Dr Austin Fisher
- 01202 968145
- afisher at bournemouth dot ac dot uk
- http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0621-7131
- Associate Professor of Popular Culture
- Weymouth House W204, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
- Keywords:
- PhD Supervisor
Biography
I am a cultural historian, with primary research interests in the history, politics and cinema of Italy and the USA. I have also published research on the history of exploitation cinema, transnational cinemas, and various kinds of political filmmaking. I welcome applications from research students interested in working in these and related fields.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and I convene the Screen Studies Research Group at Bournemouth University. My main area of expertise concerns popular Italian cinema’s engagement with the countercultural movements of the 1960s and 1970s, and I have published widely in this area. My most recent book was "Blood in the Streets: Histories of Violence in Italian Crime Cinema": a study of cinematic representations of political violence in 1970s Italy, which won the 2020 BAFTSS "Best Monograph" award.
I am founding co-editor of the “Global Exploitation Cinemas” book series (Bloomsbury). I also serve on the Editorial Boards of the "Transnational Screens" journal and the "Popular West" book series (Oklahoma University Press).
Favourites
- Fisher, A., 2023. Bastard Theatres and Human Dregs: Cultures of Illegitimacy on 42nd Street. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 43 (3), 746-770.
- Fisher, A., 2022. Revisiting the Blacklist Western: A Reception Study of High Noon. Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, 61 (5), 137-158.
- Fisher, A., 2019. Blood in the Streets: Histories of Violence in Italian Crime Cinema. Edinburgh University Press.
Journal Articles
- Fisher, A., 2025. I Found This Movie on YouTube: Curating Italian Horror Films in the Streaming Era. Italianist, 45.
- Fisher, A., 2023. Bastard Theatres and Human Dregs: Cultures of Illegitimacy on 42nd Street. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 43 (3), 746-770.
- Fisher, A., 2022. Revisiting the Blacklist Western: A Reception Study of High Noon. Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, 61 (5), 137-158.
- Crossley, L. and Fisher, A., 2021. Geriaction Cinema: Introduction. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 49 (3), 130-135.
- Fisher, A. and Smith, I.R., 2019. Second phase transnationalism: reflections on launching the SCMS transnational cinemas scholarly interest group. TRANSNATIONAL SCREENS, 10 (2), 114-125.
- Fisher, A. and Walker, J., 2017. Italian horror cinema. Journal of Italian Cinema and Media Studies, 5 (2), 153-157.
- Fisher, A. and Smith, I.R., 2016. ‘Transnational Cinemas: A Critical Roundtable’. Frames Cinema Journal, 9.
- Fisher, A. and Walker, J., 2016. Introduction: 42nd Street, and Beyond. Grindhouse: Cultural Exchange on 42nd Street, and Beyond, 1-12.
- Fisher, A., 2015. Spaghettis in Translation. [in]Transition: Journal of Videographic Film & Moving Image Studies, 2 (2).
- Fisher, A., 2014. Il braccio violento della legge: Revelation, Conspiracy and the Politics of Violence in the Poliziottesco. Journal of Italian Cinema and Media Studies, 2 (2), 167-181.
- Fisher, A., 2013. Impegno, Cultural Capital and the Politics of Confusion. The Italianist, 33 (2), 300-304.
- Fisher, A., 2013. A Cult Called Django: on the Controversial Tail of a Transnational Bandito. Cine-Excess, 1 (1).
- Fisher, A., 2010. Out West, Down South: Gazing at America in Reverse Shot through Damiano Damiani’s Quien sabe? The Italianist, 30 (2), 183-201.
- Fisher, A., 2009. A Marxist’s Gotta Do What a Marxist’s Gotta Do: Political Violence on the Italian Frontier. Scope: an Online Journal of Film and Television Studies, 15.
Books
- Geriaction Cinema, a guest-edited edition of the Journal of Popular Film and Television. Taylor and Francis.
- Fisher, A., 2019. Blood in the Streets: Histories of Violence in Italian Crime Cinema. Edinburgh University Press.
- Italian Horror Cinema, a guest-edited edition of the Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies. Intellect.
- Spaghetti Westerns at the Crossroads: Studies in Relocation, Transition and Appropriation. Edinburgh University Press.
- Grindhouse: Cultural Exchange on 42nd Street, and Beyond. Bloomsbury.
- Fisher, A., 2011. Radical Frontiers in the Spaghetti Western: Politics, Violence and Popular Italian Cinema. I.B.Tauris.
Chapters
- Fisher, A. and Smith, I.R., 2020. Second Phase Transnationalism: Reflections on Launching the SCMS Transnational Cinemas Scholarly Interest Group. In: De La Garza, A., Doughty, R. and Shaw, D., eds. Transnational Screens: Expanding the Borders of Transnational Cinema. Routledge.
- Fisher, A., 2017. Sergio Leone and the Transnational Western. Once Upon a Time ... the Western: A New Frontier in Art and Film. 5 Continents Editions.
- Fisher, A., 2017. Italian Popular Film Genres. In: Burke, F., ed. A Companion to Italian Cinema. Wiley-Blackwell.
