The dusty brown building casts a shadow on the corner of 93rd and Amsterdam. Unlike the Riverside or Douglass Projects’ clusters of dirt brown buildings, this single project is the Jane Doe of government housing. The concrete rectangle of small apartments reaches upwards of sixteen stories, with a well-hidden roof, and a playground in the back. There is only one entrance: the … [Read more...] about 201 Anywhere
Archives for November 2010
Attack of the Girls?
It’s a plot as familiar to movie goers as stale popcorn and sticky floors: two buddies on the run from the law, piling up a rap sheet of hefty charges on the highway to freedom. The tale never fails to inspire audiences, its on-the-road antics always keenly tuned to stick it to The Man at all the right moments. Problems arise, however, when those characters doing the sticking … [Read more...] about Attack of the Girls?
Teens, Toddlers, and Totoro
In both its historical and contemporary manifestations, fantasy as a narrative element has operated predominantly within the domain of childhood. Whether we discuss Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, or Harry Potter, fantasy stories typically feature child protagonists in order to target a child audience. Fantasy narratives can vary considerably: they can create … [Read more...] about Teens, Toddlers, and Totoro
Hearing is Believing
By Cody Marion In 1927, sound and image became forever linked with the production of The Jazz Singer, the very first feature film to synchronize dialogue with visuals. While some proclaimed it to be the death of filmmaking, others championed it, arguing that the medium was progressing and evolving into something much more engrossing than what had already been an undeniably … [Read more...] about Hearing is Believing
Electronic Waste
By Mitchell Knauf By 1948, with the establishment of world trade organizations like the GATT, IMF, and World Bank, globalization took off in developing nations. Importing tariffs and trade barriers began to fall and Western economies observed a potential to grow. As Third World nations dropped their trade borders and companies of developed nations started to focus on profits … [Read more...] about Electronic Waste