
- 288 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
This forward-looking exploration of contemporary American film across the last 40 years identifies and examines the specific movies that changed the film industry and shaped its present and future. Since the mid-1970s, American cinema has gone through enormous changes, such as the birth of the modern summer blockbuster, the rise of the independent film industry, ongoing technological advancements in special effects, and the ever-evolving models for film distribution. Written by a professional film critic and film buff, this book tells the story of contemporary American cinema in a unique and engaging way: by examining 25 key movies that demonstrated a significant creative, technological, or business innovation that impacted the industry at large. Each chapter in this chronological survey of contemporary film is divided into two sections: "The Film, " which offers a critical overview of the film in question; and "The First, " which describes the specific innovation achieved by that film and places that achievement in the larger historical context. Two additional appendices in each chapter explore other significant aspects of both the film and its groundbreaking nature. The broad coverageāranging from action movies to horror films to science fiction favoritesāensures the work's appeal to all film fans.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Contents
- Introduction
- Timeline: 20 Classic Film Firsts
- 1. Jaws (1975)
- 2. Star Wars (1977)
- 3. Superman: The Movie (1978)
- 4. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
- 5. Tron (1982)
- 6. Parting Glances (1986)
- 7. Sheās Gotta Have It (1986)
- 8. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
- 9. sex, lies, and videotape (1989)
- 10. Blade Runner: The Directorās Cut (1992)
- 11. Pulp Fiction (1994)
- 12. Showgirls (1995)
- 13. Toy Story (1995)
- 14. Psycho (1998)
- 15. The Matrix (1999)
- 16. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
- 17. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
- 18. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001ā2003)
- 19. Funny Ha Ha (2002)
- 20. Bubble (2005)
- 21. The Hurt Locker (2008)
- 22. Avatar (2009)
- 23. Life in a Day (2011)
- 24. Margaret (2011)
- 25. Red State (2011)
- Conclusion: Five Film Firsts to Come
- Notes
- Selected Bibliography
- Index