Bøker i Refocus: The American Directors-serien

ReFocus: The Films of Barbara KoppleBy Jeff Jaeckle and Susan RyanAs the first woman to win two Best Documentary Oscars and the recipient of numerous lifetime achievement awards, Barbara Kopple deserves scholarly attention. Two of her early documentaries, Harlan County USA and American Dream, not only won Academy Awards but are foundational within the study of documentary as a whole.In ReFocus: The Films of Barbara Kopple, a range of international scholars trace Kopple's career to date, analysing her contributions in the contexts of funding, style, production and reception, and examining her films' interrogations of social class using the lenses of gender, sexuality and race. In a shifting digital media landscape, Kopple's critical reputation is also assessed, alongside her enduring influence on contemporary filmmakers.Jeff Jaeckle holds a doctorate from the University of Texas-Austin and teaches at Portland Community College. Susan Ryan worked with Barbara Kopple for several years as a producer and archival researcher. She teaches documentary production and film studies at The College of New Jersey.

This collection focuses both on the films Elaine May has directed, and also emphasises her work with other high profile collaborators such as John Cassavetes, Warren Beatty and Otto Preminger.

'Academicising elusive Elaine May and her unruly improvs risks landing one in an imaginary Nichols-May routine, but this lively collection fearlessly takes the plunge. Watching the resourceful, mainly Australian contributors confirm or contradict one another as much as any of May's mutually entangled duos is only part of the fun.' Jonathan Rosenbaum, author of Cinematic Encounters Spanning from obscurity to notoriety, the films of director, screenwriter, actor and comic Elaine May have recently seen a long-overdue renaissance. Although she made only four films - A New Leaf (1971), The Heartbreak Kid (1972), Mikey and Nicky (1976) and Ishtar (1987) - and never reached the level of acclaim of her frequent collaborator Mike Nichols, May's work is as enigmatic, sophisticated and unceasingly fascinating as her own complicated, reluctant star persona. This collection focuses on the films she has directed and emphasises her work with other high-profile collaborators such as John Cassavetes, Warren Beatty and Otto Preminger. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas is an Australian film critic. She has written six books on cult film with a focus on gender politics, and has published in a variety of magazines, journals and edited collections. Dean Brandum gained his PhD at Deakin University and has taught at a number of universities in Melbourne. Cover image: Elaine May directing A New Leaf, 1971 (c) Photofest Cover design: Stuart Dalziel [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-4018-9 Barcode

ReFocus: The Films of Spike Jonze is the first collection of essays on this important and original contemporary filmmaker. It looks at his groundbreaking work in both features and short forms, exploring the impact of his filmmaking across a range of philosophical and cultural discussions. Each of Jonze's feature films, from Being John Malkovich (1999) to Her (2013), is discussed at length, focusing on issues of authorship, narration, genre and adaptation. As well as the textual aspects of Jonze's feature films, the contributors consider his work in music videos and shorts - investigating his position as a filmmaker on the blurred boundaries between studio and independent modes of production. Kim Wilkins is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Screen Cultures at the University of Oslo. Wyatt Moss-Wellington is an Assistant Professor in Media and Communication Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China.

Mary Harron's diverse career includes cult films like I Shot Andy Warhol, American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page, as well as a range of network and cable television episodes. This is the first book to examine an overlooked filmmaker in relation to feminist cinema. It discusses the dialectical dynamics within her wide-ranging body of work, and it argues that Harron's work has a distinguishing approach to stylistic and aesthetic choices prompted by cultural contexts, controversial subject matter and production limitations. Each chapter provides an in-depth study on Harron's creative approaches to film and television production, with chapters offering close readings of each of her 5 narrative features, and her work in television and promotional film. With scholarly approaches from the fields of cinema, television, gender, fashion, death and celebrity studies, this is a long-awaited introduction to a groundbreaking figure in contemporary cinema. Kyle Barrett is a Lecturer and filmmaker in Screen and Media Studies at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.

Examines an under-analysed period of Robert Altman's career.

The first book on the renowned and notorious cult filmmaker Roberta Findlay

The first critical work to emphasize Richard Brook's "literariness"

'This collection of essays makes the case for Albert Brooks's multi-faceted significance as a pioneer of meta-comedy, a satirist of baby-boomer complicity, and a prophet of fail culture. America has spent the last half-century trailing Brooks. This book catches up with him.' Robert J. King, Columbia University This is the first sustained critical collection on Albert Brooks, one of the key but under-examined figures in American stand-up, television comedy and Hollywood film comedy. Analysing every film written and directed by Albert Brooks, including Real Life (1979), Modern Romance (1981) and Lost in America (1985), as well as a number of his acting and voice-over roles, his stand-up comedy albums, talk show appearances and writing, the book argues that Albert Brooks not only merits a wider viewership, both critical and popular, but also that his career offers a useful lens through which to understand American film and culture since the late 1960s. Christian B. Long works in the Graduate School at the University of Queensland. Cover image: Albert Brooks and Bruno Kirby in Modern Romance, 1981, directed by Albert Brooks. Columbia Pictures/Photofest (c) Columbia Pictures Cover design: Stuart Dalziel [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-3425-6 Barcode