{"product_id":"9798216200956","title":"Rise and Fall of the American Action Film How Hollywood's Defining Genre Lost Its Way","description":"\u003ch1\u003eRise and Fall of the American Action Film\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHow Hollywood's Defining Genre Lost Its Way\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePhilip M. Napoli\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerforming Arts \/ Film \/ Genres \/ Action \u0026amp; Adventure\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTraces the evolution of action movies from their origins to their heyday in the 80s and explores why today's blockbusters just don't compare.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe history of the American action film reveals a glorious past of cinematic high points ranging from \u003ci\u003eThe General \u003c\/i\u003eto \u003ci\u003eThe Wild Bunch \u003c\/i\u003eto \u003ci\u003eThe French Connection\u003c\/i\u003e. These, and many more landmark movies, demonstrate how the genre can be a vibrant and ambitious form of cinematic expression. Yet, even as action films reign supreme at the box office, they are repeatedly dismissed and disparaged as lacking artistic merit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Rise and Fall of the American Action Film\u003c\/i\u003e, Philip M. Napoli gives the genre its due, exploring how the action movie came to dominate the American film industry and the global box office, as well as critiquing how recent films have lost their way, diminished in quality, and became ever more focused on spectacle over substance. Drawing from a range of examples across the history of American action cinema, from well-known masterpieces like \u003ci\u003eTerminator \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e to forgotten gems and abject failures, Napoli charts the definitive evolution from the action movie's origins to today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the tale of how the definitive American film genre reached its peak in the 1980s before ultimately falling victim to its own spotlight, losing its defining qualities in favor of CGI and superheroes. Despite their massive budgets and elaborate special effects, Napoli argues today's action films are a shadow of what they once were at their artistic peak. Whether reminiscing on a favorite or discovering a new classic, cinephiles will appreciate this insightful and passionate tribute to an iconic genre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePhilip M. Napoli \u003c\/b\u003eis the James R. Shepley Professor of Public Policy, Director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media \u0026amp; Democracy, and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research for the Sanford School at Duke University.  He also serves as a Docent at the University of Helsinki. Napoli is the author of four books: \u003ci\u003eFoundations of Communications Policy: Principles and Process in the Regulation of Electronic Media\u003c\/i\u003e (2001); \u003ci\u003eAudience Economics: Media Institutions and the Audience Marketplace\u003c\/i\u003e (2003); \u003ci\u003eAudience Evolution: New Technologies and the Transformation of Media Audiences\u003c\/i\u003e (2011), and\u003ci\u003e Social Media and the Public Interest: Media Regulation in the Disinformation Age\u003c\/i\u003e (2019). Phil resides in Durham, North Carolina.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e13 May 2027\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9798216200956\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHardback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e224\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight (oz): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e17.76\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51669931557004,"sku":"9798216200956","price":31.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/lateknightbooks.com\/products\/9798216200956","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}