Film Studies Librarian
Lucinda M. Hall
Contact:
Evans Map Room, Baker-Berry Library
Dartmouth College
25 N Main ST
Hanover, NH 03755
Dartmouth College
25 N Main ST
Hanover, NH 03755
(603) 646-0962
Website Skype Contact: d1128r8@kiewit.dartmouth.edu
A general introduction to science films
Name a good science film. That is, a good film in which good (correct) science is central to the plot, or a least has a strong supporting part. Perhaps the protagonist (hero or villain) is also a scientist. If you don't allow the genre of science fiction, it's not that easy. When this challenge was issued in the Nature Physics office, there were frowns, thoughtful pauses, some googling, and only then a few suggestions. ...
[Source: Science on film. Nature Phys 5, 703 (2009)]
Selected book title(s)
Devices of curiosity: early cinema and popular science by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780199860708Devices of Curiosity excavates a largely unknown genre of early cinema, the popular-science film. Primarily a work of cinema history, it also draws on the insights of the history of science. Beginning around 1903, a variety of producers made films about scientific topics for general audiences,inspired by a vision of cinema as an educational medium. This book traces the development of popular-science films over the first half of the silent era, from its beginnings in England to its flourishing in France around 1910.
Exploring science through science fiction by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9783030293925How does Einstein's description of space and time compare with Doctor Who? Can James Bond really escape from an armor-plated railroad car by cutting through the floor with a laser concealed in a wristwatch? What would it take to create a fully intelligent android, such as Star Trek's Commander Data? Exploring Science Through Science Fiction addresses these and other intriguing questions, using science fiction as a springboard for discussing fundamental science concepts and cutting-edge science research. ...
Films of fact: a history of science in documentary films and television by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1995.9 .D6 B66 2008ISBN: 9781905674381Britain has long been recognised for its proud contribution to documentary cinema, yet its long tradition of scientific and medical documentaries remains underrepresented in the literature on nonfiction film. Films of Fact is the first in-depth history of the genre, which began with amateur hobbyists in the early twentieth century, played a key role in government postwar health programmes, and became a treasured part of popular culture with BBC2's Horizon and the programming of Channel 4. ...
Hollywood science: movies, science, and the end of the world by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1995.9 .S26 P47 2007ISBN: 9780231142809Whether depicting humans battling aliens or a brave geologist saving lives as a volcano erupts, science-fiction films are an exciting visual and sensuous introduction to the workings of science and technology. These films explore a range of complex topics in vivid and accessible ways, from space travel and laser technology to genetic engineering, global warming, and the consequences of nuclear weaponry. Though actual scientific lab work might not be as exciting, science fiction is an engaging yet powerful way for a wide audience to explore some of the most pressing issues and ideas of our time. In this book, a scientist and dedicated film enthusiast discusses the portrayal of science in more than one hundred films, including science fiction, scientific biographies, and documentaries. ...
Hollywood utopia: ecology in contemporary american cinema by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781841509129Utopianism, alongside its more prevalent dystopian opposite together with ecological study has become a magnet for interdisciplinary research and is used extensively to examine the most influential global medium of all time. The book applies a range of interdisciplinary strategies to trace the evolution of ecological representations in Hollywood film from 1950s to the present, which has not been done on this scale before. Many popular science fiction, westerns, nature and road movies, as listed in the filmography are extensively analysed while particularly privileging ecological moments of sublime expression often dramatized in the closing moments of these films. ...
Lab coats in Hollywood: science, scientists, and cinema by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780262014786How science consultants make movie science plausible, in films ranging from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Finding Nemo. Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, released in 1968, is perhaps the most scientifically accurate film ever produced. The film presented such a plausible, realistic vision of space flight that many moon hoax proponents believe that Kubrick staged the 1969 moon landing using the same studios and techniques. Kubrick's scientific verisimilitude in 2001 came courtesy of his science consultants--including two former NASA scientists--and the more than sixty-five companies, research organizations, and government agencies that offered technical advice. ...
Reaction!: chemistry in the movies by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780195326925ReAction! gives a scientist's and artist's response to the dark and bright sides of chemistry found in 140 films, most of them contemporary Hollywood feature films but also a few documentaries, shorts, silents, and international films. Even though there are some examples of screen chemistry between the actors and of behind-the-scenes special effects, this book is really about the chemistry when it is part of the narrative. ...
Finding scholarly articles & journal title(s)
Articles and other writings about movies can be found in many publications. We don't have any periodicals that look exclusively at science films in our collections. You can use Film & Television Literature Index to find articles or the search box at the top of the page.
Film & television literature index by Call Number: Electronic resourceUse this index to find articles about science films or science on film.
The web of science citation databases by Call Number: Electronic resourceThe online version of 3 separate ISI indexes: Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Science Citation Index and, Social Sciences Citation Index.
Finding science films in the library's collections
Find science films using the library's online catalog.
Internet resource(s)
- Best science films and shows on Netflix from Business InsiderIf you're looking for something entertaining and beautiful that'll also inform you, there's an incredible variety of science- and nature-focused documentaries and TV shows on Netflix right now. ...
- Imagine Science Film FestivalImagine Science Films is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in existence since 2008 committed to promoting a high-level dialogue between scientists and filmmakers. ...
- Sloan Science & FilmSloan Science & Film, an initiative of the Museum of the Moving Image, examines the intersection of science and film. Publishing weekly, the online publication features interviews with filmmakers and scientists, news about goings on in the world of science and film, and original articles exploring the cinematic depictions of scientific ideas and the science of film. ...
Keeping up with Film Studies journal literature
Want an easy way to keep up with the journal literature for all facets of Film Studies? And you use a mobile device? You can install the BrowZine app and create a custom Bookshelf of your favorite journal titles. Then you will get the Table of Contents (ToCs) of your favorite journals automatically delivered to you when they become available. Once you have the ToC's, you can download and read the articles you want from the journals for which we have subscriptions.
You can get the app from the App Store or Google Play.
Don't own or use a mobile device? You can still use BrowZine! It's also available in a web version. You can get to it here. The web version works the same way as the app version. Find the journals you like, create a custom Bookshelf, get ToCs and read the articles you want.