"Many of American cinema's most defining movies have roots in the South. Be they films that excite (No Country for Old Men), amuse (My Cousin Vinny), or disturb (Deliverance), Southern movies remain some of the most evocative in modern filmmaking. The South Never Plays Itself examines the historical and cultural legacy of the South and the silver screen, a relationship as tangled and inextricable as Spanish moss. From the racist propaganda of The...

"In Southern History on Screen: Race and Rights, 1976--2016, editor Bryan Jack brings together essays from an international roster of scholars to provide new critical perspectives on Hollywood's relationships between historical films, Southern history, identity, and the portrayal of Jim Crow--era segregation. This collection analyzes films through the lens of religion, politics, race, sex, and class, building a comprehensive look at the South as seen...

A critic and historian who has been watching cinema for seventy years and has seen almost nineteen thousand films presents a tour of his favorite movies, highlighting forgotten treasures and explaining what makes a film a hit or a flop.

Whether we are trying to impress a date after an art-house film screening or discussing Oscar nominations with friends, we all need ways to watch and talk about movies. But with so much variety between an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and a Nora Ephron romantic comedy, how can everyday viewers determine what makes a good movie? In Talking Pictures, veteran film critic Ann Hornaday walks us through the production of a typical movie-from writing the script...