- Fisher, A., 2016. Go West, Brother: the Politics of Landscape in the Blaxploitation Western. In: Fisher, A. and Walker, J., eds. Grindhouse: Cultural Exchange on 42nd Street, and Beyond. Bloomsbury.
- Fisher, A., 2016. Political Memory in the Italian Hinterland: Locating the “Rural Giallo”. In: Hunter, R. and Baschiera, S., eds. Italian Horror Cinema. Edinburgh University Press.
- Fisher, A., 2014. Nuovo cinema paradiso. In: Haenni, S., Barrow, S. and White, J., eds. The Routledge Encyclopaedia of Films. Routledge.
- Fisher, A., 2014. Roma città aperta. In: Haenni, S., Barrow, S. and White, J., eds. The Routledge Encyclopaedia of Films. Routledge.
- Fisher, A., 2011. Spaghetti Westerns. In: Bayman, L., ed. Directory of World Cinema: Italy. Intellect.
Artefacts
- Fisher, A., 2024. Transatlantic Traffic and The Italian Connection.
- Fisher, A., 2021. Blood in the Streets - Italian Crime Films of the 70s with Austin Fisher.
- Fisher, A., 2021. Austin Fisher on Sabata.
- Fisher, A., 2021. Austin Fisher on Return of Sabata.
- Fisher, A., 2021. Austin Fisher on Adios Sabata.
- Fisher, A., 2021. Austin Fisher on The Great Silence.
- Fisher, A., 2020. The Specialists - A brand new and exclusive interview with Austin Fisher, author of Radical Frontiers in the Spaghetti Western: Politics, Violence and Popular Italian Cinema.
- Fisher, A., 2019. Keoma and the Twilight of the Spaghetti Western, a newly filmed video appreciation by the academic Austin Fisher.
- Fisher, A., 2019. Saxon City Showdown, a newly filmed video appreciation by the academic Austin Fisher.
- Fisher, A., 2019. A Fistful of Dynamite - A brand new and exclusive interview with Austin Fisher, author of Radical Frontiers in the Spaghetti Western: Politics, Violence and Popular Italian Cinema.
- Fisher, A., 2018. Discovering Django: Newly Filmed Appreciation by Spaghetti Westerns Scholar Austin Fisher.
- Fisher, A., 2018. Hello Texas! A Newly Filmed Appreciation by Spaghetti Westerns Scholar Austin Fisher.
- Fisher, A., 2014. Austin Fisher on Transnational Cinemas, Celebrating A Fistful of Dollars/the Spaghetti Western, and Videographic Film Studies.
PhD Students
- Kuihua Zhang. From Narrating History to Constructing National Memory: The Dialogical Engagement of Nanjing Massacre Film, (In progress)
- Ucheyamere Chimdiebube Nkwam-Uwaoma. Horror Films in Nollywood: An Evaluation of Women's Portrayals and Participation (2000-2020), (In progress)
Profile of Teaching UG
- The Film Industries
- Film Festivals for Makers and Curators
- Media Scholarship
- Researching Media
- Film Language
- Graduate Film Project
Invited Lectures
External Responsibilities
- Northumbria University, External Examiner (2024-2028)
- "The Popular West" Book Series (Oklahoma University Press), Editorial Board member (2019-)
- University of Southampton, External Examiner (2018-2022)
- Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Member, Professional Development Committee (2017-2020)
- [in]Transition, Editorial Board Member (2015-), http://mediacommons.org/intransition/
- Transnational Screens, Editorial Board Member (2014-), https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rtrc21/current
- Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Founder and Co-Chair, "Transnational Cinemas" SIG (2013-2017)
- Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Judge: Student Writing Award Committee (2012-2013)
Public Engagement & Outreach Activities
- Sergio Corbucci, The Great Silence and the Italian Western (19 Apr 2023)
- "Italian Horror Cinema in its Political Contexts" - Festival of Learning 2018 (16 Jun 2018)
- "IT'S ALIVE! The First Two Hundred Years of 'Frankenstein'", by Professor Sir Christopher Frayling (20 Feb 2018)
Conference Presentations
- Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Curating Italian Horror Films in the Streaming Era, 14 Mar 2024, Boston, Massachusetts
- Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Un-American Activities: Johnny Guitar and the Blacklist Western, 12 Apr 2023, Denver, Colorado
- Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), 'Human Dregs' and 'Bastard Theatres': the Politics of Legitimacy in 42nd Street Cinemas, 31 Mar 2022, Online
- Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Revisiting the Blacklist Western: a Reception Study of High Noon, 17 Mar 2021, Online
- International Association for Media and History (IAMHIST), Enter … If You Dare! Cross-Cultural Reception and the Giallo, 01 Jul 2019, Northumbria University
- Transnational Screens: New Directions, New Collaborations, Invited roundtable participant: ‘New Transnational Exhibition Platforms’, 01 Jun 2019, University of Portsmouth
- BAFTSS (British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies), Enter … If You Dare! Cross-Cultural Reception and the Giallo, 01 Apr 2019, University of Birmingham
