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Ralph, Frank and George: The Persisting Cultural Logic of American Individualism
Now that George W. Bush's career in politics is over, the time has come to figure out how he created the persona that mesmerized so many people for such a long time, and how he can remain in denial about the effects of his disastrous years in office.
Is Lee Adama the New (And Not So Improved) Thomas Jefferson? Thoughts on the Battlestar Galactica Finale
Throughout the past four seasons "Battlestar Galactice" consistently raised rigorous questions about the nature of humanity, the role of government, the importance of community, the definition of family, and the correct relationship between humans and technology. But the finale only provide pat, conservative answers.
Sarah Palin and the Experience Argument to Nowhere
Much has been made by Republicans of Gov. Sarah Palin’s executive experience, beginning with her two-term tenure as mayor of the small Anchorage suburb Wasilla. As a former professor of public administration who has taught municipal management and helped prepare hundreds of students for careers in local government, including city managers, I know something about [...]
Man, Machine, Memory and Movies: A Critical Look at “Dark City”
The 1998 film “Dark City” will be re-released on DVD this week in a new director’s cut that features additional footage. I’ve always felt that “Dark City” never received the recognition it deserved — due in no small part to being overshadowed later by a very similar film, “The Matrix,” in 1999.
What is particularly [...]
Remembering George Carlin
How does one make a 14-year-old who hates high school excited about language, learning and politics? One way guaranteed to be effective is to make the entire process painfully funny.
At one point I was that kid, awkwardly stumbling through adolescence, bored by conventional classroom tactics, attempting to determine what interested me as a student and [...]
Making History: HBO Brilliantly Captures John Adams’ Complex Life
History presented on television does not have to rely on the documentary format -- third person narration, supplemented with interviews with historians, actors reading contemporary letters and journals, and half-hearted re-enactments -- to maintain an aura of historical accuracy or legitimacy. The "John Adams" miniseries augments David McCullough's ability to bring his characters to life by bringing their world to life through a fantastic screenplay, acting, and cinematography.
Pictures of Insect Men: A Retrospective Analysis of the “Mimic” Trilogy
This article examines the "Mimic" films, particularly how the plot device of the "Big Bug" monster is still relevant to public discourse on scientific issues. In particular, concepts and issues that are specific to genetic research and their related environmental and political impacts permeate the "Mimic" films, thus making them different from their irradiated Atomic Age predecessors and worthy of unique consideration.
The Mystery of Place, Memory and Rock Kicking
The Heroes Have Gone: Personal Essays on Sport, Popular Culture and the American West
by Jim W. Corder
Edited and with an afterword by James S. Baumlin and Keith D. Miller
Moon City Press (February, 2008)
185 pp. $15
Those who heard the voice of the late Jim Corder, professor of English at Texas Christian University, will hear it [...]
A Look at Iconic Versus: The Post-9/11 Significance of the Freddy vs. Jason and Alien vs. Predator Movies
Fears of vicious attacks and random massacres are not the product of some aberration of the natural order but an honest reflection of how the universe actually works. Thus, fears of this type of world do not center on vanquishing monsters to save others so much as on just surviving in a pre-determined situation. What kind of horror film is this? The crossover film that has the word "versus" in the title -- namely, "Freddy vs. Jason" (2003), "Alien vs. Predator" (2004) and the recent "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" (2007).
Back to Baghdad: “Nice Bombs” Targets Life During Wartime
In January of 2004, just as dawn was breaking, Chicago-based filmmaker Usama Alshaibi bribed the guards on Iraq's Jordanian border and drove back into the country he hadn't seen in 24 years. He brought along his American-born wife, Kristie, and a video camera. "Nice Bombs: My Journey Back to Iraq," an award-winning documentary, is the result of his journey.