Queer Images: A History of Gay and Lesbian Film in America (Genre and Beyond: A Film Studies Series)

I have always taken an interest in film history, studying all different genres. This is an excellent book on the history of queer cinema and a great companion book to Vito Russo's "The Celluloid Closet." It discusses the earliest images and characters in queer cinema to current independent films. In addition, the authors discuss how gay audiences interpreted characters in certain films where visibility of themselves were scarce; how directors would manipulate and present characters that were acceptable to straight audiences but gay audience could immediately identify as queer. There is discussion on negative depictions in postwar Hollywood--any gay character always met with a tragic ending. Out of the fear and loathing came films of the sexual revolution and Gay Pride. Other types of films were discussed, such as "educational/exploitation" films, physique films, underground art films and how these influenced future independent filmmakers. It is very detailed, scholarly, yet written in a style that is easy to read and keeps the reader's interest. I don't feel this book "picks up" where "The Celluloid Closet" ends; rather, it provides a different view of queer cinema, covering other aspects that Russo's book does not. I highly recommend this book as well as "The Celluloid Closet" for a more comprehensive history of queer cinema.

Another great book by Benshoff! Loved the work, not as much as I did Monsters in the Closet, but it was good.

Provides an interesting array of material on gays and lesbians in the film industry....it is a good starting point and you will probably need other books to substantiate this book..

EXCELLENT! NEEDED FOR A SUMMER CLASS AND RECEIVED IT FAST AND AS STATED

This book is a excellent update to Vito Russo's 1981 classic "The Celluloid Closet" written just before Brokeback Mountain was released and created a phenomenon on queer images on American Mainstream film, this book is, as it says, the most up to date of its kind (even though Brokeback was released back in 2006) and is a thorough examination in dissecting Mainstream film and how they have portrayed the LGBT community over 100 years of the existence of film. Also, it discusses audience expectation, both heterosexual and homosexual, and some insight into the inner lives of homosexual people in Hollywood, such as directors George Cukor (My Fair Lady) and Dorothy Arzner (Fashions for Women) Even though the book was £22 I was shocked at the price, then again I was shocked at the excellent quality of the book, which is perfect for my use of it in College. Worth every penny (worth saving for) and an excellent read, hopefully in a few years time they will have an even more updated version of this masterpiece. As the portrayal of the LGBT community still is an ongoing issue in American mainstream film.