How Local TV Made “Bad” Movies a Thing
Weekly shows on local TV stations helped make the ironic viewing of bad movies into a national pastime.
How Oscar Micheaux Challenged the Racism of Early Hollywood
The black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux was one of the first to make films for a black audience, a rebuke to racist movies like The Birth of a Nation.
Streaming Television Might Just Bring Us Together After All
A look at TV watching as a social activity, from the "water cooler" network shows of yore to today's "second screen" live-tweets.
The Corporeal Cinema of Claire Denis
French filmmaker Claire Denis is known for creating visceral viewing experiences that push the boundaries of cinema.
The Making of Rita Hayworth
To become a Hollywood star and icon, Rita Hayworth had to transcend not just her waistline or her hairline, but her own ethnicity.
Four Hard Truths about Fake News
Let me begin with four fake truths that I hold to be self-evident. What follows is their brief ...
“The Simpsons”: More Than Just a Cartoon
"The Simpsons" is the longest-running scripted series in television history, full of canny satire and the occasional prophecy.
“Stranger Things” and the Psychic Nosebleed
Where did we get the idea that using psychic or telekinetic powers makes a person's nose bleed?
Mystery Science Theater 3000 May Be Coming Back
The smartest dumbest show ever created for television.