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"The most significant change was the updating of the book to include a lengthy chapter on film in the second decade of the 21st century. The book will encompass among other subjects: an analysis of Obama, the man and his policies; Hillary Clinton's stunning defeat by Donald J Trump; the state of the economy slowly recovering from the 2008's devastating recession; and the rise and fall of the Arab Spring and the growth of Islamist terrorism. In addition, we explore the state of the film industry, including its facing competition from cable television's high-quality series, and the continuing development of technologies like Netflix and Hulu that stream films making it harder to attract film audiences. Most importantly, we place a great deal of emphasis on one problem that has haunted Hollywood for decades--the issue of diversity"--

Discusses labor issues portrayed on film, focusing on Bread and Roses, a feature film by Ken Loach, a British director known for politically radical, social-realist films. A mixture of entertainment, political polemic, & how-to-organize information, the film conveys real issues of workers. It is based around the Los Angeles Justice for Janitors campaign organized by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), & it explores difficulties when union leaders become complacent & let a sense of privilege alienate them from those they represent. Barbara Kopple's Oscar-winning documentary, The American Dream offers an even more truthful & incisive portrait of labor problems, & Deborah Kaufman & Alan Snitow's Secrets of Silicon Valley describes the exploitation of workers on the assembly line in this high tech industry. While documentaries reach only a small audience, Loach's feature film has portrayed worker problems & their capacity to confront political & economic powers. L. A. Hoffman

Examines portrayals of the inner city in American film, noting an abundance of 1990s movies that focused on the violence, self-destruction, & blight of the inner city as the backdrop for action films targeted for suburban audiences. The contrasting work of some talented directors who have avoided action melodrama & stereotypes to present brutally honest portraits of inner-city life is described. It is maintained that these unique films, which focus on Chicago, Los Angeles, & particularly New York, capture the ethos of Puerto Rican, African American, & white working-class worlds. A number of them are described & critiqued, including Spike Lee's popular movies, as well as the work of lesser known independent filmmakers like John Sayles. It is contended that the inner city's decreasing crime rate & improved climate of the late 1990s has not been fodder for films or TV dramas that depend on violent crimes & continuous mayhem. An examination of European inner-city films indicates that they tend to be darker & more politically aware than their American counterparts. 1 Illustration. J. Lindroth