Hollywood and the rise of the blockbuster; crime and action spectaculars; new science fiction; horror; comedy and comedians; classic genres revived; auteurs and independents; X-rated; women and film; gay and lesbian cinema; Hollywood and ethnicity; national identities in Western Europe; Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union; the Middle East and the Muslim world; Bollywood and new Indian cinema; African voices; cinema in the Far East; cinema in Australia, Canada, New Zealand; Latin America; cinema tomorrow.
Edward Buscombe is a leading authority on cinema having lectured and written on film for over thirty years. Formerly Head of Publishing at the British Film Institute, Buscombe has taught film studies in several American universities, including New York, Iowa and Texas, and was recently Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Media Arts at Southampton Institute. A regular reviewer for Sight and Sound magazine, he has also written articles and reviews for film journals such as Screen, Jump Cut and Cinema Journal. An expert on the Western movie, Edward Buscombe has written extensively on this subject, including books on John Ford's Stagecoach (BFI, 1992) and The Searchers (BFI, 2000). He also contributed to The Movie Book (Phaidon, 1999) and edited The BFI Companion to the Western (Andre Deutsch, 1988). Author's Residence: London
'Cinema Today is informative, comprehensive and up to date, and provides a unique resource for academics, students and anyone with an interest in the moving image and the film industry - an invaluable reference tool.' Cinema Technology, September 2003 'It's as big as a breeze block, but Edward Buscombe's mammoth tome is the most ambitious attempt to try to corral the multifarious strands of the contemporary global film industry into some semblance of critical order. Three pointed snatches of movie dialogue kick off proceedings, indicating the scope of Buscombe's project: the "Do ya feel lucky, punk?" bit from Dirty Harry, a few lines from Eyes Wide Shut, and the letter-writing scene from Salaam Bombay! Five hundred pages and seemingly thousands of pictures later, Buscombe has got himself outside essays on everything from Hollywood and the Rise of the Blockbuster through to The Middle East and the Muslim World. - readable and scholarly at the same time, which is no small achievement. Andrew Pulver, The Guardian, 17 October, 2003 'HOT DOG RECOMMENDS This book is a bit like the Bible - if the Bible were about film and contained lots of pretty pictures. The breathtaking movie stills and photos of key players are the first things that will strike you about this huge encyclopedia of cinema knowledge and they are used very wisely, always in context with the author's views. Despite his explanation that half the book is devoted to US films, Buscombe's detailed and comprehensive exploration of key areas such as women and ethnicity in film is fluent and no less meticulous. Equally, his thoughts on auteurs, independents and reviving genres are not imposed on the reader and although the read is long, it is interesting and satisfying. This offers everything that could possibly be included inside one cover, and more. Cinema today, and for a further month of reading.' Ben Mahon, Hot Dog, December 2003 'With a stunning array of photographs, it's the perfect present for any film-lover.' The Good Book Guide, October 2003 'This epic survey of post-1970 cinema is possibly the most addictive film book ever published. Wherever you open it, your eye is struck by an iconic or striking image. ... Linked by judicious text, the book's 500 pages are equally divided between films you know (12 Hollywood genres) and films you'd like to know (the rest of the world).' The Independent, 50 Best Books for Christmas, 2003 'Unquestionably, this is a book that invites almost compulsive page-turning' Ian Christie, Sight and Sound (British Film Institute magazine), 2003 paperback quotes 'a handsome and revealing read, packed to the gills with arresting photographs and insightful analyses of key genres and trends.' Total Film, June 2005
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