A Companion to Pedro Almodóvar “Marvin D’Lugo and Kathleen M. Vernon give us the ideal companion to Pedro Almodóvar’s films. Established and emerging writers offer a rainbow of insights for fans as well as academics.” Jerry W. Carlson, Professor of Film Studies, The City College & Graduate Center CUNY “Rarely has a contemporary film artist been treated to the kind of broad, rich discussion of their work that can be found in A Companion to Pedro Almodóvar.” Richard Peña, Professor of Film Studies, Columbia University Once the enfant terrible of Spain’s youth culture explosion, the Movida, Pedro Almodóvar’s distinctive film style and career longevity have made him one of the most successful and internationally known filmmakers of his generation. Offering a state-of-the-art appraisal of Almodóvar’s cinema, this original collection is a searching analysis of his technique and cultural significance that includes work by leading authorities on Almodóvar as well as talented young scholars. Crucially included here are contributions by film historians from Almodóvar’s native Spain, where he has been undervalued by the academic and critical establishment. With a balance between textual and contextual approaches, the book expands the scope of previous work on the director to explore his fruitful collaborations with fellow professionals in the areas of art design, fashion, and music as well as the growing reach of a global Almodóvar brand beyond Europe and the United States to Latin America and Asia. It also proposes a reevaluation of the political meanings and engagement of his cinema from the perspective of the profound cultural and historical upheavals that have transformed Spain since the 1970s.

A Companion to Pedro Almodóvar “Marvin D’Lugo and Kathleen M. Vernon give us the ideal companion to Pedro Almodóvar’s films. Established and emerging writers offer a rainbow of insights for fans as well as academics.” Jerry W. Carlson, Professor of Film Studies, The City College & Graduate Center CUNY “Rarely has a contemporary film artist been treated to the kind of broad, rich discussion of their work that can be found in A Companion to Pedro Almodóvar.” Richard Peña, Professor of Film Studies, Columbia University Once the enfant terrible of Spain’s youth culture explosion, the Movida, Pedro Almodóvar’s distinctive film style and career longevity have made him one of the most successful and internationally known filmmakers of his generation. Offering a state-of-the-art appraisal of Almodóvar’s cinema, this original collection is a searching analysis of his technique and cultural significance that includes work by leading authorities on Almodóvar as well as talented young scholars. Crucially included here are contributions by film historians from Almodóvar’s native Spain, where he has been undervalued by the academic and critical establishment. With a balance between textual and contextual approaches, the book expands the scope of previous work on the director to explore his fruitful collaborations with fellow professionals in the areas of art design, fashion, and music as well as the growing reach of a global Almodóvar brand beyond Europe and the United States to Latin America and Asia. It also proposes a reevaluation of the political meanings and engagement of his cinema from the perspective of the profound cultural and historical upheavals that have transformed Spain since the 1970s.

Offering a commentary on Pedro Almodovar, who has become a preeminent force in modern cinema and by far the best known Spanish filmmaker among English-speaking audiences, this work follows Almodovar's career chronologically and understands the films' increasing complexity in terms of the director's central themes."

AlmodOvar is Spain's most successful and controversial director, representing a unique blend of art-house auteur and popular film-maker. His films, with their mix of Hollywood and European styles and of popular melodrama and comedy, have been attracting growing international audiences since the success of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. A Spanish Labyrinth is a much needed, clear, and comprehensive introduction to the films of AlmodOvar, investigating the cultural and national contexts for his work, issues of gender, sexuality, stars, genre, visual style, music, and much more. It is the ideal companion to AlmodOvar for students of film and Hispanic Studies, as well as those generally interested in film and Spanish culture.

An updated edition of The Pedro Almodóvar Archives, offering inside access to the cult Spanish director who beguiles audiences worldwide with his thrilling dissertations on desire, passion, and identity. With behind-the-scenes pictures and personal reminiscences, Almodóvar himself guides the reader through his singular journey from its early...

The huge international success of his latest feature, All About My Mother, has finally granted Pedro Almodovar the recognition he deserves, as the most artistically ambitious and commercially consistent film-maker in Europe.