Special Sections

The End of the Potterverse

By J. Peder Zane, Carlin Romano, Chauncey Mabe...

On the eve of the publication of the final Harry Potter book this Saturday, we offer a multitude of essays on the Harry Potter phenomenon from some of America's best book critics.

PopMatters Picks: Say It Loud! 65 Great Protest Songs

By PopMatters Staff

There's no time like the present for protest music. PopMatters has scoured the musical spectrum for the best examples of the protest song form, including anthems of great popularity and obscurity alike.

PopMatters Picks: The 50 DVDs Every Film Fan Should Own

By PopMatters Staff

Each day this week PopMatters casts its eyes upon film history and presents 10 of the best DVDs every film lover should own. Part Five: The Return of the Auteur.

Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer

By Chris Salewicz

Part Five: Earthquake Weather sets Strummer wandering solo through his "wilderness years" in the not so barren climate of Southern California.

Independent Film Festival of Boston 2007

By Jake Meaney

PopMatters took a seat in dark spaces to explore the shadowy places of the human mind, as brought to light via the filmmakers at the Independent Film Festival of Boston.

The PopMatters Summer Movie Preview

By Bill Gibron

In past years, Hollywood purposely counter programmed these renowned Cineplex dog days, trying to offset the perception that cinematic scraps were all the studios had to offer. Today: August films, including The Bourne Ultimatum.

The 10th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

By Kevin Greer, Jyllian Gunther, and Isaac Miller

Subversive behavior is encouraged, girl-watching is indulged, Hunter S. Thompson gets some respect, and the pig-out at the wrap-up Awards Barbeque begins.

PopMatters @ SXSW 2007

Edited and produced by Andrew Phillips, Megan Milks, and Sarah Zupko

Cook videoblogs from this year's SXSW festival, interviewing Mike Watt and Swamp Dogg in the process.

Super Bowl XLI: Prince(s), Winners, and Heirs Apparent

Edited by Tobias Peterson

We came, we saw, we snacked. From the princes on the field to the Prince on stage, PopMatters' writers present the ultimate postgame analysis of this year's ultimate game in this three-piece special section.

PopMatters Picks: The Best TV, Film, and DVDs of 2006

Series edited and produced by Bill Gibron, Cynthia Fuchs, Robert Wheaton and Sarah Zupko.

For the past week PopMatters has been presenting the best of 2006's visual entertainment. Last week was the best TV, DVDs and film of 2006. This week look for genre picks and best performances from a range of our staff critics. On tap today: Best TV Characters 2006 Best of TV on DVD.

PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2006

Series edited and produced by Zeth Lundy, Robert Wheaton and Sarah Zupko.

PopMatters presents the best music of 2006 in a two-week series that began last week and has included the best 60 records of 2006, the best 20 reissues and numerous genre top 10s.
On tap today: the best and worst musical events of the year.

PopMatters @ CMJ 2006

Writers: Jennifer Kelly, Dan Nishimoto, and Steve Stirling; Edited by Andrew Phillips and Megan Milks

Deceitful (Above All Things): The James Frey and J.T. LeRoy Scandals

By Nikki Tranter

The dual deceptions of memoirists James Frey and J.T. LeRoy have raised questions about truth in creative non-fiction, the publicists' role in promoting that truth correctly, and just what "memoir" means...

Roth Appreciation

By Nikki Tranter

Philip Roth missed out on the Nobel Prize for Literature this year. Instead, he received a different prize, but one he considered near as worthy. The intersection of Keer and Summit Avenues in Newark, New Jersey, the setting for many of Roth's novels, including sections of his latest, The Plot Against America, was renamed Philip Roth Plaza. A man of time and place such as Roth couldn't ask for a better honor.

Joe Strummer 1952-2002

By PopMatters Staff