tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45391350403748253742024-03-13T07:16:36.724-07:00DonovanMediaBarna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-24352320934255037322024-03-13T07:13:00.000-07:002024-03-13T07:16:03.654-07:00A deep dive into metaphor in mother! on CineVerse<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><br /><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAR-wyyCuF98Ib2VqPWsY6Zw6EPOdCNPrFgjp915MTRzcNkzChjLrXtfaPhwGyjH_M4HfOWiRQKWq0Z2Aqqc-SWEvBJT-UrTtn2mLtw9uWM07c89b3KOkunziMlBCpOxfjtOT2vzHTds0-z3MInN61YjltiB5MRiYWZlpn62LldN1u5QB7mHH3TRtiw4C/s4032/IMG_5280.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAR-wyyCuF98Ib2VqPWsY6Zw6EPOdCNPrFgjp915MTRzcNkzChjLrXtfaPhwGyjH_M4HfOWiRQKWq0Z2Aqqc-SWEvBJT-UrTtn2mLtw9uWM07c89b3KOkunziMlBCpOxfjtOT2vzHTds0-z3MInN61YjltiB5MRiYWZlpn62LldN1u5QB7mHH3TRtiw4C/s320/IMG_5280.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>So, you’re interested in a lavish art-house film with some top-tier talent, did you say? Well, check out one of our recent discussions of Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!” on CineVerse <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ANeCT0fx9C01xSE&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21291047&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">right here.</a></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); color: #222222;">As our moderator, Erik Martin writes, “In 2017, Darren Aronofsky opened a disturbing Pandora’s box he called “mother!,” a psychological and surreal horror film that delves into the life of a young woman (Jennifer Lawrence), residing with her husband (Javier Bardem) in a rural and secluded mansion. Their peaceful existence takes a tumultuous turn when an enigmatic couple, embodied by Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer, unexpectedly enters their lives. As tensions mount and the intrusive behavior of the visitors escalates, the woman's once-serene life descends into chaos. Complementing the leads are memorable supporting performances from Domhnall Gleeson, Brian Gleeson, and Kristen Wiig. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><br /><br /><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247);">The movie's provocative and polarizing nature has further contributed to its enduring reputation. While some viewers admire its audaciousness and thematic complexity, others find it polarizing, viewing it as either pretentious or disturbing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br />Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-82514420547544301112024-03-08T16:19:00.000-08:002024-03-08T16:19:41.782-08:00It Happened One Night on CineVerse<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSRLmQB23jvNl8fcqeWVsxTEqvRBgCqXpmonQImNyMQxgTfLp-EUAvxT_7--GSdE0wJEP4mfx6jlt8Q2rkgpCZaHhJOJdVO1GQhzFSJv-sSgb5pU2_0wbtfG63w6N2N7gLGn1TCFuL6jM82k4HOq3E_sD1o6fg8pN1p1oRoNxKTDVBXnPU1fmyUhjLCue3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSRLmQB23jvNl8fcqeWVsxTEqvRBgCqXpmonQImNyMQxgTfLp-EUAvxT_7--GSdE0wJEP4mfx6jlt8Q2rkgpCZaHhJOJdVO1GQhzFSJv-sSgb5pU2_0wbtfG63w6N2N7gLGn1TCFuL6jM82k4HOq3E_sD1o6fg8pN1p1oRoNxKTDVBXnPU1fmyUhjLCue3=w393-h221" width="393" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">They don’t make movie stars the way they used to, and if you want to see one the greatest, check out any of Clark Gable’s films. You’ll see why they used to call him the King of Hollywood. While today people will immediately think of him as Rhett Butler in “Gone With the Wind,” two of my favorite Gable films are “It Happened One Night” and “Red Dust.” So, it just happens that you can check out our CineVerse discussion of “It Happened One Night” </span><a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ABbIuqwlPfqERUQ&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21290958&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">right here.</a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As CineVerse moderator Erik Martin writes, </span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">They don’t come much more timeless or beloved than It Happened One Night, directed by Frank Capra, produced by Harry Cohn for Columbia Pictures, and released in 1934—90 years ago this week. The film follows the escapades of Ellie Andrews, a wealthy socialite portrayed by Claudette Colbert, who flees from her domineering father to elope with a fortune-seeking playboy. Along her journey, she encounters Peter Warne, a recently fired newspaper journalist played by Clark Gable. Recognizing Ellie, Peter offers assistance in exchange for an exclusive story, leading to a mismatched duo embarking on a cross-country adventure filled with comedic mishaps and burgeoning affection.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247);">Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the film was crafted during a challenging era for Columbia Pictures, a minor studio competing with Hollywood giants like MGM and Paramount. Despite initial reluctance from Capra, who ultimately secured creative control, the production encountered obstacles including budget constraints and artistic disagreements. Nevertheless, It Happened One Night triumphed as both a critical and commercial success. The memorable performances of Colbert and Gable, coupled with their on-screen chemistry and impeccable comedic timing, solidified the film's enduring popularity.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247);">This picture remains evergreen for delving into topics such as class privilege, socioeconomic disparities, and the universal quest for happiness—messages that particularly struck a chord with audiences of this hardscrabble era. Its examination of these themes, presented with both levity and depth, imbued the film with substance and raised it above the rank of frivolous entertainment expected from a romantic comedy for 1934.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247);">Ponder that this is likely the best comedy that Gable and Colbert, individually, have ever starred in and quite possibly their finest performances, as evidenced by the fact that It Happened One Night is the only film each ever won an acting Oscar for. Although it was already his 13th directed film in the sound era, It Happened One Night is also the feature that made the world take notice of Capra, his first in a successful run of crowd-pleasing movies that the filmmaker crafted in the 1930s for Columbia.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-59804023708135114402024-03-07T20:23:00.000-08:002024-03-07T20:23:08.724-08:00Exercising "Diplomacy" on CineVerse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo3DyZN5LKZdPeCAFXZHqVK5oVkFZ82UVUTVFKbHkhAJVdnyTJEdwCiRWEMlJxGA80dPfcec_nhEy1pO_TT_W1gnDCE7lVzi6DT0I7RvVDsC8QsatiboEFElEisWrUKU99NZta1PP4YqDo_LtapmOobBQ700dzOdaJ83evsF4ofrNx6C-diLim2oxnn603" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="374" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo3DyZN5LKZdPeCAFXZHqVK5oVkFZ82UVUTVFKbHkhAJVdnyTJEdwCiRWEMlJxGA80dPfcec_nhEy1pO_TT_W1gnDCE7lVzi6DT0I7RvVDsC8QsatiboEFElEisWrUKU99NZta1PP4YqDo_LtapmOobBQ700dzOdaJ83evsF4ofrNx6C-diLim2oxnn603=w198-h285" width="198" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">If you want to check out another excellent film discussion on CineVerse, <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AN4n%5FA01F3Xti60&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21290926&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">click right here! </a>As Erik Martin, the moderator of our discussions writes of this gripping World War II docudrama, "<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Fair warning: The 2014 film Diplomacy, a French historical drama helmed by director Volker Schlöndorff and adapted from Cyril Gély's play of the same title, is one of those “based loosely on historical events” dramatizations that can infuriate scholars and historians. Nevertheless, even if it fudges the facts, it’s a compelling drama that unfolds against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Paris in 1944, chronicling the efforts of Swedish diplomat Raoul Nordling, portrayed by André Dussollier, to dissuade General Dietrich von Choltitz—the German military governor of Paris, played by Niels Arestrup—from executing Adolf Hitler's directive to annihilate Paris before the Allies' arrival.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;">Dussollier and Arestrup deliver arresting performances, infusing their characters with depth and authenticity, while Schlöndorff's direction and the film's cinematography capture the tension and complexities of the narrative, effectively portraying the intricate negotiations and ethical dilemmas faced by the protagonists.</span></span>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-36162940727765175452024-02-17T16:42:00.000-08:002024-02-17T16:48:58.322-08:00A film both deceptively simple and complex on CineVerse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisX9lBSlZICyPe-L90ShKCKQgdz-6fFlqyerTo7-X-maKKDj9BIp7FAykplB7sxlXFXbOnpdE15Ov8Hoh3zp3aZ2Q6PQ7Jjs47gQMViu6j4hwr0LItbMgnhyphenhyphenyqhYeyYurNqh05xDGSKTJUX1c0lL9iGCyEfnkkFjD_AR2TLRZ11Q-YOv4vphGRhyphenhyphenXrwl8g/s551/Screen%20Shot%2002-02-24%20at%2004.11%20PM.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisX9lBSlZICyPe-L90ShKCKQgdz-6fFlqyerTo7-X-maKKDj9BIp7FAykplB7sxlXFXbOnpdE15Ov8Hoh3zp3aZ2Q6PQ7Jjs47gQMViu6j4hwr0LItbMgnhyphenhyphenyqhYeyYurNqh05xDGSKTJUX1c0lL9iGCyEfnkkFjD_AR2TLRZ11Q-YOv4vphGRhyphenhyphenXrwl8g/s320/Screen%20Shot%2002-02-24%20at%2004.11%20PM.PNG" width="226" /></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222;">Check out another one of our recent CineVerse discussions, this time taking a journey into French cinema. As Erik Martin, our host writes: Céline Sciamma, acclaimed director of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, followed up that critical darling with another standout French work, Petite Maman (2021), which means “little mom.” Starring wonderfully precocious twin sister actresses, the movie has received acclaim for its emotional richness, subtle storytelling, and examination of intricate themes. Sciamma's skilled direction, along with compelling performances and a heartfelt narrative, has earned it kudos as a memorable cinematic text that connects with audiences through its genuine and poignant depiction of relationships. