The 1984 edition of academic essays sought to establish the genre as a legitimate subject of study. The second edition takes that achievement as given, and also accounts for films produced over the past two decades, which above all have lost all interest in any social or cultural commentary or critique. Only one essay has been revised; otherwise, some have been dropped and new ones added. Ten of them explore definitions and approaches, the other 12 focus on particular films and filmmakers. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)