Hollywood V. Hard Core: How the Struggle over Censorship Created the Modern Film Industry

Rating:
Summary: Provocative Title, Thorough Study
Review: Jon E. Lewis has written an interesting book in Hollywood v. Hard Core, although it does not entirely live up to or prove its subtitle, How the Struggle Over Censorship Created the Modern Film Industry, it often comes close. The climax of the book focuses on the battles of the late sixties and early seventies but its vision is much larger and encompasses film history from its origins until the battles at the beginning of this new millenium. He promises heroes and villains and he delivers them and even combines one person (Jack Valenti) in both roles, depending on who is talking about him, of course. The book is always fascinating as it ranges over the history of film and the author always makes the economics clear and central to the debate (something left to the side in most histories of film censorship.) Particularly interesting and illuminating is the section on the McCarthy period. A recommended read.