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="border: 1pt windowtext; color: #949494; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; padding: 0in;">Click <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AMzgwZ5DQB%5Fkd%5FU&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21290757&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">here listen</a> to a recording of our CineVerse group discussion of this film, conducted last week. </span></i><i><span style="color: #949494; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><br /><span style="background: repeat rgb(247, 247, 247);">Among the distinctive, memorable, and surprising facets of Petite Maman is the fact that this could very well be a science fiction film. It’s easy to assume that eight-year-old Nelly is a lonely but intensely creative and imaginative kid who fantasizes these encounters with her mother, who has suddenly appeared as a playmate of the same age. But consider that we see her father interact with and acknowledge young Marion, and he allows Nelly to stay one more day at the house after agreeing to let the girls enjoy a sleepover. Also, recall that young Marion tells Nelly “I’m already thinking about you”; at the film’s conclusion, Nelly and Marion call each other by their real names and there seems to be an innate understanding by the characters, and the audience, that adult Marion has been positively affected by Nelly’s time travel experience. </span><br /><br /><span style="background: repeat rgb(247, 247, 247);">The casual but direct way that the filmmakers suddenly introduce the notion of time travel and fantasy, without explaining how or why it’s happening, is remarkable. Without exposition, we and Nelly are unexpectedly thrust into the past, and visual cues—like the grandmother’s wallpaper and bathroom tile—inform us, without fanfare, that a magically impossible journey is occurring. </span><br /><br /><span style="background: repeat rgb(247, 247, 247);">Regardless of how fantastically you interpret the story, this is one of the best family films and movies about childhood released in the 21st Century, a work that can appeal to any age but that can prove particularly relevant to adults who need to be reminded of the wonders and mysteries of childhood and what we can learn from our youthful pasts. “(Petite Maman) immerses us into the world of childhood where magic and dreams and the impossible are all still possible, before the world has beaten it out of us. It evokes the ethos of Supertramp’s 1979 “The Logical Song,” which is all about how the world doesn’t just expect, but demands that everything that is wonderful about childhood be left behind in favor of rigor and logic…(it) celebrates that space where everything is still wonderful, a miracle, beautiful, and magical,” </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://blogspot.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=085318e7679b3fa62b376ff43&id=7de8d9097f&e=ab3d122928" target="_blank"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 1pt windowtext; color: #007c89; padding: 0in;">said</span></a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: repeat rgb(247, 247, 247); color: #222222;"> critic James Kendrick.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-16525488053959665272024-02-16T20:35:00.000-08:002024-02-16T20:35:22.046-08:00Discussing one of the great jailbreak films on CineVerse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAOZ6Aty5CSZfXpva2ccTqrH_XbvYmr5KxUNtjvA3_qnUvAaQhSJSWITkDNxbb33gU-YnyNdZCzpWQkdW7Q98lMomaH3jfKdN4Mi8MTe2jt0Q2-oJT77cUK82Ha7GjaZmHqcd1yC30xXKUmG3S8KswbdEEi0WTj4-SaOjFSYLRrH3e5t0kxZf9zDJVYB-/s768/88da9b7d-08cd-4dca-843e-03d7e34c7c7b.e5dabd4995b6bd592622bff34498a706.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAOZ6Aty5CSZfXpva2ccTqrH_XbvYmr5KxUNtjvA3_qnUvAaQhSJSWITkDNxbb33gU-YnyNdZCzpWQkdW7Q98lMomaH3jfKdN4Mi8MTe2jt0Q2-oJT77cUK82Ha7GjaZmHqcd1yC30xXKUmG3S8KswbdEEi0WTj4-SaOjFSYLRrH3e5t0kxZf9zDJVYB-/s320/88da9b7d-08cd-4dca-843e-03d7e34c7c7b.e5dabd4995b6bd592622bff34498a706.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In the middle of an insanely hectic schedule these days, one that’s had me neglecting these blog updates, one of the truly relaxing activities I take part in are the CineVerse film discussions. So I need to correct the oversight of not updating the links to our discussions. I’m starting with one of our recent episodes, discussing the Word War II prison-break classic, The Great Escape.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As Erik Martin writes on the CineVerse site: Released in 1963, The Great Escape abides as a timeless war film directed by John Sturges and produced by United Artists. Centered around a group of Allied prisoners of war during World War II, the film depicts their daring escape plan from a German POW camp, based on the actual mass escape from Stalag Luft III in 1944. Boasting a cast of renowned actors such as Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, and others, the picture is renowned for its iconic scenes, notably Steve McQueen's motorcycle chase, etching itself as one of the most memorable action sequences in cinematic history. The Great Escape also resonates with viewers worldwide thanks to its evergreen themes of resilience, determination, and camaraderie among the prisoners. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><br /><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="border: 1pt windowtext; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; padding: 0in;">To listen to a recording of our CineVerse group discussion of this film, conducted last week, <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AC%5F52WHyhPYTwe4&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21290612&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">click here.</a> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247);">The Great Escape offers an interesting compare and contrast from other war films, prison movies, and POW dramatizations. Many such works emphasize more explosive action, macho bravado, and impressive set pieces, as evidenced in The Guns of Navarone, Von Ryan’s Express, The Dirty Dozen, and Kelly’s Heroes. The Great Escape is arguably a more entertaining and emotional outing. For proof, consider how the filmmakers use sentiment, suspense, intrigue, tragedy, and light comedy to take our feelings on a roller coaster ride. </span><br /><br /><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247);">Criterion Collection essayist Sheila O’Malley </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://blogspot.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=085318e7679b3fa62b376ff43&id=a3554e7682&e=ab3d122928" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt windowtext; color: #007c89; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; padding: 0in;">touched on this approach</span></a></span><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">: </span><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“The film is about a serious subject, told without self-seriousness. Because of this, it doesn’t date at all. It’s an ode to ingenuity and cooperation. Sturges was not at all a member of the counterculture, but The Great Escape’s spirit is pure up-yours antiestablishment, making it a forerunner of M*A*S*H, to Kelly’s Heroes, to The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, to all the deconstructing, demythologizing war films to come.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit, serif;"><br />Moreover, The Great Escape is, along with several of these comparative films, a fantastic ensemble piece with colorful and arresting characters and action-oriented actors popular in their day among male audiences. Interestingly, although he is top-billed, McQueen is on screen for a relatively small amount of time (mostly in the second half), which signifies that this is more of a group effort by the actors. Still, this is probably the best movie and role of McQueen’s career. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit, serif;">“The Great Escape popularized the prison movie trope of an ensemble defined by emblematic handles. James Garner’s resourceful American who can acquire any number of forbidden goods goes by 'The Scrounger.' Donald Pleasance is 'The Forger,' despite his increasing blindness. Bronson’s claustrophobic digger is called 'Tunnel King'…The list goes on,”</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit, serif;"> <a href="https://blogspot.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=085318e7679b3fa62b376ff43&id=d51a7fc288&e=ab3d122928" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt windowtext; color: #007c89; padding: 0in;">wrote</span></a> Deep Focus Review critic Brian Eggert. <br /><br />This is less a picture about “the madness of war,” like Bridge on the River Kwai, than an inspirational somewhat true account of collective sacrifice. Kwai is also more of a battle of wills tale pitting one commanding officer—Alec Guinness—against his enemy counterpart. Additionally, in this story, the POWs are all honorable, trustworthy men; in Stalag 17, a major subplot is the presence of a mole/secret agent among the prisoners. <br /><br />Some, like DVD Savant Glenn Erickson, <a href="https://blogspot.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=085318e7679b3fa62b376ff43&id=e9cd785ab6&e=ab3d122928" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt windowtext; color: #007c89; padding: 0in;">posit</span></a> that this is more of a caper/heist movie than a war film or prison escape picture. <i>“The schemes, dodges, and con games used by the prisoners to carry out a huge tunneling operation are a caper far more elaborate than a bank job. They're also entertaining, funny, and credible,”</i> Erickson wrote.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit, serif;"><br />Although this is set during World War II and the Nazis are the easy-to-root-against antagonists, this is a war film that doesn’t give equal voice to their characters, nor does it mention or hint at the Holocaust. Yet we are reminded of their capacity for despicable acts, especially the cold-blooded massacring of the rounded-up prisoners on the hillside. <br /><br />The value of teamwork, orchestrated collaboration, and group planning is a prime payoff message imbued herein. The Great Escape shows that solidarity among a group of individuals who accept pre-defined roles and responsibilities can create more successful and efficient outcomes. By assigning jobs to people based on skill and experience, following a chain of command, and maintaining discipline and self-control, even the most insurmountable of obstacles can be cleared. <br /><br />This is also a movie that preaches the perks of turning lemons into lemonade. The resourcefulness and creativity of these men help them conquer one challenge after another, which proves that out-of-the-box thinking, improvisational skills, and on-the-spot ingenuity can make a huge difference in desperate situations. <br /><br />The Great Escape certainly serves as a powerful grace under pressure narrative. Time and again, these prisoners of war must pivot, recalibrate, or start anew in their shared task of escaping and be willing to quickly adapt to changing conditions without panicking or quitting. <br /><br />Arguably, the most important moral to the story is shared sacrifice. While Bartlett aims to get as many prisoners out of the camp as possible, his minimum objective is to complicate matters for the Third Reich by forcing Germany to devote men and resources to guard these highly elusive prisoners and capture any escapees. The men know that, even if they successfully escape the camp they may not be coming back alive, and many altruistically agree to help without any guarantee of escaping at all. The fact that they made a film about an incredibly impressive mass escape by 76 prisoners, but only three of them evaded capture or death, tells us that this is a narrative more about sacrifice and selflessness than man’s inherent need for freedom. Case in point: Recall the dialogue exchange at the conclusion. Hendley: “Do you think it was worth the price?” Ramsey: “Depends on your point of view, Hendley.