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by Sean SmithTop celebrity biographer Sean Smith tells the story of national treasure Gary Barlow, one of the UK's greatest songwriters and musicians. Throughout a stellar career, nobody has been more misunderstood than Gary Barlow. When he first found fame, he was perceived as too arrogant. Then, after a spectacular slump and amazing recovery, he adopted a modesty that underrates his lifetime achievements. In this book Sean Smith redresses the balance by revealing the real man, the romances that shaped his life and the passion for music that drives him. A singer and virtuoso keyboard player who performed in working men's clubs from the age of thirteen, the young Gary Barlow had written more than a hundred songs while still at school. He would go on to achieve phenomenal success as the musical force behind Take That, the most popular boy band of all time. But an eagerly anticipated solo career flopped and Gary became depressed and overweight, while the triumphs of Robbie Williams were a constant reminder of his failure. In 2006 Take That returned bigger than ever and their huge success was followed by an emotional reunion between Gary and Robbie, that was cemented when they put aside past hurts to write and perform new songs together. Now recognized as one of the greatest songwriters and musicians the UK has ever produced, Gary is among the best-known faces on television, returning as head judge on the X Factor in 2013. Featuring original interviews with many people who have never spoken before, Gary is a celebration of a complex and unique talent.
Untold Horror
by George. A Romero John Landis Dave Alexander Joe Dante Brian YuznaInsightful interviews of horror legends George Romero, John Landis, Joe Dante, Brian Yuzna, and more, by former editor-in-chief of Rue Morgue, Dave Alexander, about the scariest horror movies never made!Take a behind-the-scenes look into development hell to find the most frightening horror movies that never were, from unmade Re-Animator sequels to alternate takes on legendary franchises like Frankenstein and Dracula!Features art, scripts, and other production material from unmade films that still might make you scream--with insights from dozens of directors, screenwriters, and producers with decades of experience. Featured Interviews With: George A. RomeroJohn LandisJoe DanteVincenzo NataliBrian YuznaWilliam LustigWilliam MaloneBuddy GiovinazzoTim SullivanRichard RaaphorstRuggero DeodatoJim ShooterBob LaytonDavid J. Skal
The Untold Story of the Korean Film Industry: A Global Business and Economic Perspective (Cultural Economics & the Creative Economy)
by Jimmyn Parc Patrick A. MesserlinThis book analyses the Korean film industry emergence and development in a global business and economic perspective. This is one of the first books to compare the film policies and industries of the world’s six largest film industries – featuring Korea as the central character – with the aim of defining the contours of what constitutes an effective film policy. It presents many cases showing that, contrary to what is often believed, an economically sound policy is a good instrument for achieving desired cultural goals. It uses a set of analytical tools – borrowed from the economic analysis of international trade policies – to provide a rich harvest of new, rigorous, and often unexpected results on the effectiveness of the existing film policies. The implications found in this book are relevant not only for Korea, but for all other countries that wish to foster or enhance the competitiveness of their film industries. This book will be of interest to a wide spectrum of scholars interested in cultural studies – media and cultural specialists, political scientists, sociologists, historians – in addition to business analysts and economists specialized in cultural economics. As this book focuses on film policies and how to improve them, it will also appeal to policymakers, business figures, public relations officials, and staff from international organizations working on the film industry.
Untouchable: Unauthorised
by Andy DouganAndy Dougan draws on first-hand interviews with some of De Niro's closest friends and colleagues. The result is a revealing and sometimes startling account of an intensely private man. While previous biographies of De Niro have only scraped the surface of his complex character, this sensitive and perceptive portrayal lays bare the psychological and emotional scars that De Niro has sought to hide for so long.
Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson (Books That Changed the World)
by Randall SullivanThe investigative biography of Michael Jackson&’s final years: &“A tale of family, fame, lost childhood, and startling accusations never heard before&” (ABC Nightline). When Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, millions of fans around the world were shocked. But the outpouring of emotion that followed his loss was bittersweet. Dogged by scandal for years and undone by financial mismanagement, Jackson had become untouchable in many quarters. Untouchable pulls back the curtain Jackson&’s public person to introduce a man who, despite his immense fame, spent his entire life utterly alone; who, in the wake of a criminal trial that left him briefly hospitalized, abandoned Neverland to wander the globe before making one final—and fatal—attempt to recover his wealth and reputation. The Jackson that emerges in these pages is both naïve and cunning, a devoted father whose parenting became an international scandal, a shrewd businessman whose failures nearly brought down a megacorporation, and an inveterate narcissist who craved a quiet, normal life. Randall Sullivan delivers never-before-reported information about Jackson&’s business dealings, his relationship with his family, and the pedophilia allegations that derailed his life and mar his legacy today, as well as the suspicious nature of his death. Based on exclusive access to Jackson&’s inner circle, Untouchable is an intimate, unflinching portrait of the man who continues to reign as the King of Pop. &“A dishy Michael Jackson biography that makes the exhaustively covered King of Pop fascinating all over again.&” —People
Unusually Stupid Celebrities: A Compendium of All-Star Stupidity
by Kathryn Petras Ross PetrasThe Greeks honored Zeus, the Romans revered Juno, but modern civilization worships a different sort of god: Celebrity. Face it, we follow the stars' every move, fashion choice, and deliciously dishy affairs. Now Kathryn Petras and Ross Petras, authors of Unusually Stupid Americans, pull the demanding divas, screwball stars, and celebu-twits off their pedestals-and prove it doesn't take a degree in rocket science to become famous. Cases in point: * Courtney Love misses an important court date relating to "possession of a controlled substance" because she can't find a professional bodyguard at the last minute. * Mariah Carey's entourage includes a skirt-from-touching-floor specialist, a towel hand-off person, and a professional drink holder/lifter. * Savvy traveler Paris Hilton concludes that all of Europe is, "like, French. " * Mensa candidate and rocker Tommy Lee is pretty sure that Winston Churchill was president during the Civil War, that the numeric equivalent of pi is "the two-equals-MC-squared thing," and that an isosceles triangle is "somewhere in Bermuda." Feuds, faith, family, money, sex, tantrums, travel-no star-studded stone is left unturned. Filled with jaw-dropping anecdotes, quirky quotes, and special stupid-celebrity awards, Unusually Stupid Celebrities provides a red-faced glimpse of the red carpet.
Unusually Stupid Politicians: Washington's Weak in Review
by Kathryn Petras Ross PetrasKathryn Petras and Ross Petras, bestselling authors of the scathingly funny Unusually Stupid Americans and Unusually Stupid Celebrities, now set their bipartisan sights on the hallowed halls of the United States government. Unusually Stupid Politicians exposes the mind-boggling but true political mishaps, missteps, and miscues that have even the savviest spin doctors shaking their heads and saying "No comment." Sections include * Extreme Hairsplitting--such as when Florida governor Jeb Bush, after being accused of hiding in a closet from rampaging Democrats, denied the allegation completely, stating that "it was actually a boiler room" * Brilliant and Innovative Ideas from The Pentagon-- like their groundbreaking "Gay Bomb," their "Bad Breath Inducing" halitosis weapon and their plans to enlist The Three Stooges in the fight against terror. * Creative Political Excuses--such as "I just discovered I'm Jewish and it's a Holy Day,"--used by Senator George Allen, who, after learning of his Jewish heritage, got out of a Senate hearing to "observe" Yom Kippur * The Most Egregiously Large Political Egos--measured in standard Chuck Schumer Ego Units (CSEUs). This hilarious and eye-opening exposé gives awards for "How I Blew My Campaign" and "Worst Campaign Ad," and shares a list of candidates "endorsed by God," as well as a list of those who lost because of Satan. So turn off C-SPAN and quit text-messaging congressional pages--you're about to learn what the definition of "is" is.
