Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Title of course: “Road to Hell: The Apocalypse in Classical and Contemporary Forms” What prompted the idea for the course? When Meghan R. Henning, a scholar of early Christianity, completed her 2014 book on how the concept of hell evolved…
With the release of Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” audiences will be plunged back into the cinematic excitement of the Roman amphitheater so vividly captured in its predecessor, “Gladiator.” Scott’s film will undoubtedly capture the thrills of this spectacle. But as someone who studies the Roman world, I think it’s worth remembering that its cultural legacy…
Neither “Gladiator” nor its cinematic sequel is particularly concerned with historical fact. For one thing, the emperor Marcus Aurelius had no intention of restoring the republic. Gladiatorial contests were abhorrent displays of cruelty, but they didn’t always end in death. And the Romans didn’t sculpt bone-white statues; they painted them using an array of colors….
Journalists and news outlets around the world are under threat like never before. Fortunately, two new reports illustrating the economic, health, environmental, and security benefits of a free press could help policymakers and campaigners make an even stronger case for an independent media at home and abroad. TALLINN – The argument for a free press…
For now, Ukrainians are pulling Tolstoy off their shelves, and toppling Catherine the Great from her plinth in Odesa. Once Ukrainians have won a peace they can live with, a free Ukraine will have to own the imprint of the Russian past on its soul, and then wrestle free of that past. Source link
Science fiction has long been a window into possible futures, often anticipating technological advancements and societal shifts with surprising accuracy. While AI is now widely recognized for its practical uses — like natural language processing and pattern recognition — science fiction often brings more captivating and thought-provoking perspectives. Movies and shows have depicted AI and…
Even 25 years after his death, Stanley Kubrick remains one of the most widely known directors of the 20th century. Many of the 13 films he made – including 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980) – are still revered today and remembered as some of the best movies…
A widely circulated still from the set of Martin Scorsese’s latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” shows the director sitting in a church pew. Next to him is Lily Gladstone, who plays the role of Mollie Kyle, an Osage woman whose family is targeted as part of a broader conspiracy by white Americans to…
The Oscars are no longer just a celebration of movies. They’ve also become a fashion show, with fans, designers and the media celebrating and critiquing Hollywood celebrities as they stroll, pause and pose on the red carpet of the annual awards ceremony. A sharp look can be a story in and of itself. Take actress…
In some movies, religion hits viewers over the head – including films that take home the industry’s biggest prizes. No one could miss religion’s importance in “The Exorcist” or “Jesus Christ Superstar,” both nominated for Oscars 50 years ago. Martin Scorsese, whose “Killers of the Flower Moon” is up for 10 at the 2024 Academy…
With 13 Oscars nominations and seven wins – including best picture – “Oppenheimer” was the star of the 96th Academy Awards. Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster, which told the story of the making of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, added to its awards season haul that includes five Golden Globes and seven…
Box office receipts for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer had already approached the billion-dollar mark worldwide before the 2024 Oscars ceremony. To this financial success, along with film awards for Best Director, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, Oppenheimer garnered Nolan his first Academy Award for Best Picture. In larger Academy Award history, this…
On Sunday, nine years after #OscarsSoWhite, millions of us tuned into watch the 96th annual Academy Awards — some to simply take in the spectacle. And some to see how much had changed. The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite started after many people noticed that, for a second year in a row, all nominees for four of five…
In addition to its corporate applications, artificial intelligence is helping solve broader and more complex problems, especially in education. Industry leaders and policymakers should develop a shared approach to AI-powered learning and encourage more widespread training in the technology’s fundamentals. NEW YORK – Artificial intelligence has captured the imagination of corporate leaders eager to implement…
The ’70s-throwback found-footage horror comedy, Late Night with the Devil, joins a long list of recent Australian horror success stories. Framed as a tabloid-style retrospective, the film invites us to watch the newly discovered footage of an episode from a late-night talk show, Night Owls, broadcast live on Halloween 1977. On this night it all…
With the movies Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Drive-Away Dolls and Will & Harper all premiering before June this year, 2024 seems like a great year to rethink who gets to be behind the wheel in our favourite car movies. In the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road, fans were introduced to Imperator Furiosa, a…
Like Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black,” the new biopic about the late British singer, has been no stranger to controversy. In the case of the film, opinion has been fiercely split about director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s decision to have actress Marisa Abela sing – instead of lip-sync to – Winehouse’s recordings. Some viewers have lauded Abela’s…
Forty years after the release of The Karate Kid, many fans of the film still can’t hear the name “Daniel” without wanting to add a “san” to it. They may channel the iconic teacher Mr Miyagi, with his deep guttural intensity. And they may even repeat the film’s most famous saying, “wax on, wax off”,…
“Loneliness has followed me my whole life,” says Robert De Niro’s character, Travis Bickle, in Taxi Driver. “Everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There’s no escape. I’m God’s lonely man.” This same quote could be used to describe De Niro’s acting oeuvre. He seems drawn to characters who experience, either through choice or…
In May 2024, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sparked a firestorm by referencing the 2013 movie “Her” to highlight the novelty of the latest iteration of ChatGPT. Within days, actor Scarlett Johansson, who played the voice of Samantha, the AI girlfriend of the protagonist in the movie “Her,” accused the company of improperly using her voice…
Legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick spent a lifetime trying to make his final film, Eyes Wide Shut, a reality. He had been struggling to make it from the moment he began making feature films, some 75 years ago. When he finally did, 25 years ago in 1999, it killed him. The plot centres on a physician…
Movies can be effective media for spreading health information. Indian cinema, encompassing various regional film industries, holds sway over public perceptions and societal norms. Movie reviewers and caregiving advocates also note the influence of films on the perception of dementia. Health researchers have also explored dementia in Indian cinema, and highlighted how these films can…
In its recent opening weekend, Twisters marked the biggest start ever for a natural disaster movie with US$80.5 million in North American box office revenue. The popularity of the film indicates disaster movies remain an important popular culture phenomenon. As an associate professor of disaster and emergency management, I recently was a panellist at a…
Horror films draw us into a world where our deepest anxieties are laid bare. They illuminate the darker recesses of the human psyche – ones that we often prefer to ignore. And some of the most unsettling things we can imagine, it seems, are not zombies or aliens or demons, but ones that are closer…
The 1960s still has a lot to teach us about campus protests and the proper institutional role of universities. A good rule is that colleges and universities should hold their institutional fire for cases and causes that have a direct, significant impact on their core functions of teaching, research, and independent inquiry. CAMBRIDGE – Although…
Data, the lifeblood of modern democracies, can also be their undoing when exploited by bad actors to spread misinformation. At a time when democracy itself is on the ballot in many countries, governments must ensure that truth prevails by investing in the creation of robust data infrastructure. LONDON – This historic election year, during which…
The 1960s still has a lot to teach us about campus protests and the proper institutional role of universities. A good rule is that colleges and universities should hold their institutional fire for cases and causes that have a direct, significant impact on their core functions of teaching, research, and independent inquiry. CAMBRIDGE – Although…
Data, the lifeblood of modern democracies, can also be their undoing when exploited by bad actors to spread misinformation. At a time when democracy itself is on the ballot in many countries, governments must ensure that truth prevails by investing in the creation of robust data infrastructure. LONDON – This historic election year, during which…
Data, the lifeblood of modern democracies, can also be their undoing when exploited by bad actors to spread misinformation. At a time when democracy itself is on the ballot in many countries, governments must ensure that truth prevails by investing in the creation of robust data infrastructure. LONDON – This historic election year, during which…