The Films of the Eighties: A Social History

Book Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

More Fun than One Might Guess.......2001-06-26

Dr. Palmer's scribblings on film are NOT so uselessly DRY as the mysterious quoting review implies, though the guy can (& does) stoop to SOME jargonic postmodern deconstruction, plus at least one hilariously terrible actual diagram. I swear! Fortunately, the empty academic professionalism is nicely balanced by passages of plain readable screed, tips on good commercial flops, etc. The professor seems to be some sorta quasi-Dickensian crypto-feminist at heart, best as I can guess from this filmcrit & a very sketchy bio. He is overkind to Oliver Stone, who does not NEED (or even want) kindness, but otherwise fair. Or almost fair. If one elects to concoct a sub-heading called "Ensemble Weepies" for categorizing bathetic chick flicks, what about "Baseball Hokum" for the inverse, or obverse, or obtuse? Doctor?

Scholarly analysis........1997-11-24

"...on a primary text level, history may embody an idea that gives a general definition to the vision of the film and points in a general way toward the other levels of textuality of the film - its subtexts and/or metatexts (self-reflexive discourses). If history is a holograph, then so is film because film is also composed of different layers of textuality. The surface texts of most films are constructed out of a limited number of conventional mass modes of discourse (plots), whereas the subtexts of films consist of a variety of sociohistorical discourse contests (themes) such as politics, social consciousness, revisionist history, moral messaging and existentialist themes. "

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

Average customer rating:

Getting Pissed with Cabaret Voltaire

Polished account of 80's music, political scene in Sheffield

first-rate

Industrial Evolution: Through the Eighties With Cabaret Voltaire (Poptomes)
Mick Fish
Manufacturer: SAF Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Rock | Composers & Musicians | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Tape Delay: Confessions from the Eighties Underground

England's Hidden Reverse: A Secret History of the Esoteric Underground

ASIN: 0946719462

Book Description

In the 80s, harsh market forces confronted Local Authorities and Independent record labels alike. Industrial Evolution juxtaposes Britain's leader Margaret Thatcher's stringent initiatives to privatise Local Government, with Cabaret Voltaire's rise to Indie stardom. On the one hand the Government went head-to-head with the Trades Unions, on the other Cabaret Voltaire's fiercely independent ethics met head on with major record labels, A&R men and the business of "shifting units". Industrial Evolution is a cautionary tale, of rampant Conservatism running roughshod over industrial England.

Customer Reviews:

Getting Pissed with Cabaret Voltaire.......2005-01-16

Anyone hoping this book would delve deeply into the music of Cabaret Voltaire will be sorely disappointed. Yes, you will learn about what sort of alcohol Mal and Richard pickled themselves with every chance they got, but not much else.

The author himself seemed in a drug and alcohol induced coma for most of the time he was hanging out with the band, so maybe he doesn't remember as much about his association with them as he'd like to admit. It seemed for every revelation about the band (they were few and far between) there were a hundred references to getting pissed.

The comments by another reader that the demise of the band had anything to do with corporate greed and the rise of Thatcherism are baseless. Mr. Fish himself concluded that the Cabs simply weren't musicians who could actually write songs. Yes, they were musical pioneers. Yes, they influenced a whole generation of musicians. But could they write, play or sing? No, not really.

I did enjoy reading about Mick's early days at the Council rubbish depot. There were lots of interesting characters populating his workday, which oddly enough didn't seem to consist of any work. Reading about employees whose only job seemed to be making tea and socializing didn't do much to make me feel sympathetic when the move to make local government more efficient started to unfold. I know Thatcher and her mates weren't saints, but the need for change was clearly evident.

I suppose I had different expectations for this book and thus feel disappointed having read it. I grew up with the Cabs and was looking for more insight than this glossed over account managed to serve up.

Polished account of 80's music, political scene in Sheffield.......2002-12-23

Books about Cabaret Voltaire, the pioneering Sheffield (UK) industrial/indie/electronic group, are rare enough. But this book has an extra appeal. The writer Mick Fish takes you on a journey through some of the darkest times in English life and politics and combines this with the tale of Cabaret Voltaire.

