This examination of film genres discusses how various films in five genres reflect or comment on political themes and ideas. The author uses constructivist and feminist political theory to examine the development of the political discourse in these films, and considers new ways to conceptualize the relationship between film or television and politics.

Films examined include: Master and commander - the far side of the world, The Coneheads, X2, The postman, Taxi driver, Working girl, Mr. Smith goes to Washington, Robocop, Showgirls, The passion of the Christ, Last tango in Paris, Pulp fiction, Kill Bill: Vol. 2.

The little-explored story of how politics, propaganda, and profits were combined to create the drama, imagery and fantasy that was American film during World War II. 32 black-and-white photographs.

Popular movies can be surprisingly smart about politics - from the portentous politics of state or war, to the grassroots, everyday politics of family, romance, business, church and school. Politics in Popular Movies analyses the politics in many well-known films across four popular genres: horror, war, thriller and science fiction. The book's aims are to appreciate specific movies and their shared forms, to understand their political engagements and to provoke some insightful conversations. The means are loosely related 'film takes' that venture ambitious, playful and engaging arguments on political styles encouraged by recent films. Politics in Popular Movies shows how conspiracy films expose oppressive systems; it explores how various thrillers prefigured American experiences of 9/11 and shaped aspects of the War on Terror; how some horror films embrace new media, while others use ultra-violence to spur political action; it argues that a popular genre is emerging to examine non-linear politics of globalisation, terrorism and more. Finally it analyses the ways in which sci-fi movies reflect populist politics from the Occupy and Tea Party movements, rethink the political foundations of current societies and even remake our cultural images of the future.

This book is about how to work with people in the film industry, about who they are, what they do, and what they need. Most importantly for you, it is also about how to become one of them. Make Your Movie is a straightforward and comprehensive must-read for any aspiring filmmaker with an ounce or two of determination. With a down-to-earth, tell it like it is approach, the author offers insight through relatable, real-world experience and one-on-one interviews with working professionals who are already at the top of their game. Having an insider's understanding of the entire filmmaking process from start to finish, fundraising to distribution, is imperative and will allow you to anticipate and navigate avoidable setbacks. This clear and concise guide candidly describes what you need to know about both, the business and the politics of the industry to get your movie made.

Politics Goes to the Movies introduces the topic of political representation and ideology by analyzing some of the most important politically themed films across the history of cinema in a refreshing and concise volume. Offering a survey of political cinema from 1915 to present day, topics include: propaganda, Communism, Fascism, revolutionary cinema, and contemporary documentary. Using individual case studies that begin with The Birth of a Nation and end with O.J.: Made in America, the book introduces how various strands of international politics have been woven through the fabric of cinema by contextualizing each film in its particular historical moment. In addition, Robert Kolker offers formal analyses that explore not only overtly political themes but also how the structural properties of a film can themselves be political—how political films are made, politically. Including films produced across Europe, North Africa, the US, and Latin America, this accessible and engaging book is an ideal introductory text for students of political cinema.

Assessing film's unheralded--and unbridled--power as a "teaching machine," Breaking in to the Movies showcases Giroux's best-known film essays that address the profoundly pedagogical role film has come to play in contemporary culture.