1
of
1
Akira
Series: BFI Film Classics
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 33 ratings, 5 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
Akira
$2999
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Ideal for readers interested in arts and culture, particularly those fascinated by Japanese animation, science fiction cinema, and cultural studies.
Latest News
The Books That Made Us Readers
The book hero team are sharing the books that made them readers!
The Making of an Accounts Hero
From childhood loans and dishwasher money to tax returns, Excel and Book Hero’s accounts, Marnie...
Play to Screen Report 13/08/26
From major casting rumours and long-awaited adaptations to new family favourites heading to the big...
Welcome Piece House to Book Hero!
Meet Piece House, a New Zealand-owned puzzle company creating stunning jigsaw puzzles featuring beautiful artwork...
Gotta catch 'em all! Pokemon Tonies Now Up For Pre-Order
Pokemon tonies have just been announced & are up for pre-order. Official release date is...
See more
Successful in both Japan and the West, Akira had a huge impact on the international growth in popularity of manga and anime. Closely analysing the film and its key themes, Colin O'Dell and Michelle Le Blanc assess its historical importance, its impact on the Western perception of anime, and its influence on science fiction cinema.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Successful in both Japan and the West, Akira had a huge impact on the international growth in popularity of manga and anime. Closely analysing the film and its key themes, Colin O'Dell and Michelle Le Blanc assess its historical importance, its impact on the Western perception of anime, and its influence on science fiction cinema.
Series: BFI Film Classics
View all-
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Eric Ames draws on original archival research to provide fresh perspectives on Werner Herzog's breakthrough 1972 film, Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes), which portrays an expedition by Spanish conquistadors led by Aguirre (played by Klaus Kinski) to find the legendary city of El Dorado. Ames explores how the film is remembered: for its breathtaking visual style...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
-
Jaws
This study of Jaws (1975) examines how Steven Spielberg’s breakout film not only redefined the thriller but also pioneered the summer blockbuster, cementing his reputation as a master filmmaker. Against the odds of a catastrophic location shoot, 27-year-old Spielberg delivered a film so effective that it became the highest-grossing movie of its time, transforming Hollywood’s approach to event cinema. Adapted...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Die Hard
Upon its release, John McTiernan’s Die Hard (1988) was met with immense commercial and critical success; breaking the $100 million mark at the box office in its first run, and resulting in four Academy Award nominations. Jon Lewis’s study of the action classic closely examines the film's novel and script adaptation, highlighting the influential role of producer Joel Silver. He...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Eraserhead
A surreal and darkly humorous vision, David Lynch’s Eraserhead (1977) has been recognised as a cult classic since its breakout success as a midnight movie in the late 1970s. Claire Henry’s study of the film takes us into its netherworld, providing a detailed account of its production history, its exhibition and reception, and its elusive meanings. Using original archival research,...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction was one of the films that defined American cinema of the 1990s and remains one of the stand-out movies of its director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino's style—violent, fast, funny, and full of knowing pop culture references—epitomises 90s post-modernism. Pulp Fiction was a phenomenal cult success and one of the first films to generate hot debate in internet chatrooms and...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Shoah
Sue Vice's study explores Claude Lanzmann's epic 1985 film Shoah both as cinema and as an example of Holocaust representation. Shoah, the distillation of more than 350 hours of footage gathered over eleven years, tells the story of the Holocaust through interviews with survivors of the extermination camps, bystanders who watched or participated in mass murder, and some of the...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Billy Elliot
Set against the turbulent backdrop of the UK miners’ strike (1984–5), Billy Elliot (2000) follows eleven-year-old Billy as he pursues his dream of becoming a ballet dancer. Hailed for its heartfelt portrayal of working-class life and its powerful challenge to gender stereotypes, Stephen Daldry’s film is recognised today as a significant contribution to the tradition of British social-realist cinema. James...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Blade Runner
Ridley Scott's dystopian classic Blade Runner, an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, combines noir with science fiction to create a groundbreaking cyberpunk vision of urban life in the twenty-first century. With replicants on the run, the rain-drenched Los Angeles which Blade Runner imagines is a city of oppression and enclosure, but a city...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) is a film very much of its cinematic moment, combining the gritty realism of entrapment in the everyday with furtive dreams of escape. Dana Polan's compelling study of the film examines its significance to New Hollywood cinema and the science fiction genre. He argues that Close Encounters is a film that...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Rebel Without a Cause
Nicholas Ray’s 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause is a globally recognised landmark of post-war American cinema. The film follows twenty-four hours in the life of troubled teen Jim Stark (James Dean), the new boy in town, who becomes drawn into a maelstrom of shifting social allegiances, emotional turmoil, and violence. Rebel tackled head-on the thorny political issue of juvenile...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Some Like It Hot
Billy Wilder's classic screwball comedy Some Like It Hot (1959), starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe, tells the story of two struggling Jazz musicians who accidentally witness a mob massacre in Chicago. They then, disguised as women, join a female band to escape the gangsters' pursuit. Despite the film's popular reception, with Academy Award nominations for Wilder and...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781844578085
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 31 October 2014
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: BFI Publishing
Illustration: 60 colour photos
Audience: Tertiary education
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 12.0mm
Width: 134.0mm
Height: 188.0mm
Weight: 160g
Pages: 96
About the Author
Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc are writers, broadcasters and film critics. They are the co-authors of Horro Films and Anime, amongst other titles, and editors of Kamera, the online film salon.
Also by Colin Odell
View all-
Studio Ghibli
The animations of Japan's Studio Ghibli are among the most respected in the movie industry. Their films rank alongside the most popular non-English language films ever made, with each new eagerly anticipated release a guaranteed box office hit. Yet this highly profitable studio has remained fiercely independent, producing a stream of imaginative and individual animations. The studio's founders, Hayao Miyazaki...Paperback$6700Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
David Lynch
Internationally renowned, David Lynch was America's premier purveyor of the surreal, an artist whose work in cinema, television and the internet exposed the world to his highly personalised view of society. This book examines his oeuvre, from the cult surrealism of his debut feature Eraserhead to his last feature Inland Empire, considering the themes, motifs and stories behind his incredible...PaperbackSold Out
Also by Michelle Le Blanc
View all-
Studio Ghibli
The animations of Japan's Studio Ghibli are among the most respected in the movie industry. Their films rank alongside the most popular non-English language films ever made, with each new eagerly anticipated release a guaranteed box office hit. Yet this highly profitable studio has remained fiercely independent, producing a stream of imaginative and individual animations. The studio's founders, Hayao Miyazaki...Paperback$6700Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
David Lynch
Internationally renowned, David Lynch was America's premier purveyor of the surreal, an artist whose work in cinema, television and the internet exposed the world to his highly personalised view of society. This book examines his oeuvre, from the cult surrealism of his debut feature Eraserhead to his last feature Inland Empire, considering the themes, motifs and stories behind his incredible...PaperbackSold Out
More from Arts & Culture
View all-
Dylan's PickBold Types
A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...Hardback$5999Elsewhere:$7000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseDisney Moana: The Official Cookbook
Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...Hardback$4499Elsewhere:$5299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Did I Ever Tell You This?
In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his...Paperback$3799Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
This Angry Pen of Mine
This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...Hardback$7299Elsewhere:$8999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
They Bloom Because of You
Bestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood - the hard, the magic and the fleeting. ‘A raw and honest read that makes you feel seen and understood in a way that will bring you to tears.’ - Hilary Swank ‘A book to keep close and...Paperback$3000Elsewhere:$3600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Buy to Win14% offLeaves of Grass
A collectible new Penguin Classics series offers beautiful, slim, clothbound editions of ten favourite poets. In 1855, Walt Whitman published his first collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. The volume received great praise from leading Transcendentalist poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This encouragement led to what would become a lifelong project, as Whitman expanded and rewrote the volume until his death...Hardback$1900Elsewhere:$2400Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Odyssey
Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3599Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
37% offGreat Writers and the Cats who Owned Them
Throughout history, cats and writers have bonded together in a magical combination of comfort, companionship and inspiration. The famous authors featured here range from Samuel Johnson, whose cat Hodge dined on oysters, and Edward Lear, whose charismatic cat Foss was missing half his tail, to Margaret Mitchell, L. M. Montgomery and Dorothy L. Sayers, who rescued her kitten Blitz from...Hardback$2500Usually:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Beautiful Chaos
The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller Selected poems from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'These words awaken the magic of life by celebrating the ordinary.' - Giovanna Fletcher Motherhood is messy and beautiful, and hard and humbling. We adore our children and sometimes we miss ourselves. Beautiful Chaos is a collection of raw, honest poems about motherhood, capturing everything...Paperback$2900Elsewhere:$3500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Artist's Way
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a transformative guidebook that has captivated millions, including luminaries such as Elizabeth Gilbert and Tim Ferriss. With its profound ability to inspire and elevate, this book invites readers to embark on an enriching creative journey, fostering a deeper connection to one's artistic process and sense of purpose. The heart of Cameron's groundbreaking programme...Paperback$3700Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Wreck This Journal: Now in Colour
The creative journey continues with Wreck This Journal: Now in Colour by Keri Smith, the latest and most vibrant edition of the groundbreaking series that redefined journaling. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this edition brings the playful destructiveness of the original to life in dazzling full colour, adding a dynamic new dimension to the beloved prompts. Whether you're a seasoned Wreck-er,...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
20% offA Thousand Feasts
THE INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER From award-winning writer Nigel Slater, comes a new and exquisitely written collection of notes, memoir, stories and small moments of joy. 'Nigel Slater’s prose is the rarest delicacy of all: exquisite yet effortless, filled with heart, tenderness, yearning and humour' ELIZABETH DAY For years, Nigel Slater has kept notebooks of curiosities and wonderings, penned...Paperback$2400Usually:$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