The writer will tell you all about the music scene in Sheffield in the 1980's, from the Human League to ABC. Aligned to this will be the story of the grip the Margaret Thatcher government took hold on Britain, and in particular run down areas like Sheffield in the 80's.

You will read all about the decay, the dark nights, the valiant refusal of a city to be undermined by government, the vicious internal wrangling in the local council and political scene. You may ask is this relevant to the story of Cabaret Voltaire? Well yes it is. The writer worked at the local council and also as a Cabaret Voltaire fan he could see the similarities between the two. The rise of CV in the early 80's which was brutally stamped out by the greedy, stubborn nature of the big money record labels which in essence ruined their career. Mick Fish worked at the council and at the same time he watched as Thatcher took hold of power and left Sheffield to rot and decay. A perfect comparison to what the major record labels did with CV, squeezed the life out of them.

At first glance maybe it won't grab your attention, but get over that, if you're a Cabaret Voltaire fan you should have this already! For others if you were into the music scene of Sheffield in the 80's, this book is a must have. For those of you with an interest in the political side of things, this book may be a worthy read, showing how Thatcher's government tried to squeeze northern cities like Sheffield off the map, through her ignorance of the area and through actions in the local political scene.

first-rate.......2002-11-19

What should be clear from the title is that no devotee of industrial music should pass this book by. CV should need no introduction to anyone even loosely acquainted with the genre, and their home city of Sheffield must undoubtedly be flagged as one of the most important cities in the proliferation of industrial music during the early eighties.

The author (Mr. Fish) was there. Unlike so much music biz writing that is based on the self-righteous posturing of a critic-turned-ducumentarian, who's only ties to their subject matter are hand-me-downs and afterimages, this is a first-hand account from a true storyteller. Knew the band, drank with the band, traveled with the band, drank with the band some more...

However, Mr. Fish's greatest achievement here was to NOT rewrite the agonizing rock-star biography we've already suffered through time and again. His achievement foremost was to effortlessly, poignantly and humorously carry us through the days and long nights of industrial music's enigmatic reign. 1980's Sheffield becomes our backdrop, Mr. Fish's own life experiences our satiric companion, and Cabaret Voltaire our cryptic guide.

If you are interested in the music or the bands that lifted the mantle of defiance and DIY from Punk's exploited corpse, you will enjoy this. Better yet, even if you don't care about that tumultuous "industrial" racket that some long-lost roommate used to blare to drown out your Journey records -- if you enjoy a very well told story, it's a can't miss. A pleasure to read, difficult to put down, too quick to finish. Isn't that what brought us to the bookstore in the first place?

Average customer rating:

An insightful look at 1980s TV and American culture

Feuer is a Genius

liberal gas-passing

Seeing Through the Eighties: Television and Reaganism (Console-ing Passions)
Jane Feuer , and Jane Feuer
Manufacturer: Duke University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Make Room for TV: Television and the Family Ideal in Postwar America

ASIN: 0822316870

Book Description

The 1980s saw the rise of Ronald Reagan and the New Right in American politics, the popularity of programs such as thirtysomething and Dynasty on network television, and the increasingly widespread use of VCRs, cable TV, and remote control in American living rooms. In Seeing Through the Eighties, Jane Feuer critically examines this most aesthetically complex and politically significant period in the history of American television in the context of the prevailing conservative ideological climate. With wit, humor, and an undisguised appreciation of TV, she demonstrates the richness of this often-slighted medium as a source of significance for cultural criticism and delivers a compelling decade-defining analysis of our most recent past.
With a cast of characters including Michael, Hope, Elliot, Nancy, Melissa, and Gary; Alexis, Krystle, Blake, and all the other Carringtons; not to mention Maddie and David; even Crockett and Tubbs, Feuer smoothly blends close readings of well-known programs and analysis of television’s commercial apparatus with a thorough-going theoretical perspective engaged with the work of Baudrillard, Fiske, and others. Her comparative look at Yuppie TV, Prime Time Soaps, and made-for-TV-movie Trauma Dramas reveals the contradictions and tensions at work in much prime-time programming and in the frustrations of the American popular consciousness. Seeing Through the Eighties also addresses the increased commodification of both the producers and consumers of television as a result of technological innovations and the introduction of new marketing techniques. Claiming a close relationship between television and the cultures that create and view it, Jane Feuer sees the eighties through televison while seeing through television in every sense of the word.

