Lewis is the Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at Oregon State University and the former editor of Cinema Journal.
His books include: "The Road to Romance and Ruin: Teen Films and Youth Culture,” "Whom God Wishes to Destroy... Francis Coppola and the New Hollywood,” "Hollywood v. Hard Core: How the Struggle over Censorship Saved the Modern Film Industry,” and for the BFI's Film Classics series, The Godfather.