Dredd
What does this 2012 film, based upon the UK comic book series Judge Dredd, tell us about its world’s form of government (the “Judge System”), a pared down police state which consolidates the powers traditionally vested in different elements of government? What does it tell us about the effects of extreme population pressure on Democratic […]
Devotion
How does this 2022 film, based upon the relationship between Korean War aviators Ensign Jesse Brown and Lieutenant Tom Hudner, illustrate the level of camaraderie between these two men, their Fighter squadron (VF-32), and the state of racial integration in the US military at the time? In that regard, what is the import of Jesse’s […]
Everything Everywhere all at Once
How does this 2022 comedy explore the concept of the ‘multi-verse’; the idea that there is an infinity of parallel universes each one of which is equally real or actual to those that inhabit it? What psychological and moral effects do the main characters
They Live
What does this 1988 John Carpenter Sci Fi Horror send-up tell us about Carpenter’s political ideas at the time? How does the film illustrate a more general point about ideology and conspiracy mongering? Why does the film function so well as a sort of Rors
Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven
How do these films illustrate the cross-cultural pollination between Japan and the United States, given they had similar relatively lawless “Wild West” phases in history? Why does it show us the high level of distrust for the Samurai or gunfighters on the
King Rat
What does this 1965 film, based upon a James Clavell novel of the same name, show us about Clavell’s own experiences in the Changi POW camp in Singapore from 1942 to 1945? How does the fact that escape is impossible affect the attitudes of the POWs in the
A Man for All Seasons
What does this 1966 film, detailing the conflict between King Henry VIII of England and Sir Thomas More tell us about the cause of the tension between Henry and the Catholic Church, and the conflicting loyalties of More, a devout Catholic? What does it te
Threads
This 1984 BBC television film, set in England during and after a major global nuclear war, asks us to consider the likelihood of a near total breakdown of governance, public order, morality and civilization in such a circumstance. How does the film portra
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
What does this groundbreaking 1920 German expressionist film tell us about political movements and environments like that which was prevalent in Post World War I Germany? What commentary does it provide about the rise of charismatic, messianic and utopian
My Sister’s Keeper
What does this film, which tells the story of Anna a so called ‘savior child,’ conceived expressly for the purpose of saving her older sister’s life via stem cell and organ donations, tell us about the conflicted nature of parental obligations in such sit