Customer Reviews:

An insightful look at 1980s TV and American culture.......2001-03-06

Seeing Through the Eighties is an important work in the study of television and American cultural history. In it, Feuer examines specifics of shows from one of America's Golden Ages of TV - shows like Miami Vice, Moonlighting and thirtysomething (and others!) to reveal their modernist and postmodernist tendencies. She pits her examples from these shows against American happenings such as the rise of yuppie culture. Proving that taping commercials can sometimes actually help rather than hinder the viewing experience, Feuer also looks at the ads that were run alongside these shows (where possible) to draw out more insights about the era.

Feuer is wonderfully smart, and she's great fun, too - her book doesn't shy away from using the first person occasionally, and it keeps the read from becoming overly scholarly and dry.

Some of the concepts discussed here aren't the easiest to grasp, but once everything clicks, you'll notice your heart start beating a little faster when you stumble upon a rerun of Miami Vice.

Feuer is a Genius.......2000-01-07

The previous reviewer obviously did not understand the complex theories presented in the book. Feuer is presenting a "post-modern" theory of drama series in the 1980's. She describes 1980's to be the golden age of the TV Drama and a postmodern view from the other grand age of TV Drama of the 1950's. Feuer not only presents a unique way of critiquing TV Drama, but presents theories that can be argued to other genres both in the TV spectrum and the film world. I would also like to point out that Feuer also wrote a book entitled "The Hollywood Muscial" and was quoted as being brilliant by the New York Times. I would like to recommend both books by Feuer and encourage other readers to try to understand the views presented in both books. I hope everyone else will enjoy them as much as I have...

liberal gas-passing.......1999-12-30

there is no limit to the extent that most (communist)knee jerk liberals will utilize to tear down the r.reagan legacy. this man did rescue us from the carter malaise and also saved us from the carter mishandling of foreign policy. all thinking people do understand that r.r was our national savior. this book is just another example of an author attempting to pander to what the media is attempting to feed the ignorant few, there would be no other option for her to be published. do not buy this book.(remember pravda).

Around the World in Eighty Days (Film Novelisation)

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Around the World in Eighty Days (Film Novelisation)
tk
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Atlantis: Lost Empire Junior Novel

ASIN: 0786854758

Eighty Silent Film Stars: Biographies and Filmographies of the Obscure to the Well Known

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Eighty Silent Film Stars: Biographies and Filmographies of the Obscure to the Well Known
George A. Katchmer
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0899504949

Book Description

Eighty good-sized biographies of significant silent-era players hard to find in other reference works, and almost nowhere at this length. The villains and sidekicks of two-reelers (Jim Corey, Nelson McDowell), cowboy action stars (Jack Hoxie, Art Acord, Hoot Gibson, et al.), comedians, character actors, matinee idols and other talented and reliable performers.

National Heroes: British Cinema in the Seventies and Eighties

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National Heroes: British Cinema in the Seventies and Eighties
Alexander Walker
Manufacturer: Orion Publishing Group, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 075285707X

Book Description

Following on from Hollywood England: The British Film Industry in the Sixties, Alexander Walker here focuses on British social change and mass entertainment. From the “hangover years” of the early Seventies to the “renaissance era” of the mid-Eighties, he reveals the multiplicity of human motives and talents underpinning the push for profit and power. Walker looks at the violent cinema of Get Carter and The Long Good Friday; the taxation that drove directors, producers, and actors out of Britain; and the venture of the “British Film Year.” In tracing the story, Walker also offers astute critical assessments of British talents, including Ken Russell, Derek Jarman, John Hurt, and Monty Python.

