Daryl Sparkes University of Southern Queensland It wasn’t the first time I’d crashed a film set. My first was the 1984 film The Coolangatta Gold. You’ll recognise me in one of the shots because I’m the only person wearing jeans on a beach. Many years, and
Phoebe Macrossan Queensland University of Technology Jessica Ford University of Newcastle While many teen films fade away never to be heard of again, Clueless, a loose adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, has remained in the cultural consciousness since its 1995 release. Maybe it’s the catchy soundtrack, or familiar
Ben McCann November 1959. Film director Alfred Hitchcock is at his commercial and critical peak after the successes of Vertigo (1958) and North by Northwest (1959). So what does he do next? A black-and-white made-for-TV movie hastily shot, with no big-name actors and a leading
Inger S. B. Brodey University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The latest film adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic “Emma” is a visual feast of color, pattern and texture. It’s also a bit too perfect. The colors are too vibrant, the skin too clear, the homes too opulent,
Martyn Bennett Nottingham Trent University The prospect of a Christmas without large-scale celebrations is preying on minds. After the widespread cancellation of pantomimes, festive light “switch-ons” and other community activities, it seems likely that 2020’s festivities will be much more intimate affairs, potentially with households banned from
Freya Higgins-Desbiolles University of South Australia Holidays are a time of high stress. Despite the delight of not having to work for several days or even weeks, holidays come with pressures. These can include catching up with family, giving gifts, consuming to keep the economy buoyant, and having enough
Alasdair Macintyre Australian Catholic University Review: The Motorcycle — Art, Design, Desire at Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art Motorcycles are such a guy thing, right? Think Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, Arthur Fonzarelli in television’s Happy Days and Daniel Craig’s James Bond. All blokes, exuding controlled coolness,
Nicholas Joyce University of South Florida Every holiday season, families and friends convene to share affection, kindness and experience. In the ideal holiday atmosphere, one often depicted in commercials and media, such get-togethers are places of warmth, appreciation and general happiness. If you find yourself in such a family,
Rachel Croson Michigan State University I’m having an amazing holiday season. Each year it seems our travel gets more and more out of control. Between the multiple holidays, family we need to visit distributed all around the country and the rounds of parties for work and with friends, it’
Chris Bryant University of Bath Cultured meat made from animal cells without animal slaughter has been approved for sale for the first time. The approval, granted by the Singapore Food Agency to US food company Eat Just for their cultured “chicken bites”, is a watershed moment for the future of
Amanda Laugesen Australian National University Women have had a fraught historical relationship to swearing. Long regarded as guardians of morality and respectability, their use of swear words has been policed and punished in various ways. Yet women have a rich history of using such language as a means of challenging
Annmarie Caño Wayne State University Humans are social animals who crave connection with others. It’s a drive that seems hard-wired into our systems so that when we experience rejection or estrangement from others, the experience can feel much like physical pain. The desire to avoid these painful feelings
Carol Southall Staffordshire University For many of us, the forced confinement of lockdown has reiterated the importance of being out and about in nature – along with the benefits it can bring. So as the UK begins to reopen, it’s likely that many people will be craving space away from
Roslyn Petelin The University of Queensland When a literary luminary such as Thomas Kenneally declares so early in 2020 that he is certain a “more original” novel “will not be published this year”, the reviewer faces a challenge. The book in question is The Dictionary of Lost Words, the debut
Andre Spicer City University of London Carl Cederström Stockholm University Religious aspects aside, for many people Christmas has been that unique time of the year when the demands of work finally disappear, if only for a brief period. We get a well-deserved break, time to indulge in fatty food,
Jane Barnwell University of Westminster Christmas movies are so often linked to classic themes of redemption and rediscovery of innocence. Old favourites such as Home Alone, Love Actually, The Wizard of Oz, It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, The Holiday and Elf reappear on our screens in
