Superheroes Smash the Box Office

Superheroes Smash the Box Office PDF

Author: Shawn Conner

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2023-09-11

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1476676666

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In 1997, the superhero movie was all but dead. The last Superman flick had been released a decade earlier to disastrous reviews and ticket sales. The most recent Batman film was a franchise-killing bomb. And an oft-promised Spider-Man feature was grounded. Yet a mere five years later this once-derided genre would be well on its way to world domination at the box office and even critical respectability. How did this happen? And why, two decades later, does the phenomenon show no sign of abating? Here, for the first time, is an extensively researched soup-to-nuts history of the superhero movie, from the first bargain-basement black-and-white serials to today's multiverse blockbusters. Chronicling eight decades of stops and starts, controversies and creators, good guys and bad guys--onscreen and off--this entertaining account explains how and why our entertainment universe came to be overpowered by costumed crimefighters and their nefarious counterparts.

Superheroes Smash the Box Office

Superheroes Smash the Box Office PDF

Author: Shawn Conner

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2023-09-06

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 147665011X

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In 1997, the superhero movie was all but dead. The last Superman flick had been released a decade earlier to disastrous reviews and ticket sales. The most recent Batman film was a franchise-killing bomb. And an oft-promised Spider-Man feature was grounded. Yet a mere five years later this once-derided genre would be well on its way to world domination at the box office and even critical respectability. How did this happen? And why, two decades later, does the phenomenon show no sign of abating? Here, for the first time, is an extensively researched soup-to-nuts history of the superhero movie, from the first bargain-basement black-and-white serials to today's multiverse blockbusters. Chronicling eight decades of stops and starts, controversies and creators, good guys and bad guys--onscreen and off--this entertaining account explains how and why our entertainment universe came to be overpowered by costumed crimefighters and their nefarious counterparts.

The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television, 2d ed.

The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television, 2d ed. PDF

Author: John Kenneth Muir

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2008-08-21

Total Pages: 705

ISBN-13: 0786437553

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It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a complete guide to over 50 years of superheroes on screen! This expanded and updated edition of the 2004 award-winning encyclopedia covers important developments in the popular genre; adds new shows such as Heroes and Zoom; includes the latest films featuring icons like Superman, Spiderman and Batman; and covers even more types of superheroes. Each entry includes a detailed history, cast and credits, episode and film descriptions, critical commentaries, and data on arch-villains, gadgets, comic-book origins and super powers, while placing each production into its historical context. Appendices list common superhero conventions and cliches; incarnations; memorable ad lines; and the best, worst, and most influential productions from 1951 to 2008.

A Brief History of Superheroes

A Brief History of Superheroes PDF

Author: Brian J. Robb

Publisher: Robinson

Published: 2014-05-15

Total Pages: 205

ISBN-13: 1472110706

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A fascinating written exploration of the superhero phenomenon, from its beginnings in the depths of Great Depression to the blockbuster movies of today. For over 90 years, superheroes have been interrogated, deconstructed, and reinvented. In this wide-ranging study, Robb looks at the diverse characters, their creators, and the ways in which their creations have been reinvented for successive generations. Inevitably, the focus is on the United States, but the context is international, including an examination of characters developed in India and Japan in reaction to the traditional American hero. Sections examine: the birth of the superhero, including Superman, in 1938; the DC family (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Justice Society/League of America), from the 1940s to the 1960s; the superheroes enlistment in the war effort in the 1940s and 50s; their neutering by the Comics Code; the challenge to DC from the Marvel family (The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and The X-Men), from the 1960s to the 1980s; the superhero as complex anti-hero; superheroes deconstructed in the 1980s (The Watchmen and Frank Miller’s Batman), and their politicization; independent comic book creators and new publishers in the 1980s and 90s; superheroes in retreat, and their rebirth at the movies in blockbusters from Batman to Spider-Man and The Avengers.