Unwatchable
by Erika Balsom Kenneth Berger Susie Bright Alex Bush Alec Butler Noel Carroll Mel Chen Jonathan Crary Abigail De Kosnik Samuel England Mattias Frey Peter Geimer Michael Boyce Gillespie Asbjørn Grønstad Boris Groys Frances Guerin Jack Halberstam Barbara Hammer Julian Hanich Stefano Harney J. Hoberman Lynne Joyrich Alexandra Juhasz E. Ann Kaplan Katariina Kyrölä Nathan Lee Akira Lippit Jennifer Malkowski W.J.T. Mitchell Brandy Monk-Payton Fred Moten Bill Nichols Jan Olsson Danielle Peers Raul Perez Mauro Resmini B. Ruby Rich Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi Jonathan Rosenbaum Rebecca Schneider Jeffrey Sconce Jared Sexton Philipp Stiasny Meghan Sutherland Bennet Togler Leshu Torchin Alok Vaid-Menon Christophe Wall-Romana Meir Wigoder Emily Wills Federico Windhausen Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa Genevieve Yue Alenka Zupancic Poulomi Saha Vivian SobchackWe all have images that we find unwatchable, whether for ethical, political, or sensory and affective reasons. From news coverage of terror attacks to viral videos of police brutality, and from graphic horror films to transgressive artworks, many of the images in our media culture might strike us as unsuitable for viewing. Yet what does it mean to proclaim something “unwatchable”: disturbing, revolting, poor, tedious, or literally inaccessible? With over 50 original essays by leading scholars, artists, critics, and curators, this is the first book to trace the “unwatchable” across our contemporary media environment, in which viewers encounter difficult content on various screens and platforms. Appealing to a broad academic and general readership, the volume offers multidisciplinary approaches to the vast array of troubling images that circulate in global visual culture.
The Unwelcome Visitor: The Sunday Times Bestseller
by Denise Welch'If you're looking for help, this is such a brilliant place to start because it's so relatable.' - Lorraine Kelly***'Though we have come a long way this crippling, debilitating, often terminal illness is still shockingly misunderstood. This is my story that you have asked me to tell. Those who suffer from depression will understand and those who don't will hopefully learn how to.' This is the book that Denise Welch wished for as she found herself exhausted and defeated after yet another visit from The Unwelcome Visitor - the name she gives to the episodes of clinical depression she has suffered from over the past 30 years. For so many, understanding their mental health is a leap into the unknown, and they are left grappling with the physical and emotional fallout without any guidance or someone to tell them 'you're not alone and you can live a happy and successful life alongside your illness'. Within these pages Denise reveals her ongoing journey from breakdowns to breakthroughs and through self-destruction to self-acceptance. Typically candid, Denise brings her trademark humour and honesty to a conversation that we urgently need to have, and shows readers it is brave and courageous to be open and vulnerable, and you too can take back control.
The Unwelcome Visitor: The Sunday Times Bestseller
by Denise Welch'If you're looking for help, this is such a brilliant place to start because it's so relatable.' - Lorraine Kelly***'Though we have come a long way this crippling, debilitating, often terminal illness is still shockingly misunderstood. This is my story that you have asked me to tell. Those who suffer from depression will understand and those who don't will hopefully learn how to.' This is the book that Denise Welch wished for as she found herself exhausted and defeated after yet another visit from The Unwelcome Visitor - the name she gives to the episodes of clinical depression she has suffered from over the past 30 years. For so many, understanding their mental health is a leap into the unknown, and they are left grappling with the physical and emotional fallout without any guidance or someone to tell them 'you're not alone and you can live a happy and successful life alongside your illness'. Within these pages Denise reveals her ongoing journey from breakdowns to breakthroughs and through self-destruction to self-acceptance. Typically candid, Denise brings her trademark humour and honesty to a conversation that we urgently need to have, and shows readers it is brave and courageous to be open and vulnerable, and you too can take back control.
