Jonathan Murray

Filmmaker Bill Forsyth is one of the most important and fondly regarded of all living Scottish artists. His filmmaking career, beginning with That Sinking Feeling (1979), paved the way for the emergence of an indigenous Scottish cinema. It also established Forsyth as one of the most distinctive and original voices in late twentieth-century European film. This book offers the first integrated and comprehensive study of the director’s complete œuvre. Through extended textual analysis and contextual discussion of each of Forsyth’s eight features, it traces the key formal and thematic characteristics of a remarkable career, one which encompasses both three-figure production budgets in Glasgow and multi-million-dollar adventures in the heart of Hollywood. The book also uses Forsyth’s films to explore the diverse range of film industrial contexts the director has worked within. Most importantly, it sheds light upon the hitherto under-documented zero-budget travails of 1970s Scotland and inflated expectations of early-1980s British film.

The Cinema of Bill Forsyth

Discomfort and Joy

David Murray

Citing the challenges facing middle-aged baby boomers, including childcare and aging parent care as well as fewer remaining earning years, a guide to managing personal finances covers such topics as 401ks, health-care costs, and college expenses.

The Sensible Plan for Making it All Work

Two for the Money

Explores intrinsic connections between early modern intelligencers and metadrama in the plays of Shakespeare's contemporaries.

Issues and Themes in Animated Documentary Cinema

Drawn from Life

Film and Cultural Studies Perspectives

Constructing The Wicker Man

Benjamin Franks

Lesley Stevenson

Stephen Harper

One of the greatest films ever to be made in Scotland, The Wicker Man immediately garnered a cult following on its release for its intense atmosphere and shocking denouement. This book explores the roots of this powerful, enduring film. With contributors including The Wicker Man director Robin Hardy, it is a thorough and informative read for all fans of this indispensable horror masterpiece.

Jonathan Murray

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