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Amar Akbar Anthony: Bollywood, Brotherhood, and the Nation
by William ElisonThe 1977 blockbuster Amar Akbar Anthony about the heroics of three Bombay brothers separated in childhood became a classic of Hindi cinema and a touchstone of Indian popular culture. Beyond its comedy and camp is a potent vision of social harmony, but one that invites critique, as the authors show.
Amateur Cinema
by Charles TeppermanFrom the very beginning of cinema, there have been amateur filmmakers at work. It wasn't until Kodak introduced 16mm film in 1923, however, that amateur moviemaking became a widespread reality, and by the 1950s, over a million Americans had amateur movie cameras. In Amateur Cinema, Charles Tepperman explores the meaning of the "amateur" in film history and modern visual culture. In the middle decades of the twentieth century--the period that saw Hollywood's rise to dominance in the global film industry--a movement of amateur filmmakers created an alternative world of small-scale movie production and circulation. Organized amateur moviemaking was a significant phenomenon that gave rise to dozens of clubs and thousands of participants producing experimental, nonfiction, or short-subject narratives. Rooted in an examination of surviving films, this book traces the contexts of "advanced" amateur cinema and articulates the broad aesthetic and stylistic tendencies of amateur films.
Amateur Cinema: The Rise of North American Moviemaking, 1923-1960
by Charles TeppermanFrom the very beginning of cinema, there have been amateur filmmakers at work. It wasn’t until Kodak introduced 16mm film in 1923, however, that amateur moviemaking became a widespread reality, and by the 1950s, over a million Americans had amateur movie cameras. In Amateur Cinema, Charles Tepperman explores the meaning of the "amateur" in film history and modern visual culture. In the middle decades of the twentieth century—the period that saw Hollywood’s rise to dominance in the global film industry—a movement of amateur filmmakers created an alternative world of small-scale movie production and circulation. Organized amateur moviemaking was a significant phenomenon that gave rise to dozens of clubs and thousands of participants producing experimental, nonfiction, or short-subject narratives. Rooted in an examination of surviving films, this book traces the contexts of "advanced" amateur cinema and articulates the broad aesthetic and stylistic tendencies of amateur films.
Amateur Movie Making, Enhanced eBook: Aesthetics of the Everyday in New England Film, 1915-1960
by Alice T. Friedman Karan Sheldon Martha J. McNamaraA compelling regional and historical study that transforms our understanding of film history, Amateur Movie Making demonstrates how amateur films and home movies stand as testaments to the creative lives of ordinary people, enriching our experience of art and the everyday. Here we encounter the lyrical and visually expressive qualities of films produced in New England between 1915 and 1960 and held in the collections of Northeast Historic Film, a moving image repository and study center that was established to collect, preserve, and interpret the audiovisual record of northern New England. Contributors from diverse backgrounds examine the visual aesthetics of these films while placing them in their social, political, and historical contexts. Each discussion is enhanced by technical notes and the analyses are also juxtaposed with personal reflections by artists who have close connections to particular amateur filmmakers. These reflections reanimate the original private contexts of the home movies before they were recast as objects of study and artifacts of public history.
Amateur Movie Making: Aesthetics of the Everyday in New England Film, 1915–1960
by Alice T. Friedman Karan Sheldon Martha J. McnamaraA compelling regional and historical study that transforms our understanding of film history, Amateur Movie Making demonstrates how amateur films and home movies stand as testaments to the creative lives of ordinary people, enriching our experience of art and the everyday. Here we encounter the lyrical and visually expressive qualities of films produced in New England between 1915 and 1960 and held in the collections of Northeast Historic Film, a moving image repository and study center that was established to collect, preserve, and interpret the audiovisual record of northern New England. Contributors from diverse backgrounds examine the visual aesthetics of these films while placing them in their social, political, and historical contexts. Each discussion is enhanced by technical notes and the analyses are also juxtaposed with personal reflections by artists who have close connections to particular amateur filmmakers. These reflections reanimate the original private contexts of the home movies before they were recast as objects of study and artifacts of public history.
