Past Life, Past Death: Fixation in Dead Again

For many people, the scariest thing is not the supernatural monster waiting in the dark, but the darkness waiting in human nature. That someone we think we know could turn out to be evil is the most frightening possibility. Intensity of emotion makes us human, but when taken to extremes, this leads to danger. An...

A Star Wars Fairy Tale: Dyads in the Force

The trope of a pure and innocent heroine pursued by a man drowning in darkness has lasted for generations and shows up in many stories, from The Phantom of the Opera to Beauty and the Beast, to Professor Snape and Lily James in the Harry Potter franchise. It also appears in the classic stories of...

“A Noir Rhapsody in Blue: The Blue Dahlia”

You know what I want to say in this article? This: Alan Ladd is breathtakingly beautiful in this movie, and you should watch it just to spend 96 minutes basking in his glory. There. That’s all you need to know.  Unfortunately, that’s not a very long article, so I guess I’m going to have to...

Tangled: Obsessive “Love”

I love you. I love you more. I love you most. The above lines sound sweet, if a little sappy. They sound like something a mother might say to her child, and indeed, they’re what Mother Gothel and Rapunzel say to each other in Disney’s Tangled. But there’s nothing sweet about this relationship. After a...

Across the Stars: The Ill-Fated Romance of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala

Obsessive. Obsession. Obsessed. These are not words that you want to describe your feelings toward or your relationship with a significant other, are they? And yet, they sum up the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala quite well. While most fans decry Anakin and Padmé’s relationship as being toxic, cringily written, and so on,...

The Film Noir Features of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

It’s the story of a man, a woman, and a rabbit in a triangle of trouble. A detective with a hard look and a difficult fate, an innocent victim, a femme fatale, an unexpected villain—we all know the main characters of this classic film noir. A tale of twisted intrigue, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, released...

A Japanese Lesson in Romantic Obsession

The word obsession translates to shuuchaku しゅうちゃく in Japanese and is a staple theme in most Japanese entertainment. In fact, many relationships in Japanese films start because of a persistent obsession from one of the lead characters. This is a good thing, otherwise the Japanese characters might never marry. I find it funny that obsession...

Halloween 2020: Obsession and Film Noir

Obsession. It can lead you down a dark path or toward the light. It’s easy to form one—for a person, a place, a task… but these fanatical thoughts can either turn dangerous or transform you into a better person. In this issue, we focus on memorable “obsessive” dynamics on film, as well as explore some...

“Falling Snow” by Skye Hoffert

What if Snow White wasn't a princess? What if she had no royal heritage, no famous or important parents, no special lineage, nothing remarkable about her at all... except WHO she IS? She, herself, deep inside. The person she is, with her own talents and shortcomings, hopes and dreams, fears and failings. What if she...

Skin Deep: Beauty and the Beast

For centuries, the stories we know as fairy tales have been both entertainment for children and part of their maturation into adolescence. The plots and character types of these narratives are universal and timeless. However, the patriarchal nature of human society lends these tales some underlying themes only illuminated through a modern lens. The adaptation...