- SCMS, Recycling The Godfather: Popular Seriality in Italian Mafia Films, 01 Mar 2018, Toronto
- Popular Culture Association annual conference, Invited roundtable participant: ‘How Italian are Spaghetti Westerns?’, 01 Apr 2017, San Diego
- American Association for Italian Studies conference, Invited roundtable participant: ‘Italian Screen Studies: Methods and Priorities’, 01 Apr 2017, Columbus, Ohio
- SCMS, Localizing the Classical Western: the Italian Reception of "Shane"., 01 Mar 2017, Chicago
- Transnational Screens, Video Essays in Transnational Cinema Studies, 01 Sep 2016, De Montfort University
- SCMS, Video Essays in Transnational Cinema Studies Workshop, 01 Apr 2016, Atlanta
- SCMS, Blood in the Streets: Negotiating History Through the Italian Vigilante Film, 01 Apr 2016, Atlanta
- Italian Cinemas/Italian Histories Workshop, Historical Perspectives on the Transnational Dimensions of Italian Westerns, 01 Mar 2016, University of Leeds
- Cinema e Storia, Blood in the Streets: Histories of Violence in Italian Crime Films of the 1970s, 01 Nov 2015, Università Roma Tre
- SCMS, Histories of Violence in Fernando Di Leo’s “Milieu Trilogy”, 01 Mar 2015, Montreal
- SCMS, Translocal Violence in the Italian Hinterland: Politics, Identity and the Giallo, 01 Jan 2014, Seattle
- SCMS, Locating Transnational Cinema Studies, 01 Jan 2014, Seattle
- Film and History, Go West, Brother: the Politics of Golden Age Landscapes in the Blaxploitation Western, 01 Jan 2014, Madison, Wisconsin
- SCMS, Terrorismo all’americana: Transatlantic Flow and the Politics of Violence in the Italian Poliziesco, 01 Jan 2013, Chicago
- Screen, The “Years of Lead” and the Politics of Gore: Cultural Capital and the Giallo, 01 Jan 2013, University of Glasgow
- MeCCSA, Il cinema all’americana? Defining the Transnational “Popular”, 01 Jan 2012, University of Bedfordshire
- SCMS, Italian Americanisms: Popular Italian Cinema in the Light of the Transnational, 01 Jan 2012, Boston, MA
- Cine-Excess, A Cult Called Django, 01 Jan 2011, Odeon Covent Garden, London
- Society for Italian Studies Biennial Conference, La resistenza popolare: Transcultural Memory in Giulio Petroni’s Tepepa, 01 Jan 2011, University of St. Andrews
- Film and Media, Spaghetti Lefties: Postmodern Politics in Robert Rodriguez’s Machete, 01 Jan 2011, The Institute of Education, University of London
- Kiss Kiss Kill Kill: A Symposium on the Forgotten Spy Film of Cold War Europe, Chronicles of Lead: Transatlantic Flow in 1970s Italian Cop Thrillers, 01 Jan 2010, University of Hertfordshire
- Popular Italian Cinema: An International Conference, Out West, Down South: Gazing at America in Reverse Shot through Damiano Damiani’s Quien sabe?, 01 Jan 2009, King’s College, London
- MeCCSA Postgraduate Conference, Spaghetti Westerns Caught in the Crossfire: Translating the Stylistics of Political Violence, 01 Jan 2009, Bangor University, Wales
- Cultural Borrowings: A Study Day on Appropriation, Reworking and Transformation, A Marxist’s Gotta Do What a Marxist’s Gotta Do: Political Violence on Italy’s Ethical Frontier, 01 Jan 2008, The University of Nottingham
- Images at the Threshold: A Postgraduate Film Conference, Go West, Comrade: Recollection, Transposition and Populist Radicalism in the New Left Westerns of Sergio Sollima, 01 Jan 2007, University of Bath
Qualifications
- PhD in Media Arts (Royal Holloway, University of London, 2010)
- PGCE in Higher Education (Royal Holloway, University of London, 2006)
- MA in Literature, Culture and Modernity (Queen Mary, University of London, 2001)
- BA (Hons) in English (The University of Birmingham, 1999)
Honours
- Best Monograph (British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies, 2020)
Memberships
- Royal Historical Society, Fellow (2021-),
- International Association for Media and History (IAMHIST), Member (2019-),
- British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies (BAFTSS), Member (2017-),
- Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA), Member (2015-),
- Higher Education Academy, Fellow (2014-),
- Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Member (2011-),
- National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image (NAHEMI), Member,
Networks
- Head of the History Research Group (Bournemouth University)
- Editorial Board: 'The Popular West' book series (Oklahoma University Press)
- Editorial Board: [in]Transition: Journal of Videographic Film & Moving Image Studies.
- Editorial Board: 'Transnational Cinemas' journal (Routledge)
- Founding Co-Editor: ‘Global Exploitation Cinemas’ book series (Bloomsbury)
- Co-Founder: 'Transnational Cinemas' Scholarly Interest Group, Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS)