Takes a novel approach to the study of the movies, viewing them as a process of mass communication. Looking first at the economic determinants of the movie industry, then the sociological, psychological, and even political aspects of film, the authors examine the role of the movies in our culture and their possible future in the light of the new technologies. '... through this book Jowett and Linton have made an outstanding contribution to the study of the relationship between a visual medium and its social context. ' -- Studies in Visual Communication.