American Cinema
1995–1996 · PBS · 55 min · 1 season
S01E13 · Classical Hollywood Today
Fri, 23 Aug, 2:00 am
Offers interviews with contemporary directors, European filmmakers, scholars, and critics, as well as studio-era veterans who probe Hollywood's influence on both American and world culture.
About
Using clips from more than 300 of the greatest movies ever made, this series explores film history and American culture through the eyes of over 150 Hollywood insiders, including Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, and Michael Eisner. In-depth treatments present film as a powerful economic force, potent twentieth-century art form, and viable career option. American Cinema connects subjects such as history, business, and English with other studies. In addition, it is a perfect vehicle for developing visual and media literacy skills and can be used as a springboard for creative-writing endeavors and media production. Produced by the New York Center for Visual History in association with KCET/Los Angeles and the BBC.
Episodes
- E01
The Hollywood Style
Thu, 8 June· 55 minMartin Scorsese and Sydney Pollack are among the premier directors who discuss how classical Hollywood style, evolving and yet enduring over time, informs their work.
- E02
The Studio System
Thu, 15 June· 55 minThe studio system created the Golden Age of Hollywood, its classic film stars and big budget hits that captivated generations all across the world. However, the following decades proved that nothing lasts forever, even in Hollywood.
- E03
The Star
Thu, 22 June· 55 minEarly on, Hollywood saw that recognizable talent could minimize the financial risks of film production.
- E04
The Western
Thu, 29 June· 55 minWith clips and critical commentary on Westerns the program traces the aesthetic evolution of the genre as well as its sociological importance.
- E05
Romantic Comedy
Thu, 6 July· 55 minBreezy and silly to witty and intelligent, romantic comedies barely masked issues of gender and sexuality. Directors present interpretations of the genre that reveal the underlying social and psychological messages.
- E06
The Combat Film
Thu, 13 July· 55 minCritics and directors describe the evolution of these films, the rise of the Vietnam film, and the influence of the newsreel documentaries and TV news on the genre.
- E07
Film Noir
Thu, 20 July· 55 minThese cynical and pessimistic films from the 1930s and '40s touched a nerve in Americans. Historians link the genre's overriding paranoia to Cold War-related angst over the nuclear threat and the Hollywood blacklist.
- E08
Film in the Television Age
Thu, 27 July· 55 minTelevision first arrived in American homes just as the Hollywood studio system was collapsing. This prompted open competition between the genres opening opportunities for innovation and employment.
- E09
The Film School Generation
Thu, 3 Aug· 55 minMaverick filmmakers of the 1960s and '70s, capitalized on new technology and borrowed from classical Hollywood and French New Wave as they reinvented the American film.
- E10
The Edge of Hollywood
Thu, 10 Aug· 55 minThis program looks at some alternative visions from new talents who struggle with limited budgets and challenge the stylistic status quo of the Hollywood film.
- E11
Film Language
Fri, 23 Aug· 55 minIllustrates basic terms such as tracking shots and zooms and also provides a primer on editing technique.
- E12
Writing and Thinking About Film
Fri, 23 Aug· 55 minProvides a formal and cultural analysis of a classical film sequence. It serves as a critical how-to guide for those new to film critique.
- E13
Classical Hollywood Today
Fri, 23 Aug· 55 minOffers interviews with contemporary directors, European filmmakers, scholars, and critics, as well as studio-era veterans who probe Hollywood's influence on both American and world culture.
Cast
John Lithgow
Host