The Unwelcome Visitor: The Sunday Times Bestseller
by Denise Welch'Though we have come a long way this crippling, debilitating, often terminal illness is still shockingly misunderstood. This is my story that you have asked me to tell. Those who suffer from depression will understand and those who don't will hopefully learn how to.' TV favourite Denise Welch opens up about her ongoing journey with mental health. This is her story of living with depression for over 30 years, what it has taught her, and the help and advice she can offer to others.This is the book that Denise Welch wished for as she found herself exhausted and defeated after yet another visit from The Unwelcome Visitor - the name she gives to the episodes of clinical depression she has suffered from over the past 30 years. For so many understanding their mental health is a leap into the unknown, and they are left grappling with the physical and emotional fallout without any guidance or someone to tell them 'you're not alone and you can live a happy and successful life alongside your illness'. Within these pages Denise reveals her ongoing journey from breakdowns to breakthroughs and through self-destruction to self-acceptance. Typically candid, Denise brings her trademark humour and honesty to a conversation that we urgently need to have, and shows listeners it is brave and courageous to be open and vulnerable, and you too can take back control.(P) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Up Till Now: The Autobiography
by William Shatner David FisherThe autobiography of the famous TV, movie and theater star, who has played roles such as Captain James T. Kirk, Denny Crane, the Priceline negotiator, T. J. Hooker, and more.
Up Till Now: The Autobiography
by William Shatner David FisherAfter almost sixty years as an actor, William Shatner has become one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. And it seems as if Shatner is everywhere. In Up Till Now, Shatner sits down with readers and offers the remarkable, full story of his life and explains how he got to be, well, everywhere. It was the original Star Trek series, and later its films, that made Shatner instantly recognizable, called by name---or at least by Captain Kirk's name---across the globe. But Shatner neither began nor has ended his career with that role. From the very start, he took his skills as an actor and put them to use wherever he could. He straddled the classic world of the theater and the new world of television, whether stepping in for Christopher Plummer in Shakespeare's Henry V or staring at "something on the wing" in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone. And since then, he's gone on to star in numerous successful shows, such as T.J. Hooker,Rescue 911, and Boston Legal. William Shatner has always been willing to take risks for his art. What other actor would star in history's first---and probably only---all-Esperanto-language film? Who else would share the screen with thousands of tarantulas, release an album called Has Been, or film a racially incendiary film in the Deep South during the height of the civil rights era? And who else would willingly paramotor into a field of waiting fans armed with paintball guns, all waiting for a chance to stun Captain...er, Shatner?In this touching and very funny autobiography, William Shatner's Up Till Now reveals the man behind these unforgettable moments, and how he's become the worldwide star and experienced actor he is today."It is now Bill Shatner's universe---we just live in it."---New York Daily News
Up to This Pointe
by Jennifer LongoA refreshingly original contemporary YA, unlike anything readers have seen before. Perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson, John Corey Whaley, and Libba Bray. She had a plan. It went south. Harper is a dancer. She and her best friend, Kate, have one goal: becoming professional ballerinas. And Harper won't let anything--or anyone--get in the way of The Plan, not even the boy she and Kate are both drawn to. Harper is a Scott. She's related to Robert Falcon Scott, the explorer who died racing Amundsen and Shackleton to the South Pole. So when Harper's life takes an unexpected turn, she finagles (read: lies) her way to the icy dark of McMurdo Station . . . in Antarctica. Extreme, but somehow fitting--apparently she has always been in the dark, dancing on ice this whole time. And no one warned her. Not her family, not her best friend, not even the boy who has somehow found a way into her heart. It will take a visit from Shackleton's ghost--the explorer who didn't make it to the South Pole, but who got all of his men out alive--to teach Harper that success isn't always what's important, sometimes it's more important to learn how to fail successfully. "One of the most breathtaking explorations of navigating heartbreak that I've ever read. This is one for the ages." --Martha Brockenbrough, author of The Game of Love and Death "A moving love letter to dance, dreams, and San Francisco." --Kirkus Reviews Praise for Jennifer Longo's Six Feet Over It: A VOYA Perfect Tens 2014 Pick An Indies Introduce New Voices Pick "Like nothing you've read before." --Bustle.com "Equal parts poignant and humorous. . . . Superb." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred "A vibrant voice. . . . Readers will rejoice." --The Bulletin, Starred "A unique book for unique teens." --Booklist "Darkly funny and deeply moving. An original, memorable voice." --Jennifer L. Holm, New York Times bestselling author "A wildly funny coming-of-age story about life, love, death, and everything in between." --Sarah McCarry, author of All Our Pretty Songs "Terrific. Longo had me at 'graveyard' and then dug me in deeper with wit, dark humor, and splendid characters." --Lisa Brown, New York Times bestselling author "A strong heroine, multicultural cast, and eclectic contemporary setting make Longo's story stand out." --Publishers Weekly "Stands out for its unusual setting and also the sarcasm and caustic humor of its protagonist." --The Horn Book Review "Hilarious, clever, and poignant." --SLJFrom the Hardcover edition.
