Whitt and Perlich on Myth and Science Fiction
I recently mentioned a new book that looked very interesting to me, Sith, Slayers, Stargates and Cyborgs: Modern Mythology and the New Millennium (Peter Lang Publishers, 2007), edited by David Whitt and John Perlich. Dr. David Whitt is Associate Professor of Communication at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Dr. John Perlich is Associate Professor of Communication […]
“And the Oscar goes to…”: Overlooked Fantastic Films Deserve Oscar Nod
In 1954 Marlon Brando uttered a line of dialogue that would become one of the classics of the silver screen. In one of the more riveting scenes from On the Waterfront, Brando struggles with what might have been in his boxing career and delivers the line: “I could have been a contender, I could have […]
Pop Culture Explores the Apocalypse
The January 28, 2008 issue of TIME magazine includes an interesting article in its Arts section title “Apocalypse New” by Lev Grossman. The article can also be found online here. The article is worthy of reflection in that it notes the continued exploration of the end of human life and dominance on this planet through […]
Sith, Slayers, Stargates and Cyborgs: Modern Mythology in the New Millennium
The Popular Culture Association continues to be a great source for addressing fascinating aspects at the intersection between the fantastic and culture. Yesterday I received an announcement concerning a call for papers dealing with the topic of mythology and the new millennium for a volume that is viewed as a logical extension of a new […]
The Monster Show: Horror, Ritual and Pilgrimage
One of the books I have been reading in my spare time is one that I received as a Christmas gift, David J. Skal, The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror, rev. ed (New York: Faber and Faber, 2001). This book does a nice job of bringing together various elements of approach to the […]
Grimm Pictures: Walter Rankin on Fairy Tale Archetypes, Horror and Suspense Films
In my research for materials that address issues related to this blog’s focus I recently came across an intriguing book by Walter Rankin titled Grimm Pictures: Fairy Tale Archetypes in Eight Horror and Suspense Films (McFarland, 2007). As the title indicates Rankin makes a connection between archetypal images, themes, and symbols and contemporary horror and […]
I Am Legend: Latest Cinematic Treatment of Matheson Story Offers Apocalyptic and Theistic Angst – Revised
Normally my family opens Christmas presents on Christmas morning, but after weeks of pressuring and begging by our two teenage children, my wife agreed to a gift opening on Christmas Eve. This left us free to sleep in a little on Christmas morning, and after breakfast we went to the movies to see I Am […]
New Zombie Anthology: History is Dead
Kim Paffenroth, author of Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero’s Visions of Hell on Earth (Baylor University Press, 2006), and Dying to Live: a novel of life among the undead (Permutated Press, 2006), has edited a zombie anthology titled History is Dead (Permutated Press, 2007). As the book’s back cover describes it’s contents: Our […]
Peg Aloi: Cinema and the Occult Revival
This post brings together a number of areas of interest for me, including the increasing interest in fantasy with the counterculture of the 1960s, the connection between fantasy and Neo-Paganism, and the expression of elements related to Paganism and esotericism in film. We will explore issues related to these facets courtesy of an interview with […]
Antonia Levi: Anime, Manga, and Cultural Aspects of the Werewolf Tradition
Antonia Levi was one of the early pioneer scholars researching and writing on aspects of Japanese popular culture. She has lived in Japan, and is a fan as well as academic researcher on anime. She did graduate work at Tokyo University, holds a Ph.D. in Japanese history from Stanford, and has taught on Japanese history […]
