Crime Wave: The Filmgoers' Guide to Great Crime Movies

Crime Wave: The Filmgoers' Guide to Great Crime Movies

by HowardHughes (Author)

Synopsis

Crime movies inhabit dark and desperate worlds, yet they account for many of Hollywood's most triumphant successes. In full acknowledgement of this achievement, Crime Wave offers an authoritative and informative, stimulating and entertaining guide to the crime movie phenomenon, from its early days to the present, charting its history and celebrating the people who have given it a special and enduring place in cinema goers' affections. Chapters focus on landmark Hollywood films - from 1931's The Public Enemy , through The Maltese Falcon , Point Blank , Dirty Harry , The Godfather trilogy and Goodfellas , to LA Confidential and Oceans 11 - telling their stories and on the way discussing many more crime movies, both major and lesser known. Crime Wave represents and investigates gangster and heist movies, blaxploitation and noir, murder mysteries, vehicles for vigilante or buddy cops, even a gangster love story. It features biographies and filmographies detailing the key participants and background details of the film's making, locations and sets. It also explores each film's sources and influences, its impact on the crime genre and current fashion, including spin-offs, copies and sequels. It examines the films' themes, style and box office fortunes. Detailed cast list information is provided for each of the main featured films. Written with passion, for those who love this cinema, Crime Wave is the perfect partner in crime.

$33.16

Quantity

1 in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Edition: illustrated edition
Publisher: I B Tauris & Co Ltd
Published: 26 May 2006

ISBN 10: 1845112199
ISBN 13: 9781845112196

Media Reviews
'Howard Hughes has written a fine book about a broad and fascinating subject. Particularly impressive are his pieces about Kiss Me Deadly and Point Blank. Howard's take on these films is consistently fresh and intelligent; Crime Wave is an excellent read.' - Alex Cox, writer, broadcaster and filmmaker; 'Smart, thorough, slick, intriguing and compulsive - just like the classic crime movies it covers.' - Andrew Collins, writer, broadcaster and film editor at the Radio Times; 'I was certainly drawn towards Crime Wave: A Filmgoer's Guide to the Great Crime Movies.' - www.orchardpressmysteries.com
Author Bio
Howard Hughes is a UK-based film writer and researcher. He is the author of the I.B.Tauris Filmgoers' Guides and Aim for the Heart: The Films of Clint Eastwood .