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit, serif;">“The Great Escape cleverly turns a defeat into a tale of victory,” </span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit, serif;">Erickson continued.<i> “No matter how it's made to look, the bottom line of the mass escape is (that)…a lot of rebellious defiance mostly gets a lot of good men killed…we celebrate the protagonists as they dare to defy their German captors…We aren't bothered by the fact that their efforts had little effect on the war proper. But the trial-by-escape with its risk and sacrifice was a personal challenge for men otherwise unable to fight: civilized defiance.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-59965441546497403762023-12-19T07:17:00.000-08:002023-12-19T07:17:47.188-08:00Even parasites have the right to free speech<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmeTlpJ_fmngigjs7m7VhmtaBQ2gUrB5qM_If4EtWGkG8OsYLKO21sBXA0H3ACyx6sZj0BX0z1uGA98-KtmV9Uz6Kye3gscpVJyoI1X9KX7RseuUC-TJE7TH7vCAxvzemIjE4FlgsLo0pJ_4x0H6F08NDkRObCIXXVQMgZMs3IwRMBtj3nmkjEW8vNsNh/s700/im-898446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="700" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmeTlpJ_fmngigjs7m7VhmtaBQ2gUrB5qM_If4EtWGkG8OsYLKO21sBXA0H3ACyx6sZj0BX0z1uGA98-KtmV9Uz6Kye3gscpVJyoI1X9KX7RseuUC-TJE7TH7vCAxvzemIjE4FlgsLo0pJ_4x0H6F08NDkRObCIXXVQMgZMs3IwRMBtj3nmkjEW8vNsNh/w362-h258/im-898446.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">So, recently a couple of friends and some students had asked me about whether or not I was upset—one actually asked if I was “outraged”—about Alex Jones being allowed back in X. I am certainly not outraged, I told them, and not even upset. I had written about this a while back when Jones had first started getting deplatformed from social media. Actually, I am kind of hurt that they didn’t read my old posts about Jones. But in all seriousness, I told them that as someone who tries to be as much of an absolutist about free speech as possible—calling for specific violence, genocide, and murder must be a line any decent person should draw, however—I will defend Jones’ reinstatement on X as strongly as possible. However, I will also use my own freedom of speech to keep pointing out what a morally bankrupt dirtbag he is.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">As I had also written numerous times before, as I did in one of my recent posts below, Alex Jones is a parasite. He’s a bloodsucker feeding off the grief of others. He has been once since the 1990s when he took advantage of terrorist attacks like the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and the Oklahoma City bombing to spin his yarns about the New World Order perpetrating fake terrorist attacks, or “false flag” operations. Of course, the day that must have been the highlight of Alex Jones’ life was September 11, 2001. The murders of 2977 people gave Jones the opportunity to build his conspiracy empire into a multimillion dollar cash cow.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Luckily, after he pushed past the bounds of decency one too many times with his lies about the Sandy Hook shooting being a hoax and the families of the slain children being crisis actors, Jones was found liable for defamation and now owes $1.5 billion to these families. Justice was done!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">But is this any indication that Jones had been changed by the Sandy Hook incident at all? Of course not. He has been spreading his same noxious conspiratorial garbage on his Infowars webpage since then.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">With that being said, however, I need to hold my nose in disgust and approve of him not being cancelled on social media, but only out of principle. This way more of the world can see the utterly unconscionable garbage he likes spewing and more people will continue speaking out against him. Alex Jones is a cockroach that needs the light shined on him rather than be made a martyr through cancellation. He’s not a truth-teller, not a “dangerous” man who threatens the system, not a maverick and not a rebel. He’s just a cheap hustler.<o:p></o:p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-78287237824973745242023-12-11T19:29:00.000-08:002023-12-11T19:29:12.218-08:00A modern crime classic on CineVerse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlO2KUXL6qLPhAdQC1gSbg0v-3vwyzgV63JFVEu9W7m9wYhieL-2nlmE7A6EAFSRKFv85pbamv6r9t6ssTPbQqyuZzIHGyU0w-1JQt9lC0V77I0hveDf-Uuk_YeRITw67rXydqxpZDuXoc8I5UpcTAQZJI6bqLC-1i0YLgXt0eJaxenmXpoO1MG4axAaVR/s1920/eaa1017fbce33970c0f6ce349444c6bedf0bee9821f61312ab03811df6bf4ea5._UR1920,1080_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlO2KUXL6qLPhAdQC1gSbg0v-3vwyzgV63JFVEu9W7m9wYhieL-2nlmE7A6EAFSRKFv85pbamv6r9t6ssTPbQqyuZzIHGyU0w-1JQt9lC0V77I0hveDf-Uuk_YeRITw67rXydqxpZDuXoc8I5UpcTAQZJI6bqLC-1i0YLgXt0eJaxenmXpoO1MG4axAaVR/w373-h210/eaa1017fbce33970c0f6ce349444c6bedf0bee9821f61312ab03811df6bf4ea5._UR1920,1080_.jpg" width="373" /></a></div><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’ve been behind on Cineverse updates—and I have several other things so say about other stuff, too, in updates coming soon—but check out our recent discussion of The Untouchables </span><a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AFgq2juOTfvLoMo&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21290006&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">right here.</a><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Helmed by Brian De Palma, with a screenplay by David Mamet, The Untouchables quickly became a hit after its theatrical debut in the summer of 1987, drawing inspiration from the real-life endeavors of Elliot Ness and other law enforcement agents who banded together to take down infamous gangster Al Capone during the violent Prohibition era in Chicago. The film, produced by Art Linson, boasts a star-studded cast featuring Kevin Costner in the role of Ness, Robert De Niro as the notorious Capone, and Sean Connery (who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), Andy Garcia, and Charles Martin Smith.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background: rgb(247, 247, 247);">This picture skillfully blends historical events (it’s more of a “based on” than an accurate retelling) with compelling storytelling, delivering an engaging narrative that vividly captures the essence of the bootleg era and the battle against organized crime.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-52553153713394250242023-11-20T15:58:00.000-08:002023-12-09T09:00:54.040-08:00Holy God! Alex Jones might be right about something…!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsr39HV6ciXLSN9BxEVgrnq-y5noB2XB1D6DT2-AgOC20Te5EsM4NiWKv8sOwSEMCksgJq00Q5ZA8gAzxotYg_UZxjLtvukOaeJhJwvPlj6TH3EpF8lUKTecLJ4odEFyo90rNxoovUDLp3gwBzO3DGbn13-X0qwzQ0agpgcDt4ksjH7stmWfJ-Ln4cqBy6/s790/alex-jones.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="790" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsr39HV6ciXLSN9BxEVgrnq-y5noB2XB1D6DT2-AgOC20Te5EsM4NiWKv8sOwSEMCksgJq00Q5ZA8gAzxotYg_UZxjLtvukOaeJhJwvPlj6TH3EpF8lUKTecLJ4odEFyo90rNxoovUDLp3gwBzO3DGbn13-X0qwzQ0agpgcDt4ksjH7stmWfJ-Ln4cqBy6/w371-h247/alex-jones.webp" width="371" /></a></div><p> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">…And the conspiracy culture is still as horrible as ever. So check out <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/alex-jones-warns-possible-terrorist-attacks-us-1835945">this Newsweek article </a>from a couple of weeks ago. One of my students brought this to my attention, asking me what I thought about it; whether or not Jones had a valid point. I had missed the story when it originally came out, so when I read it I agreed that Jones indeed had a good a point. The article was also a textbook case of shoddy, biased news reporting that should be used as a teaching tool in any journalism class.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">And I shocked myself and felt kind of unpleasant having to admit these things. But, as they say, even a broken clock is right twice a day.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The article, as you’ll see, is about Jones’ appearance on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast where Jones said that he feared a terrorist attack on the U.S. in light of the Israel-Hamas war and the growing tensions in the Middle East. And Jones is absolutely right! Living in New Jersey, working just across the river from Manhattan and remembering 9/11, I know that I am living next to the number-one bull’s eye for every terrorist organization in the world. Hamas and every other terrorist proxy of Iran must dream at night or being able to orchestrate another mass-casualty event that will outdo 2001. Or if they wouldn’t try and attack New York, I’m sure they would just as gladly settle for Washington DC, or Los Angeles, or Miami, or any of our other major metropolitan centers. But it’s not just Jones saying this. FBI director Christopher Wray said the same things to Congress in October, warning that the Hamas massacre of October 7 created a terrorist threat to the U.S. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e1758abc-df4c-49d4-ad4f-3f7b5f143305">“the likes of which we haven’t seen” </a>since the rise of ISIS. None of this should be controversial.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Newsweek, unfortunately, thinks that it is, writing that Jones said this “without offering evidence.” Then the article goes on to quote what sounds like a stale Department of Homeland Security boilerplate press release stating they’re working “tirelessly” to make sure this doesn’t happen and that “encounters of known or suspected terrorists attempting to cross the Southern Border, or encounters of those associated with such individuals, are uncommon.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Uncommon? There were only 19 terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks! What number are we talking about with “uncommon?” With America’s sieve-like Southern Border, there were <b><i>2.5 million illegal crossings of the U.S.-Mexico border in 2023!!</i></b> Not fearing a terrorist attack on American soil today is willful blindness and naivete on an epic scale.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Jones, of course, said he “feared” that a terrorist threat was imminent, just like any sensible person should. So, it was too bad that he couldn’t offer the kind of precise, actionable intelligence Newsweek seems to want when it dismisses his statement. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Now the way Jones’ argument, or anything he says, is now being framed in this kind of a rhetoric by the mainstream press is his own fault. They rightly hate him and he earned the media’s hatred. Jones earned the hatred of anyone with a shred of empathy and decency. He had been a bottom feeder and paranoia monger, stoking the hatreds and fears of the unstable and alienated prone to believing in the most extreme conspiracy theories. His theories about the Sandy Hook massacre of 2012 were used by psychotics to terrorize the families of the victims. He was sued for libel by those families and ordered to pay them $1.1 billion. He got exactly what he deserves. