LEADER 04140nam 22005535 450 001 9910148852203321 005 20240920100223.0 010 $a9783319479675 024 7 $a10.1007/978-3-319-47967-5 035 $a(CKB)3710000000918178 035 $a(DE-He213)978-3-319-47967-5 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC4728176 035 $a(EXLCZ)993710000000918178 100 $a20161025d2017 u| 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aurnn|008mamaa 181 $ctxt$2rdacontent 182 $cc$2rdamedia 183 $acr$2rdacarrier 200 10$aHomo Ludens as a Comic Character in Selected American Films /$fby Artur Skweres 205 $a1st ed. 2017. 210 1$aCham :$cSpringer International Publishing :$cImprint: Springer,$d2017. 215 $a1 online resource (XVIII, 97 p. 20 illus.) 225 1 $aIssues in Literature and Culture,$x2365-9688 311 08$a9783319479668 311 08$a3319479660 311 08$a9783319479675 311 08$a3319479679 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references at the end of each chapters. 327 $aComic Character as Homo Ludens -- Agon in Groundhog Day and Feds -- Alea in Spies Like Us, Bowfinger, Taking Care of Business, and Brewster?s Millions -- Mimicry in ¡Three Amigos!, Austin Powers, and HouseSitter -- Ilinx in Rush Hour and Showtime -- Conclusion. 330 $aThis book reveals the hitherto critically disregarded ludic elements in popular American comedy films, building on and expanding the theories developed by Johan Huizinga in his classic study Homo Ludens(1938) and Roger Caillois in Les jeux et les hommes (1958). To address the lack of attention paid to the play principle in film comedy studies, this book focuses exclusively on the elements typical of play that can be found in movies. It introduces two new categories describing play: óneiros and pragma, which allow analysis of how play in comedies is influenced by the relations between the player and non-players. The text is supplemented by the use of the author?s drawings, which, because of their analytical and selective nature, are used as a tool for visual study. The play principle has a long tradition in American humor and the films examined here were chosen for their popularity and wide appeal, often acting as vehicles for Hollywood stars (e.g.Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Goldie Hawn, Mike Myers, Jackie Chan or Chris Tucker). The actors? status allowed the filmmakers to construct situations in which the protagonists distanced themselves from the fictional situation. It is argued that the playful detachment from reality, typifying many of the fictional characters portrayed by actors with star status, is characteristic of the play principle in film. Another major consideration is the hotly debated notion of the accomplishment of goals in playful activities, and the book strongly supports the position that in narratives, play can (but does not have to) yield important results. The introduction of the categories of óneiros and pragma in play serves to highlight the complex relation between playfulness and practicality in the films discussed. Building on a comprehensive analysis of the ludic elements in selected popular American comedies, the book makes an important contribution to film studies, providing a unique perspective through its focus on the concept of homo ludens as a comic hero. 410 0$aIssues in Literature and Culture,$x2365-9688 606 $aArt$xStudy and teaching 606 $aMotion pictures, American 606 $aCreativity and Arts Education 606 $aAmerican Film and TV 615 0$aArt$xStudy and teaching. 615 0$aMotion pictures, American. 615 14$aCreativity and Arts Education. 615 24$aAmerican Film and TV. 676 $a791.43617 700 $aSkweres$b Artur$4aut$4http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/aut$0905424 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910148852203321 996 $aHomo Ludens as a Comic Character in Selected American Films$92537923 997 $aUNINA