American Cinema (1994) | StreamScapeX

Episodes

Season 1, 13 episodes

Episode 1: The Hollywood Style
- Now playing
- 55m
- Jun 7, 1995
In the classical Hollywood film, the story is primary. Filmmakers rely on style — structure, narrative, and visual elements — to effectively tell their story. Martin Scorsese and Sydney Pollack are among the premier directors who discuss how classical Hollywood style, evolving and yet enduring over time, informs their work.
Episode 2: The Studio System
- 55m
- Jun 14, 1995
This program surveys Hollywood's industrial past during the era of contract players and directors, studio police forces, and colorful movie moguls. It also looks at the filmmaking environment of today with studio heads Michael Eisner, Howard Koch, and others. Paramount Pictures, one of the oldest and most successful of the Hollywood studios, serves as a case study.
Episode 3: The Star
- 55m
- Jun 21, 1995
Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Dustin Hoffman — these among many others are names synonymous with Hollywood. Early on, Hollywood saw that recognizable talent could minimize the financial risks of film production. Critics, film scholars, and studio publicists view the stars from many angles: as marketing tools, cultural icons, and products of the industry. Joan Crawford headlines as a case study of the cultural phenomenon of stardom.
Episode 4: The Western
- 55m
- Jun 28, 1995
The western is an American myth that has been translated by other cultures and reinterpreted time and again, but never dies. With clips and critical commentary on westerns from John Ford's Stagecoach through the work of Arthur Penn, Sam Peckinpah, and Clint Eastwood, the program traces the aesthetic evolution of the genre as well as its sociological importance.
Episode 5: Romantic Comedy
- 55m
- Jul 5, 1995
Breezy and silly to witty and intelligent, romantic comedies have been with us since the 1930s. But the surface humor has often just barely masked issues of gender and sexuality. This program looks back on screwball comedies including It Happened One Night and His Girl Friday. Directors James Brooks and Nora Ephron present interpretations of the genre that reveal the underlying social and psychological messages.
Episode 6: The Combat Film
- 55m
- Jul 12, 1995
Beginning with World War II combat films — produced under directives from the federal government — this program examines the role of the combat film in filling a social and political need. Critics and directors describe the evolution of these films, the rise of the Vietnam film, and the influence of the newsreel documentaries and TV news on the genre.
Episode 7: Film Noir
- 55m
- Jul 19, 1995
These cynical and pessimistic films from the 1930s and '40s touched a nerve in Americans. Historians link the genre's overriding paranoia to Cold War-related angst over the nuclear threat and the Hollywood blacklist. In addition, a cinematographer demonstrates the creation of noir lighting, which gave films their peculiar look and emphasized the themes of corruption and urban decay.
Episode 8: Film in the Television Age
- 55m
- Jul 26, 1995
Television first arrived in American homes just as the Hollywood studio system was collapsing. As the new medium took hold, so did a new era of motion picture entertainment. Top directors, actors, and film scholars trace the influence of each medium on the other, from the live and fresh dramas of the Golden Age of Television and the growth of Hollywood spectacles to the megalithic entertainment industry of today.
Episode 9: The Film School Generation
- 55m
- Aug 2, 1995
Maverick filmmakers of the 1960s and '70s, including Brian DePalma, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg, capitalized on new technology and borrowed from classical Hollywood and French New Wave as they reinvented the American film. The financial and cultural forces that contributed to their success and commercial clout are explored.
Episode 10: The Edge of Hollywood
- 55m
- Aug 9, 1995
While many of the old rules are still in force, independent filmmakers today often add their dissenting voices to the forum. This program looks at some alternative visions from new talents including Spike Lee, Joel and Ethan Coen, Jim Jarmusch, and Quentin Tarantino. With limited budgets, they are challenging the stylistic status quo of the Hollywood film.
Episode 11: Film Language
- 55m
- Aug 22, 1996
"Film Language" illustrates basic terms such as tracking shots and zooms and also provides a primer on editing technique.
Episode 12: Writing and Thinking About Film
- 55m
- Aug 22, 1996
"Writing and Thinking About Film" provides a formal and cultural analysis of a classical film sequence. It serves as a critical how-to guide for those new to film critique.
Episode 13: Classical Hollywood Today
- 55m
- Aug 22, 1996
"Classical Hollywood Today" offers interviews with contemporary directors, European filmmakers, scholars, and critics, as well as studio-era veterans who probe Hollywood's influence on both American and world culture.

