The Cold War came early to Hollywood. Only a year after Winston Churchill famously declared in 1946 that an iron curtain had descended across Europe, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began an investigation into the supposed infiltration of communist activity in the Hollywood community. Before the fears and terrors of the McCarthy era, Hollywood experienced its … [Read more...] about HUAC Goes To Hollywood: A Study of Communism, Studios, and Unions in Cold-War Hollywood
201 Anywhere
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
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