BG - Theater and Performing Arts

1997

BG -- Theater and Performing Arts

97-3/4-362

Recherche: Film; Quellen und Methoden der Filmforschung [Research: Film; Sources and Methods in Film Research]. Ed. Hans-Michael Bock and Wolfgang Jacobsen. München: Edition Text + Kritik, 1997. 268 p. 21 cm. (Ein CineGraph-Buch) ISBN 3-88377-550-9: DM 38.00

This is less a reference book or a bibliographic handbook than it is a collection of introductory essays on the history of film, especially German film, grouped into two major sections: "Periods and Methods" (overviews of early movies, film journalism of the Weimar years, exile film, etc.) and "Themes and Research" (introduction to Weimar film, film in the Third Reich, film music, etc.). Some of the essays are general and introductory, others are pithy and evaluative. Each is accompanied by a bibliography (limited to books).

Additionally, there is a short chapter with contributions on (1) cinematographic handbooks and lexica, (2) electronic media, and (3) film archives and libraries. Of these the first is informative in a pleasantly personal kind of way. The other two are without much substance.

Taken for what it is, this is a book worth having. [wub/sl]

97-3/4-364

Lexikon des Science-Fiction-Films [Lexicon of Science Fiction Film]. Ronald M. Hahn and Volker Jansen. 7^th newly rev. ed. München: Heyne, 1997. 2 vols. 1138 p. ill. 21 cm. (Heyne-Bücher, 32; Heyne-Filmbibliothek, 250) ISBN 3-453-11860-X: DM 48.00

First published in 1983 with reviews of 720 films, the present edition covers 2,000 science fiction films-mainly feature films, but also some television series. Many of the films date from Hollywood of the 1950s. They are listed alphabetically according to their German title (and by original language in the index). The reviews vary from short plot summaries to commentaries ten columns in length. Some focus more on the book that provided the basis for the film than on the film itself. The commentaries often refer to other reviews, though the citations are very imprecise. Factual information given about the films usually includes a listing of the cast. Given the nature of the genre, it seems appropriate for the authors to have gone beyond the "important" and "valuable" films, thus providing not only a reference book for fans, but a social history of film. [wub/sl]

Next Section
Previous Section
Table of Contents