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Movie-Made America: A Cultural History of American Movies Paperback – December 5, 1994
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Ever since Edison's peep shows first captivated urban audiences, film has had a revolutionary impact on American society, transforming culture from the bottom up, radically revising attitudes toward pleasure and sexuality, and at the same time, cementing the myth of the American dream. No book has measured film's impact more clearly or comprehensively than Movie-Made America.
This vastly readable and richly illustrated volume examines film as art form, technological innovation, big business, and cultural bellwether. It takes in stars from Douglas Fairbanks to Sly Stallone; auteurs from D. W. Griffith to Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee; and genres from the screwball comedy of the 1930s to the "hard body" movies of the 1980s to the independents films of the 1990s.
Combining panoramic sweep with detailed commentaries on hundreds of individual films, Movie-Made America is a must for any motion picture enthusiast.
- Print length432 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherVintage
- Publication dateDecember 5, 1994
- Dimensions6.01 x 1.11 x 9.1 inches
- ISBN-100679755497
- ISBN-13978-0679755494
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Review
"One of the best popular works we have in the field of media ecology....There is hardly a single question regarding the transforming power of movies that [Sklar] leaves untouched."--Neil Postman
From the Publisher
"One of the best popular works we have in the field of media ecology....There is hardly a single question regarding the transforming power of movies that [Sklar] leaves untouched."--Neil Postman
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Product details
- Publisher : Vintage; Revised & Updated edition (December 5, 1994)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 432 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0679755497
- ISBN-13 : 978-0679755494
- Item Weight : 1.3 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.01 x 1.11 x 9.1 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #115,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #33 in Movie Reference
- #157 in Movie History & Criticism
- #282 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences
- Customer Reviews:
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Customers find the book informative and well-written, providing an overview of the cultural history of American movies. They find it a good value for money. However, some readers find the content boring, uninspired, and unimaginative. There are mixed opinions on readability - some find it worth the effort, while others consider it unreadable and printed on cheap paper.
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Customers find the book informative and well-written, with an easy-to-read style. They describe it as scholarly, but some pages are missing in this edition.
"...Sklar presents the material in an easy to read way, its not too much information for those who are not familiar with this area of history...." Read more
"A scholarly book, but entire pages are missing in this edition!" Read more
"...This one gave me the best information and point of view. Not easy to get into, but worth the effort." Read more
"Boring! And I don't like how it's put together. There is great info in there, but it's so boring to get through!" Read more
Customers appreciate the book's history of American cinema and theater. They find it well-written and providing a good overview of the history of American film. The book arrived in good condition and promptly.
"...It is written well and engaging to read. provides a great overview of the hostory of American film." Read more
"A great book on the cultural history of the American movie and movie theatre !" Read more
"A classic book which arrived in very good condition and promptly. I like having this volume in my personal library." Read more
"A very well written history of the movies and how they contributed to American culture." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They say it's a good read at a reasonable price.
"...is no any written notes or highlights in this book and the price is reasonable, it is not the best as an used book" Read more
"...While my students appreciated that the book was inexpensive, both the students and I agreed that the book was uninspired, unexciting, unimaginative..." Read more
"Good price. Good read..." Read more
Customers have different views on the book's readability. Some find it a good read, worth the effort, and comprehensive. Others feel it lacks inspiration, excitement, and imagination. The price is reasonable, but it may not be the best as a used book.
"...It is not a comprehensive work but a good start if you are interested. It will make you go and watch some of those old historical classics." Read more
"...highlights in this book and the price is reasonable, it is not the best as an used book" Read more
"Long saga getting this order filled. Great book, "New" text pretty banged-up, however." Read more
"...Not easy to get into, but worth the effort." Read more
Customers have different views on the writing quality. Some find it informative and easy to read, while others mention it's unintelligible and printed on cheap paper that allows bleed-through. The photographs are also reproduced with less quality than expected.
