In this remarkable sequel to his Films of the Seventies: A Social History, William J. Palmer examines more than three hundred films as texts that represent, revise, parody, comment upon, and generate discussion about major events, issues, and social trends of the eighties. Palmer defines the dialectic between film art and social history, taking as his theoretical model the "holograph of history" that originated from the New Historicist theories of Hayden White and Dominick LaCapra. Combining the interests and methodologies of social history and film criticism, Palmer contends that film is a socially conscious interpreter and commentator upon the issues of contemporary social history. In the eighties, such issues included the war in Vietnam, the preservation of the American farm, terrorism, nuclear holocaust, changes in Soviet-American relations, neoconservative feminism, and yuppies. Among the films Palmer examines are Platoon, The Killing Fields, The River, Out of Africa, Little Drummer Girl, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Silkwood, The Day After, Red Dawn, Moscow on the Hudson, Troop Beverly Hills, and Fatal Attraction. Utilizing the principles of New Historicism, Palmer demonstrates that film can analyze and critique history as well as present it.
Nobody puts this book in the corner—you’ll be donning your Ray-Bans and immersing yourself in gnarly nostalgia from the neon-colored 1980s in no time!
"An earlier edition of this work was published in Great Britain in 2015."--Title page verso.
A history of the movies of the 1980s from E.T. and the emergence of Hollywood to international films.
The Best 80s Movies is the ultimate guide to all things retro, taking you on a nostalgic trip through the 80s.
This book's 140 A-Z entries include synopses, film stills, and production photos.
This new book from Thomas A. Christie takes a look at all of the James Bond movies produced during the 1980s, and investigates the series' changing approach to its subject matter during this most socially turbulent of decades.
--Library Journal The Ultimate History of the '80s Teen Movie goes behind the scenes of a genre where cult hits mingled with studio blockbusters, where giants like Spielberg and Coppola rubbed shoulders with baby-faced first-timers, and ...
As Katrina licks A.J.'s unsheathed abdomen and works her way up to his neck, she forces his hands behind his back so he ... CAST: Todd Allen (Jim); Tawny Kitaen (Linda Brewster); Stephen Nichols (Brandon); Kathleen Wilhoite (Zarabeth); ...
This compendium presents the most influential and successful films of an era when mullets and shoulder pads were all the rage. Complete with glossy images, detailed plot.
Providing detailed commentary on 284 films, this book explores the excitement, audacity and sheer weirdness of '80s low budget action cinema, from the American Ninja series to dime-a-dozen barbarian pictures to such bargain-basement ...