Category: Film

May 16, 2014

Iris Barry, the Askew Salon, and The Museum of Modern Art

We conclude our week-long feature on Lady in the Dark: Iris Barry and the Art of Film with an excerpt from the book. Iris Barry had made her mark in England as a film critic for The Spectator in the...

May 15, 2014

Griffith, Pickford Rockefeller, and Bunuel: The Life and Relationships of Iris Barry in Photos

The following photos and captions, provided by Robert Sitton, author Lady in the Dark: Iris Barry and the Art of Film, depict not only Iris Barry but the figures who played an important role in her life and career. From...

May 14, 2014

Iris Barry at the Movies

As part of our week-long feature Lady in the Dark: Iris Barry and the Art of Film, we asked the book’s author to discuss A Color Box (dir. Len Lye) and The Last Laugh (dir. F. W. Murnau) some of...

May 13, 2014

Interview with Robert Sitton, author of Lady in the Dark: Iris Barry and the Art of Film

The following is an interview with Robert Sitton, author of Lady in the Dark: Iris Barry and the Art of Film: Question: Who was Iris Barry? Robert Sitton: Iris Barry (1895-1969) was the self-educated daughter of a rural British brass...

April 24, 2014

Camcorders, Democracy, Authenticity — from Video Revolutions

In Video Revolutions: On the History of a Medium, Michael Z. Newman examines the ways in which video has been both valued and denigrated. While some associated it with the low standards of television and contributing to to the decline...

April 23, 2014

Images from the Video Revolution

In Video Revolutions: On the History of a Medium, Michael Z. Newman examines how video has been seen in both a utopian and a negative light in terms of its cultural impact. Newman also includes a variety of images that...

April 22, 2014

Live Video, Then and Now — Michael Z. Newman

The following post is by Michael Z. Newman, author of Video Revolutions: On the History of a Medium: “The non-linearity of videotape, digital recording, and services like Netflix and its rivals also speak to a long-standing fantasy, of media that...

April 17, 2014

The RV in Popular Culture: From Lucy to Walter White

In Winnebago Nation: The RV in American Culture, James Twitchell also explores the depiction of the RV in the movies. Up until the 1960s, Twitchell argues, the RV was “an object of much interest and even yearning”. However, as “the...

March 14, 2014

"Do you believe in fate, Neo?" Law, Freedom, Representation, and Identity in THE MATRIX

Happy Friday, everyone! But before we continue on with the University Press Roundup, we’d like to conclude our week-long feature of Paul W. Kahn’s Finding Ourselves at the Movies. In the except below, Kahn illuminates the underlying philosophies of the...

March 13, 2014

LINCOLN: Sacrifice, Family, and Politics

As part of our ongoing feature of Paul W. Kahn’s Finding Ourselves at the Movies, we’re delighted to share a guest post from the author himself on Steven Spielberg’s 2012 film Lincoln. Don’t forget to enter our book giveaway for...

March 12, 2014

Philosophy as Narrative, Dialogue, Disruption: An Interview with Paul W. Kahn

Next up for our feature on Paul Kahn’s Finding Ourselves at the Movies, we highlight excerpts from the author’s recent interview with Critical Margins. Here, Kahn details some of the themes found in his book, as well as touches on...

February 12, 2014

Quadrophenia: Album, Movie, and Now, Book!

The newest entry in the Cultographies series is Quadrophenia by Stephen Glynn. The 1979 film is, of course, based on the Who’s concept album Quadrophenia (1973) and tells the story of young mod Jimmy Cooper and the 1964 clash between...