An authoritative guide to the action-packed film genre With 24 incisive, cutting-edge contributions from esteemed scholars and critics, A Companion to the Action Filmprovides an authoritative and in-depth guide to this internationally popular and wide-ranging genre. As the first major anthology on the action film in more than a decade, the volume offers insights into the genre’s historical development, explores its production techniques and visual poetics, and provides reflections on the numerous social, cultural, and political issues it has and continues to embody. A Companion to the Action Film offers original research and critical analysis that examines the iconic characteristics of the genre, its visual aesthetics, and its narrative traits; considers the impact of major directors and stars on the genre’s evolution; puts the action film in dialogue with various technologies and other forms of media such as graphic novels and television; and maps out new avenues of critical study for the future. This important resource: Offers a definitive guide to the action film Contains insightful contributions from a wide range of international film experts and scholars Reviews the evolution of the genre from the silent era to today’s age of digital blockbusters Offers nuanced commentary and analysis of socio-cultural issues such as race, nationality, and gender in action films Written for scholars, teachers and students in film studies, film theory, film history, genre studies, and popular culture, A Companion to the Action Film is an essential guide to one of international cinema’s most important, popular, and influential genres.

DIVERGENT, INSURGENT and ALLEGIANT were major blockbuster movies in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

An authoritative guide to the action-packed film genre With 24 incisive, cutting-edge contributions from esteemed scholars and critics, A Companion to the Action Filmprovides an authoritative and in-depth guide to this internationally popular and wide-ranging genre. As the first major anthology on the action film in more than a decade, the volume offers insights into the genre’s historical development, explores its production techniques and visual poetics, and provides reflections on the numerous social, cultural, and political issues it has and continues to embody. A Companion to the Action Film offers original research and critical analysis that examines the iconic characteristics of the genre, its visual aesthetics, and its narrative traits; considers the impact of major directors and stars on the genre’s evolution; puts the action film in dialogue with various technologies and other forms of media such as graphic novels and television; and maps out new avenues of critical study for the future. This important resource: Offers a definitive guide to the action film Contains insightful contributions from a wide range of international film experts and scholars Reviews the evolution of the genre from the silent era to today’s age of digital blockbusters Offers nuanced commentary and analysis of socio-cultural issues such as race, nationality, and gender in action films Written for scholars, teachers and students in film studies, film theory, film history, genre studies, and popular culture, A Companion to the Action Film is an essential guide to one of international cinema’s most important, popular, and influential genres.

Marking 25 years as a film critic, Roger Ebert--the only film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize--devotes the introduction of his annual Movie Home Companion to observations on the art of moviegoing. Then come some 1,100 full-length reviews of the most interesting films on home video, all fully indexed by title, director, and stars. Includes 150 new reviews.

World-wide in scope and covering all aspects of film from "AA" certificate and Bud Abbott to Zoom, Zorro and Andre Zvoboda the Companion ranges from silent movies and the beginnings of film to the mid 1970's and includes a wide array of information

This unique treasury provides information on 2,000 stars and the movies they made - from the early silent films to today. For each star, old or new, there is a concise biography and complete chronological list of all movie and TV appearances. Included are triumphs and disasters alike - as well as Academy Award nominations and prizes. Each entry is accompanied by a photograph of the star at the height of his or her career or in a typical role. Both the old and the new of cinema are found within these pages: Bette Davis William Powell, Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne, Carole Lombard, Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Winona Ryder, Kevin Costner, and Christopher Walken, among hundreds of others. From the obscure (Gloria Talbott) to the mega-famous (Tom Cruise), from the award winners (Tom Hanks) to the never nominated (Edward G. Robinson), from the classics (Buster Keaton) to the luminaries of today (Jim Carrey) - the careers of all are here.

This companion is intended to be used in conjunction with A Civil Action, by Jonathan Harr" and "contains a broad selection of documents from Anderson v. Cryovac.

Roger Ebert has been called the most influential film critic in America. His Chicago Sun-Times reviews are syndicated to some 200 other newspapers and appear on CompuServe. This new edition of his popular guide includes 160 new reviews, interviews with actors and directors, and the popular "Questions for the Movie Answer Man".