Comic Book Movies

Comic Book Movies PDF

Author: Blair Davis

Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Published: 2018-06-25

Total Pages: 151

ISBN-13: 0813588790

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Comic Book Movies explores how this genre serves as a source for modern-day myths, sometimes even incorporating ancient mythic figures like Thor and Wonder Woman’s Amazons, while engaging with the questions that haunt a post-9/11 world: How do we define heroism and morality today? How far are we willing to go when fighting terror? How can we resist a dystopian state? Film scholar Blair Davis also considers how the genre’s visual style is equally important as its weighty themes, and he details how advances in digital effects have allowed filmmakers to incorporate elements of comic book art in innovative ways. As he reveals, comic book movies have inspired just as many innovations to Hollywood’s business model, with film franchises and transmedia storytelling helping to ensure that the genre will continue its reign over popular culture for years to come.

Superheroes, Movies, and the State

Superheroes, Movies, and the State PDF

Author: Tricia Jenkins

Publisher:

Published: 2021

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780700632770

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"Despite continued warnings of "superhero fatigue," Marvel and DC's current cinematic universes (the MCU and DCEU) have dominated the last two decades of popular culture and continue to obliterate box-office records. Where other scholars have focused solely on superhero films' global popularity, reflections of American imperialism, cultural legacy, or treatment of minority groups, Jenkins and Secker examine these films' production-side relationships with the American Department of Defense (DOD), NASA, the Science and Entertainment Exchange (SEEX), and other government agencies that have aided (or withdrawn from) their creation and promotion. This government-entertainment complex, they argue, uses superhero films as non-traditional propaganda: the state does not directly generate or force the creation of these movies, but instead leverages its unique resources to encourage positive images and messaging. Positive portrayals of the state differ from movie to movie, and military and scientific agencies emphasize different "American values," but their methods are similar and their efforts can coincide. By using documents obtained from government entertainment liaison offices through years of FOIA requests (including script notes, production correspondence, and marketing materials), as well as personal interviews with both producers and government liaisons, Jenkins and Secker illustrate how and why state agencies invest in the production of superhero films, how their support-or lack thereof-influences those films' final narratives, and how both studios' past films and current story arcs offer opportunities to diversify their future productions"--

Moon Knight Vol. 2

Moon Knight Vol. 2 PDF

Author: Jeff Lemire

Publisher: Marvel Entertainment

Published: 2017-05-24

Total Pages: 121

ISBN-13: 1302497790

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Collecting Moon Knight (2016) #6-9, Moon Knight (1980) #2. Meet the many men inside Moon Knight's head as the focus shifts to his various incarnations! Marc Spector broke his body to escape the prison Khonshu built for his mind...but what if he's still trapped? Steven Grant awoke in New York City, ready to produce Marvel's next box-office smash - is he losing his mind, or will Moon Knight: The Movie be a blockbuster? And Jake Lockley is under arrest for murder! With the world calling on him to protect those who travel at night, Marc is losing control. The muddled mind of Moon Knight is reaching its limit!

The Rise of Comic Book Movies

The Rise of Comic Book Movies PDF

Author: Benny Potter

Publisher: Mango

Published: 2016-07-26

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781633533431

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Why We Can’t Get Enough of Superhero Movies Recent years show a sea change in Hollywood- the biggest movies come from the pages of comic books. These box office successes are driven by fans who love seeing their favorite heroes and villains from comics brought to life on the big screen, from Thor to Superman to Batman and Captain America, Wonder Woman and more. Baddies like Loki, The Joker and Lex Luthor only add to the fun. Welcome to the Golden Age of comic book movies and Comicstorians Benny Potter, Dan Rumbles and Jason Keen are here to help you understand why we these larger-than-life characters have captured the imagination of the world. When it comes to superheroes of the Silver Screen, nobody knows more than the masterminds behind the wildly popular Comicstorian YouTube channel. This definitive guide to comic book films divulges behind-the-scenes secrets and the hidden history behind these must-see movies including how, after very rocky beginnings, they shot to the top with DC and Marvel as two of the most important franchises in the industry. If you love The Hulk, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man and are still laughing about Deadpool, look no further. With The Rise of Comic Book Movies, you’ll feel like you are on the film set, walking the halls of Valhalla and in your very own Fortress of Solitude with your favorite reads.

American Pop

American Pop PDF

Author: Bob Batchelor

Publisher: Greenwood

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 424

ISBN-13:

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Chronicles the history of popular culture in America from 1960 through 1989, and discusses advertising, architecture, print media, entertainment, fashion, food, music, sports, art, and more; and includes time line for each decade.