'newness' such technologies have brought to media more generally. And yet the nature of this transformation has been over-hyped and too little understood. The New Media Book provides an accessible, critical intervention into the field of moving image studies and features 20 newly commissioned and thought-provoking essays in a format designed to be of wide use to a range of courses in digital media, film and television studies. The book is divided into five thematic sections: Technologies, Production, Texts, Consumption, and Contexts and addresses how 'new media' is both embracing and altering the existing media landscape. Topics discussed include the ways in which we interact with digital television, the changing methods of production, distribution, and exhibition within the media industry, and how the histories of traditional media have influenced the development of new media. The New Media Book examines the corresponding influences that 'traditional' media and 'new' media are having upon each other as well as revisiting central, continuing issues surrounding the moving image and the contexts in which all the media operate. The collected essays present and redefine these crucially important topics providing the most systematic analysis of both change and continuity in the contemporary media landscape yet published in the field of screen studies.

Auteur study is a key element of Film Studies, and has become increasingly important in Media Studies, thanks to the popularity of cult auteurs such as Tarantino and Fincher. However, this theoretical aspect of film can seem obscure and difficult to communicate. Teaching Auteur Study provides a coherent and clear approach to the topic. Using examples throughout, the guide outlines the main elements of Auteur theory, provides an overview of how it developed, summarising some of its main proponents, and considers the influence it has had in the way we think about film. It summarises the criteria for defining a filmmaker as an auteur and explores issues of creative control. The guide also looks at the idea of film authorship from the point of view of the audience, and how it influences audience expectations and marketing campaigns.

Tele-Visions: An Introduction to Studying Television Studies has been specifically designed to offer a comprehensive, authoritative, accessible and lively introduction to the subject of television studies. Written by many of the leading international figures in the field, it covers all the major issues, debates, key terms, histories and methodologies that go to make up this exciting new area of expertise. Skilfully illuminated through actual programmes, detailed case studies and recommended readings, it will offer an invaluable insight into how television is produced, broadcast, controlled, consumed and critically examined. From textual analysis to audience studies; from studying drama to studying documentary; from policy and regulation to regionality and globalisation; from authorship to ideology; from modernism to postmodernism; from aesthetics to fandom; from histories to futures; this book offers an expansive and clearly structured account of both how and why we study television. Unapologetically ambitious, 'Tele-Visions' will both explain and expand our knowledge of the subject, clarifying traditional areas of debate while also setting out new agendas and critical possibilities. It is an essential book for anyone studying television and the media today. Fully illustrated - it includes selected reading guides and full bibliographies that will help students at all levels.

Despite its global reach, longstanding popularity, and immense profitability, sitcom has been repeatedly neglected in theoretical work on television and media. This book demonstrates that this lack needs to be sorely addressed, by dragging analysis of sitcom up to date, with a wealth of contemporary examples, a range of new approaches to the genre, and examination of the roles sitcom and comedy play within society. The book takes as its starting point the variety of ways in which sitcom has traditionally been explored. A chapter on genre examines the history and development of sitcom, and the institutional structures which produce it. There is also analysis of differences between sitcoms produced in a range of countries, and what happens when a programme gets sold abroad and remade. A chapter on representation explores the debates about the ways in which sitcom chooses who to make jokes about and why, and whether this matters. And a chapter on performance argues that this is a vital, and underexplored, aspect of sitcom's funniness, and interrogates the ways in which comic actors make their performance funny. With specific case studies on Will and Grace, The Office, and The Cosby Show, as well as analysis of a broad range of contemporary and historical examples throughout, this book will be of interest to students of sitcom and comedy, as well as those of television and popular culture.