American Cinema

1994 to 1996
1 season
55m per episode
Documentary

8.3TMDB(3)

Overview

13 episode series created by PBS to commemorate 100 years of movie-going. The history of Hollywood and filmmaking comes alive in this spectacular celebration of movie magic. It's a mesmerizing, epic analysis that combines rare archival film, key scenes from immortal movies, interviews with leading filmmakers and commentary from noted film scholars and critics. As seen on PBS, this series is the definitive chronicle of the American cinema, from its beginning to today. Includes interviews with Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Spike Lee, George Lucas, Sidney Lumet, Julia Roberts, Martin Scorsese, Gene Siskel, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, and many more.

Fun facts

Episodes
Ran for 1 season and 13 episodes (1994 to 1996)
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Details

Status: Ended
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
First aired: January 1, 1994
Last aired: August 22, 1996
Original language: English
Countries: United States of America

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In the United States

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Production

New York Center for Visual History

Cast

Episodes

Season 1, 13 episodes

Episode 1: The Hollywood Style
- Now playing
- 55m
- Jun 7, 1995
In the classical Hollywood film, the story is primary. Filmmakers rely on style — structure, narrative, and visual elements — to effectively tell their story. Martin Scorsese and Sydney Pollack are among the premier directors who discuss how classical Hollywood style, evolving and yet enduring over time, informs their work.
Episode 2: The Studio System
- 55m
- Jun 14, 1995
This program surveys Hollywood's industrial past during the era of contract players and directors, studio police forces, and colorful movie moguls. It also looks at the filmmaking environment of today with studio heads Michael Eisner, Howard Koch, and others. Paramount Pictures, one of the oldest and most successful of the Hollywood studios, serves as a case study.
Episode 3: The Star
- 55m
- Jun 21, 1995
Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Dustin Hoffman — these among many others are names synonymous with Hollywood. Early on, Hollywood saw that recognizable talent could minimize the financial risks of film production. Critics, film scholars, and studio publicists view the stars from many angles: as marketing tools, cultural icons, and products of the industry. Joan Crawford headlines as a case study of the cultural phenomenon of stardom.
Episode 4: The Western
- 55m
- Jun 28, 1995
The western is an American myth that has been translated by other cultures and reinterpreted time and again, but never dies. With clips and critical commentary on westerns from John Ford's Stagecoach through the work of Arthur Penn, Sam Peckinpah, and Clint Eastwood, the program traces the aesthetic evolution of the genre as well as its sociological importance.
Episode 5: Romantic Comedy
- 55m
- Jul 5, 1995
Breezy and silly to witty and intelligent, romantic comedies have been with us since the 1930s. But the surface humor has often just barely masked issues of gender and sexuality. This program looks back on screwball comedies including It Happened One Night and His Girl Friday. Directors James Brooks and Nora Ephron present interpretations of the genre that reveal the underlying social and psychological messages.
Episode 6: The Combat Film
- 55m
- Jul 12, 1995
Beginning with World War II combat films — produced under directives from the federal government — this program examines the role of the combat film in filling a social and political need. Critics and directors describe the evolution of these films, the rise of the Vietnam film, and the influence of the newsreel documentaries and TV news on the genre.
Episode 7: Film Noir
- 55m
- Jul 19, 1995
These cynical and pessimistic films from the 1930s and '40s touched a nerve in Americans. Historians link the genre's overriding paranoia to Cold War-related angst over the nuclear threat and the Hollywood blacklist. In addition, a cinematographer demonstrates the creation of noir lighting, which gave films their peculiar look and emphasized the themes of corruption and urban decay.
Episode 8: Film in the Television Age
- 55m
- Jul 26, 1995
Television first arrived in American homes just as the Hollywood studio system was collapsing. As the new medium took hold, so did a new era of motion picture entertainment. Top directors, actors, and film scholars trace the influence of each medium on the other, from the live and fresh dramas of the Golden Age of Television and the growth of Hollywood spectacles to the megalithic entertainment industry of today.
Episode 9: The Film School Generation
- 55m
- Aug 2, 1995
Maverick filmmakers of the 1960s and '70s, including Brian DePalma, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg, capitalized on new technology and borrowed from classical Hollywood and French New Wave as they reinvented the American film. The financial and cultural forces that contributed to their success and commercial clout are explored.
Episode 10: The Edge of Hollywood
- 55m
- Aug 9, 1995
While many of the old rules are still in force, independent filmmakers today often add their dissenting voices to the forum. This program looks at some alternative visions from new talents including Spike Lee, Joel and Ethan Coen, Jim Jarmusch, and Quentin Tarantino. With limited budgets, they are challenging the stylistic status quo of the Hollywood film.
Episode 11: Film Language
- 55m
- Aug 22, 1996
"Film Language" illustrates basic terms such as tracking shots and zooms and also provides a primer on editing technique.
Episode 12: Writing and Thinking About Film
- 55m
- Aug 22, 1996
"Writing and Thinking About Film" provides a formal and cultural analysis of a classical film sequence. It serves as a critical how-to guide for those new to film critique.
Episode 13: Classical Hollywood Today
- 55m
- Aug 22, 1996
"Classical Hollywood Today" offers interviews with contemporary directors, European filmmakers, scholars, and critics, as well as studio-era veterans who probe Hollywood's influence on both American and world culture.

