cover image Spectacular Narratives: Hollywood in the Age of the Blockbuster

Spectacular Narratives: Hollywood in the Age of the Blockbuster

Geoff King. I. B. Tauris & Company, $28 (192pp) ISBN 978-1-86064-573-0

Are blockbusters all glory and no guts? On the contrary, claims Geoff King, lecturer in film and television studies at Brunel University and author of Spectacular Narratives: Hollywood in the Age of the Blockbuster. In a series of cogent and thoughtful essays, King examines many of the movies of the past few decades that have featured stunning special effects, including the Star Wars films, Twister, Jurassic Park and The Matrix, and demonstrates how plot, character development and story do not suffer in the face of spectacle. He has high hopes for the future of big-budget films. ( Feb. 19)