The story of films is the story of human development. From the very first story that defined the birth of our civilization—the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, a story of immortality, aging and death—comes a tale of why we age. We are a species of storytellers. The stories we tell to each other define who we are. However, since we are living in a world marked by age apartheid, our interaction with people across different generations is becoming more limited. As a result, the information we gain about older people comes mostly from secondary sources. For the general public, films remain the most accessible form of information regarding getting older. From the early exposure of cartoons to more elaborate dramas, our knowledge of what it means to become old relies on our exposure to films. This volume provides insight into how accurate these representations are in line with current knowledge that we have about aging and older adults. Arguing that films present a simplified view of aging, this analysis relies on scientific evidence to explore why and how such stereotypes affect us. Stereotypes have the ability of being internalized and becoming prescriptive of our behavior. Numerous studies have attempted different ways of understanding the impact films have on aging. Theories as seemingly disparate as feminism and disability have contributed to our understanding of how stereotypes influence our aging process. This text builds upon this knowledge and provides new insights by applying current gerontological knowledge—the science of aging—to unpack and analyze the images of aging that films are providing. By readdressing this focus on gerontological theories—as diverse as biology and psychology—the book readdresses an overlooked approach.

In Coming of Age on Film: Stories of Transformation in World Cinema, essays by twelve film scholars examine the theme of coming of age in the cinema of Latin America, Europe, and Africa. Through their consideration of the development that leads to transformation in individuals, nations, or even the film industry itself, these articles elucidate the connections among these diverse films. Bringing together a variety of related topics such as rites of passage, adolescence and maturity, and the literary genre of the Bildungsroman, Coming of Age on Film complements and puts into practice a variety of critical theories. Its focus on global cinema in French, Italian, and Spanish brings attention to the widely represented but minimally studied theme of coming of age. This volume will appeal to scholars in film studies and regional or national cultural studies, as well as those studying adolescence in literature and film.

Explores the complex ethical dilemmas of human mobility in the context of climate change

The Digitization of Cinematic Visual Effects: Hollywood's Coming of Age, by Rama Venkatasawmy, analyzes how the Hollywood cinema industry's visual effects applications have not only motivated the expansion of filmmaking praxis, they have also influenced the evolution of viewing pleasures and spectatorship experiences. Following the digitization of their associated technologies, VFX have been responsible for multiplying the strategies of representation and storytelling, as well as extending the range of stories that can potentially be told onscreen. By the same token, the visual standards of the Hollywood film's production and exhibition have been growing in sophistication. On the basis of displaying groundbreaking VFX--immaculately realized through the application of cutting-edge technologies and craftsmanship--and of projecting such a significant degree of visual innovation and originality, certain Hollywood movies have established techno-visual trends and industrial standards for subsequent filmmaking practice. Hollywood cinema's entry into the digital realm is intertwined with the intensification of conglomeratic practices within the movie business, the domain of techno-scientific R&D in filmmaking, and the unification of corporate media, information technology, and entertainment. Hence, the standardization of, and convergence toward, the digital medium is emblematic of Hollywood cinema's techno-industrial evolution in the late twentieth century. Accordingly, this volume identifies various synergies and partnerships--between VFX providers, movie studios, graphic designers, and more--that have emerged from a progressive growth of awareness in Hollywood of the digital medium's potential.

A unigue guide book to international films with a coming of age theme, this essential work includes 2090 comprehensive reviews coveraing a wide range of gneres from comedies, dramas and horrors to musicals, sci-fis and thrillers.

Born in the drive-in theatre backseats of the 1970s, the demonic fun of Teen Movie Hell ignited the 1980s VCR, cable TV, and multiplex booms that burned well into the 1990s. Author Mike 'McBeardo' McPadden passes righteous judgment, one boobs-and-boner opus at a time, plus penetrating insight from Eddie Deezen (Grease, Zapped!), Samm Deighan, Kat Ellinger, Wendy McClure, Katie Rife, Heather Drain, Lisa Carver, Rachel McPadden, Liz Mason, Christina Ward, and Kier-La Janisse.