Flashback: A Brief History of Film

Consolidating major figures and film movements into their decade of greatest influence or prestige, this "no-nonsense" book offers a generously illustrated, concise and very readable history of fiction movies with an emphasis on American cinema. Eclectic in methodology and written in a no-frills, plain English style that readers can relate to, it examines the full scope of traditional film history and criticism, viewing film as both an art and an industry as it mirrors popular audience values, social ideologies, and historical epochs. Reader-friendly and highly accessible, the book offers hundreds of still photographs--many never before reprinte d--to illustrate discussions on visual style and major actors. Covering the entire spectrum of film history, both American and foreign, from the 1890s to 1995, it includes such recent films as Forrest Gump , Jurassic Park , The Piano, Menace II Society and many others. The Third Edition adds a new, copiously illustrated chapter entitled Global Cinema Since 1990 -- the American Age which covers both American and international cinema from 1990 to 1995. It uses a timeline to highlight major political, social, and cultural events for the ten-year period covered in each chapter, and provides an informative chapter head summary to allow readers the opportunity to preview the chapter's contents.