CTI Textual Studies
Q & A

I n t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y


Q I am interested in finding out about examples of multimedia CD-ROMs which are available.


A I have included a range of CD-ROMs, across a range of disciplines, from Film Studies, to Literature and Philosophy. Most will run on either Macintosh or PC; full details are included with each entry.

Blood Cinema

Description: The Blood Cinema CD-ROM combines film clips with commentary to present key themes in Spanish cinema. Clips from fifteen films are used to illustrate six conceptual issues: Transcultural Reinscription; Representations of Violence; the Spanish Oedipal Narrative; Exile: the Luis Bunuel case; Diaspora: Goes to Hollywood; Micro- and Macroregionalism. Most of the content of the CD centres around these six issues, with each section containing excerpts from films which illustrate the conceptual issues, accompanied by critical commentary and some other resources. The detailed critical commentary has been written by Film Studies academic Marsha Kinder, and can be accessed in audio format and/or read on-screen. There are other (limited) contextual resources, such as film stills, publicity materials etc., with a brief historical overview and list of production credits for each film. The package also includes an extensive bibliography and glossary of key terminology, and notes linked to a particular clip or screen can be made (and saved) on an electronic Notepad. All navigation facilities and commentary are available in both Spanish and English, and it is easy to switch back-and-forth between languages at any point.

Requirements: Apple Macintosh II or higher, running System 7.1 or above, with at least 8 MB of RAM, and a CD-ROM drive.

Further information: Reviewed by Chris Perriam, Convergence 2:1 (1996).

Distributor: Cine-Discs, Intertexts Multimedia, 137 N. Larchmont Blvd., #501, Los Angeles, CA 90004. Fax: 001 213 876 7678.

Price: $75 plus P & P.

Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Description: The Crucible CD-ROM was developed with content input from the Arthur Miller Centre at the University of East Anglia. The package provides the full-text of the play, detailed interviews with Arthur Miller, extracts from a Young Vic production of the play and interviews with the actors, critical discussion and analysis, surrounded by a comprehensive collection of background material. Video footage of key scenes from the Young Vic stage production is included.

Requirements: Multimedia PC or Apple Macintosh running System 7.0 or later with at least 8 MB of RAM and QuickTime version 1.5 or greater, with CD-ROM drive.

Further information: Penguin have a WWW page dedicated to the product at http://www.penguin.com/usa/electronic/crucible/

Distributor: Penguin Books Ltd. Dept. JC, FREEPOST, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 OBR. URL: http://www.penguin.co.uk

Price: £49.98.

The Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed

Description: The Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed is a multimedia CD-ROM designed as an introduction to the Scrolls, their discovery, location, history, and scholarship. The CD-ROM includes digitized selections from each of the main scrolls together with translations. There are animated fly-throughs of a reconstruction of the Qumran site as well as commentary provided through numerous audio-video clips, images, and texts.

Requirements: Multimedia PC or Apple Macintosh with at least 8MB RAM and CD-ROM drive.

Further information: Logos Research Systems have a WWW page at http://www.logos.com/products/dssr.htm

Distributor: In the UK the CD-ROM may be obtained from Bookpoint, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX4 4TD. Tel: 01235 400400. Fax: 01235 861038

Price: £49.50

Ephemeral Films and Our Secret Century

Description: Ephemeral Films 1931-1960 presents a collection of promotional and lifestyle films dating from the increasingly consumer-led thirties, forties and fifties. Commentary from Rick Prelinger sets context to the clips. The films are organised under two themes: To New Horizons, which contains films which promote the sometimes hilarious innovations of the time, and You Can't Get There from Here, which illustrates the ultimate in the promotion of consumerism.

Our Secret Century is a collection of 12 themed CD-ROMs, edited and selected by Rick Prelinger from his own collection. He adds substantial commentary to the films, with a useful introduction and overview. Volume 1, The Rainbow is Yours and Volume 2, Realism contain an anthology of films, film segments, text, stills, and artefacts. The Rainbow is Yours contains seven colour films which explore the american culture of consumption, centred on the 1950s; Realism examines three industrial films of the 30s which illustrate the attempt to humanise the face of mass production.

Requirements: Apple Macintosh running System 7.0 or higher, or PC running Windows 3.1 or higher, with at least 8MB of RAM and a CD-ROM drive.

Further information: a page of information for each CD-ROM is available from Voyager's WWW site at http://www.voyagerco.com/cdrom/catalogpage.cgi?ephemeral (Ephemeral Films) and http://www.voyagerco.com/cdrom/catalogpage.cgi?osc (Our Secret Century).

