The erotic thriller in contemporary cinema / Linda Ruth Williams.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Williams, Linda Ruth, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Erotic films--History and criticism.

Erotic films.

Sex in motion pictures.

Thrillers (Motion pictures)--History and criticism.

Thrillers (Motion pictures).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (481 pages)

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : ed, [2005]

Summary:

GBS_insertPreviewButtonPopup('ISBN:9780748611485);A bold and original study, this is the first book to examine in detail a new genre which evolved since the 1980s in tandem with shifts in the culture of sexuality and the rise of video - the erotic thriller. The book traces the erotic thriller's exploitation of pornography and noir, discusses mainstream stars (such as Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone) alongside genre-branded direct-to-video stars, charts the work of key producers and directors, and reads home-viewing as a distinct form of spectatorial pleasure. It maps the history of 'suspense in suspenders' films, analysing hundreds of movies from blockbusters such as Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction and In the Cut to straight-to-video film titles such as Carnal Crimes, Sins of Desire and Night Eyes.The Erotic Thriller in Contemporary Cinema reads genre as laying bare the poetics of the cinematic marketplace. The erotic thriller plays out the sexual fantasies of contemporary America, which are marketed globally. Williams's witty and illuminating readings not only tell the story of this sensational genre, but contribute to the analysis of mainstream screen sex - and its censorship - at the beginning of the twenty-first century.Key FeaturesThe first study of an important new film genre.Of interest to general film-goers and fans of the genre, the book also fills a major gap in the academic market.Includes interviews with important industry personnel such as Paul Verhoeven, William Friedkin, Brian De Palma, Gregory Dark, Katt Shea and Jag Mundhra."

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements and thanks

Preface

1 Introduction: Carnal Crimes: The Erotic Thriller from Noir to the 1990s

PART I Blockbuster Thrills: Erotic Noir in the Mainstream

Definitions and Precursors

2 Femme Fatales, Fall-Guys and Paranoid Women: Sexual and Narrative Blueprints

3 ‘Meisters of Porno-noir’ – Key Players in the Cinematic Erotic Thriller

PART II Suspense in Suspenders: The Direct-to-Video Erotic Thriller

Introduction

4 Softcore on the Sofa

5 The Bad and the Beautiful: Key Players in the Direct-to-Video Erotic Thriller

6 Uncovered and Undercover: Issues in the Direct-to-Video Erotic Thriller

Conclusion: The Erotic Thriller’s Hybrid Children

Afterword on In the Cut: New Century, Old Sex?

Bibliography

Films Cited

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-4744-7360-1