The first collection of essays devoted to the phenomenon of the film sequel.

Materially grounded analysis of contemporary film, literature, and music in Hong Kong that resists the superficial stereotypes of the “global city. ”

Examines the enormous popular appeal of vampires from early Greek and Slavic folklore to present-day popular culture.

Explores the arrested development of American culture.

Uncovers the queer nature of heterosexuality on film.

Ecocritical takes on popular film.

Essays explore the broad cultural impact of Oprah’s Book Club.

Melds philosophical analysis with early cinematic history to develop a fresh theory of the notion of comedy.

Looks at contemporary sports talk radio and its relations to both traditional and newer forms of masculinity.

A revealing look at gender issues in contemporary sport.

The power and presence of dread in recent American cinema.

Shows how using texts from popular culture in the classroom can help young people to become critical consumers of media without losing the pleasure they derive from it.

Explores the role and function of the autopsy in Western culture, from Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lecture to The X-Files and CSI.

An analysis of how Oprah's Book Club has changed America's reading habits.

A fascinating look at fans of a variety of popular culture phenomena in Japan.

Documents the influence of Jewish music on American popular song.

Interviews with prominent filmmakers, actors, and others on the art, craft, and business of moviemaking.

Looks at how therapy and the "talking cure" have been portrayed in the movies.

Explores issues of representation and rebellion in Mexican and Mexican American cinema.

Explores women's place in sport and exercise from a socioculture perspective.

Uses the Sydney Olympics as a prism through which to explore recent Olympic scandals, media coverage, reform efforts, and controversies.

Shows how our cultural misconceptions about the body distort its capacities and lead to personal and social ills.

A comprehensive look at film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays.

Examines a wide variety of cultural and technological phenomena that have helped shape American popular culture over the last 150 years.

Contemplates the future of cinema in light of emerging digital technologies and new systems of distribution.