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Tarantino’s characters find that their redemption depends on whether there is a meaning to the word. An excerpt from The Philosophy of Neo-Noir.
On the surface, both the X-Men and Superman films push a message of hope over fear, but what deeper instinctive fear could there be than that of being genetically supplanted?
What this year's four vampire-hybrid films have in common is an overcoming of our oldest fear.
Nietzsche and the Meaning of Noir
Mark Conard looks at definitions and the meaning of Film Noir in this excerpt from The Philosophy of Film Noir. A Metaphilm exclusive.
Are Batman and Vader twins separated at birth, or worse? I am Darth's raging doppelganger envy. This and other mysteries herein revealed.
On fictional universes and the fans who rationalize them.
This excerpt from a new book on the Lord of the Rings trilogy explores the issue of sophistication and the happy ending, or the ways fantasy films speak to and for the inner child. A Metaphilm online exclusive.
Shyamalan’s films ask us questions about the ways we cope with our fears in hopes of affecting our unspoken ideologies.
Why do we watch tragedies and horror movies? Philosopher Bill Irwin suggests that our answer can help explain why Gibson made The Passion of the Christ the way he did. It’s a matter of aesthetics, and there’s a distinction to be made between the beautiful and the sublime. A Metaphilm online exclusive.
God, Suicide, and the Meaning of Life
Is comedy just a distraction? Mark Conard explores the director’s beliefs as seen in his characters in this excerpt from the forthcoming book, Woody Allen and Philosophy. A Metaphilm exclusive.
In this pre-publication excerpt from his new book on enigmatic master director Krzysztof Kieślowski, Dr. Joe Kickasola gives an overview of the Decalogue and an in-depth reading of Decalogue II. A Metaphilm exclusive.
Recent popular films on memory loss raise the question of whether it’s something to fear—or enjoy.
‘First Draft’ can mean many things, some of which are not just matters of preference.
Murderous Melodrama or Morality Play? A Metaphilm online exclusive.
Is Grammer and Foremat Important?
If you look illiterate, does your screenplay suffer? Or, why you need to have rules before you can break them.
The Book of Job could be a movie starring Stallone. No, really. An excerpt from Killing the Buddha.
Most of the time, writers for Metaphilm approach films to see what they mean or what they have to say—consciously or subconsciously, seriously or humorously. We typically avoid the subjective question of whether the film under discussion is any good. Here, one film professor offers his introductory guidelines for ways you can evaluate the films you watch. Think of it as a meta-level approach to film-watching, or perhaps a way to go meta with movie critics.
They tried to destroy it, but in the end the only thing that can stop Vegas is Vegas.
Characters from Cider House Rules, Thirteen Conversations, and Fight Club take guilt into their own bloody hands.
Jesus is alive and well and living in popular film. Here are a few pointers to help you recognize his cinematic incarnations.
New York is the setting for more movies than any other city. It also houses more than its fair share of geographreaks. This is a problem for geographically challenged directors. One professional New York geographreak offers cases in point—and a cautionary note to filmmakers.
Andrew Light enters Tolkien’s universe and shows how it ain’t easy being green—though we’ve got to try—in this prepublication chapter from the forthcoming The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy. A Metaphilm exclusive.
It looks like little-finned Nemo is a small orange version of the big bad green Hulk. It's a story about trying to survive in a capitalist empire.
Neo may dress like a priest, but Tom Cruise as John Anderton is more like the real thing.
Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, learns a lesson about the interpretation of signs.
You're not afraid of the dark, are you?
A touching response and homage to the American coming-of-age film. Teenage virginity is a heavy burden. Please help.
A touching homage to the continental coming-of-age film. Come, hear our ecstatic cries. We beg you.
The questions of convincing bullshit and propaganda in a righteous cause.
Fight Club wants you to shop—at really cool stores.
Hanks goes meta in Cast Away, an updated version of Joe Versus the Volcano.
Cinema—The New Cathedral of Hollyworld
Okay, that's a helluva long title. It pretty much explains it, though.