Up Yon Wide and Lonely Glen: Travellers' Songs, Stories and Tunes of the Fetterangus Stewarts
by Elizabeth StewartElizabeth Stewart is a highly acclaimed singer, pianist, and accordionist whose reputation has spread widely not only as an outstanding musician but as the principal inheritor and advocate of her family and their music. First discovered by folklorists in the 1950s, the Stewarts of Fetterangus, including Elizabeth's mother Jean, her uncle Ned, and her aunt Lucy, have had immense musical influence. Lucy in particular became a celebrated ballad singer and in 1961 Smithsonian Folkways released a collection of her classic ballad recordings that brought the family's music and name to an international audience. Up Yon Wide and Lonely Glen is a significant memoir of Scottish Traveller life, containing stories, music, and songs from this prominent Traveller family. The book is the result of a close partnership between Elizabeth Stewart and Scottish folk singer and writer Alison McMorland. It details the ancestral history of Elizabeth Stewart's family, the story of her mother, the story of her aunt, and her own life story, framing and contextualizing the music and song examples and showing how totally integrated these art forms are with daily life. It is a remarkable portrait of a Traveller family from the perspective of its matrilineal line. The narrative, spanning five generations and written in Scots, captures the rhythms and idioms of Elizabeth Stewart's speaking voice and is extraordinary from a musical, cultural, sociological, and historical point of view. The book features 145 songs, eight original piano compositions, folktale versions, rhymes and riddles, and eighty fascinating illustrations, from the family of Elizabeth, her mother Jean (1912–1962) and her aunt Lucy (1901–1982). In addition, there are notes on the songs and a series of appendices. Up Yon Wide and Lonely Glen will appeal to those interested in traditional music, folklore, and folk song—and in particular, Scottish tradition.
Uplift Cinema: The Emergence of African American Film and the Possibility of Black Modernity
by Allyson Nadia FieldIn Uplift Cinema, Allyson Nadia Field recovers the significant yet forgotten legacy of African American filmmaking in the 1910s. Like the racial uplift project, this cinema emphasized economic self-sufficiency, education, and respectability as the keys to African American progress. Field discusses films made at the Tuskegee and Hampton Institutes to promote education, as well as the controversial The New Era, which was an antiracist response to D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation. She also shows how Black filmmakers in New York and Chicago engaged with uplift through the promotion of Black modernity. Uplift cinema developed not just as a response to onscreen racism, but constituted an original engagement with the new medium that has had a deep and lasting significance for African American cinema. Although none of these films survived, Field's examination of archival film ephemera presents a method for studying lost films that opens up new frontiers for exploring early film culture.
