Pop/Culture

When Thor Became the Strongest Avenger

The handling of Thor’s depression in 'Avengers: Endgame' - which was released five years ago this week - was a transformative moment for the character…

Apr 27 •

'Civil War' Highlights a Growing Divide in American Culture...and Not in the Way You Think

Let's see what we can learn from the reaction of many liberals, critics, and screenwriters to director Alex Garland's latest film

Apr 20 •

I Want to Break Free (From Your Lies)

From Freddie Mercury to 'M*A*S*H', to Irving Berlin and my own grandfather - a partial, fragmented, and often contradictory history of America's…

Mar 30 •

Q&A: Producer Ted Hope Wants a New Indie Revolution

From shaping the Nineties indie film movement to helping Amazon break into features, the producer has seen and done it all, he has despaired, and he is…

Mar 19 •

The 'Tension of Becoming' at the End of the World

In this exploration of liminal spaces in transitional narratives, we discuss the novel 'Station Eleven', the films 'Children of Men' and 'Barbie', and…

Mar 9 •

The 'Tension of Becoming' in Coming-of-Age Cinema

An exploration of liminal spaces in transitional narratives, beginning with three classic films: STAND BY ME, AMERICAN GRAFFITI, and THE BIG CHILL

Mar 2 •

How John Denver Helped Me Find My Way Back Home

Music can connect us to each other, through grief and sometimes even across time and space

Feb 24 •

Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come' and the Audacity of Hope

Sixty years after the iconic song's release, its message couldn't feel more naive...or more necessary

Feb 3 •

We're All Made of Horrible, Beautiful Scars

Australian rocker Nick Cave, Native American activist/poet John Trudell, and a 14th-century Japanese shogun have thoughts about how to put ourselves…

Jan 20 •

In Memory of John Singleton on His Birthday

Let's reflect on the impact of the late BOYZ N THE HOOD director's work

Dec 30, 2023 •

Why You Never Get Tired of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Spoiler: It's not because life is all that wonderful

Dec 21, 2023 •

DIE HARD Is the Only Christmas Movie That Bridges America's Political Divide

A West Coast-hating 'good guy with a gun' trying to get his nuclear family back - it's a conservative fantasy that liberals can't get enough of every…

Dec 16, 2023 •

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