Overview

The role of motion pictures in the popularity of rock music became increasingly significant in the latter twentieth century. Rock music and its interaction with film is the subject of this significant book that re-examines and extends Serge Denisoff's pioneering observations of this relationship. Prior to Saturday Night Fever rock music had a limited role in the motion picture business. That movie's success, and the success of its soundtrack, began to change the silver screen. In 1983, with Flashdance, the situation drastically evolved and by 1984, ten soundtracks, many in the pop/rock genre, were certified platinum. Choosing which rock scores to discuss in this book was a challenging task. The authors made selections from seminal films such as The Graduate, Easy Rider, American Graffiti, Saturday Night Fever, Help!, and Dirty Dancing. However, many productions of the period are significant not because of their success, but because of their box office and record store failures. Risky Business chronicles the interaction of two major mediums of mass culture in the latter twentieth century. This book is essential for those interested in communications, popular culture, and social change.

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9781412862882

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This is an encyclopedia of movies that have rock and roll soundtracks. Listing films chronologically from the 1950s through 1991, the authors offer plot synopses, production and marketing information, box office and record album receipts, and a summary of critical reviews for a couple hundred films... For general readers. --L. Rabinovitz, Choice

This is an encyclopedia of movies that have rock and roll soundtracks. Listing films chronologically from the 1950s through 1991, the authors offer plot synopses, production and marketing information, box office and record album receipts, and a summary of critical reviews for a couple hundred films... For general readers. -L. Rabinovitz, Choice This is the most ambitious book on rock-and-roll and films so far published. It is valuable in two ways. First as a work of reference... Second, as a guidebook through the corridors of the culture industries, it traces the history of the ways the media have become totally integrated as industries... A veritable treasure trove of information that will be indispensable for the foreseeable future. -David James, Film Quarterly What sets this text apart from all other studies on rock film is thoroughness... A landmark study. -B. Lee Cooper, Journal of Popular Culture In their analyses of the cross-fertilization among media industries, Denisoff and Romanowski offer both original and significant contributions to the contemporary popular music literature. Their examinations-of the economics of production, marketing, and distribution-offer very useful insights into those hybrid mechanisms of late capitalism designed to eliminate all risk from the business of mass entertainment. -Journal of Communication

Author Information

R. Serge Denisoff (1939-1994) founded and was editor of the Journal of Popular Music and Society. He is the author of many books, including Inside MTV, Sing a Song of Social Significance, and Solid Gold: The Popular Record Industry. William D. Romanowski is professor of Communication Arts and Sciences at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. His previous works include Reforming Hollywood and Eyes Wide Open.

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