Almost Hollywood, nearly New Orleans : the lure of the local film economy /

In this fascinating book, Mayer (communication, Tulane Univ.) looks at the confluence of the Hollywood film industry and New Orleans, a city that has become the third-largest economy for film production. Mayer writes that in the aftermath of Katrina, New Orleans courted the cinema industry to bring economic development, but that goal has not been realized. In three chapters--"The Making of Regional Film Economies," "Hollywood South," and "The Place of Treme in the Film Economy"--the author unravels the intricacies of New Orleans's filmmaking industry, revealing the effects on the city's local economy, which include budget shortfalls for some necessary services. According to Mayer, the filmmaking industry's costs have exceeded the revenue it generates; she concludes that "parallel[ing] film financing to the subsequent cuts to education and health services" reveals a situation that is "heretical." Mayer proposes that "the tragic outcomes of Hollywood South might be countered with a Hall of Justice for all people as creative and as workers." This well argued, researched, and documented study will help readers understand the economic benefits and dangers Hollywood-style filmmaking poses to local economies, particularly those in the South. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. --Charlene B. Regester, Univ. of North Carolina--Chapel Hill