The DVD Revolution: Movies, Culture, and Technology [Hardcover]

Aaron J. Barlow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0275983870 | ISBN-13: 978-0275983871

The introduction of the DVD marked the beginning of one of history's most successful technological innovations, and capped a 75-year development of home-viewing possibilities. Never before have film fans had access in their living rooms to something so remarkably close to the theatrical experience. In addition, because a DVD can hold much more than a single movie, it has allowed films to be marketed with a variety of extras, sparking both a new packaging industry and greater interest on the part of home viewers. This book provides an examination of the DVD's impact, both on home viewing and on film study. From film fan culture through filmmaker commentaries, from special editions to a look at where the format will go from here, author Aaron Barlow offers the first-ever exploration of this explosive new entertainment phenomenon.

As the DVD becomes the popular vehicle of record for films, it is also becoming a unique and unprecedented way for the interested viewer to learn more about filmmaking than has ever been possible before. Because of its ability to reproduce the dimensions and quality of the celluloid image, film fans and scholars can have practically perfect reproductions of classic and contemporary films at their disposal. Not only will this book be of interest to the burgeoning population of DVD fans and collectors, but it will provide insights that should be of interest to both students of popular culture and of film.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Barlow offers an insightful, timely look at how the DVD has fundamentally changed the ways people interact with motion pictures....[t]his is a provocative, thought-provoking examination of a technology that is currently changing lives, and is central to the debate over the artistic integrity of filmmakers as opposed to the creative potential of fans and film students to use such material to create new works of art. The author has a firm handle on film theory but addresses whether such theory will be adequate in a "visual, virtual ... representational culture." Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above."-Choice

Book Description

Details the impact that the DVD has had on home entertainment and film study, showing how new technology has sparked new ways of viewing and enjoying movies.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Praeger (December 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275983870
• ISBN-13: 978-0275983871
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,795,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Aaron Barlow lives and teaches in Brooklyn, NY. Three of his books have centered on blogging and New Media and two concern film. In addition, he edited a volume of essays by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers on their experiences in Africa.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must for every movie buff, February 19, 2005

By 

krazykat (new york, new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The DVD Revolution: Movies, Culture, and Technology (Hardcover)

A very cool book about how technology is changing the way we see movies, make movies, and think about movies. DVDs give us the capability to see a lot of movies---all kinds of movies----again and again. They provide a way to challenge the one-size-fits-all attitude of corporate America (in this case, corporate America is Hollywood.)

You could almost say the advent of the DVD is a little bit like the advent of the Internet---it gives a lot of people the ability to access information, thus increasing their appetite for it. And if you can skip from a Bollywood DVD to Persona to The Wizard of Oz to the Creature from Planet X all in the same night---sort of like surfing the net---it's got to do something to your approach to movies. I've done that, but until I read Barlow's book, I never thought about its effect.

Barlow has a very easy, readable style, and has a real knack for writing about things that could be dry---like questions of copyright, or the Special Edition DVD---with liveliness and insight. And I loved the discussions on the history of film collecting and the impact of the video on the work of Quentin Tarantino (and in turn, his impact on the world of film).

For film students such as myself, I would say that the DVD Revolution is almost a necessity---we need to know more about the world that we are going to make films in! But I think anyone who has a passion for movies would enjoy this book.