Category Archives: fantasy

AVATAR: Probing Beyond Visuals to Culture and Identity

December 26th, 2009 | Posted in Avatar, digital technologies, fantasy, science fiction, social commentary

My latest article for Cinefantastique Online is now available at this link, a review and commentary on AVATAR. Following is an excerpt: In regards to Na’vi religion, some commentators have referred to it as pantheism, but this is technically inaccurate. The Na’vi believe that Eywa, the divine “All Mother,” is connected to and in some […]

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AVATAR May Deliver Digital Real Deal

December 4th, 2009 | Posted in Avatar, fantasy, science fiction

In a previous post I’ve shared my skepticism about the ability of James Cameron’s soon-to-be-released Avatar to live up to the director’s hype. I should probably have more faith in a cinematic visionary who has served up science fiction icons like Terminator 2 and Aliens, not to mention the romantic tragedy and blockbuster Titanic. But […]

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Millennial Mythmaking

November 30th, 2009 | Posted in fantasy, Joseph Campbell, myths, science fiction

One of the great things about having a website like this is discovering people engaged in the same kinds of reflections on the fantastic in pop culture that I am involved in. It gets even better when I get to develop relationships with these people, and then discuss their thinking. This is the case with […]

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WIRED Interview with Guillermo del Toro: Fantasy, Horror and the Future of Film

May 28th, 2009 | Posted in fantasy, Guillermo del Toro

A friend who is aware of my passion for the fantastic, and that Guillermo del Toro is one of my heroes in this field, passed along a link to a recent article and brief interview with the film director. The article appears in WIRED MAGAZINE 17.06 from May 22, 2009. The piece is by Scott Brown, […]

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Joshua Bellin: A Tale of Two Kongs

March 4th, 2009 | Posted in fantasy, Joshua Bellin, King Kong, race

Previously I interviewed Joshua Bellin, author of Framing Monsters: Fantasy Film and Social Alienation (Southern Illinois University Press, 2005), where he interacted critically with various fantasy films. While horror and science fiction films have received a lot of critical analysis, this has not been the case with fantasy films. Thankfully, Bellin moves beyond this in order […]

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Double Edge Films Presents: Ink

February 27th, 2009 | Posted in fantasy, independent films, science fiction

I received an email today from Double Edge Films making me aware of their new independent “urban sci fi fantasy” film Ink by filmmaker Jamin Winans. I had not heard of this before but am pleased to learn of yet another promising work of indie fantastic filmmaking. One of the trailers for Ink can be […]

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The Dark Knight: Batman, Bush, and the American Conscience

January 17th, 2009 | Posted in Batman, fantasy, social commentary, The Dark Knight

I admit that when it comes to being able to take in the latest box office happenings I am often late to the party. Time and budgetary restraints mean that I usually take in recent films as they come out on DVD. Thankfully the lag between box office and DVD debuts are shrinking these days. […]

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Guillermo del Toro: Visionary Fantasy and Mythic Filmmaker

December 26th, 2008 | Posted in archetypes, fantasy, Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy, myths

Given that my family has shifted in the last couple of years to opening Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, and that the vast majority of the gifts that I receive are related to the genres of the fantastic, I really do have a Nightmare Before Christmas. One of my gifts this year has been especially […]

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Understanding the Appeal of the Fantastic: Escape from the Habitus to Promised Lands

December 19th, 2008 | Posted in fantasy, pilgrimage

One of my continuing research projects involves an exploration as to why so many people enjoy the realm of the fantastic in popular culture. To be sure, many people enjoy these things for little more than entertainment, but for many others I believe it goes much further. My thinking on this matter has been informed […]

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Celebrating 50 Years of The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling Conference at Ithica College

November 16th, 2008 | Posted in 1950s, 1960s, conference, fantasy, Marc Scott Zicree, Rod Serling, science fiction, television, Twilight Zone

The discussion list for the Popular Culture and American Culture Associations included an item recently of interest to TheoFantastique. Ithica College is hosting a Rod Serling conference in October 2009. As the college event’s website describes the event: Picture, if you will, a place where communication students can study the creative work of one of […]

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