James Kendrick

In Hollywood Bloodshed, James Kendrick presents a fascinating look into the political and ideological instabilities of the 1980s as studied through the lens of cinema violence. Kendrick uses in-depth case studies to reveal how dramatic changes in the film industry and its treatment of cinematic bloodshed during the Reagan era reflected shifting social tides as Hollywood struggled to find a balance between the lucrative necessity of screen violence and the rising surge of conservatism. As public opinion shifted toward the right and increasing emphasis was placed on issues such as higher military spending, family values, and “money culture,” film executives were faced with an epic dilemma: the violent aspects of cinema that had been the studios’ bread and butter were now almost universally rejected by mainstream audiences. Far from eliminating screen bloodshed altogether, studios found new ways of packaging violence that would allow them to continue to attract audiences without risking public outcry, ushering in a period of major transition in the film industry. Studios began to shy away from the revolutionary directors of the 1970s—many of whom had risen to fame through ideologically challenging films characterized by a more disturbing brand of violence—while simultaneously clearing the way for a new era in film. The 1980s would see the ascent of entertainment conglomerates and powerful producers and the meteoric rise of the blockbuster—a film with no less violence than its earlier counterparts, but with action-oriented thrills rather than more troubling images of brutality. Kendrick analyzes these and other radical cinematic changes born of the conservative social climate of the 1980s, including the disavowal of horror films in the effort to present a more acceptable public image; the creation of the PG-13 rating to designate the gray area of movie violence between PG and R ratings; and the complexity of marketing the violence of war movies for audience pleasure. The result is a riveting study of an often overlooked, yet nevertheless fascinating time in cinema history. While many volumes have focused on the violent films of the New American Cinema directors of the 1970s or the rise of icons such as Woo, Tarantino, and Rodriguez in the 1990s, Kendrick’s Hollywood Bloodshed bridges a major gap in film studies.This comprehensive volume offers much-needed perspective on a decade that altered the history of Hollywood—and American culture—forever.

Violence in 1980s American Cinema

Hollywood Bloodshed

Susan K. Johnsen

Teaching Strategies in Gifted Education offers practical advice about teaching gifted kids. This book offers specific teaching strategies such as divergent-thinking instruction and independent study. The book also covers differentiated curriculum, classroom management, dealing with underachievement, and professional development and total sch

Teaching Strategies in Gifted Education

For the first time, "Gifted Child Today Reader" series brings together the best articles published in "Gifted Child Today," the nation's most popular gifted education journal. Each book in this series is filled with exciting and practical classroom ideas, useful summaries of research findings, discussions of identification and classroom management, and informed opinions about educating gifted kids. Anyone involved in education will benefit from the practical, research-based ideas this unique series has to offer. It has been argued that American schools are not giving the same quality of attention to the education of girls that they do to boys, thus perpetuating professional gender inequalities by turning out better-prepared young men than women. While this is a controversial subject, it is a fact that women continue to be underrepresented in many of society's most respected professions, particularly in the areas of science and technology. "Teaching and Counseling Gifted Girls" covers some of the most important issues facing gifted and talented girls during their school years, from elementary school through college. General overviews of the internal and external barriers faced by gifted girls provide the context for more specific chapters on counseling and classroom strategies to help ensure these students' future success.

Teaching and Counseling Gifted Girls

For the first time, the Gifted Child Today Reader series brings together the best articles published in Gifted Child Today, the nation's most popular gifted education journal. Each book in this series is filled with exciting and practical classroom ideas, useful summaries of research findings, discussions of identification and classroom management, and informed opinions about educating gifted kids. Anyone involved in education will benefit from the practical, research-based ideas this unique series has to offer. Students who are gifted in English and language arts are able to discern the authors' purpose, anticipate layers of meaning, and use prior knowledge to make connections between the present text and the previous experiences, a complicated feat for any young child. "Language Arts for Gifted Students" offers information on the characteristics and identification of students who are gifted in English and language arts; how to develop differentiated curricula that include multicultural components; and specific teaching strategies, such as integrating drama with literature, using storytelling activities, and developing a writers' workshop.

Language Arts for Gifted Students

An authoritative guide to the action-packed film genre With 24 incisive, cutting-edge contributions from esteemed scholars and critics, A Companion to the Action Filmprovides an authoritative and in-depth guide to this internationally popular and wide-ranging genre. As the first major anthology on the action film in more than a decade, the volume offers insights into the genre’s historical development, explores its production techniques and visual poetics, and provides reflections on the numerous social, cultural, and political issues it has and continues to embody. A Companion to the Action Film offers original research and critical analysis that examines the iconic characteristics of the genre, its visual aesthetics, and its narrative traits; considers the impact of major directors and stars on the genre’s evolution; puts the action film in dialogue with various technologies and other forms of media such as graphic novels and television; and maps out new avenues of critical study for the future. This important resource: Offers a definitive guide to the action film Contains insightful contributions from a wide range of international film experts and scholars Reviews the evolution of the genre from the silent era to today’s age of digital blockbusters Offers nuanced commentary and analysis of socio-cultural issues such as race, nationality, and gender in action films Written for scholars, teachers and students in film studies, film theory, film history, genre studies, and popular culture, A Companion to the Action Film is an essential guide to one of international cinema’s most important, popular, and influential genres.

James Kendrick

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