Harold Lloyd’s Death-Defying Comedy
“With comedy, trouble is one of the greatest ingredients because there are so many variations to it,” the silent film actor told one scholar.
Jane Fonda Changed Fitness Forever
Jane Fonda's workout videos cracked open the idea of who exercise was for, but only to an extent.
Remaking Betty Boop in the Image of a Housewife
Betty Boop was literally designed to be a bombshell, but around 1935, her creators decided to change her appearance.
When Hortense Powdermaker Studied Hollywood
This anthropologist's research on contemporary American society probes the tensions between business and art in the film world.
Before the Internet, Cable TV Was for Porn
Although porn never became a big part of the cable TV business, it was central in debates over its regulation.
A Feminist Vision of the Musical
Chantal Akerman’s The Eighties proves that a musical set in a mall can be a significant feminist work.
Frank Capra’s Not-So-Sunny Vision of American Life
Capra's films are known for being upbeat and sometimes cheesy, but beneath the surface are rather dark stories of American corruption.
The Nostalgic Quality of Our Parents’ Music
Behind the curious phenomenon of "cascading reminiscence bumps."
A Critical Theory of Binge Watching
We didn't know we loved to binge until Netflix made it irresistible. To understand the new model, we should look back to Theodor Adorno.
A Legendary Filmmaker’s Notes on Teaching
Experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer was also a teacher, and wrote about how she kept the "artist-self" alive while working her day job.