Books by Charles R. Acland

Charles R. Acland charts the origins, impact, and dynamics of the blockbuster, showing how it became a complex economic and cultural machine designed to advance popular support for technological advances.

Looks back at the strange history of subliminal seduction: a theory first propagated in the late 1950s by marketing researcher James Vicary, who claimed that movie audiences bought more refreshments if advertising messages too quick to be noticed were inserted into movies.

Looks at how the commercial movie industry has altered conceptions of movie going both within the industry and among audiences. This title shows how studios, in their increasing reliance on revenues from audiences around the world, have cultivated a global understanding of their products over the years.