Following upon the popularity of Film Noir Reader and The Western Reader, this lavishly illustrated collection of essays recalls the movies that over the past century have made us smile, chuckle and laugh -- often uncontrollably. Some of the pieces focus on those stars whose energy, imagination, timing and attitude were irresistibly funny, others on the special vision and techniques of such masters of comedy directing as Mark Sennett, Ernst Lubitsch, Howard Hawks, Billy Wilder, Woody Allen, Hal Ashby, Mike Nichols, Hal Hartley and David O Russell. In the final section of the book, comedies of the 90s like There's Something about Mary, Spanking the Monkey and Rushmore are considered as reflections of our changing social values. But here, as throughout this collection, recognition of underlying serious themes never obscures the ultimate quality of the great movie comedies: the power to make us laugh.
Author Biography
Gregg Rickman
