Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979 (History of the American Cinema) [Paperback]

David A. Cook (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520232658 | ISBN-13: 978-0520232655 | Publication Date: March 15, 2002 | Edition: 1

Some of the films discussed in this book include:
Five Easy Pieces
Chinatown
Carnal Knowledge
Straw Dogs
A Clockwork Orange
Mean Streets
The Conversation
Nashville
Shampoo
Taxi Driver
Apocalypse Now

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A book of impressive research." -- Dana Polan, Film Quarterly

"Cook excels at industry analysis." -- Choice

From the Inside Flap

"David Cook's Lost Illusions is an excellent account of Hollywood in the 1970s--a decade of social upheaval around the world and major transformation in the U.S. movie industry. His book overflows with useful data, and his lucid account of mainstream entertainment is nicely supplemented by the special chapters by other scholars: Douglas Gomery on exhibition, William Rothman on documentaries, and Robin Blaetz on the avant-garde."--James O. Naremore, author of More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts

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Product Details

• Paperback: 717 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (March 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520232658
• ISBN-13: 978-0520232655
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent account of Seventies film, October 23, 2000

By 

Mark Klobas (Tempe, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: History of the American Cinema: Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Age of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979 (Hardcover)

Of the volumes in the excellent History of the American Cinema series, this is the best by far. Cook provides a superb, balanced overview of the film industry in the 1970s, considering practically every aspect of the topic--from the economics of the industry to the production trends to even the distribution and innovations in film technology. For any serious student of film history, this is a must read!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable for Film Fans or Students, January 28, 2009

By 

J. Merritt - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979 (History of the American Cinema) (Paperback)

This is a fascinating text, worth five graduate courses on the subject. I'm amazed that it hasn't gotten more attention from reviewers here on Amazon. The text is light on critical discussions of the films of the decade, but that isn't really the point. Cook's objective is to examine the social, economic, and technical contexts in which films were made in the 1970's, and from that perspective he does an amazingly comprehensive job. From the impact of cultural and political movements, to the recession that almost crippled the industry in the early 1970's, to technological advances, to the rise of the auteur, to the major players and genres, to the emergence of the blockbuster mentality, Cook thoroughly reviews a decade that saw some of the greatest sea changes in how movies are made. Rather than a lot of theory or critique, you come away with an insider's sense of what filmmaking in the 1970's really meant. A must-read for anyone interested in this period in cinema history or who-like me-grew up in this decade.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging history of cinema, June 19, 2008

By 

Charles H. Harpole "unchained-heart-prod-inc" (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979 (History of the American Cinema) (Paperback)

The 70's is part of the landmark series created and edited by Charles H. Harpole. Each volume covers about a decade and was conceived as a readable scholarly history, each with the same coverage: the stylistic, technological, and economic factors of American feature, documentary, and avant garde cinema. The goal is to be comprehensive, judicious, and well researched without losing the love of the movies. The illustrations are particularily good in that they are often real frame enlargements or are not published elsewhere. The U.Calif. Press paperbacks are reproductions of the Scribner $70 hardbacks and thus are a bargain.
Look for the other 9 books of the Series and enjoy!