"...Sklar presents the material in an easy to read way, its not too much information for those who are not familiar with this area of history...." Read more
"Long saga getting this order filled. Great book, "New" text pretty banged-up, however." Read more
"I used this book for a film class. It is written well and engaging to read. provides a great overview of the hostory of American film." Read more
"...Additionally, it is cheap looking; it is printed on cheap paper which allowed bleed-through of the ink; and the photographs are reproduced with..." Read more
Customers find the book boring and uninteresting. They describe it as overly pedantic, unimaginative, and unattractive.
"...At times it can be a little monotonous, listing film after film and its relevance, but if you can get through it, you will learn a decent amount..." Read more
"...book is somewhat comprehensive as far as it goes, it is not only overly pedantic but it is written with no determinable sense of chronology...." Read more
"...>that the book was uninspired, unexciting, unimaginative, unattractive, unintelligible, and nearly unreadable <<< Quote from his Amazon..." Read more
"Boring! And I don't like how it's put together. There is great info in there, but it's so boring to get through!" Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2010I was assigned this as reading in my History and Film class. It covers everything from the beginning of film with Edison and the creation of the first projectors up to the 80's. Sklar presents the material in an easy to read way, its not too much information for those who are not familiar with this area of history. At times it can be a little monotonous, listing film after film and its relevance, but if you can get through it, you will learn a decent amount about the films. It is not a comprehensive work but a good start if you are interested. It will make you go and watch some of those old historical classics.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2021I used this book for a film class. It is written well and engaging to read. provides a great overview of the hostory of American film.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2015Coherently written, with an eye to the sociological and economic factors of culture and how Hollywood was both influenced and a great influence on (mainly) American culture.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 1999Isn't this more than "the definitive work"? One could imagine its insights and grand scope to be inspiring and instructive for the later reflections that were to shape the concerns that became the American Museum of the Moving Image. As in along the lines that society shapes the individuals who shape society, we have here no less than "media shaped culture". Forwards, or backwards to the future, these illuminations give us sober pause to consider those powers -- and so by extension -- to be afraid of our forthcoming "videogame savageries". When you and I look back to those early inventions which are now mirrored by today's electronic magic, we might be both tickled and informed -- and afraid for Columbine.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2012Although there is no any written notes or highlights in this book and the price is reasonable, it is not the best as an used book
- Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2022Long saga getting this order filled. Great book, "New" text pretty banged-up, however.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2008While I realize that Robert Sklar's Movie Made America is a regularly used text in many university film courses, I can only surmise that this may be why so many film classes are boring. While Skylar's book is somewhat comprehensive as far as it goes, it is not only overly pedantic but it is written with no determinable sense of chronology. While it is subtitled "A Cultural History of American Movies," it is more a social history of early Hollywood with an emphasis on the old studio system and those early personages which comprised that system. Furthermore, easily one-third of the book is dedicated to the first twenty years of American film making.
I purchased this book for adoption in a university film course that I teach which has as its emphasis the cultural underpinnings of American Film. While my students appreciated that the book was inexpensive, both the students and I agreed that the book was uninspired, unexciting, unimaginative, unattractive, unintelligible, and nearly unreadable. Additionally, it is cheap looking; it is printed on cheap paper which allowed bleed-through of the ink; and the photographs are reproduced with less quality than you would find in a newspaper. I am going back to John Belton's book, American Cinema, American Culture, next semester.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2020A scholarly book, but entire pages are missing in this edition!
Top reviews from other countries
- Florin IrimiaReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars As advertised, decent price.
State of the book as advertised. The cover was smudged in several places but nothing that you can't solve with a wet wipe.
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DHINNIN Marie-LaureReviewed in France on March 14, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Référence incontournable
Un classique sur l'histoire du cinéma américain qui traite de façon exhaustive de plusieurs problématiques propres à la culture visuelle américaine.
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olipopReviewed in France on April 9, 2013
3.0 out of 5 stars BOF
Le livre était comme convenu, d'occasion. Par contre, on aurait pu me prévenir qu'il avait été stabyloté, parce que alors là, c'est pas les coup de surligneurs qui manquaient!
Mais bon, c'est d'occasion...