One of the most revealing snapshots of British cinema-going ever produced, The Ultimate Film is the definitive list of the all-time top 100 films based on UK cinema admissions. From the 1930s to the present, the chart shows the diverse tastes that come together to make up Britain's choice of film favourites. Is Harry Potter more popular than The Lord of the Rings? How does Bond compare with Bridget Jones? The Ultimate Film has the answers taking the reader from Carry on Nurse to A Clockwork Orange, South Pacific to Star Wars and Ben Hur all the way to Doctor Zhivago. Each film is looked at in turn. What did the critics think of it when it was released and, with the benefit of hindsight, were they right? Who were the stars and who directed the action? What happened behind the scenes? What other films were being lauded at the same time? What was happening in the country and the wider world that led the film to be made, and then made it so popular? Sure to provoke debate and discussion, this fascinating and lavishly illustrated book tells us much about our shared history, culture and attitudes and will undoubtedly rekindle memories and experiences as everyone will be able to point to their personal history, interwoven with some of these films. This is the first time a list has been compiled based on the films people have most wanted to see. Some of the results will come as a surprise and the list has much to tell us about how we once were, and how cinema going has played no small part in shaping our culture and helped make us the way we are today.

A comprehensive guide to European actors in American film, this book brings together 15 chapters with A-Z entries on over 900 individuals. It includes case studies of prominent individuals and phenomena associated with the emigres, such as the stereotyping of European actresses in 'bad women' roles, and the irony of Jewish actors playing Nazis.

On Kubrick is a critical study of Stanley Kubrick's career, beginning with his earliest feature, "Fear and Desire" (1953), and ending with his posthumous production of "A.I., Artificial Intelligence" (2001). Organized in six parts ("The Taste Machine," "Young Kubrick," "Kubrick, Harris, Douglas," "Stanley Kubrick Presents," "Late Kubrick," and "Epilogue"), it offers provocative analysis of each of Kubrick's films together with new information about their production histories and cultural contexts. Its ultimate aim is to provide a concise yet thorough discussion that will be useful as both an academic text and a trade publication. The book argues that in several respects Kubrick was one of the cinema's last modernists: his taste and sensibility were shaped by the artistic culture of New York in the 1950s; he became a celebrated auteur who forged a distinctive style; he used art-cinema conventions in commercial productions; he challenged censorship regulations; and throughout his career he was preoccupied with one of the central themes of modernist art - the conflict between rationality and its ever-present shadow, the unconscious. War and science are often the subjects of his films, and his work has a hyper-masculine quality; yet no director has more relentlessly emphasized the absurdity of combat, the failure of scientific reasoning, and the fascistic impulses in masculine sexuality. The book also argues that while Kubrick was a voracious intellectual and a life-long autodidact, the fascination of his work has less to do with the ideas it espouses than with the emotions it evokes. Often described as "cool" or "cold," Kubrick is best understood as a skillful practitioner of what might be called the aesthetics of the grotesque; he employs extreme forms of caricature and black comedy to create disgusting, frightening, yet also laughable images of the human body. No less than Diane Arbus (who was his contemporary), he makes his viewers uneasy, unsure how to react either emotionally or politically.

Traces the history and development of Channel 4, one of the UK's best loved and most controversial TV channels. Identifies key figures and signature programmes such as 'Brookside,' 'The Big Breakfast' and 'Wife Swap,' as well as successful American imports including 'Friends' and 'Sex and the City.'

Chinese cinema continues to go from strength to strength. After art-house hits like Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth (1984) and Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000), the Oscar-winning success of Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000) disproved the old myth that subtitled films could not succeed at the multiplex. Chinese Films in Focus II updates and expands the original Chinese Films in Focus: 25 New Takes with fourteen brand new essays, to offer thirty-four fresh and insightful readings of key individual films. The new edition addresses films from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other parts of the Chinese diaspora and the historical coverage ranges from the 1930s to the present.  The essays, by leading authorities on Chinese cinema as well as up-and-coming scholars, are concise, accessible, rich, and on the cutting edge of current research. Each contributor outlines existing writing and presents an original perspective on the film, making this volume a rich resource for classroom use, scholarly research and general reading for anyone wanting to understand more about the historical development and rich variety of Chinese cinema.Contributors: Annette Aw, Chris Berry, Yomi Braester, Felicia Chan, Esther Cheung, Robert Chi, Rey Chow, Mary Farquhar, Carolyn FitzGerald, Ping Fu, Kristine Harris, Margaret Hillenbrand, Brian Hu, Tan See Kam, Haiyan Lee, Vivian Lee, Helen Hok-Sze Leung, David Leiwei Li, Song Hwee Lim, Kam Louie, Fran Martin, Jason McGrath, Corrado Neri, Jonathan Noble, Beremoce Reynaud, Cui Shuqin, Julian Stringer, Janice Tong, Yiman Wang, Faye Hui Xiao, Gang Gary Xu, Audrey Yue, Yingjin Zhang, John ZouThe Editor:  Chris Berry is Professor of Film and Television at Goldsmiths, University of London.

