Customer Reviews

Here's Looking at You (Politics, Media, and Popular Culture, Vol. 3) (v. 3)

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Here's Looking at You takes a detailed look at the ever-changing relationship between Hollywood and the political arena. It not only focuses on how Washington affects the films that are made in Hollywood (from the age of the silent films through the end of the 20th century) but also how Hollywood has a certain level of effect on politics and how politics and politicians are viewed by the general public. Giglio uses numerous good examples from popular (and the not-so-popular) films to prove his numerous points. Here's Looking at You is well organized, with sections focusing on the cultural and economic backgrounds for the films made. One of the better and more abundant topics is his look at war, and how Hollywood will either support or deny support in favor of the war effort. Giglio also attemps to explain what it is that makes a film political. Although there is no obvious answer, he does use numerous examples from the media to serve as a basis for comparison. Overall, this book is a teaching tool for the younger generations. Giglio's obvious biased against certain genres or topics in film does make reading a little difficult, but the biased is accepted, if not ignored, for the quality information provided. Here's Looking at You is a fine example of the influence Hollywood has on the world, especially in the political spotlight.

This is a good book. Giglio does a good job of surveying films with political content that were produced or distributed by Hollywood studios since the turn of the century. He has an interesting chapter on the treatment of lawyers in film with some interesting observations about female lawyers. He does a good job of introducing readers to film theories without going into depth. I used it in my undergraduate course on Politics and Film last semester. The students seemed to like it.