Amazing & Extraordinary Facts - James Bond
by Michael PatersonWhere did James Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, gain inspiration for his character? What was Ian Fleming's original name for his spy?Who wrote the James Bond theme?How did JFK influence the release of From Russia with Love?An essential companion for every Bond fan, this book will unearth a plethora of surprising and intriguing facts about the much-loved fictional spy, and the books and films he has starred in. Brimming with strange and amusing stories about the Bond actors, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, behind-the-scenes tidbits from the film sets, and amazing facts about Ian Fleming's original novel, the brief, accessible and entertaining pieces make this the perfect book to dip in to.
Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: James Bond
by Michael PatersonWhere did James Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, gain inspiration for his character? What was Ian Fleming's original name for his spy? Who wrote theJames Bondtheme? How did JFK influence the release ofFrom Russia with Love? An essential companion for every Bond fan, this book will unearth a plethora of surprising and intriguing facts about the much-loved fictional spy, and the books and films he has starred in. Brimming with strange and amusing stories about the Bond actors, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, behind-the-scenes tidbits from the film sets, and amazing facts about Ian Fleming's original novel, the brief, accessible and entertaining pieces make this the perfect book to dip in to.
Amazing Escapees - A Short eBook
by Charles MargerisonThere are many forms of escape, and many reasons for needing to do it. In psychological terms, it's the 'fight or flight' response. Some, like Harry Houdini, turned escape into a death defying form of entertainment, but for others, escape was the only way of fleeing a miscarriage of justice or the brutality of a concentration camp. Henri Charrière attempted to escape from a penal colony in French Guiana nine times and was finally successful in 1941. Find out what happened! Mary Bryant was one of the first successful escapees from the fledgling Australian penal colony. Discover her amazing story. Hear about Rudolph Vrba's incredible escape from the Auschwitz concentration camp and his subsequent attempts to alert authorities about the atrocities there. Who can forget Bram van der Stok, the most decorated aviator in Dutch history, and one of only three men to escape from the German POW camp Stalag Luft III in "the Great Escape" of 1943. Discover more about the lives of these and others in this unique collection of eStories from the Amazing People Club. Each story comes to life through BioViews® which are short biographical narratives, similar to interviews. These inspirational stories provide a new way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions and changed our world.
Amazing Esme and the Pirate Circus: Book 3 (Amazing Esme #3)
by Tamara MacfarlaneIt's time to send the animals rescued from the pirate circus home. Uncle Mac sets sail with amazing Esme and her fearless cousins on a journey to hot and cold and distant lands - from Scotland to Siberia to Peru! It's a voyage filled with excitement and danger. And dastardly pirates who will stop at nothing to recapture the animals. This is the third of Tamara Macfarlane's Esme stories which are perfect for newly confident readers to read by themselves, or for parents to read aloud. High in action and with plenty of humour, the stories are brought to life by Michael Fowkes' drawings on every double-page spread.
Amazing Esme and the Sweetshop Circus: Book 2 (Amazing Esme #2)
by Tamara MacfarlaneEsme is seriously bored of all the work and practice her mother keeps insisting she does in order to perfect her circus performance. So when an idea forms in Esme's head of adding some fun animals to her performance, she knows just who to call ... her cousins at Maclinkey Castle who have all manner of odd pets. With little rehearsal Esme and her act perform on the high wire. But disaster strikes and her co-stars tumble to the ground. Donk won't wake up and now everyone in town thinks that Circus Miranda is cruel to animals. What can Esme do to stop the crowds from leaving the circus? The answer lies in her punishment of being made to run the lowly sweet treats stand and being banned from performing. With a little bit of maple syrup, chocolate, caramel and a dash of teamwork, surely the kids can tempt the crowds back...?
Amazing Esme: Book 1 (Amazing Esme #1)
by Tamara MacfarlaneFollow the wildly imaginative adventures of Esme as she leaves behind her circus home for the first time to spend the summer with her cousins Magnus, Cosmo and Gus at Maclinkey Castle where it's easy to get lost and where you can discover all sorts of weird and wonderful animals in unlikely places - there are porcupines in beds, lizards in drawers and giraffes on the loo. It's all a little wonderful and a lot overwhelming and when her pet donkey, Donk, turns up in a parcel sent from her parents, the fun really begins.When hundreds of baby penguins hatch in Esme's top floor bedroom, the children have to figure out how to get them outside. Esme and her cousin have the ingenious idea of building a helter skelter around the castle turret, but this is just the start - soon Maclinkey Castle is turned into a full-on Fairground Circus with a big wheel, Bumper Bears, and the show stopping Flying Tigers starring Esme herself!
