Emanuel Levy
Cinema 24/7
Gay Directors, Gay Films?
Pedro Almodóvar, Terence Davies, Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, John Waters
By Emanuel Levy
This is an impressively informative treatment of five prominent
gay directors who represent a wide range of differences
within the gay spectrum. Levy’s background in gay cinema,
independent cinema, and traditional Hollywood cinema make
him the ideal author for this significant and original study.”
—Molly Haskell, film critic and author of Frankly, My Dear:
Gone with the Wind Revisited
“In a nuanced examination of five pioneering gay directors,
Emanuel Levy moves with fluid grace and astonishing erudition
through a broad range of national traditions and personal
styles, nailing what is peculiar and intriguing about each
auteur. His study will enchant anyone interested in the twists
and turns of gender, sex, and cinema over the last 50 years.”
—Thomas Doherty, author of Hollywood and Hitler, 1933-1939
About the Book:
For most of the twentieth century, gay characters and gay themes
were both underrepresented and misrepresented in mainstream
cinema. Since the 1970s, however, a new generation of openly gay
directors has turned the closet inside out, bringing a new and poignant
immediacy to modern cinema and popular culture.
Combining his experienced critique with in-depth interviews
conducted with each director, Emanuel Levy draws a clear timeline
of gay filmmaking over the past four decades and its particular
influences and innovations. While recognizing the “queering” of
American culture that resulted from these films, Levy also takes
stock of the ensuing conservative backlash and its impact on
cinematic art, a trend that continues alongside the growing
acceptance of homosexuality.
He compares the similarities and differences between the “North
American” attitudes of Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, and John Waters
and the “European” perspectives of Pedro Almodóvar and Terence
Davies, developing a truly comprehensive, up-to-date approach to gay
filmmaking in particular and auteur cinema in general.
CO LUM B I A
August 2015 392 pages · 33 b&w photographs
$25.00/£17.50 paper · 978-0-231-15277-8
$35.00/£24.00 cloth · 978-0-231-15276-1
Bio
Emanuel Levy is a professor of film and sociology, who has
taught at Columbia University, Wellesley College, ASU, UCLA, and
New York University. He is the author of nine books, including
Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood’s Dark Dreamer; All About Oscar: The
History and Politics of the Academy Awards; Cinema of Outsiders:
The Rise of American Independent Film; George Cukor: Master
of Elegance; John Wayne: Prophet of the American Way of Life;
and Citizen Sarris: American Film Critic.
A two-time president of the L.A. Film Critics Association, Levy is the
only critic in the U.S. who votes for seven groups, ranging from the
Hollywood Foreign Press Association to the National Society of Film
Critics. He had served as senior critic for Variety and chief film critic for
Screen International before founding in 2003 the acclaimed website:
wwww.emanuellevy.com: Cinema 24/7. He has served on the grand
juries of fifty-four international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice,
Montreal, Locarno, Taormina, San Francisco, Hawaii and Sundance.
ORDER ONLINE NOW AND SAVE 30%
cup.columbia.edu
Gay Directors, Gay Films? Early Reviews of New Book
Gay Directors, Gay Films?
Pedro Almodóvar, Terence Davies, Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, John Waters
By Emanuel Levy
This is an impressively informative treatment of five prominent
gay directors who represent a wide range of differences
within the gay spectrum. Levy’s background in gay cinema,
independent cinema, and traditional Hollywood cinema make
him the ideal author for this significant and original study.”
—Molly Haskell, film critic and author of Frankly, My Dear:
Gone with the Wind Revisited
“In a nuanced examination of five pioneering gay directors,
Emanuel Levy moves with fluid grace and astonishing erudition
through a broad range of national traditions and personal
styles, nailing what is peculiar and intriguing about each
auteur. His study will enchant anyone interested in the twists
and turns of gender, sex, and cinema over the last 50 years.”
—Thomas Doherty, author of Hollywood and Hitler, 1933-1939
About the Book:
For most of the twentieth century, gay characters and gay themes
were both underrepresented and misrepresented in mainstream
cinema. Since the 1970s, however, a new generation of openly gay
directors has turned the closet inside out, bringing a new and poignant
immediacy to modern cinema and popular culture.
Combining his experienced critique with in-depth interviews
conducted with each director, Emanuel Levy draws a clear timeline
of gay filmmaking over the past four decades and its particular
influences and innovations. While recognizing the “queering” of
American culture that resulted from these films, Levy also takes
stock of the ensuing conservative backlash and its impact on
cinematic art, a trend that continues alongside the growing
acceptance of homosexuality.
He compares the similarities and differences between the “North
American” attitudes of Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, and John Waters
and the “European” perspectives of Pedro Almodóvar and Terence
Davies, developing a truly comprehensive, up-to-date approach to gay
filmmaking in particular and auteur cinema in general.
CO LUM B I A
August 2015 392 pages · 33 b&w photographs
$25.00/£17.50 paper · 978-0-231-15277-8
$35.00/£24.00 cloth · 978-0-231-15276-1
Bio
Emanuel Levy is a professor of film and sociology, who has
taught at Columbia University, Wellesley College, ASU, UCLA, and
New York University. He is the author of nine books, including
Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood’s Dark Dreamer; All About Oscar: The
History and Politics of the Academy Awards; Cinema of Outsiders:
The Rise of American Independent Film; George Cukor: Master
of Elegance; John Wayne: Prophet of the American Way of Life;
and Citizen Sarris: American Film Critic.
A two-time president of the L.A. Film Critics Association, Levy is the
only critic in the U.S. who votes for seven groups, ranging from the
Hollywood Foreign Press Association to the National Society of Film
Critics. He had served as senior critic for Variety and chief film critic for
Screen International before founding in 2003 the acclaimed website:
wwww.emanuellevy.com: Cinema 24/7. He has served on the grand
juries of fifty-four international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice,
Montreal, Locarno, Taormina, San Francisco, Hawaii and Sundance.
ORDER ONLINE NOW AND SAVE 30%
cup.columbia.edu