‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and the Death of Hollywood Franchises
Hollywood franchise films may not have started as theme parks, but the drive to eliminate risk will quickly turn them into the very thing their detractors fear.
Film
Nazis and Racial and Sexual Subtexts in ‘Revenge of the Zombies’
Revenge of the Zombies stands at the axis of Nazis, race relations and feminism in a mishmash of wartime themes under an immigrant director.
‘Louder Than You Think’: The Improbable Origins of Pavement
Louder Than You Think documents the early origins of indie rock’s Pavement through the cracked life and times of the band’s first drummer, Gary Young.
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Punk Is a Virus That’s Infected Everything
Tracing punk’s mutations, Iain Ellis’ Punk Beyond the Music is a robust and kaleidoscopic survey of this once-outsider subculture’s continuing, pervasive influence.
A Queer Feminist Storytelling of ‘Jurassic Park’
Hannah McGregor’s book about Jurassic Park is a memoir, a love letter to monstrous femininities and queer kinships, and a pocket guide to reading like a feminist.
‘Fight Club’ Still Serves as an Odyssey of Alienation and Brotherhood
Fight Club conveyed Gen X men’s frustration, leading to paramilitary militia groups and Promise Keepers. It lends itself to reinterpretation to this day.
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Wherever You Go, There You Are: ‘Interstellar’ at 10 Resonates
Although it aims to portray humanity’s future, sci-fi film Interstellar‘s message – that our greatest asset and liability is ourselves – resonates in our times.
Bruce Springsteen Documentary ‘Road Diary’ Takes a Familiar Route
Bruce Springsteen documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band gets you there by taking a familiar yet still enjoyable route.
When Sessue Hayakawa Took Hollywood by Smoldering Storm
Sessue Hayakawa was the first Asian male star in Hollywood, became a “foreign” silent film sex symbol, and ran his own company while the “natives” remained uptight.
Fascism Bares Its German Shepherd Teeth in Two Post-Franco Films
The Creature and A Dog Called Vengeance use German shepherds in allegories of fascist politics, revolution, violence and love.
Rom-Communism: ‘Ted Lasso’ and the Future of the Romantic Comedy
As polarization impacts the cultural landscape, rom-coms like Ted Lasso show how we can work through our differences and disagreements to everyone’s satisfaction.
A Tribute to Teri Garr: A Comic Genius
Comic film actress Teri Garr flourished in the 1970s and 1980s, bringing an innate likability and charm to her roles and giving the characters dignity.