Movie Art and the Nature of Story
Almost anyone who has taught film studies has drawn on one of the numerous editions of the superb textbook by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson Film Art.…
Seeking the Transcendent and American Cinema
“To be a person is to be transcendent. We therefore know about the transcendent, God, only because we participate in that mode of being.” - David Walsh,…
007: The Timeless Story of a Blunt Instrument
“James Bond, with two double bourbons inside him, sat in the final departure lounge of Miami Airport and thought about life and death.” This sentence from Goldfinger…
The Sexual Sublime and Salvation on Pandora: The Romantic Imagination of James Cameron
“I see you.” That simple phrase by Jake Sully to Neytiri consummates their relationship long before their having sex from which Jake “becomes a man” in passing…
All Donkeys Go to Heaven: “Eo” and Jerzy Skolimowski’s Masterpiece
The 1989 animated musical fantasy All Dogs Go to Heaven humorously poses the question do dogs go to heaven after their life on earth. The dog lover…
The Romance of Transcendence
Eric Voegelin’s introduction to The Ecumenic Age is a rich, evocative piece of writing. Regarding religious structures, Voegelin was concerned about the “doctrinization of symbols” that impede…
Annihilation: A Failed Sci-Fi Adaptation of René Girard
Based on a book by Jeff VanderMeer, the movie Annihilation[1] is a fairly straightforward presentation of the ideas of René Girard. The book is more nuanced and…
The Passion of Star Wars
Is Star Wars more than an entertaining space opera meant to relax us after the daily grind of post-industrialized life? To answer that question, we must consider the possibility…
The Birth of Yoda: Manichaeism and the Jedi Religion
“No matter how esoteric an artist you are, you're still playing for an audience. If you only play to 10 people, then, maybe you're a high artist”…
Christopher Nolan: Artist of Trauma, A Review of Stuart Joy’s “The Traumatic Screen”
Stuart Joy. The Traumatic Screen: The Films of Christopher Nolan. Chicago, IL: Intellect, The University of Chicago Press, 2020. 185pp. $26.50. It is no shocking revelation…
Review of “Stalker” by Andrei Tarkovsky
In the usual roadside picnic, travelers might spread out a picnic blanket, take out a hamper, and help themselves to lunch. In the process, they might carelessly…
Proposals for Book Series: Politics, Literature, and Film
Lexington Books’ Politics, Literature, and Film series is actively seeking proposals for academic works that fit the description below: This interdisciplinary series examines the intersection of politics…
Politics, Literature, and Film Series: Looking for Proposals!
Lexington Books’ Politics, Literature, and Film series is actively seeking proposals for academic works that fit the description below: This interdisciplinary series examines the intersection of politics…
Redeeming Film Music From the Avant-Garde
There is a kind of listener who first becomes acquainted with the symphony orchestra through film music. And many such listeners want to hear the music again—willingly…
Looking for Book Proposals!
Lexington Books’ Politics, Literature, and Film series is actively seeking proposals for academic works that fit the description below: This interdisciplinary series examines the intersection of politics…