Vietnam War Movies

The Pocket Essentials: Film

by Jamie Russell

Pocket Essentials is a dynamic series of books that are concise, lively, and easy to read. Packed with facts as well as expert opinions, each book has all the key information you need to know about such popular topics as film, television, cult fiction, history, and more. It has been over 25 years since the Americans left Vietnam, their most ignominious defeat ever. From The Deer Hunter to Platoon, the Vietnam cycle of films that America has been producing since the 1970s has had an impact on audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. This Pocket Essential offers an overview of the genre, including its many sub-genres—the training film Full Metal Jacket, the anti-war diatribe Platoon, the Vietnam Vet saga First Blood, and the surreal Apocalypse Now. Loved by audiences, debated over by critics, and frequently used on film studies and history courses, the Vietnam War film has a wide appeal.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film

96 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

When Jamie was five, he saw a Space Invaders arcade machine in a greasy fish and chip shop at the seaside. It blew his mind and started a lifelong love of videogames.

After graduating from London University, Jamie became a film critic for the BBC and a contributing editor for Total Film magazine. He was sent to special movie screenings and fed free sandwiches. He thought it was the best job ever.

But he was wrong…

A little later, he wrote for videogame magazine EDGE and realised that you could actually get paid for shooting aliens in the face with shotguns.

Since then he has worked as a screenwriter, speechwriter and as a narrative consultant for a big US tech company that swore him to secrecy. He has written several non-fiction books for grown ups on everything from videogames to zombies.

His fiction debut is the SKYWAKE trilogy for readers 9+ launching in March 2021. It's a story about videogames, aliens and what it takes to be a leader.

Reviews

[Mikael · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's what it says on the back. Read for a media interpretation course.

[Malika-Liki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate this book,. it was synthetic, organized in sub-genre, and had a technical note for the films. I appreciate Jamie Russel inputs and sort of rating.