The authors (of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Vassar College, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State U.) collectively provide an overview of "thirteen individual genres that have historically dominated Hollywood movies." Although separately authored, each chapter follows a similar structure that reviews the history of the genre's evolution; discusses recurrent genre typologies, themes, and theories; examines the genre's relevant iconography; conducts an in-depth reading of exemplary representatives of the genre (sometimes just a single example); and presents questions for classroom discussion. The genres discussed are: slapstick comedy, melodrama, romantic comedy, the fantasy film, the musical, the western, the combat movie, science fiction, the horror film, the gangster movie, the social-problem film, film noir, and the thriller. Annotation ©2014 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
A brisk, accessible, and informative introduction to film genres.
An Introduction to Film Genres, written by leading film scholars specifically for undergraduates who are new to the study of film, provides an introduction that helps students see thirteen film genres in a new light---to help them identify the themes, iconography, and distinctive stylistic traits of each genre.