Film Worlds unpacks the significance of the "worlds" that narrative films create, offering an innovative perspective on cinema as art. Drawing on aesthetics and the philosophy of art in both the continental and analytic traditions, as well as classical and contemporary film theory, it weaves together multiple strands of thought and analysis to provide new understandings of filmic representation, fictionality, expression, self-reflexivity, style, and the full range of cinema's affective and symbolic dimensions. Always more than "fictional worlds" and "storyworlds" on account of cinema's perceptual, cognitive, and affective nature, film worlds are theorized as immersive and transformative artistic realities. As such, they are capable of fostering novel ways of seeing, feeling, and understanding experience. Engaging with the writings of Jean Mitry, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Christian Metz, David Bordwell, Gilles Deleuze, and Hans-Georg Gadamer, among other thinkers, Film Worlds extends Nelson Goodman's analytic account of symbolic and artistic "worldmaking" to cinema, expands on French philosopher Mikel Dufrenne's phenomenology of aesthetic experience in relation to films and their worlds, and addresses the hermeneutic dimensions of cinematic art. It emphasizes what both celluloid and digital filmmaking and viewing share with the creation and experience of all art, while at the same time recognizing what is unique to the moving image in aesthetic terms. The resulting framework reconciles central aspects of realist and formalist/neo-formalist positions in film theory while also moving beyond them and seeks to open new avenues of exploration in film studies and the philosophy of film.

"This book uses familiar films and television series to portray the complex process leading to the design of film sets. It goes into detail over the pros and cons of filming "on location" or in the studio, takes a look at the problems of historical and contemporary settings and clears up the linguistic muddle of names for particular jobs that has grown up as a result of different film production developments in Europe and America. This illustrated volume is a must for everyone involved in film and also for everyone interested in the art film." "Swiss designers Heidi and Toni Ludi have designed countless film sets since studying art in London and Munich, including such famous examples as The Magic Mountain, Edith's Diary, Wings of Desire, The Bear, Lindenstrasse and Die zweite Heimat. Both are actively committed to their profession; they pass their experience on to the younger generation in frequent lectures and seminars, in Toni Ludi's case since 1989 as professor at the Fachhochschule Rosenheim."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This volume reinvigorates the field of Classical Reception by investigating present-day culture, society, and politics, particularly gender, gender roles, and filmic constructions of masculinity and femininity which shape and are shaped by interacting economic, political, and ideological practices.

PERFORMING ARTS/Film/Guides & Reviews

This essay examines the primacy of worldbuilding in the age of CGI, transmedia practices and "high concept" fiction by studying the principles that govern the creation of a multiverse in a wide range of film and TV productions. Emphasis is placed on Hollywood sci-fi movies and their on-screen representation of imaginary machines that mirror the film medium, following in the tradition of Philip K. Dick's writings and the cyberpunk culture. A typology of worlds is established, as well as a number of analytical tools for assessing the impact of the coexistence of two or more worlds on the narrative structure, the style (uses of color, editing practices), the generic affiliation (or hybridity), the seriality and the discourse produced by a given film (particularly in fictions linked to post-9/11 fantasies). Among the various titles examined, the reader is offered a detailed analysis of the Resident Evil film series, Total Recall and its remake, Dark City, the Matrix trilogy, Avatar, Source Code and other time-loop films, TRON and its sequel, Christopher Nolan's Tenet, and several TV shows – most notably HBO's Westworld, but also Sliders, Lost, Fringe and Counterpart.

For well over a century, going to the movies has been a favorite pastime for billions across the globe. But is film actually good for anything? This volume brings together thirty-six scholars, critics, and filmmakers in search of an answer. Their responses range from the most personal to the most theoretical—and, together, recast current debates about film ethics. Movie watching here emerges as a wellspring of value, able to sustain countless visions of "the good life." Films, these authors affirm, make us reflect, connect, adapt; they evoke wonder and beauty; they challenge and transform. In a word, its varieties of value make film invaluable.

*** SECOND EDITION FEATURING NEW MATERIAL, NEW MOVIES, AND NEW REVIEWS! PUBLISHED MARCH 2013 *** So you want to be a film critic and review movies for a living? Veteran film critic Christopher Null teaches you, step by step, how to break into the business with the lessons he's learned from more than a decade in the industry. Five Stars! will teach you all you need to know! - Understand movie history and the mechanics of filmmaking - without the film snob jargon! - Learn how to write a review, step by step - Get into every movie for free and never pay to go to the movies again! - Get free DVDs - before anyone else! - Break into professional writing in newspapers, magazines, and online - Learn how to approach editors - from the experts themselves - Build an audience for your work - Interview celebrities and hang out with the stars! Five Stars! is the only book on the market that shows you exactly how to become a professional movie reviewer, step by step! It's an absolute must-read for any aspiring film critic! 264 pages - packed with essential information!