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The point here is that indiscriminately spouting the most outrageous, the most illogical conspiracy theories serves only to taint your credibility forever. It’s a case of the conspiracy theorist who cried wolf. If you claim that evil cabals are plotting against the world every day and point your fingers at the Illuminati, the Freemasons, Satanists, the Deep State, globalist insiders and shadow governments every single day without any proof of their existence, you won’t be taken seriously even when you identify real sources of evil like Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and Islamist terrorists.<o:p></o:p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-18204154317049747792023-11-19T15:53:00.000-08:002023-11-19T15:53:46.428-08:00A new round of repulsive, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONxgx_zNz2SodcEEJNe1ixCkdf6UT6jZ29gS2n4GN1yjXueL-7iJXeK2RFYFK7oMLeRzhImwbgfKDTMurWbeGmbGzp50HhfX5EVYp5kR4OCWfbpPQuSfNSU7sPIPyJfbsyhgKEdsKeNIXXGyWlpu1L-EQxKSS9r1ShNgdfGJIPJEglzAcNOTqYDU-K17U/s1279/198580e5513bb07c50ff6a47f6b31f48.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1279" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONxgx_zNz2SodcEEJNe1ixCkdf6UT6jZ29gS2n4GN1yjXueL-7iJXeK2RFYFK7oMLeRzhImwbgfKDTMurWbeGmbGzp50HhfX5EVYp5kR4OCWfbpPQuSfNSU7sPIPyJfbsyhgKEdsKeNIXXGyWlpu1L-EQxKSS9r1ShNgdfGJIPJEglzAcNOTqYDU-K17U/w370-h208/198580e5513bb07c50ff6a47f6b31f48.jpeg" width="370" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">As any sensible person who has any kind of a passing interest in conspiracy theories could have predicted, the war in Israel spawned an enormous rancid pool of creative fantasies about what is “really going on.” These fantasies raised their ugly heads literally on October 8, in the wake of Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel, murdering some 1400 hundred people—including small children and toddlers, some of whom they beheaded or burned alive—and taking over 200 people hostage. Before the smoke from the gunfire and explosions had even cleared, the internet was being flooded by the reprehensible sludge of conspiracy theories about how Hamas was not really behind the attacks. The crux of these conspiracies is the “false flag” conspiracy theory, or the “crisis actor” conspiracy theory. It says that Israel was actually behind the attacks, killing its own people, or that no one was killed and the grieving Israelis we see on TV are actually pretending to have lost loved ones. These are more reprehensible examples of how conspiracy theorizing is still the tool of political opportunists and those so devoid of any human decency as to get some pleasure out of inflaming hatred, violence, and divisions among people.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">One just needs to place the word “conspiracy” after “Israel and Hamas” in Google and the sites propagating them will pop up. All the usual suspects like State of the Nation, Before It’s News, and scores of others had started spinning out these yarns immediately after the October 7 attacks. Afterward, naturally, the pro-Hamas extremists protesting Israel’s retaliation against the attacks are espousing the same conspiracy theories, as are the worthless scum tearing down posters with the pictures of the hostages still held by Hamas.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The ongoing frustration for any clear and rational-thinking individual is that so many people can’t see how absurd it is to put your faith in sources of information that claim EVERY single world event is a conspiracy theory. Maybe if there was a site out there that claimed the only major conspiracy was the JFK assassination and not blame every other headline on hidden cabals, one might think seriously about whether or not they might have a point. Or the only conspiracy is the one that involves UFOs. Or maybe the one about the suppressed technology that could make the water-powered, non-polluting car a reality. But every major event is a conspiracy? Sure, only a fool would take professional conspiracy mongers like that seriously.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Unfortunately, too many people like that exist. These are the unfortunate souls completely alienated from consensus reality, perhaps those who feel so powerless and without a voice that they find these convoluted tales about hidden forces of evil running the world plausible and the cause of all their misery.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Then there are the ones in America’s so-called “elite” universities who’ve now fallen into this same trap of irrational and ugly conspiracism as well. These are the people who should know better, the ones who are supposed to be molded into the future intellectual leaders of society. Unfortunately, at any number of pro-Palestinian rallies at these universities, one can find the just as many people who believe in the crisis actor conspiracy theories or claims that the all the video footage of the October 7 attacks were created by Artificial Intelligence programs. Hearing the marginalized, those who are down on their luck or lacking any prospects in life espousing conspiracy theories is one thing. It’s a terrible situation, of course, but it’s somewhat understandable. But seeing a student from George Washington University telling reporters that she felt it very likely that the Hamas attack videos were created by AI makes me fear the future. The world is suddenly looking more and more like 1930s Germany and now even those who are supposed to be our best and brightest are protesting and shouting anti-Semitic slogans. It’s a modern tragedy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-26021672816671556002023-11-18T17:06:00.000-08:002023-11-18T17:06:52.200-08:00The death of physical media might take cancel culture to a whole new level!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLekavZPOiVM9Gw3iDhwkTsuu8C0fKC9vngMHg2j73d4opmfQwNmXaU5TberRj_dVpVAZWKLxVUqELXl0gmSgLot-nKkgpzMfoXBA0KlPgAAXA55kqG6tUnbU8pi9vAD2Bmbyt1b28UjmFkwiuCOYYuIsYsA5I1YgDIc7OTbEX6GoFgyAuTcxUCY_G7XSg/s1344/End-of-physical-media.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1344" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLekavZPOiVM9Gw3iDhwkTsuu8C0fKC9vngMHg2j73d4opmfQwNmXaU5TberRj_dVpVAZWKLxVUqELXl0gmSgLot-nKkgpzMfoXBA0KlPgAAXA55kqG6tUnbU8pi9vAD2Bmbyt1b28UjmFkwiuCOYYuIsYsA5I1YgDIc7OTbEX6GoFgyAuTcxUCY_G7XSg/w384-h216/End-of-physical-media.webp" width="384" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Are there favorite movies you just love to watch over and over again? A TV show that’s kind of like comfort food you can always go back to and binge watch? Fans of “Friends” and “The Golden Girls” always talk about how they can always unwind from life’s stresses by going back and watching a good marathon session of back-to-back episodes. For me they’re Sylvester Stallone and Clint Eastwood movies. I think I could put on a one man show theatrical production of every “Rocky” and “Rambo” movie where I would play every role and recite all the dialogue perfectly. From television it has the be “Columbo,” the greatest mystery series ever, in my opinion. But if you rely on streaming services to watch your old favorites rather than purchasing them on physical media like DVDs, Blu Rays, or 4K discs, you better think again about whether or not those films and TV shows will always be available at the push of a button.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Now sure, you say, you are familiar with how streaming services rotate shows and movies in and out. But that’s not a problem for you because you purchased digital downloads of your favorite entertainment. You own them. They’re in your account in Netflix or Hulu or Paramount+ or whatever streaming service you’re using. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Well, no so fast! One day you might want to re-watch and old favorite, only to find that it’s gone forever.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I was recently interviewed for <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/reinventing-history-experts-warn-end-physical-media-tech-giants-greater-control">this Fox Business News</a> story about the rapid movement to replace physical media with streaming and some of the legal details of streaming that many people might not be aware of. These legal details could seriously limit access to media content in the future. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">As the article details, retailers have started moving away from selling physical media. Sometime early next year Best Buy will no longer be selling discs. Other retailers might follow suit. So, if the only place you can access films and TV shows—or music for that matter—is a streaming service, you will be left at the whims of when those streamers decide to make the content available. And, more importantly, the article explains, “buying” those movies, TV shows, and music might not offer you unlimited access to your content either. Because when you pay for that content, you are actually paying for a license to play that content on your own devices. Those movies don’t belong to you the same way that your DVD or Blu Ray does. The copyright holder of that content has the right to withdraw that content any time they like. You could one day log into your Netflix or Amazon Prime account, looking to watch one of the favorites you purchased, and find it gone from your digital collection. It is perfectly legal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Or if that favorite old film does not completely disappear, it could suddenly alter. It could become much more politically correct! Remember the recent controversies over the publishers censoring Roald Dahl’s books and several of Ian Fleming’s original James Bond novels? Imagine that happening to old movies and TV shows because they don’t have enough minority characters in them, or because white actors are playing characters of color. Imagine dialogue suddenly changing. Or, given the fast-advancing state of artificial intelligence technology, you might see all of this old content altering into whatever fits current attitudes and fashions. It’s America’s version of China’s cultural revolution under Mao looming over us, where our entire cultural history stands to be wiped away to please the unsilent politically correct fringes who seem to be offended for a living and can’t make it through a day without throwing tantrums about being oppressed by TV shows, commercials, books, or Internet memes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">But read the article…and fear for the future.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">And buy your favorite movies, TV shows, music—and books, for that matter—in physical media if you can.<o:p></o:p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-90526013485695107282023-11-03T19:13:00.004-07:002023-11-03T19:13:51.409-07:00I’m profiled in the AJCU’s “Connections”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYdl-7G_XLUx5SXS0auoce_1zSauVz7fM_-qBSZlW_3gL4DMehgSmJppRllphiaTBXvbmgM_0ZrFzygElK_sq-UdFoNaKeccvnfnsyd1U2i1J5FcwTljAiOoGS3oxToNiIsRKSYXhRsAVZcmd4Cq2YqswboWBTqQR8XRzmc-pH56PurrGkqp4BjTHOT5k/s600/AJCULogo-White.