Cinema of Choice

Written by an academic film theorist (film and television studies, Tel Aviv U.), this book examines alternatives to traditional linear narrative in filmmaking. The goal is to show how films can let viewers create multiple readings of what happens and why, while still preserving a sense of meaning, excitement, and interest. This is an academic study rather than a practical craft book, and will appeal to readers who share the author's conviction that the faux-documentary genre (This is Spinal Tap) is a response to the theories of Baudrillard and Foucault. For a book of this type, however, the author is unusually interested in practical factors, such as how to keep a non-traditional narrative from boring or confusing audiences. The focus is on feature-length films in general release. The definition of a film's success with audiences is based in theoretical factors rather than viewer numbers or interviews; a popular film such as Pulp Fiction can be unsuccessful with audiences due to conventional use of cataphora-anaphora interplay. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Nitzan Ben Shaul is Professor of Film and Television Studies and former head of the Film and Television Department at Tel Aviv University. He received his Ph.D. from the Cinema Studies Department at New York University. He has authored several books including, Film: The Key Concepts (Berg, 2007), and Hyper-narrative Interactive Cinema: Problems and Solutions (Rodopi, 2008).