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Refiguring American Film Genres

Theory and History

Nick Browne editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:University of California Press

Published:16th Apr '98

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Refiguring American Film Genres cover

This collection of essays by leading American film scholars charts a whole new territory in genre film criticism. Rather than assuming that genres are self-evident categories, the contributors offer innovative ways to think about types of films, and patterns within films, in a historical context. Challenging familiar attitudes, the essays offer new conceptual frameworks and a fresh look at how popular culture functions in American society. The range of essays is exceptional, from David J. Russell's insights into the horror genre to Carol J. Clover's provocative take on 'trial films' to Leo Braudy's argument for the subject of nature as a genre. Also included are essays on melodrama, race, film noir, and the industrial context of genre production. The contributors confront the poststructuralist critique of genre head-on; together they are certain to shape future debates concerning the viability and vitality of genre in studying American cinema.

ISBN: 9780520207318

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 20mm

Weight: 454g

347 pages