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYdl-7G_XLUx5SXS0auoce_1zSauVz7fM_-qBSZlW_3gL4DMehgSmJppRllphiaTBXvbmgM_0ZrFzygElK_sq-UdFoNaKeccvnfnsyd1U2i1J5FcwTljAiOoGS3oxToNiIsRKSYXhRsAVZcmd4Cq2YqswboWBTqQR8XRzmc-pH56PurrGkqp4BjTHOT5k/s320/AJCULogo-White.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I’m honored to be profiled in the recent edition of “Connections,” the online magazine of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. You can check it out <a href="https://ajcunet.edu/saint-peters-connections-october-2023/">right here. </a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">It’s an overview of classes I teach, my research and commentary on mass media issues, popular culture and popular entertainment and why I think certain media products like vampire stories and this summer’s Barbie movie touch the collective nerves in audiences to make these products blockbuster successes. Barbie and vampires I had written about in this blog earlier as well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I also discuss how my research into fandom led me to my interest in the conspiracy theory phenomenon. As I discuss, conspiracy theorists are basically no different from Trekkies writing fan fiction. Just like the fan fiction writer wants to take control of some text he did not originally create and make his own—often subvert it and rewrite it—so do conspiracy theorists want to write their own fan fiction about every day’s headlines. They want to take reality and reinvent, to rewrite those headlines to match the creative fantasies inside the conspiracist’s head. Of all the classes I teach, the one about the conspiracy theories, I firmly believe, is my most important one.<o:p></o:p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-52356779956540342102023-09-30T17:41:00.004-07:002023-09-30T17:41:19.898-07:00We deep dive into a classic on the CineVersary podcast<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetmNRFSFxRDeLa_UGniQ_pFeqL8EBWHb6Z89485bYpFFxK6hqFHiYRXzhyphenhyphenYqKuLvxHe3vYtFI2xhOcti1UhYpyjTwKSdKm213R-hUFzWay8fhwHen-jP8AlVXb82fQp1To_LEogniMzSfoALM6_tJc1l47ZAvXLVnj2U2ty7NA7C1vlJFFKWfhfRjjd6M/s375/c6259bf1-23d1-4d2d-a419-7052a21fe508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="250" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetmNRFSFxRDeLa_UGniQ_pFeqL8EBWHb6Z89485bYpFFxK6hqFHiYRXzhyphenhyphenYqKuLvxHe3vYtFI2xhOcti1UhYpyjTwKSdKm213R-hUFzWay8fhwHen-jP8AlVXb82fQp1To_LEogniMzSfoALM6_tJc1l47ZAvXLVnj2U2ty7NA7C1vlJFFKWfhfRjjd6M/w237-h356/c6259bf1-23d1-4d2d-a419-7052a21fe508.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Where were you in '62? If you lived it or not, check <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/episodes/62-American-Graffiti-50th-anniversary-with-Barna-Donovan-e29a9ls/a-aabt89o?fbclid=IwAR3tSoQs0CVs8-blfuVN1R2Nji80tQch1QvZSqbBw6b1h9N7zDMbsxva4WA#_=_">out this CineVersary podcast </a>special on the 50th anniversary of George Lucas' classic, "American Graffiti." I'm the special guest for a discussion of a movie packed with romance, racing and amazing rock 'n' roll. Since I was named an honorary member of the Pharaohs and the reigning sock hop champion, you need to listen!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-12235594433923449252023-09-10T11:53:00.001-07:002023-09-10T11:53:12.079-07:00Always let vampires onto your viewing list!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI3ta4ws-WtQk5WUwQSVSiKDDqXuVfDwXzC0TywykpvzEPbNk0VmPETnjLcY9PpYyMMsVtsdRrjdplziac5VO8jX4zVq5PU8LA2d6ISardxHn8tGZoa2YA1Z1vWeIudoIyZzuxQmIZcBZwqEsA-d2RZTJ0a9O_zQt7-mcCHyhqNX8qeZdSrvEk99zmmDJ/s829/MV5BOWM4NTY2NTMtZDZlZS00NTgyLWEzZDMtODE3ZGI1MzI3ZmU5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzI1NzMxNzM@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="580" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI3ta4ws-WtQk5WUwQSVSiKDDqXuVfDwXzC0TywykpvzEPbNk0VmPETnjLcY9PpYyMMsVtsdRrjdplziac5VO8jX4zVq5PU8LA2d6ISardxHn8tGZoa2YA1Z1vWeIudoIyZzuxQmIZcBZwqEsA-d2RZTJ0a9O_zQt7-mcCHyhqNX8qeZdSrvEk99zmmDJ/w257-h354/MV5BOWM4NTY2NTMtZDZlZS00NTgyLWEzZDMtODE3ZGI1MzI3ZmU5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzI1NzMxNzM@._V1_.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Directed by Tomas Alfredson, the 2008 Swedish horror film Let the Right One In—an adaptation of a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (who also penned the screenplay)—centers on the dynamic between a young boy named Oskar and Eli, a vampire child who appears to be Oskar’s age but who has lived for centuries. The film unfolds against the backdrop of a small wintry Swedish village, contributing to its distinctive visual approach and ambiance. Through a blend of horror, romance, and themes related to coming of age, the movie crafts a one-of-a-kind and thought-provoking storyline.</span></p><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Let the Right One In garnered significant critical and popular praise thanks to its inventive take on the vampire genre, capacity to elicit both fear and compassion, evocative cinematography, deliberate pacing, and deep exploration of the intricacies of human emotions and connections.</span><div><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Listen to our CineVerse discussion <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AOSpKGL5yBhaaMM&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21288602&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">right here.</a></span></div>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-90083001632942309162023-09-09T14:51:00.003-07:002023-09-09T14:51:25.120-07:00Check out this lead on Glengary Glen Ross on CineVerse!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lRg7DYb-dW034s8IxD35gTqCqrwD6BAr4uyGF8nKMeoFmv7h9fdsRK_2oBwWCS4x_dpLR44rd4oj7eWGOgQbwMEhzRlM3V6AufVgKPqTOe04ys61gPjNLc90VHJZeZ1AkJN7XHT788PbC39Ogd8lhllDceIFJt7CHXqplyV-sqFil2SdEs91wQIISl-R/s2100/1-11385713352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lRg7DYb-dW034s8IxD35gTqCqrwD6BAr4uyGF8nKMeoFmv7h9fdsRK_2oBwWCS4x_dpLR44rd4oj7eWGOgQbwMEhzRlM3V6AufVgKPqTOe04ys61gPjNLc90VHJZeZ1AkJN7XHT788PbC39Ogd8lhllDceIFJt7CHXqplyV-sqFil2SdEs91wQIISl-R/w238-h358/1-11385713352.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">In 1992, James Foley helmed the cinematic adaptation of David Mamet’s Pulitzer-prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross, setting critics and audiences abuzz with excitement about its performances, dialogue, and tense dramatic sequences. The screenplay, also penned by Mamet, ensured a faithful representation of the play's dialogue and themes.</span><p></p><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">The movie boasts an exceptional ensemble cast, including Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, and Jonathan Pryce. Set in a cutthroat and highly competitive real estate sales environment, the story revolves around a group of salesmen who resort to extreme measures to secure deals and achieve success. It’s a gripping narrative that delves into themes of desperation, morality, and the unforgiving realities of the American Dream.</span><div><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Check out our CineVerse discussion<a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ABXbuqwD6R1kFb0&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21288251&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp"> right here.</a></span></div>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-69460490357034849332023-09-08T17:33:00.003-07:002023-09-08T17:33:25.708-07:00Read all about Barbie's smash hit success!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4ccpwI2xR5CUpGMCWldRJn9GZJULI85BSFrWMlgVvwhKnlnrSH-MvVnBFUbIoja0wG6hQGIbDnYO3giUR8sIy1h0RJCNlRPJbJTysygI2A2jCkiR58AuBG8lE_nHmscA4-JqoLG745xEmGVX1U_7pNSJWV4ynG_8jwhEpRYI_9azzx4rnJ_IhtkCwslH/s1077/1689973690362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="800" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4ccpwI2xR5CUpGMCWldRJn9GZJULI85BSFrWMlgVvwhKnlnrSH-MvVnBFUbIoja0wG6hQGIbDnYO3giUR8sIy1h0RJCNlRPJbJTysygI2A2jCkiR58AuBG8lE_nHmscA4-JqoLG745xEmGVX1U_7pNSJWV4ynG_8jwhEpRYI_9azzx4rnJ_IhtkCwslH/w269-h362/1689973690362.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Have you seen one of this summer’s blockbusters? Since true runaway super blockbusters were very few and far in between all the major duds like</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The Flash, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Ant Man and the Wasp, Elemental, Fast and Furious</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">…uh, whatever number it was, and underperforming embarrassments like the live action</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Little Mermaid</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">, there aren't many of them. But the buzziest and money-makingest movie of the summer turned out to be</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Barbie</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">. If you want to know all about this history of the iconic doll that inspired the film, along with all of its various controversies, check out the special edition magazine in the picture above. While the</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Barbie </i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">juggernaut keeps rolling along and playing in theaters, the magazine is still on shelves everywhere. And pay close attention to the comments about the doll’s long, colorful, controversial history by yours truly.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-44270275531021958092023-09-03T09:31:00.000-07:002023-09-03T09:31:02.622-07:00The best of the best war films on CineVerse<p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmwuGWigfeDm3nnHDgdvyHZr_RNG3wYv6MPRMZCxcs5bryf_TI8920eYdAFApMlWT3hdlojtEdnmy8B34yikAZqzyEWGBh4RpXYbBWfcmwo8G3zNyhpKhM6VLnIp8Y0BFwfo9cSBENhSAClLzf-AS2q57swe0IMtRgo1L-t_2C7zosMot6aqx30pPVIcR/s2560/SAVING-PRIVATE-RYAN-6935-scaled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1742" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmwuGWigfeDm3nnHDgdvyHZr_RNG3wYv6MPRMZCxcs5bryf_TI8920eYdAFApMlWT3hdlojtEdnmy8B34yikAZqzyEWGBh4RpXYbBWfcmwo8G3zNyhpKhM6VLnIp8Y0BFwfo9cSBENhSAClLzf-AS2q57swe0IMtRgo1L-t_2C7zosMot6aqx30pPVIcR/w252-h370/SAVING-PRIVATE-RYAN-6935-scaled.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><p></p><p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is the second of our summer double-feature on Steven Spielberg with what I would argue is the best World War II film ever made and Spielberg's best film to date. In 1998, filmmaker Steven Spielberg unveiled "Saving Private Ryan," a war epic that is celebrated for its gripping and realistic combat scenes and depiction of ethical dilemmas faced by men during wartime. The film’s narrative centers on a perilous odyssey: locating and rescuing Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon). The mission's urgency is underscored by the tragic fate suffered by Private Ryan's three brothers, all of whom perished in the line of duty. Retrieving him from the heart of enemy-held territory is deemed imperative to offer solace to a grieving mother. The movie meticulously chronicles the expedition led by Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) and his unit, charting their tumultuous passage through enemy-occupied France to find Ryan.