Blood, guns, and testosterone : action films, audiences, and a thirst for violence / Barna William Donovan.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Violence and much more -- The controversies, the crisis, and the films. The history of a modern crisis -- The audience matters -- The modern American action film -- The audience. The need for speed : the appeal of fast-paced story telling -- Mirror image : finding a personal, social, and moral identity in the action film -- Man talk : managing the modern male identity (crisis) in the genre -- The opposition : men with a challenge--managing a well-deserved "crisis" -- What women want : women talk about modern masculinity in the action film -- Bloody fun : the appeal of watching violence -- Conclusions: I'll be back? The future of action and masculinity in popular culture.