Amazing Grace
by Mary HoffmanAlthough classmates say that she can't play Peter Pan in the school play, because she's black and a girl, Grace discovers that she can do anything she sets her mind to do.
Amazing Ninja! (Ninja Kid)
by Anh DoIn this illustrated chapter book, the circus is coming to town, and Nelson has a chance to show off his amazing ninja skills! But what will he do when big trouble arrives at the big top?
Amazing, Weird, Mind-blowing Facts for Curious Minds from TheDadLab
by Sergei UrbanFrom popular online educational sensation TheDadLab comes an amazingly weird collection of over 300 mind-blowing facts and eight activities for curious minds!Did you know?· Giraffes can't swim, but kangaroos are surprisingly good at it!· All watermelons have an even number of stripes· Honey we can eat today has been found in 3,000-year-old Egyptian tombs!· Every odd number contains the letter 'e'· If you were at Point Nemo in the ocean, you'd be closer to astronauts in space than anyone on Earth!Nothing beats discovering something new, especially when it's as surprising as the fact that you are hurtling through space at the speed of 107,000 kilometres per hour at this very moment!Educational sensation Sergei Urban from TheDadLab shares the most curious facts to blow your mind, from real-life super-animals and flying cars to robot rock bands and golf on the moon. Find out for yourself just how incredible, strange and mind-boggling our universe really is with experiments and activities to wow your friends and stagger your family with too!Find Sergei and join his millions of followers @thedadlab on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and on his website at www.thedadlab.com.
Ambiguity and Film Criticism: Reasonable Doubt (Palgrave Close Readings in Film and Television)
by Hoi Lun LawThis book defends an account of ambiguity which illuminates the aesthetic possibilities of film and the nature of film criticism. Ambiguity typically describes the condition of multiple meanings. But we can find multiple meanings in what appears unambiguous to us. So, what makes ambiguity ambiguous? This study argues that a sense of uncertainty is vital to the concept. Ambiguity is what presses us to inquire into our puzzlement over a movie, to persistently ask “why is it as it is?” Notably, this account of the concept is also an account of its criticism. It recognises that a satisfying assessment of what is ambiguous involves both our reason and doubt; that is, reason and doubt can work together in our practice of reading. This book, then, considers ambiguity as a form of reasonable doubt, one that invites us to reflect on our critical efforts, rethinking the operation of film criticism.
Ambitious II: Fear No Doubt, Rewire, Fly Higher
by LikewiseAMBITIOUS II is a motivating, eye-opening venture to explore the inhibiting areas of fear, anxiety, and doubt. You will relate right away. Written from Likewise's vantage point and interspersed with his pivotal episodes, his knowledge, groundbreaking methods, and sincere eagerness to assist the readers shine brilliantly throughout the pages. This timely book is choc-full of original concepts, terms, and tips. Find out how to transform from a "negative noggin" to a "positive processor." Discover your personality type: are you "smooth-wired," "lightning-wired," or a "smooth-lightning wired" dynamo? Ultimately, you will learn how to successfully rewire and fly higher!
Ameera, Unveiled
by Kathleen VarnAt the age of forty-eight, happily remarried and retired from her legal assistant, gerbil wheel, Kat decides to break out of her shell and try her hand at belly dancing. What begins as a hobby leads her to filling a coveted spot in Palmetto Oasis Middle Eastern Dance Troupe. With less than eight weeks to prepare, Kat's thrown into a world of performing she is terrified to face, all leading to a week of giving lessons and performing in Jamaica. Traveling with eight glittery strangers, she forges deep bonds under outrageous circumstances at what they'd soon all discover was a clothing-optional resort. Struggling with paralyzing stage fright and searching for the deeper root of her fears, Kat feverishly seeks a way to release Ameera, her inner dance queen. By the end of the week, the audience is mesmerized by the powerful presence and synchronicity of women joined at the hip by scares and some glitter. Kat soon knows, with the help of eight sisters in dance, that she is finally part of a tribe, discovering an oasis to refresh her thirst to be a part of a circle of wome
America 51: A Probe into the Realities That Are Hiding Inside "The Greatest Country in the World"
by Corey TaylorA skewering of the American underbelly by the New York Times bestselling author of Seven Deadly Sins, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven, and You're Making Me Hate YouThe always-outspoken hard rock vocalist Corey Taylor begins America 51 with a reflection on what his itinerant youth and frequent worldwide travels with his multiplatinum bands Slipknot and Stone Sour have taught him about what it means to be an American in an increasingly unstable world. He examines the way America sees itself, specifically with regard to the propaganda surrounding America's origins (like a heavy-metal Howard Zinn), while also celebrating the quirks and behavior that make a true-blue American. Taylor likewise takes a look at how the world views us, and his findings should come as a surprise to no one. But behind Taylor's ranting and raving is a thoughtful and intelligent consideration, and even a sadness, of what America is compared to what it could and should be.Expertly balancing humor, outrage, and disbelief, Taylor examines the rotting core of America, evaluating everything from politics and race relations to modern family dynamics, millennials, and "man buns." No element of what constitutes America is safe from his adept and scathing eye. Continuing the wave of moral outrage begun in You're Making Me Hate You, Taylor flawlessly skewers contemporary America in his own signature style.
America Dancing
by Megan PughThe history of American dance reflects the nation's tangled culture. Dancers from wildly different backgrounds learned, imitated, and stole from one another. Audiences everywhere embraced the result as deeply American. Using the stories of tapper Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, ballet and Broadway choreographer Agnes de Mille, choreographer Paul Taylor, and Michael Jackson, Megan Pugh shows how freedom--that nebulous, contested American ideal--emerges as a genre-defining aesthetic. In Pugh's account, ballerinas mingle with slumming thrill-seekers, and hoedowns show up on elite opera house stages. Steps invented by slaves on antebellum plantations captivate the British royalty and the Parisian avant-garde. Dances were better boundary crossers than their dancers, however, and the issues of race and class that haunt everyday life shadow American dance as well. Deftly narrated, America Dancing demonstrates the centrality of dance in American art, life, and identity, taking us to watershed moments when the nation worked out a sense of itself through public movement.
America Ferrera: Latina Superstar
by Sheila AndersonAmerica Ferrera may play Ugly Betty on TV, but she's anything but ugly in real life! Down to earth, determined, and proud of her accomplishments, Ferrera has become a role model for Latina women everywhere. This fun-to-read book offers juicy quotes, personal stories, and accessible features such as a timeline and glossary.
America First: Naming the Nation in US Film
by Mandy MerckAt a time when the expanded projection of US political, military, economic and cultural power draws intensified global concern, understanding how that country understands itself seems more important than ever. This collection of new critical essays tackles this old problem in a new way, by examining some of the hundreds of US films that announce themselves as titularly 'American'. From early travelogues to contemporary comedies, national nomination has been an abiding characteristic of American motion pictures, heading the work of Porter, Guy-Blaché, DeMille, Capra, Sternberg, Vidor, Minnelli and Mankiewicz. More recently, George Lucas, Paul Schrader, John Landis and Edward James Olmos have made their own contributions to Hollywood’s Americana. What does this national branding signify? Which versions of Americanism are valorized, and which marginalized or excluded? Out of which social and historical contexts do they emerge, and for and by whom are they constructed? Edited by Mandy Merck, the collection contains detailed analyses of such films as The Vanishing American, American Madness, An American in Paris, American Graffiti, American Gigolo, American Pie and many more.