Distributor: Educorp Multimedia, 7434 Trade Street, San Diego, CA, 92121-2410. Fax. 619 578 3734. Email: service@educorp.com. See http://www.educorp.com

Price: $39.95 for each (Our Secret Century contains six sets of 2 CD-ROMs at $39.95 per set).

A Jack Kerouac ROMnibus

Description: A Jack Kerouac ROMnibus contains a multimedia presentation of the life and work of Jack Kerouac, writer and poet from the American 'Beat Generation'. The CD-ROM contains a Kerouac sampler of music and readings of Kerouac's work; the (annotated) complete text of The Dharma Bums; a contextual timeline of Kerouac's life; and a Beat 'family tree'; showing relationships between key Beat figures such as Ginsberg and Snyder.

Requirements: Multimedia PC or Apple Macintosh with at least 8MB RAM and a CD-ROM drive.

Further information: Penguin have a WWW page devoted to the product with additional links at http://www.penguin.com/usa/electronic/kerouac/

Distributor: Penguin Books Ltd. Dept. JC, FREEPOST, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 OBR. URL: http://www.penguin.co.uk

Price: £42.54

Poetry in Motion: Volumes I-II

Description: Poetry in Motion provides access to the performance poetry of the likes of Helen Adam, Charles Bukowski, Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Spalding Gray, and others. The text of each poem is available in two editions: as published and as performed. Each poem is accompanied by a video and audio performance by the author. In some cases an interview with the poet is also available.

Requirements: Volume I requires an Apple Macintosh with CD-ROM drive and at least 8MB RAM. Volume II requires either a multimedia PC or Apple Macintosh with CD-ROM drive and at least 8MB RAM.

Further information: Voyager supply an associated WWW page at http://www.voyagerco.com/cdrom/links.cgi?pim2

Distributor: Educorp Multimedia, 7434 Trade Street, San Diego, CA, 92121-2410. Fax: 619 578 3734. Email: service@educorp.com

URL: http://www.educorp.com

Price: $29.95 each.

A Right to Die? The Dax Cowart Case.

Description: The A Right to Die? CD-ROM examines the ethical, moral and legal issues of the Dax Cowart case. Dax Cowart was injured in an accident during the 1970s and required regular medical treatment in order to stay alive; a legal case resulted when he requested that the treatment be discontinued. The CD-ROM uses video footage of interviews with Dax and other key characters in the case, and other illustrative materials to build a picture of the ethical issues which were raised. The program can be used in two ways: to follow a directed, linear route through the package, assessing the issues of the case and making decisions which are recorded, and which direct the user towards making a final decision, or as an archive of material which can be drawn upon, where additional materials include details of other relevant legal cases. A teaching guide is available.

Requirements: Apple Macintosh running System 7.0 or above, or PC running Windows 3.1 or above, with at least 8 MB of RAM and a CD-ROM drive.

Further information: from Routledge’s web site at http://www.routledge.com/routledge/indepth/dax_main.html

Distributor: Routledge Publishers, 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE. Tel. 0171 583 9855. Fax. 0171 842 2303. Email info.dax@routledge.com

Price: £35 plus VAT for a single-user licence (contact publisher for prices for multi-user version).

Salt of the Earth

Description: The film, Salt of the Earth, was released in 1954 in the midst of the McCarthy era. The CD-ROM contains a full Quicktime version of the film together with a short film, The Hollywood Ten. The film is surrounded by secondary material including articles and reviews of the film. The screenplay is available in English, Spanish, French, and German.

Requirements: Apple Macintosh with CD-ROM drive and at least 8MB of RAM.

Further information: Voyager Company have a links page for this CD-ROM at http://www.voyagerco.com/cdrom/links.cgi?salt.cd

Distributor: Educorp Multimedia, 7434 Trade Street, San Diego, CA, 92121-2410. Fax: 619 578 3734. Email: service@educorp.com

URL: http://www.educorp.com

Price: $39.95

Understanding McLuhan

Description: This CD-ROM provides a medium for illustrating and examining Marshall McLuhan's ideas and personality, almost in the style of McLuhan himself. It includes video and text excerpts from McLuhan's work on specific topics, interviews with other key figures regarding his work, the complete text of two of his works, Understanding Media and The Gutenberg Galaxy, 'probes', and an extensive bibliography.

Requirements: Multimedia PC or Apple Macintosh with at least 8MB RAM and CD-ROM drive.

Further information: Voyager Company have a supporting WWW site at http://www.voyagerco.com/catalog/mcluhan/indepth/

Distributor: Educorp Multimedia, 7434 Trade Street, San Diego, CA, 92121-2410. Fax: 619 578 3734. Email: service@educorp.com

URL: http://www.educorp.com

Price: $39.95 (+shipping and duty. No UK distributor)

(MF, SP)


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