{"product_id":"matrix-1","title":"Matrix","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e (1999), directed by the Wachowski sisters and produced by Joel Silver, was a true end-of-the-millennium movie, a statement of the American zeitgeist, and, as the original film in a blockbusting franchise, a prognosis for the future of big-budget Hollywood film-making.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, a computer programmer transformed into a messianic freedom fighter, \u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e blends science fiction with conspiracy thriller conventions and outlandish martial arts created with groundbreaking digital techniques. A box-office triumph, the film was no populist confection: its blatant allusions to highbrow contemporary philosophy added to its appeal as a mystery to be decoded. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this compelling study, Joshua Clover undertakes the task of decoding the film. Examining \u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e''s digital effects and how they were achieved, he shows how the film represents a melding of cinema and video games (the greatest commercial threat to have faced Hollywood since the advent of television) and achieves a hybrid kind of immersive entertainment. He also unpacks the movie''s references to philosophy, showing how \u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e ultimately expresses the crisis American culture faced at the end of the 1990s.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57315573563774,"sku":"NW9781839022678","price":12.15,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9781839022678.jpg?v=1778651329","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/products\/matrix-1","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}