The League of GentlemenPart sitcom, part sketch show, part 'Kitchen Sink', part 'Northern Gothic', The League of Gentlemen is one of British television's most innovative and enduring comedy series. Set in the northern town of Royston Vasey, the series introduced viewers to homicidal Local Shop keepers Tubbs and Edward, vindictive training officer Pauline, demonic butcher Hilary Briss, and the nightmarish circus owner Papa Lazarou. Such was the series' effect that the word 'local' would never seem the same again.The majority of these grotesque characters were played by Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, who created and wrote the series with Jeremy Dyson. In addition to creating a unique world, where the mundane collided with the macabre, the League showcased a versatility in its performers rarely seen in TV comedy. Leon Hunt's entertaining and illuminating study offers the most sustained analysis of the series. Drawing on original interviews with Dyson and Gatiss, he traces the League's evolution, from fringe theatre to radio to television, from sketch-based material to the longer narratives of the Christmas Special and the contentious third series. Hunt contextualises the series as a 'cult classic', discussing its place within traditions of British comedy, its references to horror and fantasy and its creation of a grotesque and self-contained world. Leon Hunt is Senior Lecturer in Film and TV Studies at Brunel University. He is the author of Kung Fu Cult Masters: From Bruce Lee to Crouching Tiger (2003) and British Low Culture: From Safari Suits to Sexploitation (1998).

The new edition of The British Cinema Book has been thoroughly revised and updated to provide a comprehensive introduction to the major periods, genres, studios, film-makers and debates in British cinema from the 1890s to the present. The book has five sections, addressing debates and controversies; industry, genre and representation; British cinema 1895-1939; British cinema from World War II to the 1970s, and contemporary British cinema.Within these sections, leading scholars and critics address a wide range of issues and topics, including British cinema as a 'national' cinema; its complex relationship with Hollywood; film censorship; key British genres such as horror, comedy and costume film; the work of directors including Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Asquith, Alexander Mackendrick, Michael Powell, Lindsay Anderson, Ken Russell and Mike Leigh; studios such as Gainsborough, Ealing, Rank and Gaumont, and recent signs of hope for the British film industry, such as the rebirth of the low-budget British horror picture, and the emergence of a British Asian cinema.Discussions are illustrated with case studies of key films, many of which are new to this edition, including Piccadilly (1929) It Always Rains on Sunday (1947), The Ladykillers (1955), This Sporting Life (1963), The Devils (1971), Withnail and I (1986), Bend it Like Beckham (2002) and Control (2007), and with over 100 images from the BFI's collection. The Editor: Robert Murphy is Professor in Film Studies at De Montfort University and has written and edited a number of books on British cinema, including British Cinema and the Second World War (2000) and Directors in British and Irish Cinema (2006). The contributors: Ian Aitken, Charles Barr, Geoff Brown, William Brown, StellaBruzzi, Jon Burrows, James Chapman, Steve Chibnall, Pamela Church Gibson, IanConrich, Richard Dacre, Raymond Durgnat, Allen Eyles, Christine Geraghty, ChristineGledhill, Kevin Gough-Yates, Sheldon Hall, Benjamin Halligan, Sue Harper, ErikHedling, Andrew Hill, John Hill, Peter Hutchings, Nick James, Marcia Landy, BarbaraKorte, Alan Lovell, Brian McFarlane, Martin McLoone, Andrew Moor, Robert Murphy,Lawrence Napper, Michael O'Pray, Jim Pines, Vincent Porter, Tim Pulleine, JeffreyRichards, James C. Robertson, Tom Ryall, Justin Smith, Andrew Spicer, ClaudiaSternberg, Sarah Street, Melanie Williams and Linda Wood.