''Seagalogy: A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal'' is a book released in 2008 by

Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and co ...

, . It was written by Vern (no last name). It is the first in-depth study to be published on the complete creative output of

Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal (; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and martial artist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-l ...

. The book makes a careful examination of every Steven Seagal film from 1988's '' Above the Law'' to 2008's ''

Pistol Whipped ''Pistol Whipped'' is a 2008 American action film directed by Roel Reiné. The film stars Steven Seagal, and was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on March 4, 2008. Plot Matt Conner is an unemployed, drinking deadbeat. Once he was ...

'', as well as providing reviews of some of Seagal's other output: his music, his appearances in commercials and even his energy drink. In 2012, an updated edition of the book was published, incorporating reviews from the intervening years including Seagal's work on the

reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

show '' Steven Seagal: Lawman''.

The book makes the argument that certain specific themes and motifs remain present throughout Seagal's filmography, laying the groundwork for an examination of the films using the

auteur theory An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...

. Since the auteur theory usually cites the

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

as the source of a film's particular vision, Vern argues that Seagal's filmography represents an example of what he describes as the "badass auteur": typically an action star whose persona and interests recur throughout their filmography, regardless of director or other creative collaborators. Vern describes themes of government corruption (particularly involving the CIA),

environmentalism Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seek ...

, and adoption of foreign cultures as being examples of recurrent motifs in Seagal's films, among a variety of others. The first edition breaks Seagal's career into four chronological "eras", marked by specific differences in style and content. The 2012 updated edition adds a fifth era. These chronological "eras" describe different phases of Seagal's career, and include the "Golden Era" (1988-1991), the period of Seagal's first successes, the "Silver Era" (1992-1997), during which Seagal saw the peak of his fame and made high-profile blockbusters, a "Transitional Period" (1998-2002) during which he made lower-profile or ensemble films, a lengthy "

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

" period (his most prolific to date, 2003–2008) and, in the 2012 updated addition, a "Chief Seagal" period (2009–Present) during which Seagal moved into

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and began reflecting elements of his ''Steven Seagal: Lawman'' persona in his films. The book does not discuss Seagal's personal life or career, and instead focuses almost exclusively on his artistic output. Biographical details (for instance, his legal issues with producer Julius R. Nasso) appear only in the context of discussing their possible impact on his artistic choices.

References

2008 non-fiction books Steven Seagal {{Film-book-stub

Contents

References