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We’ve given our slaps, we’ve thrown our punches, and now it’s time to finish things once and for all with a heart-stopping, face-crunching roundhouse kick. That’s right–today we close this chapter on those cultural criminals most deserving of a knockdown, drag-out, barroom fight. This metaphorical throw down has been just that—metaphorical. It was and is … Continue reading
THIS WEEK: Apr 24 – Apr 30, 2011 ZOMBIE HOUSE: In the realm of Geekdom, pretending to prepare for a zombie apocalypse is a favourite pastime. Blame whomever you want, but it’s a cultural phenomenon that won’t be ignored. And now we’ve taken another step toward apocalyptic readiness with KWK Promes’ The Safe House. That’s … Continue reading
Last week we performed something of a cultural experiment here at zsroe.com. In paying homage to David Fincher’s 1999 film, Fight Club, I asked, “who of our many cultural icons most deserves a (metaphorical) slap in the face, or punch in the kisser, or a walloping roundhouse kick to the old noggin?” And not just … Continue reading
THIS WEEK: Apr 17 – Apr 23, 2011 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES: More casting news for Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, has hit the web. For a while, we’ve known that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard (both of whom starred in Nolan’s Inception) were involved in the sequel to 2008’s The … Continue reading
In David Fincher’s 1999 film, Fight Club, the two main characters discuss whom they’d most like to fight if they could fight anyone in the world. William Shatner is one of their choices, as is Mahatma Gandhi. If memory serves, the late Mother Teresa also made the bill. And it got me thinking: if I … Continue reading
THIS WEEK: Apr 10 – Apr 16, 2011 AMERICAN IDIOT: I’ve been a fan of Green Day since their 1994 album, Dookie. Though many of their older fans make a point of dismissing the pop punk band’s last two studio efforts, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, I can honestly say that I enjoy both … Continue reading
Filmmakers explore and challenge what it means to be human—our own personal crises, how we interact with each other, how the world changes, and in so doing, changes us. A good film doesn’t need to be realistic so much as it needs to resonate on a basic human level. But sometimes, realism (or at least … Continue reading
THIS WEEK: Apr 3 – Apr 9, 2011 DR. SEUSS: For many of us, Theodor Seuss Geisel (otherwise known as Dr. Seuss) and his dozens of children’s books are a fondly remembered part of our early childhood. Whether it be The Cat In The Hat or How The Grinch Stole Christmas or any number of … Continue reading
Had you asked me in 2005 whether I thought a video-sharing website like YouTube could have a large cultural impact, I’d have probably said no. That it might have become a popular and frequently visited site wouldn’t have surprised me. But that it might become a lasting cultural phenomenon with real social clout would have … Continue reading
THIS WEEK: Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2011 MAN OF STEEL: I’ll just come out and say it—I don’t much care for Superman. Sure, I saw 2006’s Superman Returns, and, yeah, I did watch Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in the mid 90s. But I haven’t seen any of the Christopher Reeve … Continue reading
There’s nothing quite like going to the movies—it’s storytelling, but on a grand scale. You go with friends, order popcorn and a large Coke, and then sit back and let the filmmaker do what he or she does best: propel you down a long, winding rabbit hole that is sometimes familiar, and other times alien. … Continue reading
THIS WEEK: Mar 20 – Mar 26, 2011 OMG: As far as I’m concerned, the Oxford English Dictionary is the English language Bible. Forget Websters or Dictionary.com—the OED is the only way to go. Which is why I’m a bit shamefaced to say that the online abbreviation OMG (short for “oh my God”) has now … Continue reading
Have you noticed the slew of alien movies that have been hitting the big screen? From Skyline to Battle: LA, from Paul to Super 8—it’s an invasion…of a sort, anyway. Personally, I have my fingers crossed, hoping that J. J. Abrams’ latest, Super 8, will deliver on the old school sci-fi goods its trailer seems … Continue reading
THIS WEEK: Mar 13 – Mar 19, 2011 MICHAEL GOUGH: Despite having appeared in over 150 films, you probably remember Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s butler in Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin. Sadly, Gough died this week at his home in the U.K. (though he had been ill for … Continue reading
It’s times like these, when tragedy and devastation are felt so fully as they are right now in Japan, that my interests and passions seem irrelevant. Film, literature, music—in the wake of so many deaths, how can such pastimes be anything more than passing indulgences? This is the gut response, and it isn’t entirely misplaced. … Continue reading
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