America Reflected: Language, Satire, Film, and the National Mind
by Peter C. RollinsEclectic criticism and insightful observations from “one of the most respected cultural historians working today” (Ronald A. Wells, Professor of History Emeritus, Calvin College). “From cowboy philosopher Will Rogers to popular perceptions of two world wars and Vietnam, from the history of language to the language of film and television, Peter Rollins has devoted his career to exploring the intriguing ways in which the creative impulse both shapes and reflects American culture. His observations are fresh, illuminating and of enduring value.” —John E. O’Connor, co-founder/editor of Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies“Examines the roles of language, satire, and film in reflecting the American consciousness through such diverse sources as Orestes Brownson, Benjamin Lee Whorf, Will Rogers, and Hollywood. Readers of America Reflected are in for a delightful voyage as they travel through American history and culture with Peter Rollins as their guide providing personal and scholarly insights into the shaping of the American mind.” —Ron Briley, editor of The Politics of Baseball: Essays on the Pastime and Power at Home and Abroad“Even those who have known and admired Peter Rollins’s acclaimed works will here find enlightening surprises. Epistemology, language theory, war’s polemics, filmed history, and an array of significant creators of American culture are all elegantly displayed. This book will make you a wiser person and charm you while it does it.” —John Shelton Lawrence, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Morningside College“Two decades ago I was privileged to work on a book, America Observed, with Alistair Cooke. Now we have America Reflected by Peter Rollins . . . Not only does Rollins make good observations about our lives and times, his reflections on a diverse set of subjects helps us to see the meanings of our observations.” —Ronald A. Wells, Professor of History Emeritus, Calvin College “Rollins gathers together glimpses of our shared worlds, so that we may observe their interconnections across media, genres, and time. From down-home values and front-porch philosophy, to tales of wars and chronicles of lives, the subjects considered here are all part of the stories we tell about ourselves and our social worlds.” —Cynthia J. Miller, President, Literature/Film Association
America Under the Influence: Drinking, Culture, and Immersive Performance (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Chloë Rae EdmonsonIn this book, Chloë Rae Edmonson analyzes performance sites from throughout U.S. history to reveal the material ways that drinking culture is performative, immersive performance is intoxicating, and how alcohol shapes performance space. Combining archival research with first-hand accounts of immersive spaces, this study demonstrates how social drinking and performance in themed spaces often collude to reify power dynamics latent to mainstream American culture, such as patriarchal values, racial and wealth inequality, and labor exploitation. Yet there are also examples of how performers, designers, and consumers creatively subvert such dominant attitudes in pursuit of their own creative expression and fulfilment.Part one examines historic bars and clubs that are immersive by design, while part two explores immersive theatre productions from the 1980s to today. At the heart of all these American examples, of course, is alcohol, its associated cultures of immersive consumption, and the wide range of influence it can have on the bodies and minds of participants. In addition to its pop cultural appeal, this study will be relevant to scholars and university students interested in immersive theatre and performance, drinking culture, and American Studies.
America in Literature and Film: Modernist Perceptions, Postmodernist Representations
by Ahmed ElbeshlawyUtilizing Lacan's psychoanalytic theory and Zizek's philosophical adaption of it, this book brings into dialogue a series of modernist and postmodernist literary works, films, and critical theory that are concerned with defining America. Ahmed Elbeshlawy demonstrates that how America is perceived in certain texts reveals not only the idealization or condemnation of it, but an imago, or constructed image of the perceiver as well. In turn, texts which particularly focus on demonstrating how other texts about America communicate an untrustworthy message themselves communicate an unreliable message, inventing and reinventing a series of imagos of America. These imagos refer to both idealized and deformed images of America constructed by the perceivers of America. The first part of this book is concerned with modernist perceptions of America, and includes discussion of Adorno, Benjamin, Kafka, D. H. Lawrence, as well as Emerson and Seymour Martin Lipset. The second part is dedicated to postmodernist representations of America, focusing on texts by Edward Said, Ihab Hassan, Susan Sontag, David Shambaugh and Charles W. Brooks, and films including Lars von Trier's Dogville and D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation.
America on Film
by Harry M. Benshoff Sean GriffinAmerica on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in the Movies, 2nd Edition is a lively introduction to issues of diversity as represented within the American cinema. Provides a comprehensive overview of the industrial, socio-cultural, and aesthetic factors that contribute to cinematic representations of race, class, gender, and sexuality Includes over 100 illustrations, glossary of key terms, questions for discussion, and lists for further reading/viewing Includes new case studies of a number of films, including Crash, Brokeback Mountain, and Quinceañera