Uproarious Riddles for Minecrafters: Mobs, Ghasts, Biomes, and More (Jokes for Minecrafters)
by Brian Boone Amanda BrackUproarious Riddles for Minecrafters is the fifth book in the Jokes for Minecrafters series, which is complete with more than eight hundred riddles! "Dig in" to these funny brainteasers about Minecraft mobs, tools, and biomes that will really make you think! You'll have such a BLAST reading all of these crafty riddles and jokes. All of your favorite parts of the Minecraft game are included in the book, and the riddles will have you continuing the Minecraft fun! <p><p> For kids ages five and up, this is the perfect book for at home, at school, or really anywhere! You’ll enjoy telling these silly jokes to your friends and family. As a bonus there are silly illustrations throughout for extra laughs!
The Upside of Ordinary
by Susan LubnerEleven-year-old Jermaine wants to be famous: limo-riding, camera-flashing, crowd-waving famous. Since her family isn't likely to move from Maine to Hollywood so she can become a movie star, she decides she'll make a reality TV show about her family and friends. Jermaine quickly realizes that her everyday life is boring, so to kick up her show a notch, she starts staging events to elicit more humor, more drama, more excitement. This laugh-aloud debut novel takes a lighthearted look at unbridled ambition, the cult of celebrity, the reality behind reality TV, and the upside of being part of an ordinary family.
Upstaged (Orca Limelights)
by null Patricia McCowanEllie is used to getting leading roles in her small-town school’s musicals, but her place at center stage disappears when her dad becomes the host of a breakfast TV show and they have to move to the big city. When Ellie auditions for—and lands—a spot with the Youth Works Theater Company, she comes up against a tight-knit group of talented, experienced and competitive triple-threat performers. Not only does she not get a lead, but she has to share a role with Marissa, a company veteran who seems determined to do all she can to outshine Ellie. Out of her depth and far from all that she’s known, Ellie wonders just what she has to do to stop feeling upstaged by everyone around her. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Upward Panic: The Autobiography of Eva Palmer-Sikelianos (Choreography and Dance Studies Series #Vol. 4.)
by John P. AntonFirst Published in 1993.A complete autobiography of Evalina Palmer-Sikelianos (1874-1952), a woman of immense spiritual strength who fought for the arts against the background of war. She contributed impressively throughout her life to the revival of interest in classical Greece, the theatre and choral dance, and advocated an adherence to mythical authenticity rather than a romanticised view of Greek tragic drama.
Urban Australia and Post-Punk: Exploring Dogs in Space
by David Nichols Sophie PerilloRichard Lowenstein’s 1986 masterpiece Dogs in Space was and remains controversial, divisive, compelling and inspirational. Made less than a decade after the events it is based on, using many of the people involved in those events as actors, the film explored Melbourne’s ‘postpunk’ counterculture of share houses, drugs and decadence. Amongst its ensemble cast was Michael Hutchence, one of the biggest music stars of the period, in his acting debut. This book is a collection of essays exploring the place, period and legacy of Dogs in Space, by people who were there or who have been affected by this remarkable film. The writers are musicians, actors and artists and also academics in heritage, history, urban planning, gender studies, geography, performance and music. This is an invaluable resource for anyone passionate about Australian film, society, culture, history, heritage, music and art.
Urban Crime Control in Cinema: Fallen Guardians and the Ideology of Repression (Palgrave Studies in Crime, Media and Culture)
by Vladimir RizovThis book uses popular films to understand the convergence of crime control and the ideology of repression in contemporary capitalism. It focuses on the cinematic figure of the fallen guardian, a protagonist who, in the course of a narrative, falls from grace and becomes an enemy of the established social order. The fallen guardian is a figure that allows for the analysis of a particular crime control measure through the perspective of both an enforcer and a target. The very notion of ‘justice’ is challenged, and questions are posed in relation to the role that films assume in the reproduction of policing as it is. In doing so, the book combines a historical far-reaching perspective with popular culture analysis. At the core remains the value of the cinematic figure of the fallen guardian for contemporary understandings of urban space and urban crime control and how films are clear examples of the ways in which the ideology of repression is reproduced.This book questions the justifications that are often given for social control in cities and understands cinema as a medium for offering critique of such processes and justifications. Explored are the crime control measures of private policing in relation to RoboCop (1987), preventative policing and Minority Report (2002), mass incarceration in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and extra-judicial killing in Blade Runner 2049 (2017). The book speaks to those interested in crime control in critical criminology, cultural criminology, urban studies, and beyond.
