Acknowledgments
Introduction
Films A to Z
Appendix A: Superhero and Franchise Epics
Appendix B: Foreign-Language Epics
Appendix C: Epics Made for Television
Appendix D: Who’s Who among Directors and Their Work
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the Authors
Constantine Santas is professor emeritus at Flagler College (St.
Augustine, Florida), where he initiated a program of film studies
that continues today. He is the author of Responding to Film
(2002), The Epic in Film (2007), and The Epic Films of David Lean
(Scarecrow Press, 2011).
James M. Wilson teaches film, American literature, and creative
writing at Flagler College. He teaches and writes about film and
has published short stories in the Southwestern Review and Prairie
Winds, among others.
Maria Colavito is associate professor of philosophy/humanities at
Florida State College at Jacksonville. She is the author of three
books, including The Pythagorean Intertext in Ovid’s Metamorphoses
(1989) and The New Theogony: Mythology for the Real World
(1992).
Djoymi Baker teaches screen studies in the School of Culture and
Communication at the University of Melbourne. Her articles have
appeared in journals such as Popular Culture Review and Senses of
Cinema and in anthologies such as Star Trek as Myth: Essays on
Symbol and Archetype at the Final Frontier (2010).
An epic film, according to this publication, is one that is
lengthy, spectacular, live with action, and often filmed in exotic
locales with large casts and staggering budgets. The films are
sometimes three to four hours long. This volume features a 'Films A
to Z' section and four appendixes. Entries contain cast and
character listings, 'major personnel behind the camera,' plot
summaries, analysis, running time, Academy Award wins and
nominations, DVD/Blu-ray availability, and resources for further
study. The appendixes cover foreign epics, superhero spectaculars,
and television epics. . . .Many interesting facts are presented. .
. .Also notable are the instances in which this volume explores
both original films and their remakes. Two King Kong films, two
Cleopatra films, and two Ten Commandments films (1923 and 1956;
both directed by Cecil B. DeMille) are covered. Film series such as
The Godfather, the Christopher Reeve Superman films, The Lord of
the Rings series, and the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films are also
examined. Stanley Kubrick's majestic 2001: A Space Odyssey is
described as having vision, dazzling sets, visual style, beautiful
music score sequences, and mystery. These are definitive
ingredients for a classic epic film. This book will be a useful
addition to college and university libraries, especially those
supporting film programs. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division
undergraduates through researchers/faculty.
*CHOICE*
[T]his beneficial guide provides a historical perspective along
with ideas for general viewers and cineastes.
*Library Journal*
To borrow a famously ambiguous definition, it appears that one
knows what an epic is when one sees it. The introduction to this
eclectic encyclopedia—of a genre possessing a less distinct
character than, say, musicals, documentaries, or mysteries—eschews
a single definition of epic film. Rather, it traces the origins of
epic to the writings of Homer and other ancients on to American
film, especially through the 1960s. In the process, it describes
epic films’ evolving characteristics, relationship to archetypes,
and response to changes in popular taste. Organizational structure
implies the clearest distinction within the genre, relegating
superhero and franchise epics (such as Batman, Lord of the Rings,
Star Wars) to an appendix preceding appendixes for foreign-language
epics, made-for-TV epics, and directors and their works. . . .The
alphabetical organization by film title accommodates readily
acknowledged epics, such as Lawrence of Arabia, Gone with the Wind,
and Cleopatra, along with others that the label fits more loosely,
for example, Elmer Gantry and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Entries
include credits and substantial plot summaries, with less attention
to critical response. Most include a brief bibliography of
pertinent works. The index lists personal names and film titles.
This work, like other genre-specific film encyclopedias, will
please film buffs.
*Booklist*
This single-volume encyclopedia written by four authors (including
film scholar Constantine Santas) is one of the first reference
works dedicated solely to the epic film genre. The authors in the
introduction provide background information, including a definition
of what an epic is, and briefly describe how they selected the
films discussed. Organized in alphabetic order by title, this
specialized encyclopedia contains well over 100 individual film
entries. . . .The entries are quite thorough, usually in the
neighborhood of seven to ten paragraphs, and almost every film has
a notes and bibliography section for further reading. . . .The book
does an admirable job of trying to include a variety of epics from
famous titles such as Ben-Hur, Gone with the Wind, and Lawrence of
Arabia to more modern fare such as Lincoln and Avatar. This work is
good starting point for undergraduate students and film lovers to
learn more about specific American epics or expand their knowledge
of science fiction or action movies that one might not immediately
associate with the epic genre. The encyclopedia’s primary focus is
with American movies. Foreign epics are addressed mainly within one
appendix. . . .Ultimately, the main strength of this encyclopedia
is the easy-to-read yet lengthy plot summaries, analysis, and
bibliographies. This original reference work is recommended for
public libraries and academic libraries with a film studies
program.
*American Reference Books Annual*
There’s nothing a die hard movie fan loves more than digging into a
big fat reference book about their favorite subject, especially
when it’s well-written by knowledgeable authors. Although the
Cinema Surgeon General warns us regularly of the dangers of
overindulging on certain fattening flicks, what movie fan doesn’t
love occasionally gorging themselves on a big, fat, spectacular
epic? After all, they're Hollywood’s equivalent of a pizza loaded
with everything. Most of us hold a few certain epics near and dear
to our hearts. Like clockwork, I watch The Ten Commandments every
Easter, and the entire Godfather trilogy annually rings-in my
summer break (since I’m a teacher in the real world). Whenever I’m
laid-out with the flu, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and The Great
Escape are as comforting as Ny-Quil. All those films, and just
about every other movie one would define as epic, are included in
The Encyclopedia of Epic Films. . . .[T]his 700 page volume is
comprehensive. No one’s likely to say to themselves, 'How could
they leave out (insert title here)?' The book does a decent job
defining what constitutes an epic film, not just its length, but
its scope, budget, imagery and timeless story elements. Everything
is well-written and there’s no disputing these authors’ knowledge.
Additionally, each entry includes extensive cast & crew credits,
Oscar/Golden Globe wins and nominations, its availability on
DVD/Blu-Ray and bibliographical resources for those inclined to
read further.
*Moviepilot*
A thorough and weighty book, The Encyclopedia of Epic Films . . .
is recommended for film connoisseurs and movie-lovers alike.
*St. Augustine Record*
The most epic films of all time! This is clear when open The
Encyclopedia of Epic Films and encounter a huge list of films.
Written by Constantine Santas, James M. Wilson, Maria Colavito and
Djoymi Baker, the book is comprehensive and includes a list of more
than 250 films. Each film is discussed separately, and that makes
this a very complete work.
*FilmTotaal*
What constitutes an epic film? That is part of what this
encyclopaedia attempts to answer. The epic is often associated with
historical epics set in the Biblical, Roman or Ancient Egyptian
periods. But within the pages of the book this is expanded and
there are as many surprising exclusions as inclusions. But of
course these Ancient World classics are given prominence and are
even sporting the cover. . . .The book is set out as an A-Z of
epics with several pages given over to each of the approximate 250
films covered (the book is an epic tome itself at 712 pages). At
the end of the analysis of each film there are even footnotes and
credits for the main cast and crew, running time and DVD/Blu-ray
availability etc.
*Filmwerk*
Constantine Santas continues to be one of our best scholars on the
epic film. . . .The Encyclopedia of Epic Films provides a great
service to films scholars by encouraging them to think about and
categorize familiar films and in new ways. . . .This book invites
serious consideration of epic films may well inspire new research
and college courses on the topic.
*Journal of American Culture*
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