Kristin Thompson

یکی از بهترین کتاب‌هایی که خوندم... یه جوری بود که هیچ احساس کمبودی نمی‌کنی از یه کتاب مرجع و انقدر روون نوشته شده و انقدر خوب با روابط علت و معلولی اجتماعی، سیاسی و تکنولوژی پیش می‌ره که هی جذب می‌شی این کتاب رو ادامه بدی. نمی‌دونم دیوید بوردول و کریستین تامپسن تو عمرشون show more چه‌قدر کتاب خوندند و فیلم دیدند تا تونستن این کتاب رو بنویسند. خیلی خوشحال شدم که تونستم این کتاب رو بخونم و یه توفیق اجباری شد. show less

A book-length analysis of the Jeeves and Wooster stories using all the tools and techniques of the academic critic might seem like a case of overkill to some readers, and Thompson has hit upon probably the worst title of any of the secondary works on Wodehouse. Despite that, this is a very interesting book for Wodehouse enthusiasts.

Where other writers have looked mainly at Wodehouse's language, Thompson (whose speciality is normally film studies) is primarily interested in the way Wodehouse show more constructs the plots of his stories (although she does include a final chapter on language as well). She discusses what we can learn from his notes and manuscripts about Wodehouse's working methods when developing Jeeves stories, and analyses the stories, plays and novels in detail to explore how the plots evolved over the course of Wodehouse's long career.

Thompson has been careful to write for the general reader, avoiding all but the most essential academic jargon, and the book is bound and printed in an attractive way that ought to appeal to most collectors. She doesn't reach any really radical conclusions: the core of her argument seems to be the rather uncontroversial assertion that Wodehouse is playing around with and defamiliarising literary clichés in his plots in the same way that he does in his language. show less

I first read this book in a much earlier edition, but when I learned that Bordwell died this year, I thought it was time to have another look.
The enlightening discussion of the new tools in the cinematographer’s bag was new since I last read it. I was surprised to learn that film itself still has its uses. Evidently, images involving billions of light-sensitive molecules have not been totally displaced by images made of millions of pixels. The discussion of the CGI techniques used in show more Gravity was especially helpful.
I also enjoyed the many trips to Bordwell’s blog, which the book encouraged. I do wish, though, that the blog included more links to film clips.
Some things have stayed the same: an insightful, detailed critique of Citizen Kane and an organizational structure that makes it problematic for someone trying to organize a course around it. show less

Have you ever wanted a very concise introduction to film, as a whole? Well, congratulations, you and I have something in common. What you may not have in common with me, though, is ownership of a book entitled "Film Art: An Introduction." My copy is the seventh edition. It was published in 2003. Since then, a lot of great films have come out, and even if there's an eighth, ninth, or tenth edition, it will still be behind the times with respect to recent films. But after reading this book (in show more whatever recent edition you may procure) and the included Film Viewers Guide (also by Bordwell. See my library for more info), you will be ready to handle the onslaught of new films, and be able to explain to your friends, hopefully in terms they understand, what redeeming qualities that film had (you MUST start using the word "film" to describe what you once called a "movie." I mean, do you call them "talkies" or "colors"? Why still use "movie", unless you're used to just watching La Jetee?)

This book gives an overview of film in its entirety, covering things like the development of the film camera (at least, nontechnical aspects of it that non-engineers and optics people can understand), the film projector, as well as the film development process, pre-production, production, post-production, etc.

You will be amazed at how much stuff there is to know about films, unless you've read this book already, then you know what I mean, right!?

This book, while not meant for casual lazy day lap reading (it's a wobbly sort of book that sits better on a desk and is read best one chapter at a time over a longer time than most books), is a dense work that will leave you spotting more and more things in films, annoying your friends and family more and more as they watch films with you. You'll find your taste in films changing, and since you've alienated all your friends and family, you'll find yourself at art house theaters (though they may call themselves "theatres"), watching movies by yourself, with all the other people there who too have alienated themselves from their friends and family. You could try to make friends with them, but they're just as annoying as you.

Be warned, though, that if you are going to read this book, you may want to see the major films they discuss (at least Citizen Kane) BEFORE reading it, as it's one big spoiler for every film ever (not really, but it goes under the assumption that if you're reading it, you've either seen the films, or really don't care for the surprise ending in which you find out that Rosebud was actually a mystical dragon that Charles Foster Kane used to hang out with along the beachfront in his boyhood days, or whatever it was that Rosebud actually was).

Nevertheless, if you're like me (and if you've gotten this far, you at least LIKE me, or my review, which is a part of me, as I wrote it), you have this voracious appetite for film and books (and some music, but not as much), then this book ABOUT film will be of great interest to you.

If you hate film, or hate reading (then goodness, why are you reading a BOOK review?), then you may want to avoid this book, as it's a lot of work, and will just make you more annoying. show less