With 11 original essays, this edited volume examines 'chick flicks' within the larger context of 'chick culture' as well as women's cinema. The essays consider chick flicks from a variety of angles, touching on issues of film history, female sexuality, femininity, age, race, ethnicity, and consumerism.

Part journalistic chronicle, part memoir, and 100% pure cultural historical odyssey, "Chick Flicks" captures the birth and growth of feminist film as no other book has done. 22 photos.

Women's films are more popular now than at any time following the classical era. Postmodern Chick Flicks considers the reasons for the renewed popularity of female-orientated genres and examines the new film cycles this has produced. Focusing on melodrama, romantic comedy, costume drama and female-led noirs, the book looks at the revival of these forms and the way in which they blend classical and contemporary themes and formal devices.

The representation of gender in film remains an intensely debated topic, particularly in academic considerations of US mainstream cinema where it is often perceived as perpetuating rigid, binary views of gender, and reinforcing patriarchal, dominant notions of masculinity and femininity. While previous scholarly discussion has focused on visual or narrative portrayals of gender, this book considers the ways that film sound "e; music, voice, sound effects and silence "e; is used to represent gender. Taking a socio-historical approach, Heidi Wilkins investigates a range of popular US genres including screwball comedy, the road movie and chick flicks to explore the ways that film sound can reinforce traditional assumptions about masculinity and femininity, impart ambivalent meanings to them, or even challenge and subvert the notion of gender itself. Case studies include His Girl Friday, Easy Rider and Bridesmaids.

"I cherish the fun times/laughs I have with my friend/publicist Holly, who is always so "Jolley." Just being in her presence makes me feel comfortable and at home - like I've known her a million years. I know her readers are going to feel the same. the way she words and writes things is in such a smart, but understanding way, no matter the age or the maturity level - it always leaves you wanting more." --Paul Jolley (American Idol - Season 12, Top 9 Finalist) "Holly writes truthful and sincere. I know her writing comes from her heart and her experiences just from knowing her. She was the first one to write up an article about me and my hometown. Very excellent writer. Emm Hmmm." --Duck Dynasty's Mountain Man Are you tired of "How-to" dating books? Well, this is not one of them. Holly Marie Tong's Chick Flicks Lie (Sugar-free Accounts of a Positive Pessimist) features laughable and engaging stories which are relative of today's dating world. Deep down, we all want the kind of love that would chase our departing plane down the tarmac and the kind of love that would try to win us back no matter what the cost. However, real life is often a far cry from a chick flick, and there isn't any background music to accompany it. with sharp wit, continual sarcasm, and non-stop humor, Chick Flicks Lie reminds the single crowd that they aren't alone. the empathetic author believes faith mixed with laughter to be the best medicine for lousy dates and failed relationships. This feel-good book will leave singles feeling understood, while giving them a whole new perspective.

What lies behind current feminist discontent with contemporary cinema? Through a combination of cultural and industry analysis, Hilary Radner’s Neo-Feminist Cinema: Girly Films, Chick Flicks and Consumer Culture shows how the needs of conglomerate Hollywood have encouraged an emphasis on consumer culture within films made for women. By exploring a number of representative "girly films," including Pretty Woman, Legally Blonde, Maid in Manhattan, The Devil Wears Prada, and Sex and the City: The Movie, Radner proposes that rather than being "post-feminist," as is usually assumed, such films are better described as "neo-feminist." Examining their narrative format, as it revolves around the story of an ambitious unmarried woman who defines herself through consumer culture as much as through work or romance, Radner argues that these films exemplify neo-liberalist values rather than those of feminism. As such, Neo-Feminist Cinema offers a new explanation as to why feminist-oriented scholars and audiences who are seeking more than "labels and love" from their film experience have viewed recent "girly films" as a betrayal of second-wave feminism, and why, on the other hand, such films have proven to be so successful at the box office.

An entertaining guide to women's favorite movies offers keen insights into the elements that constitute a "Chick Flick," along with recommendations for every day of the year, suggestions for must-have DVDs, inside Hollywood gossip, photographs, and more. Original. 15,000 first printing.