Unique to this volume is a substantial chapter on the economics of movies, a little understood but critical element in shaping the movie's role in society. Similar chapters on sociological, psychological, political, and cultural aspects of movies round out the volume. The authors finish with a discussion of the uncertain future of this medium in the face of cable television, video records, and other technological innovations. Their book should be useful in courses on film studies, mass communication, theater, and popular culture, among other subjects.