Australian Cinema: The First Eighty Years (FILM)

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Australian Cinema: The First Eighty Years (FILM)

Manufacturer: Currency Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0868192325

Australian Film 1978-1992: A Survey of Theatrical Features (Australian Film Nineteen Seventy-Eight to Nineteen Eighty-Tw)

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Australian Film 1978-1992: A Survey of Theatrical Features (Australian Film Nineteen Seventy-Eight to Nineteen Eighty-Tw)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195535847

Book Description

From Crocodile Dundee to Strictly Ballroom, from Breaker Morant to Mad Max, Australian film has delighted and moved audiences the world over. Now Australian Film makes available all the essential statistics on over 300 beloved feature films from leading film writers of the last fifteen years,
including Keith Connolly, Philippa Hawker, and Adrian Martin. This comprehensive and meticulously edited volume includes at least one superb still for each film covered, revealing a surprising number of international movie stars including Meryl Streep, Anthony Hopkins, Mia Farrow, Judy Davis, Sam
Neill, Greta Scacchi, Paul Hogan, and Mel Gibson.

The most in-depth look available at this important era in film-making, Australian Film is accessibly arranged with one film to a page. Each entry gives technical and cast credits which correct many factual errors and offers a succint article covering the film's content and significance. The films
examined include Mel Gibson's first and little-known movie Tim, box office hits The Year of Living Dangerously, Green Card, and the Mad Max movies, and critically acclaimed films such as Strictly Ballroom, The Black Robe, My Brilliant Career, Breaker Morant, Gallipoli, The Man from Snowy River, The
Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, and An Angel at My Table. Australian Film will be an essential addition to the library of every serious movie-goer and film buff.

The Blue and the Gray on the Silver Screen: More Than Eighty Years of Civil War Movies

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The Blue and the Gray on the Silver Screen: More Than Eighty Years of Civil War Movies
Roy Kinnard
Manufacturer: Carol Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1559723831

Eighty Odd Years in Hollywood: Memoir of a Career in Film and Television

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Eighty Odd Years in Hollywood: Memoir of a Career in Film and Television
John Meredyth Lucas
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786418389

Book Description

John Meredyth Lucas, son of silent screen star and screenwriter Bess Meredyth (Ben-Hur, The Sea Beast, When a Man Loves, Don Juan) and stepson of renowned Hungarian-born director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Life with Father), came of age in Hollywood during the 1930s. Lucas went on to an impressive career of his own as a writer-producer-director. He made films with Hal Wallis, Ross Hunter, Walt Disney, and others, and he wrote, produced, and directed such classic television series as Mannix, The Fugitive and Star Trek.

Completed shortly before his death in 2002, Lucas' memoir is filled with never-before-told recollections of many Hollywood greats and features previously unpublished photographs. With Lucas, we go behind the scenes, onto the studio lots and into the parties with family friends John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Errol Flynn and Jack Warner, to name just a few. It's a boy's-eye-view of Hollywood in a time of glamour, decadence, and the golden years of filmmaking.

Book Description

An illustrated collection of 20 favorite children's songs, including: Eency Weency Spider * Hickory Dickory Dock * I'm a Little Teapot * London Bridge * Mary Had a Little Lamb * Rock-a-Bye Baby * Ten Little Indians * Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Customer Reviews:

Good for the plane.......2000-07-13

This is a great book with simple rules and challenging mazes! I'm a frequent flier and I find that passing the time with these mazes beats even Tetris! Get a copy and check it out-- it really works!

Dizzy with Fun!.......2000-06-12

I just wanted to say how much fun this book of mazes was. My whole family spent quality time together for the first time in months, playing these not so easy mazes. In all, I would say that Mr. scheiderman has a unique talent - dare I say "gift" for mazes. I would actually love for Mr. Schneiderman to take me up on my offer to design a "English Garden Lawn Maze" for my summer home in East Hampton. PS - This book would make a great Father's Day Gift!

Average customer rating:

Wonderful For Those In Hospitality

Defies its name

Terrific content, a little lacking in presentation.

Service first

Welcome to Trotter's World

Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter
Ed Lawler , and Charlie Trotter
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter

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The Food Service Professionals Guide To: Waiter & Waitress Training: How To Develop Your Wait Staff For Maximum Service & Profit (The Food Service Professionals Guide, 10)

