Happy Birthday to Us: The First Year
Well, folks, I did it. I operated a blog for an entire calendar year--and if you know anything about my work ethic, you'll know that that alone is cause for...
My Type of Hype: A House Party Series Retrospective
Last month marked the 25th anniversary of the release of House Party: the definitive early '90s African American teen comedy, starring pop-rappers Kid 'n Play and directed by Reginald Hudlin. So what better...
Selma, “Black Lives Matter,” and the Challenge to Be a Better White Person
There's a scene early in Selma, Ava DuVernay's dramatization of the political struggles that led to the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which neatly encapsulates the film's ideological perspective on...
True Detective and the Subversive Potential of Pulp
(Editor's Note: I don't and won't always do this, but I respect the fact that even I couldn't have been the last person to watch HBO's True Detective. So, please be warned that...
From the Vault: The Pixies Reunion on Film
Editor's Note: This week has been a busy one on the academic front, so I've been lax in updating the ol' blog. But this week also saw the release of...
From the Vault Bonus: Double Indemnity
Editor's Note: Yeah, I already posted a Throwback Thursday piece today, but then I was reminded that Billy Wilder's classic film noir, Double Indemnity, is 70 years old today. As...