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The Films of Elaine May
Edited by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Dean Brandum
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Book Presentation:
Explores the diverse career of director, screenwriter, comic and actor, Elaine May
Spanning from obscurity to notoriety, the films of director, screenwriter, actor and comic Elaine May have recently experienced a long-overdue renaissance. Although she made only four films — A New Leaf (1971), The Heartbreak Kid (1972), Mikey and Nicky (1976) and Ishtar (1987) — and never reached the level of acclaim of her frequent collaborator Mike Nichols, May’s work is as enigmatic, sophisticated and unceasingly fascinating as her own complicated, reluctant star persona. This collection focuses both on the films she has directed, and also emphasises her work with other high profile collaborators such as John Cassavetes, Warren Beatty and Otto Preminger.
Case studies
• A New Leaf (Elaine May, 1971)
• The Heartbreak Kid (Elaine May, 1972)
• Mikey and Nicky (Elaine May, 1976)
• Ishtar (Elaine May, 1987)
• American Masters: Mike Nichols (Elaine May, 2016)
• Such Good Friends (Otto Preminger, 1971)
• The Birdcage (Mike Nichols, 1996)
• Primary Colors (Mike Nichols, 1998)Contributors
• Clem Bastow, University of Melbourne
• Dean Brandum, independent researcher
• Jeremy Carr, Arizona State University
• Samm Deighan, Associate Editor of Diabolique Magazine
• Mark Freeman, Swinburne University
• Allie Hagan, screenwriter
• Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, film critic
• Paul Jeffery, independent researcher Tim O'Farrell, Victorian College of the Arts
• Maya Montañez Smukler, New School, Otis College of Art and Design, the New York Film Academy and UCLA
• Jake Wilson, freelance writer and film reviewer
Press Reviews:
In this compact but authoritative volume, Heller-Nicholas and Brandum have collected an excellent group of essays covering the entire breadth of May’s career.– G. A. Foster, Choice
It’s welcome to see a compendium looking to resituate May from the fringes of contemporary American cinema. Between the collection of smart, meaty pieces and their dazzling array of footnotes, we now have something to begin ‘passing the ball’ to future authors who can continue the May renaissance.– Ian Mantgani, Sight & Sound
Academicising elusive Elaine May and her unruly improvs risks landing one in an imaginary Nichols-May routine, but this lively collection fearlessly takes the plunge. Watching the resourceful, mainly Australian contributors confirm or contradict one another as much as any of May’s mutually entangled duos is only part of the fun.– Jonathan Rosenbaum, author of Cinematic Encounters
See the publisher website: Edinburgh University Press
See the complete filmography of Elaine May on the website: IMDB ...
> From the same authors:
The Cinema Coven (2024)
Witches, Witchcraft and Women's Filmmaking
The Giallo Canvas (2021)
Art, Excess and Horror Cinema
Found Footage Horror Films (2014)
Fear and the Appearance of Reality
> On a related topic:
Miss May Does Not Exist (2025)
The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood's Hidden Genius
Subject: Director > Elaine May
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