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"Often dismissed as simple tales of sword and sorcery, fantasy is one of the fundamental impulses in filmmaking, a source of some of the most vivid and memorable films ever made that reaches far beyond the confines of a single genre. As well as some of the major genres, stylistic approaches and exponents of cinematic fantasy, from Georges Melies, Walt Disney, and Andrei Tarkovsky to contemporary fantasists such as Terry Gilliam and Peter Jackson. This volume focuses on fantasy's social function with case studies including The Thief of Baghdad (1924), Excalibur (1981), the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03), and Bruce Almighty (2003). and interpretations. Taking in the popular and the experimental, subversive desires and reactionary dreams, this book is an engaging introduction to one of the vital energies in cinema." -- Book cover.

Pan's Labyrinth, Stranger Than Fiction, The Science of Sleep ... Surreal and fantastic cinema is enjoying a resurgence. A movement that goes back to the earliest days of cinema, it provides an exemplary case study to introduce all sorts of concepts--auteur study, representations, 'shocking cinema', textual analysis. Neil Coombs's guide is ideal for students new to the field, providing an explanation of the origins of Surrealism followed by detailed analyses from the history of 'world cinema', including: Bu uel's The Phantom of Liberty, Svankmajer's Alice, Cocteau's Orph e, Lynch's Lost Highway, Jeunet and Caro's The City of Lost Children, and the work of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich) and director David Cronenberg (A History of Violence).

This major new study offers a broad historical and theoretical reassessment of the science fiction film genre. The book explores the development of science fiction in cinema from its beginnings in early film through to recent examples of the genre. Each chapter sets analyses of chosen films within a wider historical/cultural context, while concentrating on a specific thematic issue. The book therefore presents vital and unique perspectives in its approach to the genre, which include discussion of the relevance of psychedelic imagery, the 'new woman of science', generic performance and the prevalence of 'techno-orientalism' in recent films. While American films will be one of the principle areas covered, the author also engages with a range of pertinent examples from other nations, as well as discussing the centrality of science fiction as a transnational film genre. Films discussed include The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Body Snatchers, Forbidden Planet, The Quatermass Experiment, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Demon Seed, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Wars, Altered States, Alien, Blade Runner, The Brother from Another Planet, Back to the Future, The Terminator, Predator, The One, Dark City, The Matrix, Fifth Element and eXistenZ. Key Features*Thematically organised for use as a course text.*Introduces current and past theories and practices, and provides an overview of the main themes, approaches and areas of study.*Covers new and burgeoning approaches such as generic performance and aspects of postmodern identity.*Includes new interviews with some of the main practitioners in the field: Roland Emmerich, Paul Verhoeven, Ken Russell, Stan Winston, William Gibson, Brian Aldiss, Joe Morton, Dean Norris and Billy Gray.

The Fantasy Film provides a clear and compelling overview of this revitalized and explosively popular film genre. Includes analyses of a wide range of films, from early classics such as The Wizard of Oz and Harvey to Spiderman and Shrek, and blockbuster series such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Harry Potter films Provides in-depth historical and critical overviews of the genre Fully illustrated with screen shots from key films

In-depth analyses are presented of 15 superior films, each one representing a subgenre of fantasy cinema--Beauty and the Beast, Conan the Barbarian, The Dark Crystal, Dragonslayer, 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, It's a Wonderful Life, Jason and the Argonauts, King Kong, Lost Horizon, Popeye, Superman, The Thief of Baghdad, Time Bandits, Topper, and The Wizard of Oz. A chapter is devoted to each film, providing a plot summary and detailed information about cast and crew, special effects (stop-motion animation, miniatures, hanging miniatures, optical effects, tricks of perspective, blue screens, matte paintings, glass shots, reverse projection, slow motion, rear and front projection, etc.), and strengths and weaknesses, as well as explorations of the film's relationship to written fantasy, other films, and cultural myths.