Analyzing Christmas in Film

2017-12-06 Social Science

Author : Lauren Rosewarne
Release : 2017-12-06
Genre : Social Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 828/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Analyzing Christmas in Film by : Lauren Rosewarne

Download or read book Analyzing Christmas in Film written by Lauren Rosewarne. This book was released on 2017-12-06. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Film plays a vital role in the celebration of Christmas. For decades, it has taught audiences about what the celebration of the season looks like – from the decorations to the costumes and to the expected snowy weather – as well as mirrors our own festivities back to us. Films like It’s a Wonderful Life and Home Alone have come to play key roles in real-life domestic celebrations: watching such titles has become, for many families, every bit as important as tree-trimming and leaving cookies out for Santa. These films have exported the American take on the holiday far and wide and helped us conjure an image of the perfect holiday. Rather than settling the ‘what is a Christmas film?’ debate – indeed, Die Hard and Lethal Weapon are discussed within – Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural focuses on the how Christmas is presented on the deluge of occasions when it appears. While most Christmas films are secular, religion makes many cameos, appearing through Nativity references, storylines involving spiritual rebirth, the framing of Santa as a Christ-like figure and the all-importance of family, be it the Holy family or just those gathered around the dining table. Also explored are popular narratives involving battles with stress and melancholy, single parents and Christmas martyrs, visits from ghosts and angels, big cities and small towns, break-ups and make-ups and the ticking clock of mortality. Nearly 1000 films are analyzed in this volume to determine what the portrayal of Christmas reveals about culture, society and faith as well as sex roles, consumerism, aesthetics and aspiration.

A Scary Little Christmas

2022-06-03 Performing Arts

Author : Matthew C. DuPée
Release : 2022-06-03
Genre : Performing Arts
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 991/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis A Scary Little Christmas by : Matthew C. DuPée

Download or read book A Scary Little Christmas written by Matthew C. DuPée. This book was released on 2022-06-03. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Controversial yet beloved among audiences, Christmas-themed horror movies emerged in the early 1970s and gained a notorious reputation with Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), depicting Santa as an ax-wielding maniac. Some parents and conservative groups condemned the film, while others embraced the portrayal of Yuletide as a backdrop for fear and dread. Drawing on interviews with directors, producers, special effects artists, photographers and actors, this book celebrates the sordid, colorful history of the Christmas horror subgenre. Psycho Santa films such as Christmas Evil (1980) and 3615 code Pere Noel (1989) are examined, along with "Yule-Die" slashers like The Dorm that Dripped Blood (1982), Black Christmas (1974) and Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972). Commercial successes like Gremlins (1984) and Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) are covered, as well as more recent releases such as Better Watch Out (2016), Red Christmas (2016) and Deathcember (2019). Rare photographs, promotional materials and an annotated filmography are provided.

How to Analyze the Films of Tim Burton

2011-08-01 Juvenile Nonfiction

Author : Sun Hee Teresa Lee
Release : 2011-08-01
Genre : Juvenile Nonfiction
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 380/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis How to Analyze the Films of Tim Burton by : Sun Hee Teresa Lee

Download or read book How to Analyze the Films of Tim Burton written by Sun Hee Teresa Lee. This book was released on 2011-08-01. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title explores the creative works of famous director Tim Burton. Films analyzed include Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, and Alice in Wonderland. Clear, comprehensive text gives background biographical information of Burton. "You Critique It" feature invites readers to analyze other creative works on their own. A table of contents, timeline, list of works, resources, source notes, glossary, and an index are also included. Essential Critiques is a series in Essential Library, an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.

Ruritania

2020-01-15

Author : Nicholas Daly
Release : 2020-01-15
Genre :
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 600/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Ruritania by : Nicholas Daly

Download or read book Ruritania written by Nicholas Daly. This book was released on 2020-01-15. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book about the long cultural shadow cast by a single bestselling novel, Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda (1894), which introduced Ruritania, a colourful pocket kingdom. In this swashbuckling tale, Englishman Rudolf Rassendyll impersonates the king of Ruritania to foil a coup, but faces a dilemma when he falls for the lovely Princess Flavia. Hope's novel inspired stage and screen adaptations, place names, and even a board game, but it also launched a whole new subgenre, the "Ruritanian romance". The new form offered swordplay, royal romance, and splendid uniforms and gowns in such settings as Alasia, Balaria, and Cadonia. This study explores both the original appeal of The Prisoner of Zenda, and the extraordinary longevity and adaptability of the Ruritanian formula, which, it is argued, has been rooted in a lingering fascination with royalty, and the pocket kingdom's capacity to hold a looking glass up to Britain and later the United States. Individual chapters look at Hope's novel and its stage and film adaptations; at the forgotten American versions of Ruritania; at the chocolate-box principalities of the musical stage; at Cold War reworkings of the formula; and at Ruritania's recent reappearance in young adult fiction and made-for-television Christmas movies. The adventures of Ruritania have involved a diverse list of contributors, including John Buchan, P.G Wodehouse, Agatha Christie, Vladimir Nabokov, and Ian Fleming among the writers; Sigmund Romberg and Ivor Novello among the composers; Erich Von Stroheim and David O. Selznick among the film-makers; and Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Peter Ustinov, Peter Sellers, and Anne Hathaway among the performers.

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