In the world of film, Hollywood has always been the center of power; it has supplied the dominant voice. Hollywood stars and movies with their sophisticated blend of entertainment, art, and ideology have captivated audiences everywhere. But there is another world of film, perhaps lesser known: the counter-cinema. This kind of film provides a dynamic, growing opposition-a subservice counterpoint-to Hollywood. It includes the work of radical Third World filmmakers, the women's movement, gays and lesbians, and the independent left. It is a practice that identifies with political movements in society and has developed a conscious critique of the dominant cinema. The essays in this collection bring together an integrated analysis of Hollywood and the counter-cinema, and call for a political criticism of the cinema.

Peter Steven teaches media studies at Ryerson University in Toronto, and he is the author of The No-Nonsense Guide to Global Media. His writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Le Devoir, the New Internationalist, Jump Cut, the Canadian Journal of Film Studies and the Beaver. He holds a PhD in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University in Chicago. Peter lives in Toronto, Ontario.

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An extremely valuable collection…All the articles are good. Some are spectacular. Virtually all are accessible to people new to film criticism.

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