Matthew Alford


Matthew Alford is a British writer and commentator known for his work on the relationship between Western governments, war, and the media.

Career

Academia

In 2008, Alford earned a doctorate from the University of Bath. He adapted his thesis to write Reel Power: [Hollywood Cinema and American Supremacy], published in 2010 by Pluto Press.

Journalism

In 2008, Alford co-authored articles about the disappearance of screenwriter Gary Devore for The Guardian and Fortean Times, later producing a documentary The Writer with No Hands on the topic.
In 2017, Alford co-authored National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence of Government Control in Hollywood, based on FOIA requests to the CIA and Department of Defense. The book formed the basis for Theaters of War, a documentary he co-produced in 2022.

Political Activity

In 2024, Alford criticised the US and UK for “sleepwalking into a third world war”. He was the Workers Party of Britain's parliamentary candidate in Bath the UK 2024 general election. He received 230 votes, finishing seventh of nine candidates and losing his deposit.

Selected works

Books

  • Reel Power: Hollywood Cinema and American Supremacy. London: Pluto Press, 2010..
  • *2018. French edition with new introduction by the author. Hollywood Propaganda, Cinéma Hollywoodien et Hégémonie Américaine. Translation: Cyrille Rivallan.
  • *2023. Final Cut. French edition with new preface by the author.
  • National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence of Government Control in Hollywood. With Tom Secker. ISBN.
  • *2021. Expanded French edition. L'Empire Vous Divertit: Comment la CIA et le Pentagone Utilisent Hollywood. Translation: Philippe Stroot.

    Films

  • Theaters of War
  • ''The Writer With No Hands''