From Munsterberg’s original pronouncements in the early 20th century about the psychology of cinema, through the pioneering films of Melies, the works of the German expressionists, to James Bond and today’s superheroes this book weaves a narrative highlighting the importance of the social dream.
The Cultural Psychology of Motion Pictures: Dreams that Money Can Buy.- The Aliens in Us and the Aliens Out There: Science Fiction in the Movies.- The Role of Movies and Mental Health by Charles Winick.- Bedlam in Spyland: Is Bourne Bond?.- The Cult of Celebrity: How Hollywood Created Reality.- Life Imitating Art: Organized Crime on Screen.- Media and Film Influences on Popular Culture.- Conclusions: The Inventor, the Detective, and the Warrior.
From the reviews: "...any treatise on film or television themes is necessarily psychological. This is true of the book Film, Television and the Psychology of the Social Dream by Robert W. Rieber and Robert J. Kelly, and its title appears to emphasize the social psychology of film and television as shared experiences." Lauren S. Seifert PsycCRITIQUES September 8, 2014, Vol. 59, No. 36, Article 6