Description
Insightful, witty, as exuberant as its subject matter, Dangerous Rhythm offers a fresh, revolutionary take on a uniquely American institution: the movie musical. In a book that is at once history, analysis, investigation, and meditation, noted film historian Richard Barrios takes on the entire musical spectrum, from Al Jolson and The Broadway Melody to hip-hop and Les Miserables. Over nine decades, the musical film has been a cornerstone of the entertainment world, yet its existence has been more erratic that any other type of film. Barrios delves deep into the genre, uncovering what makes it a commercially and artistically successful art form that, despite falling in and out of favor with the American public, has a firm and enduring hold on the American cultural imagination. Each chapter focuses on a core issue relating to the musical film: what does it take to make a successful musical performer? What is the relationship between film musicals and Broadway musicals? How does the rise of certain types of popular music, such as rock or rap, affect how the musical film is received? Through it all, Barrios argues definitively and irresistibly that, as the book's subtitle asserts, movie musicals matter -- yet, as the title implies, they are terribly difficult to do well. But when they are right, they transport and captivate viewers, striking deeply resonant chords of identification and wish-fulfillment, as well as or better than any other kind of movie.
About the Author
Richard Barrios worked in the music and film industries before turning to film history with the award-winning A Song in the Dark and Screened Out. He lectures extensively and appears frequently on television and in film and DVD documentaries. Born in the swamps of south Louisiana and a longtime resident of New York City, he now lives in bucolic suburban Philadelphia.
Reviews
This is a book by someone who is indeed captivated: a love letter for the best of musical cinema and a blown raspberry for the worst... * The Spectator, Sam Leith *
Richard Barrios's survey of the genre dives vividly into all its contradictions, its seemingly accidental triumphs, and its most effortful, well-meant failures. He knows the litany of films inside out, and there's not much that gets past him: the book is somewhere between a stern celebration and a wake...He has sharp words for every scar on his weathered, ageing, occasionally miraculous art form. And rightly so. * The Telegraph, Tim Robey *
Barrios knows his stuff, and musical film aficionados are well advised to get a hold of Dangerous Rhythm. He combines vast knowledge of the subject with tangy writing, resulting in a hard-to-put-down read. * Matthew Kennedy, author of Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s *
Few people can discuss early-talkie musicals and television's Glee with equal authority. Richard Barrios sees it all as part of a continuum, which is what makes his wide-ranging book so relevant. His sense of humor and lively prose style transform a scholarly treatise into a highly enjoyable reading experience. * Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian. *
Simultaneously a rigorous dissection of and a valentine to the movie musical. * Milwaukee Journal Sentinel *
[A] hugely readable, authoritative meditation on the Hollywood musical. * Philadelphia Inquirer *
[Barrios] writes about his subject authoritatively...and always directly. He does so with an absence of heavy theorizing and an abundance of strong opinions. Part of what makes Dangerous Rhythm enjoyable to read is its idiomatic prose. * Wall Street Journal *
Barrios knows this material inside out, which allows him to step back to make often inspired observations. * New York Times Book Review *
Over the years, there have been many books written about the American film musical, ranging from the superficial to the academically analytical. Few have the sheer readability - and concentrated insight - of Dangerous Rhythm, an enjoyable (and highly informative) volume. * Barry Forshaw, DVD Choice *
Book Information
ISBN 9780199973842
Author Richard Barrios
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 544g
Dimensions(mm) 163mm * 236mm * 25mm
About the Author
Richard Barrios worked in the music and film industries before turning to film history with the award-winning A Song in the Dark and Screened Out. He lectures extensively and appears frequently on television and in film and DVD documentaries. Born in the swamps of south Louisiana and a longtime resident of New York City, he now lives in bucolic suburban Philadelphia.
Reviews
This is a book by someone who is indeed captivated: a love letter for the best of musical cinema and a blown raspberry for the worst... * The Spectator, Sam Leith *
Richard Barrios's survey of the genre dives vividly into all its contradictions, its seemingly accidental triumphs, and its most effortful, well-meant failures. He knows the litany of films inside out, and there's not much that gets past him: the book is somewhere between a stern celebration and a wake...He has sharp words for every scar on his weathered, ageing, occasionally miraculous art form. And rightly so. * The Telegraph, Tim Robey *
Barrios knows his stuff, and musical film aficionados are well advised to get a hold of Dangerous Rhythm. He combines vast knowledge of the subject with tangy writing, resulting in a hard-to-put-down read. * Matthew Kennedy, author of Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s *
Few people can discuss early-talkie musicals and television's Glee with equal authority. Richard Barrios sees it all as part of a continuum, which is what makes his wide-ranging book so relevant. His sense of humor and lively prose style transform a scholarly treatise into a highly enjoyable reading experience. * Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian. *
Simultaneously a rigorous dissection of and a valentine to the movie musical. * Milwaukee Journal Sentinel *
[A] hugely readable, authoritative meditation on the Hollywood musical. * Philadelphia Inquirer *
[Barrios] writes about his subject authoritatively...and always directly. He does so with an absence of heavy theorizing and an abundance of strong opinions. Part of what makes Dangerous Rhythm enjoyable to read is its idiomatic prose. * Wall Street Journal *
Barrios knows this material inside out, which allows him to step back to make often inspired observations. * New York Times Book Review *
Over the years, there have been many books written about the American film musical, ranging from the superficial to the academically analytical. Few have the sheer readability - and concentrated insight - of Dangerous Rhythm, an enjoyable (and highly informative) volume. * Barry Forshaw, DVD Choice *
Book Information
ISBN 9780199973842
Author Richard Barrios
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 544g
Dimensions(mm) 163mm * 236mm * 25mm