Episodes

E1 Episode 1: The Hollywood Style

E2 Episode 2: The Studio System

E3 Episode 3: The Star

E4 Episode 4: The Western

E5 Episode 5: Romantic Comedy

E6 Episode 6: The Combat Film

E7 Episode 7: Film Noir

E8 Episode 8: Film in the Television Age

E9 Episode 9: The Film School Generation

E10 Episode 10: The Edge of Hollywood

E11 Episode 11: Film Language

E12 Episode 12: Writing and Thinking About Film

E13 Episode 13: Classical Hollywood Today

Overview

Fun facts

Details

Streaming on

Production

Cast

More like this

Episodes

E1 Episode 1: The Hollywood Style

E2 Episode 2: The Studio System

E3 Episode 3: The Star

E4 Episode 4: The Western

E5 Episode 5: Romantic Comedy

E6 Episode 6: The Combat Film

E7 Episode 7: Film Noir

E8 Episode 8: Film in the Television Age

E9 Episode 9: The Film School Generation

E10 Episode 10: The Edge of Hollywood

E11 Episode 11: Film Language

E12 Episode 12: Writing and Thinking About Film

E13 Episode 13: Classical Hollywood Today

Episode 1: The Hollywood Style

Episode 2: The Studio System

Episode 3: The Star

Episode 4: The Western

Episode 5: Romantic Comedy

Episode 6: The Combat Film

Episode 7: Film Noir

Episode 8: Film in the Television Age

Episode 9: The Film School Generation

Episode 10: The Edge of Hollywood

Episode 11: Film Language

Episode 12: Writing and Thinking About Film

Episode 13: Classical Hollywood Today

Episode 1: The Hollywood Style

Episode 2: The Studio System

Episode 3: The Star

Episode 4: The Western

Episode 5: Romantic Comedy

Episode 6: The Combat Film

Episode 7: Film Noir

Episode 8: Film in the Television Age

Episode 9: The Film School Generation

Episode 10: The Edge of Hollywood

Episode 11: Film Language

Episode 12: Writing and Thinking About Film

Episode 13: Classical Hollywood Today