</span></span></p><p style="orphans: 2; orphans: auto; widows: 2; widows: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Check out our discussion <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ANIcHRFLsQ1CPRI&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21288451&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">right here.</a></span></span></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-25577095826667507732023-09-02T21:14:00.005-07:002023-09-02T21:14:42.223-07:00Our discussion of an important modern classic on CineVerse<p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXI0K1T0fNdvS3SilK39VQU-XU-uir4QQdJp0S00lM4ZWU3Yd0UTnNYrCzTFRzgH_1Rv4XpYYMCM87E6diSUaOFTnNvdtdYy0zkbw74-Yq6BxdjsdInK5BmiNy_p9qKY9kdwCGICyTBmRvYI1uwPjTUIckQfHWHS4xRoYUPBe2Y8lknQUNdzVErxIvCA_/s640/Screen%20Shot%2007-12-23%20at%2005.30%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="640" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXI0K1T0fNdvS3SilK39VQU-XU-uir4QQdJp0S00lM4ZWU3Yd0UTnNYrCzTFRzgH_1Rv4XpYYMCM87E6diSUaOFTnNvdtdYy0zkbw74-Yq6BxdjsdInK5BmiNy_p9qKY9kdwCGICyTBmRvYI1uwPjTUIckQfHWHS4xRoYUPBe2Y8lknQUNdzVErxIvCA_/w402-h230/Screen%20Shot%2007-12-23%20at%2005.30%20PM.png" width="402" /></a></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In another CineVerse discussion from this summer, we looked at one of the most <span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">riveting of</span> Steven Spielberg’s films. His most important, personal, revered, and critically acclaimed work, "Schindler's List" tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who bravely saved around 1,200 Jewish workers during the Holocaust. Spielberg's exceptional storytelling abilities are evident in this picture, the screenplay for which was crafted by Steven Zaillian, based on Thomas Keneally's novel Schindler's Ark.</span></span></p><p style="orphans: auto; widows: auto;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listen to our analysis why this film is still so powerful and relevant <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AJZJg7Vvfc3ad5g&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21288070&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">at this link.</a></span></span></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-6416140294849580772023-09-01T20:09:00.002-07:002023-09-01T20:09:32.088-07:00Casting a critical eye on sensationalistic news reporting with "Ace in the Hole" on CineVerse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdlRp5uukLYrgVyYeA1KYXUQGEdVxqt6e5JSlq9sKYKT0EcOjLA2OKDSbALqrSNPMiGPr3EZYC5BPYsPnxCM4gk9Z_QoqJ3lF62dVA01V1P-x0oE0TskFFrYWMVpAoZ1GL8zZ0n99KdU6mHFDZYZsJxU078YcNqO3wPMOpXoXDSG2DdI0Q0cCE7lHsAgo/s493/Screen%20Shot%2007-18-23%20at%2007.05%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="391" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdlRp5uukLYrgVyYeA1KYXUQGEdVxqt6e5JSlq9sKYKT0EcOjLA2OKDSbALqrSNPMiGPr3EZYC5BPYsPnxCM4gk9Z_QoqJ3lF62dVA01V1P-x0oE0TskFFrYWMVpAoZ1GL8zZ0n99KdU6mHFDZYZsJxU078YcNqO3wPMOpXoXDSG2DdI0Q0cCE7lHsAgo/w277-h349/Screen%20Shot%2007-18-23%20at%2007.05%20PM.png" width="277" /></a></div><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">With a thousand things going on at the same time, some of which will be announced right here very soon, I've been remiss again in updating the blog. <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ADlMxuionDquGuc&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21288149&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">But check out this episode</a> of the CineVerse podcast where we put an early critical examination of tabloid journalism under the spotlight. Directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, "Ace in the Hole" – also known as "The Big Carnival," was released to little fanfare in the summer of 1951. Starring Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, and Robert Arthur, the plot centers around Chuck Tatum (Douglas), a struggling reporter who stumbles upon a potentially major story: a man trapped in a collapsed mine. But instead of promptly rescuing the trapped individual, Tatum milks the situation to prolong the event, creating a media circus to advance his career.</span><p></p><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Wilder’s work emphasizes the unethical nature of yellow journalism and the exploitation of human tragedy. By critiquing the media's manipulation of news for profit and public attention and exploring themes of corruption, avarice, and the corrosive power of personal ambition, the movie proved to be ahead of its time; its cynical tone and scathing subtextual commentary on the dark side of media help "Ace in the Hole" remain relevant today.</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Fascinatingly, the film bombed at the box office upon initial release. But it has since garnered significant recognition as a thought-provoking morality play exploring media ethics and the pursuit of sensationalism. It also features one of Douglas’ most unforgettable performances.</span>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-17776778352278734202023-08-12T18:59:00.032-07:002023-08-13T09:03:45.806-07:00Conspiracy Theories and Thought-Stopping Cliches<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoNZqYnUJnOzMRdJRWzBoYdnF-mjYmDMAwXUFM5xpfi6oZy-rQAfs7ajJe6o6g4mM23CsGBQ94gZlDEnGUZ1xygRHyIqcCQGYtNIjiwzgCw6x5LoxtaYBLbLQz4OOgYT7b3nQdmUBvWM2nxwsOZUVh2TP-XUoTL3O5XGT3O-16kv5vxgT-qbY-iBuKOUe/s4032/IMG_4110%202.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoNZqYnUJnOzMRdJRWzBoYdnF-mjYmDMAwXUFM5xpfi6oZy-rQAfs7ajJe6o6g4mM23CsGBQ94gZlDEnGUZ1xygRHyIqcCQGYtNIjiwzgCw6x5LoxtaYBLbLQz4OOgYT7b3nQdmUBvWM2nxwsOZUVh2TP-XUoTL3O5XGT3O-16kv5vxgT-qbY-iBuKOUe/w368-h276/IMG_4110%202.HEIC" width="368" /></a></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">In March I was the keynote speaker at the Central New Jersey MENSA chapter’s annual convention, discussing misinformation and conspiracy theories, the reasons so many are obsessed with them more than ever today, the pernicious social impact of these belief systems and how to try and combat them. But we also discussed an aspect of conspiracism that is just as dangerous to society; the turning of the phrase “conspiracy theory” into a thought-stopping cliché deployed to shut down conversation, debate, and any and all questions aimed at institutions of power. In the months since the MENSA gathering, this problem only seems to be getting worse. Calling someone a “conspiracy theorist” is now the surest way to try and silence anyone who disagrees with you.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">As I had written before in my discussions of my work on the conspiracist phenomenon, its reflections in art and popular culture as well as my run-ins with members of this community—and as you can read in my dialogue with many of these people in this blog, especially the recent posts about the special edition magazines on vampires and Dungeons and Dragons—I think these belief systems have metastasized into something destabilizing and malignant in societies where they take root. And these theories have spread in numerous foreign countries as well, not just in the United States. Check out links <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/09/04/from-congo-to-the-capitol-conspiracy-theories-are-surging">here</a>, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210517-conspiracy-epidemic-born-in-us-spreads-in-europe">here</a> and <a href="https://voxeurop.eu/en/andreas-onnerfors-conspiracy-theories-are-the-staple-diet-of-populism-in-europe/">here,</a> for articles about conspiracy beliefs in Europe. Far from merely questioning authorities and being suspicious of bureaucracies and officialdom, the modern conspiracy movement has turned into a phantasmagorical alternate universe where no consensus reality exists, where people create their own reality at will. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Conspiracism has created delusional subcultures of people who believe the Earth is flat, that reptilian aliens are running the world, the Moon landing is a hoax, and that the New World Order cabal used nuclear warheads and death rays from space to destroy the World Trade Center towers on 9/11. These are, of course, a very, <b><i>very</i></b> few examples of what goes on in conspiracy world. If you are an avid reader of conspiracy sites like "Before It’s News" and "State of the Nation" and any number of their ilk across cyberspace, you can be deluged by a daily tsunami of conspiracy theories about false flag attacks, predictive programming, crisis actors, the “true” origins of Covid, and rococo yarns spun about “Khazarian” plots to enslave the world that sound so illogical that even the most whimsical science fiction fan couldn’t suspend enough disbelief to accept them on the pages of low-rent pulp novels.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Conspiracism leads to a dangerous, unstable world of total relativism, a world where there is no consensus reality, a rejection of all proven expertise, and a place that rejects empirical, evidence-based logic. Although conspiracy world claims to be looking for the “truth” that is “out there,” truth actually does not exist in that world. Truth and reality are whatever you decide they are because they make you feel good. If someone attempts to interrogate your truth, to attempt to counter it with empirical facts, you dismiss that person by accusing them of being a part of the conspiracy. In conspiracy world, people will not only make up their own creative fantasies about human sacrifices and vampiric blood-drinking rites being carried out in tunnels under pizza parlors, but they might pick up a gun and storm pizza parlors on a rescue operation. In conspiracy world, people’s lives were put at risk after a fraudulent claim that the measles vaccine caused autism. Starting in 2020, thousands of people with compromised immune systems, in essence, committed suicide by refusing to take the Covid vaccines after choosing to believe their own personal truth about those vaccines carrying microchips made with alien technology in order to alter human DNA.