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Is violence in American cinema a reflection of life? Or does life imitate the violence people see in cinema? One of the pressing questions in today's society is whether fictional portrayals of violence have social or psychological consequences. Studies have concluded with both "yes" and "no" verdicts. Is America a culture of violence? Why does violence, horror and melodrama appeal to people? This book explores these issues with primary focus on entertainment, especially film, through lenses of the media, the consumer, and the cultural backdrop. The film A Clockwork Orange allegedly spawned so much violence in the United Kingdom that director Stanley Kubrick was rumored to have fled with his ...
1 Between Myth, Magic, and Science 2 Archaeo-astronomy and Myth 3 Earth Spirit 4 Numbers 5 Megalithic Structures, Ley Lines and the World Grid 6 Subtle Energy 7 Alchemy 8 Creating the Matrix 9 Astrology 10 Astronomical Alignments and Magical Rituals at Sacred Places 11 Temple design 12 Initiations and the Mystery Schools 13 Subtle Energy Knowledge in Religion 14 Egregores: The Creation of our Gods 15 The Occult Influence of Government and Religion on Society 16 Consecration and Desecration of Sacred Places 17 Monumental Masonic Magic 18 Ancient Occult Warfare 19 New Religion for the Aeon of Horus (Satan, Lucifer) 20 Esoteric Ancient Science and Technology 21 Hermetica and Paleophysics 22 Esoteric Modern Science and Technology 23 Tachyon Energy 24 Channelled Information on the Subtle Energy Grid 25 Escaping the Matrix Appendix I: Glossary of Elements of Ancient Subtle Energy Technology Appendix II: Numbers of the Canon Appendix III: The natural Meaning of the Alphabet Literature
From holographic illusions, simulated worlds, and parallel universes to the multiverse, from The Matrix, Star Trek, Marvel and DC Comics to Netflix and mobile games, today's popular imagination is caught up with realities beyond our own. Decades ago, cosmologists speculated that our universe might be a gigantic holographic image. Since then, the "holographic principle" has only gained traction. What is the holographic universe, and how does it align with the Bible's picture of reality and Jesus Christ? Are we a computer simulation? Did aliens spark human life? Is a multiverse a problem for God? Do "time" and "free will" exist? What does it all mean for Christians? Introducing the holographic...
Escape into the Future analyzes the power of pessimism, showing links between present-day religious pessimism and the nihilism of popular culture. Stroup and Shuck rummage through an interesting and eclectic body of pop culture--from Fight Club to X-Files to the Left Behind series--pointing out the presence of pessimistic themes throughout. This volume identifies and illuminates the religious language used in these works to articulate America's need to escape from its present cultural path and, ultimately, provide hope that it might do so.
For thirty years, from 1966 until his death in 1993, Frank Zappa was one of the most influential, innovative, and controversial popular musicians, combining a wide range of musical styles with social and political parody. In this innovative biography, Courrier explodes the myths of Zappa's drug use and fetishism to illuminate the facts about this outrageously gifted composer's emergence during the eclectic and experimental sixties, linking his form of artistic rebellion to its cultural precedents, and examining Zappa as a true original. Illustrated with 30 b/w photos.
The sound of chainsaws revving on "haunted" Halloween trails has evoked untold screams since Tobe Hooper's 1974 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre hit the cinemas. Since that first take-no-prisoners horror movie, Hooper's reputation as a master of horror has been secured by his adaptations of Stephen King (Salem's Lot, 1978, and The Mangler, 1995), his blockbuster breakthrough Poltergeist (1982) and a variety of cult hits, from the underrated Lifeforce (1985) to the remake of Invaders from Mars (1986). This detailed reference work is divided into five parts. Part I provides a history and overview of Tobe Hooper's career. Part II offers entries (with synopses, complete credits, critical reception and commentaries) on every feature film by year of release. Part III provides chronological information on Hooper's television movies and miniseries. Part IV offers entries on his episodes from horror television series. Part V is a critical essay and conclusion which places Hooper in horror film history and compares his work to all-time greats such as Romero, Craven and Carpenter.
This thought-provoking and insightful study of 40 years of American violent cinema ties together the multiple disciplines of psychology, criminology, censorship, and anthropology. The study is divided into two volumes: Volume 1: American Chaos, From Touch of Evil to The Terminator, and Volume 2: Millennial Blues, From Apocalypse Now to The Matrix. Horsley raises a new dialogue between scholars and movie buffs as readers struggle to find their own answers to the connection between the need to portray and the need to watch violent films.
"Jake Horsley seems to arrive from out of nowhere, yet here he is--an almost fully developed and only slightly stoned sensibility. . . He's a marvellous critic."--Pauline Kael
As the nation seems to yearn for redemption from the evils that threaten its tranquility, the authors maintain that Joseph Campbell's monomythic hero is alive and well, but significantly displaced, in American popular culture.