The Shifting Definitions of Genre: Essays on Labeling Films, Television Shows and Media - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786434309 ISBN 13: 9780786434305

Publisher: McFarland & Co, 2008

Synopsis

Histories of science fiction often dicuss Fritz Lang's Metropolis as a classic work within the genre--yet the term "science fiction" had not been invented at the time of the film's release. If the genre did not have a name, did it exist? Does retroactive assignment to a genre change our understanding of a film? Do films shift in meaning and status as the name of a genre changes meaning over time?

These provocative questions are at the heart of this book, whose thirteen essays examine the varying constructions of genre within film, television, and other entertainment media. Collectively, the authors argue that generic labels are largely irrelevant or even detrimental to the works to which they are applied.

Part One examines the meanings of genre and reveals how the media is involved in the production and dissemination of generic definitions. Part Two considers specific films (or groups of films) and their relationships within various categorizations. Part Three focuses on the closely tied concepts of history and memory as they relate to the perceptions of genre.

About this title

About the Authors

Lincoln Geraghty is principal lecturer in film studies in the School of Creative Arts, Film and Media at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. He serves as editorial advisor for The Journal of Popular Culture, Reconstruction and Atlantis.

Mark Jancovich is a professor of film and television studies at the University of East Anglia in Norwich (United Kingdom).

Edition details

• Publisher: McFarland & Co
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786434309
• ISBN 13: 9780786434305
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 268
• Editor: Lincoln Geraghty, Mark Jancovich