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">And conspiracy theories are dangerous because they make many more people automatically suspicious of charges of official misconduct, corruption, and coverup. If people read enough claims of Covid 19 having been caused by G5 cell towers as a part of a mind-control operation by the Illuminati, they tend to dismiss the very real forms of governmental overreach during the pandemic, dishonesty about the efficacy of the vaccines and the lockdown efforts to contain the virus, and the heavy-handed attempts to censor and limit questions and public discussion about the possible origins of the outbreak itself. This is how the term “conspiracy theorist” turns into a thought-stopping cliché, a cudgel to beat down any skeptic of official narratives and policy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The most egregious example of the weaponization of the term “conspiracy theory,” its use as a tool of censorship was in the case of <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/08/the-covid-cover-up/?bypass_key=aUZCQ0pFRDR2VzhoblpMSDZUR1l4QT09OjpiVmxOY20wMFFraFVZemgyYVVsNFZUTlpUWGRXZHowOQ%3D%3D">Covid origins. </a>The early hypothesis about the origins of Covid favored by the scientific establishment was that it originated in Wuhan in a wet market where animals like pangolins and racoon dogs were sold for food. Almost from the very beginning, however, any alternative hypotheses like the possibility that the virus could have escaped from a local laboratory where gain of function research—research on how to modify viruses to make them more deadly—was underway was derided as dangerous, “baseless” conspiracy theories. How the idea that a disease outbreak starting in the city where a laboratory was working on increasing the lethality of viruses could be regarded as “baseless” defies all sense and logic. The Chinese government not only denied these claims vociferously, but it hampered the world scientific community’s efforts to find the outbreak’s origins. But such would be expected from a genocidal dictatorship. One would not expect it, however, from many in the scientific establishment who immediately declared that any and all discussion of the lab leak theory should be suppressed immediately. Science, after all, is a method for seeing knowledge, seeking empirical, quantifiable facts. This process involves constantly questioning research findings themselves, double-checking, and constantly replicating previous claims to the truth to make sure that no mistakes had been made. However, in the Covid era's anti-conspiracy hysteria, not only was the idea that a lethal virus could escape from a research facility that was tasked with creating lethal viruses a “baseless conspiracy theory,” but that it was a racist conspiracy theory for good measure. Moreover, it is outrageous how American technology giants like Facebook banned all information suggesting the lab leak theory for nearly two years. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">As <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/facebook-complied-with-white-house-demands-to-remove-posts-claiming-covid-was-man-made/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=breaking&utm_campaign=newstrack&utm_term=32225561">this article details, </a>during its early days in power, the Biden administration had exerted so much pressure on Facebook that the tech giant was removing <b><i>joke</i></b> memes about the possibility of the Covid vaccines being dangerous. The government’s attempt to exert pressure on a private media company to influence its content is censorship in its purest, most reprehensible form. Critics of this policy today are labeled as, of course, “conspiracy theorists.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">But who is mostly to blame for this weaponization of the term “conspiracy?” I would still argue that it’s the conspiracy culture itself. It’s still the clown world of QAnon and people who had never gotten the note that the eighties are over and there are no global Satanic cults running daycare centers—or pizza parlors—and performing blood-drinking rituals in tunnels deep under the earth. There is, however, the despicable evil of global sex-trafficking organized crime rings, organizations that engage in the trafficking of children as well as adults. They do exist and they constitute a $150 billion a year industry. The problem, however, is that warnings of the existence of these crime syndicates have now been tainted by conspiracism. It becomes harder for some to talk about global crime rings when the discussion raises the echoes of State of the Nation, QAnon, and the madness of their conspiracy theories.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Likewise, many had been perfectly comfortable with the censorship of any discussion and debate about the origins of Covid, the effectiveness of draconian lockdown measures, and the effectiveness of vaccines and boosters. As we now know, however, Covid most likely came from a Wuhan lab, the most restrictive of lockdown measures during the pandemic proved to be no more effective in stopping the spread of the virus than the most lax of the Covid policies, and many people who had been vaccinated and boosted still got sick from Covid and still spread the virus. But the madness of conspiracy world helped kill off any tolerance for debate, discussion, and the questioning of official narratives about the pandemic.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">And that is the true danger of conspiracism.<o:p></o:p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-9534777616268121422023-07-05T11:58:00.000-07:002023-07-05T11:58:02.744-07:00Long Live the Undead!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDYuwNTx0mAWrCyHndE19aKgch5LvyAOYDbKto5Z4gpKK-hUJWwFFt5cEmQO2Vdl54_lep-AOHoM9n9SC1uTdmmSNtMAkr-lqKvcvLcQoqh7AqKLhGHl9vukizJKHrKi4K1rt5yDzn8duv7OX-yNovz8tt6g_RZ8kMltghDPglf3fx0hs_B9LjFk_Ll2o/s4030/IMG_4424.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4030" data-original-width="2670" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDYuwNTx0mAWrCyHndE19aKgch5LvyAOYDbKto5Z4gpKK-hUJWwFFt5cEmQO2Vdl54_lep-AOHoM9n9SC1uTdmmSNtMAkr-lqKvcvLcQoqh7AqKLhGHl9vukizJKHrKi4K1rt5yDzn8duv7OX-yNovz8tt6g_RZ8kMltghDPglf3fx0hs_B9LjFk_Ll2o/w232-h350/IMG_4424.heic" width="232" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">If you love vampires as much as I do, take a look at the above special edition magazine about the undead on magazine racks everywhere! I am quoted extensively in this issue discussing the history of beliefs in vampires, and how these creatures have been such a fascinating open text for storytellers for perhaps as long as people have been telling scary stories. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The magazine traces the history of vampires from ancient religions and folklore to literature and modern popular culture like films, TV shows, fashions, role-playing games, and even people who live the vampire lifestyle 24/7. From monstrous vampires to sexy vampires, immerse yourself in the world of the undead in this magazine and see why vampires are the most attractive of all supernatural being.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In the article “Undead Evolution,” check out my quotes on how even the narrative structure of such out-there conspiracy theories like Pizzagate and QAnon have incorporated the themes and plot structure of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” Diabolical elites with enormous wealth at their disposal hunting humans—especially children—for Satanic blood-drinking rites in a far-reaching plot to poison and undermine society sound familiar? Sure, it’s Count Dracula’s evil plan to buy up London real estate and prey on unsuspecting humans. And it’s also at the core of the QAnon mythos with its fantasies of blood-drinking elites in the Deep State and the New World Order running the world and sacrificing abducted children in catacombs under pizza parlors. For over a hundred years, however, no one has ever believed that “Dracula” was anything other than fiction. It’s a strange world we live in, though, when the high foolishness of QAnon has sucked in so many believers. It’s almost like modern conspiracism has become a mind-plague that spreads through the population like a vampire disease.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span> </p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-32317126062842360052023-07-04T20:59:00.004-07:002023-07-04T20:59:31.717-07:00The 1974 Conspiracy Classic, "The Parallax View"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbMfVUej3Nak8VXucT_FPN_RlpztdGB9Dz3vBrqetor3u_f7VM8YTft1AKLO_cFODFthBr3-ZlmpYyDtHAdlwGLuMG6sHUKxIBCNaOqqugm7EfO0WvC8sxdYmU05yLFptGxIqtRJdvy80wpBmgF2W9dBlTZFxqjT9OwoKQZSiVDgYZLlq22u1dzPB76Fl/s1000/51PMH4HBP8L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="702" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbMfVUej3Nak8VXucT_FPN_RlpztdGB9Dz3vBrqetor3u_f7VM8YTft1AKLO_cFODFthBr3-ZlmpYyDtHAdlwGLuMG6sHUKxIBCNaOqqugm7EfO0WvC8sxdYmU05yLFptGxIqtRJdvy80wpBmgF2W9dBlTZFxqjT9OwoKQZSiVDgYZLlq22u1dzPB76Fl/w248-h353/51PMH4HBP8L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AFyMYyApYFweqkw&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21287832&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">Check out this recent episode </a>of Cineverse where we discuss the seminal 1970s conspiracy thriller, director Alan J. Pakula’s </span><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3" href="https://blogspot.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=085318e7679b3fa62b376ff43&id=1e6e286f21&e=ab3d122928" style="color: #954f72; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #007c89; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; padding: 0in;">The Parallax View</span></a><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">, starring Warren Beatty.</span></span><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is a film I discuss extensively in my book, CONSPIRACY FILMS: A TOUR OF DARK PLACES IN THE AMERICAN CONSCIOUS and it’s one of the films regularly screened in my class on the history of conspiracy theories and conspiracy films. As I argue in my book, The Parallax View is one of a small handful it films from the late 1960s and early 70s that established the conspiracy theory film as a distinct genre with its uniques set of archetypes that set it apart from other thrillers, mysteries, and action films. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The narrative follows Joseph Frady, an intrepid reporter (Beatty), as he embarks on an investigation into a series of enigmatic deaths associated with the clandestine Parallax Corporation. Frady's pursuit unveils a perilous network of political intrigue and secrecy.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br aria-hidden="true" style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><br aria-hidden="true" style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">The Parallax View delves into government corruption, assassination, and the manipulation of public perception. The film benefits from the stylish guidance of Pakula, who adeptly weaves a web of tension and paranoia throughout the story. The cinematography, editing, and skillful use of visual symbolism further contribute to its lasting impact. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">As all successful films hold a mirror to their times, reflect the most unsettling freefolating anxieties of the culture that created them, The Parallax View shows us how the JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King assassinations, followed by the Pentagon Papers and Watergate scandals, birthed an era of suspicion and conspiracy theories. Speculations about conspiracies that have been proven nonexistent beyond a shadow of a doubt (JFK, RFK, MLK) and very real instances of corruption and conspiracy (Pentagon Papers, Watergate) birthed an era of justified and healthy suspicion and skepticism in officialdom, institutions of power, and the elites. But, as we see today, the reach of conspiracism is ongoing and often toxic and destructive to a society. Check out The Parallax View and ponder how we can spot that line between healthy suspicion and the poisonous fantasy worlds of Pizzagate and QAnon.