Screens

Everyone loves Hello Kitty, but Sanrio’s earliest films reveal something more ominous about the company.…

June 3, 2024

End of The Reel – Quentin Tarantino’s Swan Song

What will Quentin Tarantino’s final film be about?…

June 1, 2024

The Case for ‘80s Effects

There’s some-Thing about ‘80s creatures that people just can’t shake. …

May 31, 2024

‘Tokyo Vice’ and the Disciplined Criminals in the Yakuza

Hamad Naroze, Hunter College

How the yakuza have conducted every insidious criminal activity in plain daylight within Japan.…

May 31, 2024

The Refreshing Friendship-ification of the Will-They-Won’t-They Trope in ‘Abbott Elementary’

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

Going against audience expectations for the Janine-Gregory relationship, the new season has invested time and narrative weight into emerging friendships between Janine and Ava and Gregory and Jacob.…

May 29, 2024

A yellow boy stares down a pipeline with an innocent smile on his face, eager to explore; the pipeline looks old, and grey, and rusty, the phrase "alt-right" looking almost scratched into the metal. The sun looks down with a concerned face from a clear blue sky, as white clouds give way to a dark storm front.

Alt-Right Algorithms

Vera Pavlovich, Loyola University Maryland

Despite the decrease in popularity of the original alt-right YouTube influencers, the alt-right pipeline is still alive and thriving.…

May 28, 2024

Interactions Between Audiences and Creators Heated in Watcher Situation

Cerasela Hanseter, University of California, Berkeley

In some rather recent and radical YouTube drama, fans’ backlash pushes back on YouTube channel Watcher’s decision to go rogue.…

May 20, 2024

Three figures stand in differing proportions against each other, a full figured black woman on the left and two white men shown from the waist up. The woman towers over the men in her blue uniform, a smirk on her face and smiles on the men's, one brunette, one blonde, one in a similar uniform to the woman, the other in a brown leather coat. They are all placed in front of a grainy, gray background.

Hen Wilson and the Queer Character Before a Larger Audience Dubs a Show “Queer”

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

The recent media buzz around the hit first-responder procedural “9-1-1” hints at a double standard for queer representation on tv.…

May 20, 2024

The outside of the Red Rocket from Fallout.

Fallout: 1997–A Cynical Post-Nuclear Masterwork

“Fallout” is making waves among critics and fans alike. While well-crafted on its own merits, it is wildly different in tone from its source material, showing a different side of this post-nuclear setting.…

May 17, 2024

Cowboy Bebop—An Enduring Animated Classic

Cowboy Bebop is a show that has stood the test of time. Let’s look back and see what made it such a landmark in the industry.…

May 10, 2024

Lisa Frankenstein and Jennifer Check standing in front of pink background.

‘Lisa Frankenstein’ & ‘Jennifer’s Body:’ Female Empowerment Through Murder

Diablo Cody’s “Lisa Frankenstein” and “Jennifer’s Body” creepy female protagonists feel the most alive through death.…

May 9, 2024

Past Lives: Portraying Authentic Love in Film

Mark StenbergandFinlay O'Connell, Minerva University

Many romance films often celebrate the grand gestures in love, but Celine Song’s “Past Lives” brings light to the quiet moments of intimacy that often accompany authentic love.…

May 9, 2024

Members of 'The Boys' standing next to one another.

‘The Boys’—Elevating Juvenile Source Material

The Boys is one of the most popular shows on TV right now, but how can that be when its source material is so derided?…

May 6, 2024

Five Letterboxd Lists to Mix Up Your Movie Night

With so much content available on streaming services, people often are overwhelmed by choice. Here are five themed lists to make that decision easier.…

May 5, 2024

The Prequels Turn Twenty-Five–Star Wars’ Sleeper Hit

The Phantom Menace turns 25 this year, but how did the public perception of the prequels take a massive about-face in the last decade?…

May 4, 2024

Two women kiss in front of a red background with a yellow stream twining through it like a stream of silk. The woman on the left bears a pink hoodie and a ponytail embraces her partner, garbed in a black dress with her hair in an updo. Her hands are placed on the first woman's chest in an intimate gesture.

“Saving Face” is the Best 2000s Queer Rom-Com You’ve (Probably) Never Seen

Archie Wagner, University of Iowa

The 2004 film features a mother and daughter navigating new circumstances amidst cultural expectations with humor and sensitive, deft craft.…

April 21, 2024

A young man with a blue shirt and orange hair stares, nay, is transfixed by smartphone. His eyes swirl in a whirling pool of red and yellow, drool crawling down his chin as the phone's light shines brightly in his face, contrasting against the dark purple background.

Doom-Scrolling Dooms Media as We Know it

Cerasela Hanseter, University of California, Berkeley

Doom-scrolling is doing more than just ruining our attention spans: it is transforming news and media as an enterprise.…

April 21, 2024

Someone taking a picture of their young child.