The Urban Generation: Chinese Cinema and Society At the Turn of the Twenty-first Century
by Zhang ZhenSince the early 1990s, while mainland China's state-owned movie studios have struggled with financial and ideological constraints, an exciting alternative cinema has developed. Dubbed the "Urban Generation," this new cinema is driven by young filmmakers who emerged in the shadow of the events at Tiananmen Square in 1989. What unites diverse directors under the "Urban Generation" rubric is their creative engagement with the wrenching economic and social transformations underway in China. Urban Generation filmmakers are vanguard interpreters of the confusion and anxiety triggered by the massive urbanization of contemporary China. This collection brings together some of the most recent original research on this emerging cinema and its relationship to Chinese society. The contributors analyze the historical and social conditions that gave rise to the Urban Generation, its aesthetic innovation, and its ambivalent relationship to China's mainstream film industry and the international film market. Focusing attention on the Urban Generation's sense of social urgency, its documentary impulses, and its representations of gender and sexuality, the contributors highlight the characters who populate this new urban cinema--ordinary and marginalized city dwellers including aimless bohemians, petty thieves, prostitutes, postal workers, taxi drivers, migrant workers--and the fact that these "floating urban subjects" are often portrayed by non-professional actors. Some essays concentrate on specific films (such as Shower and Suzhou River) or filmmakers (including Jia Zhangke and Zhang Yuan), while others survey broader concerns. Together the thirteen essays in this collection give a multifaceted account of a significant, ongoing cinematic and cultural phenomenon. Contributors. Chris Berry, Yomi Braester, Shuqin Cui, Linda Chiu-han Lai, Charles Leary, Sheldon H. Lu, Jason McGrath, Augusta Palmer, Brnice Reynaud, Yaohua Shi, Yingjin Zhang, Zhang Zhen, Xueping Zhong
Urban Horror: Neoliberal Post-Socialism and the Limits of Visibility (Sinotheory)
by Erin Y. HuangIn Urban Horror Erin Y. Huang theorizes the economic, cultural, and political conditions of neoliberal post-socialist China. Drawing on Marxist phenomenology, geography, and aesthetics from Engels and Merleau-Ponty to Lefebvre and Rancière, Huang traces the emergence and mediation of what she calls urban horror—a sociopolitical public affect that exceeds comprehension and provides the grounds for possible future revolutionary dissent. She shows how documentaries, blockbuster feature films, and video art from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan made between the 1990s and the present rehearse and communicate urban horror. In these films urban horror circulates through myriad urban spaces characterized by the creation of speculative crises, shifting temporalities, and dystopic environments inhospitable to the human body. The cinematic image and the aesthetics of urban horror in neoliberal post-socialist China lay the groundwork for the future to such an extent, Huang contends, that the seeds of dissent at the heart of urban horror make it possible to imagine new forms of resistance.
Urban Landscapes and National Visions in Post-Millennial South Korean Cinema: From Seoul to Soul (East Asian Popular Culture)
by Gemma BallardThis book explores South Korean cinema’s inimitable relationship with the urban landscape and identifies the ways in which Seoul is utilised as a celluloid canvas, national artefact and, above all else, a distinctive cultural backdrop. Using five different approaches to urban space, from five distinctive and contrasting theoretical perspectives, Urban Landscapes in Post-Millennial South Korean Cinema investigates and seeks to understand why the cinematic representation, identity and presence of Seoul have been central to the preservation and recognition of the South Korean film industry as an independent, autonomous and nationally unique institution.