Category: Nostalgia

Episode 65: Ready Player One - Nostalgia for Fun and Profit

4/11/2018

Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of Ernest Cline’s divisive 2011 novel is the subject of this episode. Jordan Poss of Piedmont Technical College and Nathan Magee of Mount Aloysius College join Danny for this discussion. Cline’s novel, though initially beloved suffered the scorn of critics in the wake of Gamergate. How has Spielberg’s adaptation addressed those concerns? What is it about the 1980s that fosters such nostalgia right now? What political position does this film take on consumerism and corporations? Exactly what kind of an artist is Spielberg and why is he obsessed with Stanley Kubrick? All this and much much more!

Links:
Constance Grady, “The Ready Player One
Backlash Explained
Inkoo Kang, “Ready Player One Is a Feat of State-of-the-Art Pop Culture Navel-Gazing”
Yuval Leven The Fractured Republic
Warren Ellis Transmetropolitan

0 Comments

Episode 55: The Last Jedi and Toxic Fandom

1/3/2018

0 Comments

This episode explores one of the most divisive movies in the Star Wars franchise. Upon its release, The Last Jedi has been superbly received by critics, yet reviled by certain members of the massive Star Wars fan base. What is behind these polarized opinions? Danny Anderson is joined by Nathan Magee, Director of Theater at Mount Aloysius College, and together these rebels seek answers from across the galaxy. What are the legitimate problems with this new take on the Star Wars formula? How do these reasonable complaints differ from the vitriolic reactions of “fans?” Plus, listener feedback, some astounding predictions for 2018 and our latest host-recommendations! Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and at sectarianreviewpodcast.com
Links:
“The Last Jedi Isn’t For the Fans” by Andrew Kahn
“Sense of the Faithful Says There’s Something Amiss About ‘The Last Jedi’” by Charlie Camosy

0 Comments

Episode 51: It, Stranger Things, and Children in Horror

11/8/2017

0 Comments

Recorded live at the 2017 Mount Aloysius Charity Comic Con, Danny is joined by Wayne Wise for a discussion about the history, ethics, and thrills of children in horror. Focusing on the recent remake of Stephen King’s It and Stranger Things, the conversation covers the many ways that children have inspired and consumed horror films. How do children defy rationality? What does Capitalism have to do with this? Why the current rabid nostalgia for the 1980s? All this and much more.

Introducing Wayne Wise
History of children in horror
Children possessing special knowledge that adults don’t have
Mythology, fairy tales, and horror
Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew, too
The horrors of the 1970’s
The 1980’s as an adventure-filled wonderland
It and the search for community
The problem of depicting violence against children
Stranger Things unexpected success
Conspiracy Theory’s hold over our imaginations
1980s nostalgia
The sanitization of contemporary children’s entertainment
Wayne’s book, King of Summer
The enduring allure of King Arthur
Danny’s theory of the “pre-modern”
The moral function of violence

Questions from the audience:
Satanic Panic?
Reagan?
Adam Walsh and America’s Most Wanted?
Stand By Me?
Taboo and subliminal fear of women?

Links:
Info about Wayne Wise and his work
Danny’s essay about Christians watching It

0 Comments

Episode 65: Ready Player One - Nostalgia for Fun and Profit

Episode 55: The Last Jedi and Toxic Fandom

Episode 51: It, Stranger Things, and Children in Horror

Archives

Categories

About