Thursday, February 24, 2011

Recommended book: Reel Power

If you're interested in the politics of Hollywood and the powerful interests working tirelessly to exploit this so-called 'Dream Factory', both from outside and within, then you should take a look at Reel Power: Hollywood Cinema and American Supremacy, by my colleague Dr Matthew Alford.

Though not about UFOs, the book nevertheless provides much food for thought for anyone intrigued by the notion of a 'Hollywood UFO conspiracy', shining a light on the corporations (including leading defence contractors as well as the parent companies of the studios themselves) and political agencies (including the CIA) that can and do influence the content of Hollywood productions on a regular basis.


Description from the publisher:

Hollywood is often characterised as a stronghold of left-liberal ideals. In Reel Power, Matthew Alford shows that it is in fact deeply complicit in serving the interests of the most regressive US corporate and political forces.

Films like Transformers, Terminator: Salvation and Black Hawk Down are constructed with Defence Department assistance as explicit cheerleaders for the US military, but Matthew Alford also emphasises how so-called 'radical' films like Three Kings, Hotel Rwanda and Avatar present watered-down alternative visions of American politics that serve a similar function.

Reel Power is the first book to examine the internal workings of contemporary Hollywood as a politicised industry as well as scores of films across all genres. 

No matter what the progressive impulses of some celebrities and artists, Alford shows how they are part of a system that is hard-wired to encourage American global supremacy and frequently the use of state violence.

If any of this appeals to you, then you should also check out the following articles co-authored by Matthew and myself focusing on the 'deep politics' of Hollywood:

Lights, Camera... Covert Action

In the Parents' Best Interests

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