Examining the career of Brian De Palma, the book delves into his cinematic successes and failures, highlighting his influence on Hollywood and the careers of stars like Robert De Niro and John Travolta. It explores the controversial themes in his films, such as violence against women and the portrayal of flawed characters. Author Douglas Keesey adopts a biographical lens, analyzing how De Palma's personal experiences shape his work. The accessible style and comprehensive film-by-film analysis make it an essential read for fans and scholars alike.
This lively and illuminating book explores over 100 contemporary horror films, providing insightful and provocative readings of what they mean while including numerous quotes from their creators. Some of these films, including The Babadook, The Green Inferno, It Follows, The Neon Demon, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and The Witch, are so recent that this will be one of the first times they are discussed in book form. The book is divided into three main sections: "nightmares," "nations," and "innovations." "Nightmares" looks at new manifestations of traditional fears, including creepy dolls, haunted houses and demonic possession as well as vampires, werewolves, witches and zombies; and also considers more contemporary anxieties such as dread of home invasion and homophobia. "Nations" explores fright films from around the world, including Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Spain and Sweden as well as the UK and the U.S. "Innovations" focuses on the latest trends in terror from 3D to found-footage films, from Twilight teen romance to torture porn, and from body horror and eco-horror to techno-horror. Parodies, remakes and American adaptations of Asian horror are also discussed.
Douglas Keesey offers a critical analysis of Chuck Palahniuk's work, particularly focusing on Fight Club and his subsequent thirteen novels. He challenges the perception of Palahniuk as merely a sensationalist or nihilist, arguing instead that the author embodies romantic ideals and values community. Keesey's readings reveal deeper themes in Palahniuk's writing, presenting a nuanced understanding of his literary contributions and the complexity of his characters and narratives.
A world-weary detective, a seductive femme fatale, a mysterious murder - these elements of classic film noir live again in more recent hardboiled detective films from Chinatown to Sin City. But the themes of noir have also spilled over into gangster movies, as well as creating new genres including psycho-noir (Memento), techno-noir (The Matrix) and superhero-noir (The Dark Knight). Neo-Noir shows how new noir films have drawn upon contemporary social and historical events as well as the latest technological advances in filmmaking to put a new spin on a classic genre.
?Sexuality is limited by taboos and the domain of eroticism is that of the transgression of these taboos.? Georges Bataille Since the first kiss recorded on film in 1896, erotic moving images have stimulated viewers and outraged public bodies. This book explores the meaning of eroticism and gives an overview of sex on the big screen by exploring different forms of sexual behavior or taboo-breaking in film. Included are intimate looks at ten of the most erotic movies ever including Last Tango in Paris, Betty Blue, In the Realm of the Senses, Romance, Law of Desire, Kids, Basic Instinct, Crash, The Night Porter and Y Tu Mama Tambien. Coverage includes erotic films from the silent era, pre-Code Hollywood, film noir, cheesecake and beefcake, the international art cinema, softcore and hardcore X-rated films, gay, lesbian, and New Queer Cinema, and the latest trend toward real sex in independent and art films.
Known for always pushing the envelope when it comes to showing sex and violence on screen, Paul Verhoeven has directed controversial films in several genres, including the erotic thriller (Basic Instinct), melodrama (Showgirls) and science fiction (RoboCop, Total Recall, Starship Troopers, Hollow Man). However, even before going to Hollywood, Verhoeven had been a succ's de scandale in his native Netherlands, where he directed a war saga (Soldier of Orange), a medieval epic (Flesh+Blood), a psychosexual thriller (The Fourth Man) and a sex comedy (Turkish Delight, which was voted Best Dutch Film of the Century at the Netherlands Film Festival). Verhoeven has shown that visceral thrills can be thought provoking, challenging our received notions of heroism, patriotism, and eroticism. He has created some of the most courageous and contentious films of recent years. Made with full access to Paul Verhoeven's archives!
