I’ve been thinking lately about the idea of epic poetry and how great poems become the foundational stories of a cultural identity. Chaucer, The Song of Roland, The Saga of the Vulsang, The Aeneid and Homer’s Epic Cycle weren’t just great works of literature. These were the foundational stories of civilizations. These are the worksContinue reading “The Missing American Epic: Is Star Wars a Great Contribution to Literature?”
Category Archives: Opinion
Tyler’s 17 Most Anticipated THINGS of 2021 (Movies/Games/TV Shows)
I’m not gonna lie, I’m really excited that entertainment is starting to roll out again. It’s sucked for me that 2020’s relatively lukewarm release Calendar became MORE empty because of the COOF. With the vaccine rollout finally coming into play, it seems like Hollywood is starting to feel more comfortable dipping their toes in theContinue reading “Tyler’s 17 Most Anticipated THINGS of 2021 (Movies/Games/TV Shows)”
GUG – Two Interviews from the El Dorado FF
Back in November of 2020, I had the opportunity to attend the El Dorado Film Festival in Southern Arkansas! I drove all the way down there from Chicago in one day and spent the weekend watching dozens of short films and a couple of feature length films that were being presented to the public, often,Continue reading “GUG – Two Interviews from the El Dorado FF”
Oscars Week: Thoughts on the 2021 Best Picture Nominees
The Oscars have been getting worse for years now. The last few years have had weird lineups and weird winners. I’m not sure many people have actually been happy with recent years for the most part. Green Book beating Blackkklansman, Roma and Black Panther for best picture in 2018 was bizarre but amusing. Parasite’s winContinue reading “Oscars Week: Thoughts on the 2021 Best Picture Nominees”
COSMO – Bram Stoker’s Dracula as a Celebration of Courage
“The world seems full of good men—even if there are monsters in it.” Count Dracula needs no introduction. As a villain of the Western Cannon, his reputation proceeds him. He was famously portrayed by the great Bella Lugosi in Dracula (1931), the venerable Christopher Lee in Dracula (1958); Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992);Continue reading “COSMO – Bram Stoker’s Dracula as a Celebration of Courage”
Art as Pornography: What Do We Get Out of Stories?
I ask myself a simple question a lot nowadays: What do we get out of art? That’s a tough question. Everyone seems to have a different answer but the general consensus when you ask people is “I just want good stories”. It’s a relatable sentiment but even the most basic epistemological questioning of the premiseContinue reading “Art as Pornography: What Do We Get Out of Stories?”
Ethical Consumption Under Woke Capitalism: Losing the Culture by Abandoning Entertainment
There’s a popular quote floating around in far-left, anti-capitalist and progressive circles: “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism”. The sentiment is based on a logical contradiction at the heart of where modern consumer culture meets progressive activism. We’re only human and we’re living in an unethical economic system. The system is corrupt and exploitativeContinue reading “Ethical Consumption Under Woke Capitalism: Losing the Culture by Abandoning Entertainment”
Zack Snyder’s Superman: Decoding the Man of Steel’s Nihilist Godhood
Zack Snyder is a fascinating filmmaker. He’s one of the most visually engaging, energetic and splendid filmmakers alive today. He’s also, by all accounts, a decent guy behind the scenes who seems to have great relationships, intentions and ambitions as a filmmaker. He’s also an incredibly flaccid storyteller. When he’s not working off of theContinue reading “Zack Snyder’s Superman: Decoding the Man of Steel’s Nihilist Godhood”
Russell Kirk and the Cause for Hope: Western Optimism in Light of the BlackPill
Towards the end of his life, conservative intellectual, Russell Kirk gave a series of lectures in 1987 titled The Wise Men Know What Wicked Things Are Written on the Sky. GK Chesterton aficionados will know that line as from his poem The Ballad of the White Horse which takes place in the time of AlfredContinue reading “Russell Kirk and the Cause for Hope: Western Optimism in Light of the BlackPill”
Plot-Holes are Still Dumb: Rebuking the Worst Trend of Anti-SJW Pop-Criticism
It’s been almost three years since Patrick H. Willems released his infamous viral video Shut Up About Plotholes and caused an uproar. Since then, the “debates” online about objective quality in storytelling haven’t improved. The concept of “plotholes” became the goto critique for every marginally successful YouTube critic and blogger who talked about films onlineContinue reading “Plot-Holes are Still Dumb: Rebuking the Worst Trend of Anti-SJW Pop-Criticism”
Cultural Revue 