humanity
Humanity or geek-manity? Humanity topics include pieces on the real-life lives of geek advocates and influencors.
The Healing Angels
Released in December 2016, this program follows the life story of a woman named Prairie Johnson as she recounts her perceptions of the events therein. Prairie Johnson is portrayed by series creator Brit Marling. The series deals with issues of the supernatural and the idea of angels in a unique and often perplexing manner.
By Frederick Park9 years ago in Geeks
Totoro: Divine! Divine! Open Up a Path!
Shortly before my son returned home from his three years work term in Japan, he sent back a few boxes with clothes and books he accumulated over that period. He used Japan’s postal service for that and, trying to save a few bucks, he paid the surface rate, you know, the one where they stuff every other box coming this way in a container and it reaches our shores somewhere in the West Coast. A few strange things happened to their content between Osaka and the boxes being routed our way by the U.S.P.S. … Think of that part of the plot of the movie The Fly where Seth decides to test his teleportation machine himself and a housefly hitchhikes the ride with him and their DNA becomes fused.
By Luis Andrade9 years ago in Geeks
The Timeless Lessons of Captain EO
Some of you immediately remember your first experience seeing the science fiction classic Captain EO. You were either at a Disney park between 1986 and 1997 seeing the original short film, or you were there between 2010 and 2014 when the film was brought back to Disneyland and Disney World as the Captain EO Tribute. You may recollect being completely spellbound by the “4D” production, classified as such for its 3D effects and moving seats, smoke, and lights there in the room with you. Alternately, you may have unpleasant memories of being shaken up and down in your chair to the beat of some music you didn’t enjoy and the sight of some crazy, campy, 80s extended Michael Jackson music video that made zero sense. For me, Captain EO is a magical journey into space with a timeless message that deserves another watch, even if you’re just clicking a YouTube link and not there in the theatre (a place you can no longer go to see it, since it was replaced with less exalted 4D programming like Honey, I Shrunk the Audience).
By Sarah Quinn9 years ago in Geeks
The 'Doctor Strange' Controversy: Is Marvel Whitewashing?
With Marvel’s Doctor Strange on the verge of hitting theaters everywhere, the conversation regarding it is only getting louder ---- and, with that, the controversy. Said controversy kicked off the moment the film’s casting was announced, which is when it was revealed that the role of the Ancient One (an elderly Tibetan man in the comics) would be filled by . . . the white British actress Tilda Swinton. Cries of whitewashing were immediately out in full force, especially given the recent protests over Scarlett Johansson’s casting in the upcoming Ghost in the Shell remake. Here in Doctor Strange we have yet another Asian character being played by a white person. Pretty blatant, right?
By Anne St. Marie9 years ago in Geeks
Top Super Villains Turned Superheroes
Everyone knows that for every superhero there is a super villain. But what of the super villains turned superheroes? The super villain turned superhero is one of the most exciting devices used in comics. It can add to the depth of the character, and it can allow for dark things of the past to return to bite them. No one is pure hero or pure villain. So the super villain turned superhero is where we all truly see ourselves.
By Stephen Hamilton9 years ago in Geeks
Madaya Mom: How Marvel's Latest Comic Profiles A Real-Life Superhero
As starvation and death plunge the Syrian mountain town of Madaya into despair, a mother fights to keep her family alive. Since the town is under siege by the Assad regime, access to fuel, food, and electricity is extremely limited. Except for the occasional humanitarian aid truck, no one can enter; no one can leave. Even journalists have been unable to enter since the siege began; Assad’s regime is operating a complete media blackout. But that doesn’t mean that the story of Madaya can’t be told. During two weeks in January, ABC News communicated via text messages and phone calls to get first-hand descriptions of what conditions in Madaya are like from a woman nicknamed “Madaya Mom” and her family, and now ABC News journalists Xana O’Neil and Rym Montaz and Marvel Comics illustrator Dalibor Talajic have teamed up to tell the story of a family (who remains nameless for their own protection) struggling for survival in an online graphic documentary available to read here.
By Sarah Quinn9 years ago in Geeks
Hollywood and the Red Scare: A Brief History
Films can inform, and they can also entertain. During the 1950s, however, there was a growing fear in many that communist ideals were being worked into films. Through the work of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House of Un-American Activities Committee, accusations spread throughout the film community. Many films that did not support those ideals were falsely accused of spreading bad vibes and teaching their viewers to embrace communism.
By Marina Caitlin Watts9 years ago in Geeks
Defining the Western. Top Story - October 2016.
After much movie-watching, researching about film, and a thought-provoking conversation or two, I ask myself: is "The Western" a genre of a film, or just the setting of one? How do you define it? If John Wayne isn't the star, is it even a Western? Do people still even make western films?
By Marina Caitlin Watts9 years ago in Geeks
The 10 Most Tortured Comic Book Characters
When Tony Soprano sat down on his psychiatrist’s couch, it was a television and pop cultural milestone. Here was a big time gangster—the epitome of toughness and criminally cultured masculinity—airing out his dirty laundry, childhood fears, and insecurities to a shrink. Talk about shifting societal norms. HBO’s The Sopranos changed the landscape for Hollywood tough guys. Jimmy Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, or Al Pacino getting psych advice in front of millions? James Gandolfini pioneered Tony Soprano into a figure which allowed many to think: “Going to a therapist is no shame.”
By Will Stape9 years ago in Geeks
What Rey Means to Me (And Geek Girls Everywhere)
Several years ago, Ellen Page made an incredibly relatable observation that could have come straight from the pages of my own childhood in the early 90s. “As a girl,” she said, “you're supposed to love Sleeping Beauty. I mean, who wants to love Sleeping Beauty when you can be Aladdin?”
By Sarah Quinn9 years ago in Geeks