<o:p></o:p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-88035599629615672302023-07-04T17:17:00.013-07:002023-07-04T17:25:01.262-07:00Examine a “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” on CineVerse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt135tRSvSlSJlw-VF1nDFMDSOzJQoW48xPWf19HJvqv_hAu42swTjPUzTSZtwr-TEy_VwAjjw6E3CjJupiYYrf14zLxEZ4AE_UkRIptxp5Oq5Igfv08NAsAw8PRA6etS4qMBhulSFhnWdOZ8Ro8EfM1Nnk5G6SjKxc8veZxZXBgtM37x4RyNWWj6OOSK9/s605/Screen%20Shot%2006-20-23%20at%2002.04%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="415" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt135tRSvSlSJlw-VF1nDFMDSOzJQoW48xPWf19HJvqv_hAu42swTjPUzTSZtwr-TEy_VwAjjw6E3CjJupiYYrf14zLxEZ4AE_UkRIptxp5Oq5Igfv08NAsAw8PRA6etS4qMBhulSFhnWdOZ8Ro8EfM1Nnk5G6SjKxc8veZxZXBgtM37x4RyNWWj6OOSK9/w245-h356/Screen%20Shot%2006-20-23%20at%2002.04%20PM.png" width="245" /></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222;">If you want to expand your cinematic horizons to acclaimed foreign films, <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AFCCY5QDBL6FBno&cid=6F797D9FFA16CA2A&id=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%21287706&parId=6F797D9FFA16CA2A%213929&o=OneUp">check out this episode</a> of Cineverse and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://blogspot.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=085318e7679b3fa62b376ff43&id=881c90627e&e=ab3d122928" target="_blank"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #007c89; padding: 0in;">Portrait of a Lady on Fire</span></a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #222222;">, a 2019 French film starring Noémie Merlant as painter Marianne and Adèle Haenel as Héloïse, the daughter of a countess who is determined to marry off her reluctant daughter to a wealthy Italian aristocrat and present him with a portrait of his future bride, who refuses to pose for the painting. Set in 18th-century France, this narrative emphasizes a blossoming romance between a female painter and her subject. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-69349913991303825292023-06-13T19:17:00.002-07:002023-06-13T19:17:12.323-07:00See something "Indiscreet" on the CineVerse podcast!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-aomMtu_OVWA3HR3PgJezJ6921KAP-hyX5iW3oCtaPIUCcPKtVIkTVdXGcSS9UmU8wtjy_bcWYNQN4d6QLBZ3hvUBrGAoKhW9IoP-9DLRnBREU3RlxKjC3dmDBgpmmnUYkUaKdzQUgBtT6Y2KeOYl1Y7V9ExsEQ1-oEd5yAmwTGml59q0yz2PAm16g/s1000/51RioTwcR3L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="712" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-aomMtu_OVWA3HR3PgJezJ6921KAP-hyX5iW3oCtaPIUCcPKtVIkTVdXGcSS9UmU8wtjy_bcWYNQN4d6QLBZ3hvUBrGAoKhW9IoP-9DLRnBREU3RlxKjC3dmDBgpmmnUYkUaKdzQUgBtT6Y2KeOYl1Y7V9ExsEQ1-oEd5yAmwTGml59q0yz2PAm16g/s320/51RioTwcR3L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">As a fairly representational romcom from the 1950s, you can do a lot worse than Indiscreet, released in 1958 and brought to life by director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Norman Krasna, who adapted it from his own stage play titled Kind Sir and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The film stars the legendary Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in the lead roles, accompanied by Cecil Parker and Phyllis Calvert. The picture tells the story of Anna Kalman (Bergman), an actress who finds herself entangled in a romantic affair with the charismatic diplomat Philip Adams (Grant). However, Anna soon discovers that Philip is married, leading to a series of humorous misunderstandings and complications.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; widows: 2;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Click <a href="https://www.cineversegroup.com/2023/06/a-1950s-romcom-far-from-notorious.html"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #0066cc;">here</span> </b>to listen </a>to a recording of our CineVerse group discussion of Indiscreet, conducted last week.</span></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; widows: 2;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Indiscreet thrives on star power. It reunited two iconic Hollywood actors, Grant and Bergman, in their second and final collaboration, after their first appearance together in Hitchcock’s Notorious. Both actors were renowned for their on-screen charm and charisma, and their chemistry in the film adds to its appeal.</span></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-59518535448435678532023-04-15T19:33:00.002-07:002023-04-15T19:33:34.011-07:00Talking Religion and Science Fiction on Angel Studios' "Lightwise"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7e7Oyo0DMzGMosG99HqdB1W-CbNaL_bxZ7hOXVdK6NpmubHiJTBF9rTAsmTc9rq_V08zoDyTtMWi2xJWkXXd6l0nS5nt4E3iSBh_DkFljdCE9sF5mtlKH6YZJgcJ0kRaUBinkjqET4zs8DXcWrTDqGYe4M9X8UMxoFie8bDPHbrTnCHrKRsI56FuAA/s1280/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7e7Oyo0DMzGMosG99HqdB1W-CbNaL_bxZ7hOXVdK6NpmubHiJTBF9rTAsmTc9rq_V08zoDyTtMWi2xJWkXXd6l0nS5nt4E3iSBh_DkFljdCE9sF5mtlKH6YZJgcJ0kRaUBinkjqET4zs8DXcWrTDqGYe4M9X8UMxoFie8bDPHbrTnCHrKRsI56FuAA/w393-h221/maxresdefault.jpg" width="393" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">What are the connections between science fiction and religion? How are they different and how are they the same? What kinds of questions do they ask and what kinds of answers do they usually provide?</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I was excited to be the first guest on the new Angel Studios filmed podcast, “Lightwise,” a biweekly program that examines topics in the arts, movies, and TV in a way that amplifies the light, or are founded on inspirational and optimistic messages. Angel Studios, producing various films, documentaries, and live action and animated shows through crowd funding, has been making waves in the entertainment industry by garnering smash hit viewership numbers for its products that are rivaling major Hollywood productions. Their TV series “The Chosen,” about the life of Jesus Christ, is not only a major hit, but recently its theatrical release of a special edition of several of their season 3 episodes outperformed mainstream releases from much bigger studios.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">In the pilot episode you can watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeHnLN6TC5c&t=18s">right here</a>, host Joel Ackerman and I talked about how science fiction and religious faith intersect, where they are similar, and how they are different. Both religion and scientific inquiry—and science fiction by extension—I argue, are on the same basic quest. They are both asking the similar big questions of who we are, where is our place in the universe where did we come from, whether or not a sentient being created us, and where we might be going in the future. How those questions are answered, however, is where the two approaches can diverge…but not as much as some might think.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">So check out the episode and hear us tackle these big questions and discuss how they are reflected in major sci fi entertainment like “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” “The Matrix,” and literary classics by Mary Shelley, Isaac Asimov, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells.<o:p></o:p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539135040374825374.post-58104400777137723902023-04-01T20:51:00.004-07:002023-04-09T20:13:23.997-07:00Facts, fiction, conspiracies, and Dungeons and Dragons<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiPzt2zHMRHp6JHA2LgyTgl5W-RxAMbZWTDon6di233M8W_ICg3IcD_u83OhSIlgRYN4vC-u9gciLtecYWupMJTFaZY-m1HoG9EnFMR66l9o7lxE8H0UnvhtjA-EO3oStXfY9gHLCdz6-BL9Ia-snq6St1kSMyAHHGWCvwfRgX4ZUCA9t_0sFquYCQg/s4032/IMG_4292.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiPzt2zHMRHp6JHA2LgyTgl5W-RxAMbZWTDon6di233M8W_ICg3IcD_u83OhSIlgRYN4vC-u9gciLtecYWupMJTFaZY-m1HoG9EnFMR66l9o7lxE8H0UnvhtjA-EO3oStXfY9gHLCdz6-BL9Ia-snq6St1kSMyAHHGWCvwfRgX4ZUCA9t_0sFquYCQg/w271-h362/IMG_4292.HEIC" width="271" /></a></div><p></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">A new film based on the venerable Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game opened this weekend and I am quoted in this special edition magazine exploring all aspects of the game, its history, development, fan community, and fans who had played the games since childhood who are now major A-list stars.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">If you see the magazine above on rack in a store, be sure and pick up a copy—or 5—for all of your friends and family members.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">But most of my quotes appear in story about one of the strangest controversies that engulfed the game starting in the late 1970s. Following the suicide of James Dallas Egbert, a mentally ill college student in 1979 who also happened to be an avid D&D player, unwarranted speculation followed that perhaps the immersive fantasy world of D&D had the power to push young people to<i> </i>self-destruction and violence. But Egbert’s death also coincided with the “Satanic Panic” of that decade, a bizarre moral panic about a vast, international conspiracy of Satanists running daycare centers across America, sexually assaulting and murdering children in occult rituals, and seducing other youngsters to Devil-worship through heavy metal music, violent films, and, of course, a fantasy-oriented game like Dungeons and Dragons.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Check out a more detailed read of the history of the Satanic panic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_panic">right here</a>. I also wrote about the phenomenon in my book, CONSPIRACY FILMS: A TOUR OF DARK PLACES IN THE AMERICAN CONSCIOUS.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">What is more bizarre than the claims of this layered, convoluted myth is how long the moral panic it created lasted. It took another decade until level-headed, intelligent people finally made peace with the fact there was no vast underground of Satanists, despite the fact that there was barely a scintilla of evidence for any of these allegations from the moment the very panic began. The reason for this, however, is the conspiratorial mindset it was all founded on. Conspiracism is founded on the very logical fallacy that no evidence for the existence of a massive conspiracy theory is evidence in itself. There is no evidence of a massive conspiracy of the Dallas Police Department, the FBI, CIA, oil barons, bankers, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, or weapons manufacturers having killed Joh F. Kennedy, this line of thinking argues, because the evil cabal behind the conspiracy made all the evidence disappear. There isn’t a shred of credible evidence for the Moon-landing-hoax conspiracy theory or the 9/11 conspiracy theories because the hidden forces of evil made that evidence disappear. The result of all of this, however, is that the conspiracists will wind up living in a fantasy land, in a delusion created by their own minds.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">At least people playing Dungeons and Dragons know that it’s all a game, it’s all make-believe. It was only their critics, the conspiracy theorists, and the moral crusaders who wound up not being able to tell fact from fiction.<o:p></o:p></p>Barna W. Donovanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18071400970008078931noreply@blogger.com34