ASIN: 1580083153

Book Description

As winner of the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurant Award, Charlie Trotter and his service staff run what many consider to be America's finest restaurant. But it's not just about food in this renowned Chicago hot spot. It's about a subtle relationship between food, wine, ambiance, and service—a relationship Trotter has perfected by hiring passionate staff with the ability to surpass his incredibly high standards. In LESSONS IN SERVICE, journalist Edmund Lawler reveals the secrets behind Trotter's unequaled success and shows other businesses how to improve their levels of service. From unconventional motivational techniques, staff empowerment, and mentoring to role playing, pre-service meetings, and an obsessive pursuit of excellence—Trotter leaves nothing to chance. The service is a nightly ballet that leaves guests feeling pampered, educated, and of course, wonderfully satisfied. Follow the advice of Charlie Trotter, and no matter what your business,! your customers will keep coming back again and again.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful For Those In Hospitality.......2005-09-27

This is an excellent for any manager in the hospitality industry. With hundreds of management books out there, very few deal with this industry, which is one of the most dynamic ones in the world. While not a true management book, it does offer lots of insight and ideas for those in the industry. I highly recommend this book.

Defies its name.......2005-06-17

Actually, rather than lessons in service, or really much of anything, this book is essentially an inconsequential marketing text that repeats itself, adds little to nothing a little common sense doesn't provide, and tars the name of Charlie Trotter in the bargain.

Is it a bad book? Well, I got through it, and didn't throw it down in disgust, but I found myself scratching my head at the end, wondering where my money went. I felt neither elucidated nor any better able to perform exceptional service. If I had to read one more time about the exquisite flatware and fine bone china, I may crack those delicate dinner plates over the author's head. Not out of spite would I do this, mind you, but rather to let him know that beating your audience over the head with the same piece of useless information can be rather annoying.

In short-- get this book if you are a middle-management corporate type that likes to use metaphors for motivating your sales team. If you are in food service, I am not sure how much of this will be relevant to you.

Terrific content, a little lacking in presentation........2003-10-18

This book stresses the value of service, attention to detail and the customer experience. These are all very important and it is wonderful to see that someone still has an appreciation of them in this world that at times seems to have left even common courtesy behind. I am somewhat disappointed that the book was not produced to the exceptional standards that Charlie Trotter boasts in it's pages. It is somewhat redundant and contains many misspellings. Even when recommending Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia, the authors name is spelled Stevens instead of Stevenson. The print quality, paper and layout are great. The editing, spell-checking and typesetting need much improvement to be five-star quality. Terrific content, a little lacking in presentation.

Service first.......2002-03-17

Among the many differences between Charlie Trotter and a thousand other gifted chefs, the one that sets his Chicago landmark apart from the crowd is fierce attention to service, as Edmund Lawler points out in this wonderful survey of the Trotter philosophy. Waiters at Charlie Trotter's have no manual, but they strive to follow the Golden Rule - treat customers as you would be treated, not just in general, but in every tiny circumstance. Not only that, but Lawler also points out, Trotter's senior servers enjoy full health care coverage, $2 employee meals and a sense of responsibility. It's so simple, really. Trotter treats his employees as he would be treated. Lawler lays it all out in a readable and succinct fashion, with each chapter backed up by handy "service points." Whether you're running a restaurant, an airline, an investment bank or a lemonade stand, you could learn from reading Lessons in Service. Oh, if only more service business managers would!

Welcome to Trotter's World.......2002-01-21

While I've never had the privilege of dining at Charlie Trotter's famed Chicago eatery, I was absolutely enthralled with the vivid portrait journalist Edmund Lawler paints in "Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter." This is Lawler's second outing in Trotter's famed kitchen; his previous book, "Charlie Trotter's: A Pictorial Guide to the Famed Restaurant and Its Cuisine," is another great behind-the-scenes look at the culinary master. But instead of focusing on bread and circuses this time out, Lawler effectively pulls away the curtain to reveal just how Trotter continues to stay in the upper echelon of culinary masters. From managerial techniques to customer satisfaction, "Lessons" gets to the heart of Trotter's business, and how he has managed to stay at the top of his game since 1987. The book is helped immensely by reactions from Trotter's service staff, leaders in the restaurant industry and the chef himself, who believes that empowerment and a keen eye on every detail is the key to success in any business. While some may unjustly dismiss this book as "just another restaurant guide," many of Trotter's techniques (especially those about first impressions at an interview) are germane to most any business where service is the No. 1 priority. Sure everyone knows that the customer is always right, but if Lawler's book is any indication, Trotter knows how to make customers feel "right" more than anyone else in the business.

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