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Screening the World

Global Development of the Multiplex Cinema

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  • Marks the first book-length study of the history and development of the multiplex cinema globally

  • Offers a series of comparative case studies of exhibition markets in three continents, bringing out differences in local film cultures as well as tracing wider patterns

  • Marshals a wide range of contemporaneous source material and data in order to inform the analysis

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Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
  2. Introduction

    • Stuart Hanson
    Pages 1-6
  3. The Multiplex Cinema in the USA

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7
    2. The Origins of the Multiplex in the USA

      • Stuart Hanson
      Pages 9-30
    3. The Emergence of the Multiplex in the USA

      • Stuart Hanson
      Pages 31-58
    4. From Multiplex to Megaplex

      • Stuart Hanson
      Pages 59-86
  4. The Multiplex Cinema in Britain

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 87-87
    2. Exporting the Multiplex to Britain

      • Stuart Hanson
      Pages 89-115
    3. The Multiplex is Consolidated in Britain

      • Stuart Hanson
      Pages 117-136
    4. Multiplexes Move Out of Town and Back Again

      • Stuart Hanson
      Pages 137-165
  5. The Multiplex Cinema in Europe

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 167-167
    2. The Multiplex in Germany and France

      • Stuart Hanson
      Pages 193-214
  6. The Multiplex Cinema in Asia-Pacific

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 215-215
    2. The Multiplex in Australia

      • Stuart Hanson
      Pages 217-231
    3. Conclusion: The Multiplex as a Global Form

      • Stuart Hanson
      Pages 253-260
  7. Back Matter

    Pages 261-290

About this book

This book charts the development of the multiplex cinema as the pre-eminent form of film exhibition across the world. Going from its origins in the USA in the 1960s to its expansion overseas from the mid-1980s across Europe, Australia and other parts of Asia-Pacific, the book considers the emergence of a series of initially regional, then national and then international exhibition circuits. However, more than a consideration of US overseas expansion on the part of companies, this book examines the hegemony of the multiplex as a cultural and business form, arguing for its significance as a phenomenon that has transcended national and global boundaries and which has become the predominant venue for film viewing. Implicit in this analysis is a recognition of the domination of US media multi-nationals and Hollywood cinema, and the development of the multiplex cinema as symbolic of the extension and maintenance of the USA’s cultural and economic power. With case studies ranging from European countries such as Belgium, France, Germany and The Netherlands, to Pacific-Asian countries such as Australia, China, Japan and South Korea, this book is the first to explore the development of multiplexes on a global scale. 

Authors and Affiliations

  • De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

    Stuart Hanson

About the author

Stuart Hanson is Associate Professor at De Montfort University, UK. He is author of From Silent Screen to Multi-Screen: A History of Cinema Exhibition in Britain Since 1896 (2007) and a range of articles and chapters on the development of the multiplex cinema.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access