One of my major issues with the most recent addition to the Planet of the Apes franchise, Dawn of the Planets of the Apes (Reeves, 2014), were the roles available to women – both human and ape. In my blog on the film I explored some of my thoughts on it and I noted that (the very few) female characters were… Read more →
The Holidays are full of festive cheer, presents, and… science. We managed to put together a list of new and classic Christmas film and television offerings that incorporate or engage with science (at least vaguely – give us some leeway, it’s Christmas!). Comment below if there’s anything that you think we missed! For twelve days over Christmas, The Science Entertainment… Read more →
Have you ever heard of the “Page 99 Test” as a way of determining the value of a book before you read it? The test is based on a quote by Ford Maddox Ford who believed that a reader could use the contents found on page 99 to quickly assess the merits of a book. According to Maddox Ford, “open… Read more →
***Warning: Post contains spoilers for the films Avatar (2009) and Transcendence (2014)*** Death is a staple of human existence and it should come as no surprise that throughout history, human communities have developed narratives and practices to cope with death and imagine and enact a possible afterlife. Today, one arena where such narratives are acted out is popular culture and… Read more →
On a recent trip to this year’s Film & History conference I presented my current research in a paper called ‘From Sacred to Scientific: Charlton Heston’s Second Golden Age’. The fascinating post-paper discussion revolved around eco dystopian cinema, with a focus on my work on Soylent Green and Omega Man. Following a discussion of the connections between epics and science… Read more →
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