I have written a lengthy essay on the political economy of the Dark Knight. The essay is at a companion site to the Driftless Area Review called Coffee is for Closers. Continue reading Critical Appraisals: The political economy of the Dark Knight
Good bye, Echo. Sent to the Attic Echo: Everyone’s unhappy today. Topher: Somebody put her tiny little thinking cap on! Spy in the House of Love The inevitable has occurred. Dollhouse, the science fiction series masterminded by Joss Whedon, fought against dismal ratings and executive meddling only to finally get canceled after two seasons. To use the jargon of Adele DeWitt, the series was “sent to the Attic.” While the Dollhouse cancellation is traumatic for fans, viewers must also take a step back from emotional reaction and explore the possibilities. The TV landscape and the media landscape are radically different … Continue reading Dollhouse Riffs: Riff #7: Dollhouse sent to the Attic
Clive James and his many books Every blog needs a large-scale project. The Art of Reviewing will explore reviewing as an art form and as a valuable element to understanding society. During this project, I will profile specific reviewers of merit. Several specific cases also explore other facets of reviewing. Clive James and the Spice Girls. A fascinating interview. Clive James has done it all. He’s a poet, wit, lyricist, TV presenter, cultural commentator, author, and memoirist. This Australian native represents the Old Guard, sharing a similar background with Christopher Hitchens and Martin Amis. His critical stance may be a … Continue reading The Art of Reviewing: Clive James
In Samuel Beckett’s play, Waiting for Godot, Pozzo remarks, “They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it’s night once more.” Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh represents one of those lights gleaming in the darkness between the grave of the First World War and the impending night of the Second. The novel, published in 1945, is the reminiscence of Captain Charles Ryder. The story opens with Captain Ryder’s Army Company transferring to Castle Marchmain, an estate all too familiar to him. Since he looks back on the past, a heady mix of nostalgia and satire … Continue reading Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder (1945) by Evelyn Waugh
Commodities and human labor-power Arrows and Aphorisms “Remember Jamie Leigh Jones, the Halliburton/KBR contractor who alleged she was gang raped by her co-workers in Iraq and then imprisoned in a shipping container after she reported the attack to the company? Well, it looks like she’s finally get to sue the company, in a real courthouse, over her ordeal. “Her legal saga started after Halliburton failed to take any action against her alleged attackers, and the Justice Department and military also failed to prosecute. Jones then tried to sue the company for failing to protect her. But thanks to an employment … Continue reading Dollhouse Riffs: Riff #6: The Sierra Club; or Human Labor-power, Commodity Fetishism, and Workplace Rape
For Better or Worse: The Knights of Good The third episode of The Guild, the plot hinges on Codex’s inability to bring the Knights of Good back together. Codex (Felicia Day) cautiously and politely asks the Axis of Anarchy (the rival, evil group headed by Wil Wheaton), if they could get Tinkerballa (Amy Okuda) back. The Axis of Anarchy smell an intruder in their midst and then verbally assault Codex with all manner of f-bombs and snark. Wil Wheaton snarked at Codex by quoting Ayn Rand. Considering Rand’s philosophy of utopian selfishness precipitated our current economic unpleasantness, my money is … Continue reading Guild Musings: Musing #2: Chat channels and wifi
Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse opened with the episodes “Vows” and “Instinct,” bringing new faces like Jamie Bamber and Alexis Denisof. The season also began with a critique of two idols within the conservative mindset: marriage and motherhood. In “Vows,” the Dollhouse organization imprints Echo with the personality of an undercover FBI agent. In her assignment, she married a wealthy amoral arms dealer played by Jamie Bamber. Bamber (Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica) uses his authentic British accent. His good looks and easy-going charm create a false front to his nefarious activities. He is not above selling dirty bomb components to terrorists … Continue reading Dollhouse Riffs: Riff #4: Season Openers
“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” – Gil Scott-Heron Note: To avoid confusion, italics will differentiate the Guild (show) from the Guild (group of characters). Two episodes into its third season, The Guild has become an Internet phenomenon. The show follows the comic misadventures of various gamers associated with The Knights of Good, a guild in a MMORPG [Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Game]. While the game they play involves mythical creatures, fantastic quests, and cool costumes, the shows follows their day-to-day lives. In another nod to the MMORPG, the players do not address each other by their real names … Continue reading Guild Musings: Musing #1: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
The Horus Heresy series continues in its sixth installment, Descent of Angels, written by Mitchel Scanlon. The series makes a major reversal with this series. Scanlon has written previous novels for the Black Library, but his work involves the Warhammer brand, the epic fantasy sister ‘verse to the space fantasy of Warhammer 40K. Unlike previous volumes, the action occurs on one planet under circumstances one could label “low-tech.” Descent of Angels begins with an original story, telling the tale of how humanity settled on the planet Caliban. The settlers became separated from the rest of humanity because of warp storms … Continue reading Book Review: Descent of Angels (The Horus Heresy, Book 6) by Mitchel Scanlon
Every blog needs a large-scale project. The Art of Reviewing will explore reviewing as an art form and as a valuable element to understanding society. During this project, I will profile specific reviewers of merit. Several specific cases also explore other facets of reviewing. What makes a good reviewer? A review is only good as the individual reviewing the work. But what is meant by good? Good – like value, civilization, and culture – is a loaded term. It should be not be used in a cavalier fashion or overloaded with moral baggage. Does the reviewer have a technique, a … Continue reading The Art of Reviewing: Introductory Remarks
The Driftless Area Review 