Ruby Franke, 8 Passengers and Perilous Family Vlogging

What started as a fun and parasocial trend now falls to the hands of the legal system.…

April 12, 2024

A woman with brown skin, dark hair and a pink headband stands in front of a grey wall, with A-shaped markings in it. She's smiling into a camera stand from which the silhouette of an iPhone can be seen; the ring of the stand glows yellow, presumably casting light on her as the phone's camera captures her in shot.

Why Content Creators like xoxo, Akouto are Necessary Online

Cerasela Hanseter, University of California, Berkeley

Akouto Von brings a new perspective to YouTube content, offering a sense of vulnerability not often found in newer creators.…

April 10, 2024

The Islamic Blueprint of Dune

Hamad Naroze, Hunter College

How Frank Herbert and his iconic sci-fi “Dune” were influenced by Islam and the cultures of the Middle East.…

April 9, 2024

A white, baren wall and box office window with two rectangle postings. One window has. a photo of blue and red spiderman figure.

Spider-Mondays—A Triumphant Swinging Return into Theaters

Mark StenbergandKyle A. McLaughlin, Elizabethtown College

Sony is going to re-release all nine live-action Spider-Man movies to theaters from April through to May.…

April 8, 2024

The Uncertain Omens of ‘Late Night With the Devil’

“Late Night With the Devil” is a creative and original indie horror film whose hype and potential legacy has been muddled by controversy due to their usage of AI imagery in the movie.…

April 8, 2024

The Story Behind Bluey’s Most Hated Character: Muffin

Cerasela Hanseter, University of California, Berkeley

It's Muffin! Why arguably the most-hated character on Bluey plays such a valuable role. …

April 5, 2024

Collage of Lupin characters under overlay of title.

The Many Timeless Faces of Lupin III

In spite of his defunct concept, Lupin III has continued to entertain audiences with his recognizable but malleable persona.…

April 4, 2024

How ‘The Sims’ Decodes Gaming Gender Dynamics

Allegra Walker, University at Albany - SUNY

While there are many memes going around about how The Sims game series is popular amongst a female audience, the appeal to slice-of-life games for women starts in girlhood.…

April 3, 2024

House of The Dragon–Ascending From The Ashes of Game of Thrones

How does House of The Dragon redeem the fall of Game of Thrones?…

April 2, 2024

Young girl hiding her face while someone tries to film her.

Child Exploitation and Trauma on Screen: The Dance Moms Reunion

Nostalgia breaks down as entertainment figures from the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s like Jenette McCurdy in memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Died” and Drake Bell in “Quiet on Set” reveal how they were exploited and…

April 1, 2024

The image of a man in a suit and hat with a dark tie repeats through sets of images descending in three film strips, each of which is in imperfect alignment with each other. The first man is in a grey strip, reaching to touch the shoulder of his clone in a green strip, who in turn is staring at his copy in a blue strip, as if they are in a cycle repeating endlessly through time.

Black & White: The Historic Film Technique Directors Are Rediscovering

Santiago Rivera, Washington University in St. Louis

In the modern era of digital coloring and novel technologies, how is modern cinema reinventing its roots in Black and White?…

March 28, 2024

The terminator with its robotic features in detail.

100 Years of Fear: Artificial Intelligence and Film

Does the portrayal of artificial intelligence in the media have any bearing on the current distrust of the real thing?…

March 27, 2024

‘Frankenstein,’ Ballet and Mute Dancing Creatures

Royal Ballet’s “Frankenstein” is loyal to the written work, as it highlights the significance of connections and what occurs upon breaking human and social conventions.…

March 26, 2024

An astronaut cast in a green glow stands a green pane projected onto a black background. They are covertly peeking behind them, their eyes visible in the glass mask at some unknown figure, said figure's shadow fluidly creeping along the green path like ink.

Alien: Isolation and the Horror in the Sublime

Hamad Naroze, Hunter College

How the video game Alien: Isolation utilizes sensory cues to keep players on edge, making sure they're always aware of the present dangers.…

March 23, 2024

Two robed figures with swords stand against a black background bisected in half by a golden glow, framed by red symbols. The figure to the right is dressed in light robes, has a blue sword and blond hair; his symbol is round and curved. The figure to the right is dressed in dark robes, has two blade -- red and purple -- and a mask; his symbol is squared and point.

The History of the Star Wars Universe Pre-Skywalker

Hamad Naroze, Hunter College

Analyzing the history, lore and cultures of the Star Wars universe prior to the iconic, genre-defining Skywalker saga.…

March 22, 2024

Calico Cats and Littlest Pet Shop figurines dressed in dresses.

Sylvanian Drama and the Neverending Nature of LPS Popular