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Academic Publishing and The Thrill of Repeated Rejection

Posted by Kelli on Nov 2, 2011 in featured, teaching and academia | 2 comments

For the past three years, I’ve submitted to various peer-reviewed, academic print journals my essay “Media Texts and Textual Memories: Reconstructing the Star Image of Humphrey Bogart through Lauren Bacall’s Autobiography.” And for the past three years it’s been rejected and, well, sort of accepted. I began by submitting my essay, which took me four months to research/write and a version of which I’d delivered successfully to an academic audience five months earlier, to one well-known and well-respected media...

My Running Buddy (Photo)

Posted by Kelli on Nov 2, 2011 in fall 2011, portfolio | 2 comments

The Movie Ratings System and Jack Valenti’s Delusions

Posted by Kelli on Nov 1, 2011 in classical Hollywood, film, quotes, this day in history | 0 comments

This entry is part 17 of 24 in the series Quote of the Day.On this day in 1968, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) put into effect its self-imposed ratings system. The initial categories were G (appropriate for all ages) M (for mature audiences, but all ages admitted) R (persons under 16 not admitted without an accompanying adult) X (no one under 17 admitted). Over time, however, the ratings would shift and grow. For example, M would become PG NC-17 would replace X (for fear that “X” would connote pornography) the...

On Adaptations, Remakes, Homages, and That New Footloose Movie

Posted by Kelli on Oct 30, 2011 in featured, film, musicals, Shakespeare | 0 comments

Last Friday afternoon, the husband and I met for lunch. Afterward, we bought two movie tickets, handed them over to the teen who mans the ticket pulpit, and then parted ways. The husband turned left toward Paranormal Activity 3, and I turned right, headed down the hall to suffer through watch Footloose (Craig Brewer, 2011). (Yes, we often go to separate movies; no, we don’t need counseling.) Having seen the trailer, I knew this new Footloose would resemble the old Footloose in terms of music, setting, and story; but surely, thought I,...

Orson Welles “Apologizes” for War of the Worlds (Quote of the Day)

Posted by Kelli on Oct 30, 2011 in classical Hollywood, news, quotes, this day in history | 0 comments

This entry is part 16 of 24 in the series Quote of the Day.“I’m extremely surprised to learn that a story, which has become familiar to children through the medium of comic strips and many succeeding novels and adventure stories, should have had such an immediate and profound effect upon radio listeners.” – Orson Welles Welles’s War of the Worlds Seventy-three years ago today on CBS radio, Orson Welles performed an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel War of the Worlds, which was so realistic in terms of acting,...

CFP: Shakespeare on Film, TV, Video (SW/TX PCA/ACA)

Posted by Kelli on Oct 28, 2011 in film, teaching and academia | 0 comments

CFP: SW/TX PCA/ACA Regional Conference Albuquerque, NM Feb. 8-11, 2012 Submission deadline: Dec. 15, 2011 Proposals are now being accepted for the Shakespeare on Film, Television, and Video Area. While any topic on Shakespeare and moving images is welcome, here are some to consider: Shakespeare and the genre film viral Shakespeare (viral videos) apocalyptic Shakespeares Shakespeare online Shakespeare and parody/homage Shakespearean auteurs foreign Shakespeare silent Shakespeare political Shakespeare transgressive Shakespeare Shakespeare and...

Good and Bad in The Maltese Falcon (Quote of the Day)

Posted by Kelli on Oct 18, 2011 in classical Hollywood, film, quotes | 0 comments

This entry is part 15 of 24 in the series Quote of the Day. Brigid O’Shaughnessy: I haven’t lived a good life. I’ve been bad, worse than you could know. Sam Spade: You know, that’s good, because if you actually were as innocent as you pretend to be, we’d never get anywhere. The Maltese Falcon, debuted today (Oct. 18) in...

Stevie Wonder “Sees” MLK Memorial

Posted by Kelli on Oct 16, 2011 in news, picture of the day | 0 comments

This entry is part 9 of 12 in the series Pic of the Day. An inspirational moment, singer Stevie Wonder is raised on a crane to “see” the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, dedicated this morning in Washington, D.C. According to NBC’s Brian Williams, Wonder is a “big backer of the project.” Indeed, the singer participated in the National Memorial “Dream Concert” (2007) and apparently helped to reschedule today’s dedication service (it was originally supposed to take place in August but was...

Sex and Screwball Comedy in The Good Wife

Posted by Kelli on Oct 15, 2011 in featured, television | 0 comments

Back in September, I was approached by the fine folks over at In Media Res to write a short piece on CBS’s The Good Wife. “No problem,” said I. “It’s one of my favorite shows and arguably the best drama on network television.” I presumed the four scholars with whom I’d be partnered would consider things like The Good Wife’s “quality” status (i.e., how does it compare with cable programs?), complex sexual politics, and/or primary characters (i.e., Alicia, Will, Peter, Kalinda). As a result, I opted for an aspect...

Thank You, Vince Gilligan, for Listening to Billy Wilder (Quote of the Day)

Posted by Kelli on Oct 14, 2011 in quotes, television | 0 comments

This entry is part 14 of 24 in the series Quote of the Day. There’s the old saying attributed to Billy Wilder, who said, “If you give the audience two plus two, and you let them add it up so it equals four, they’ll love you forever.” I think what he meant by that is it’s always best not to spoon-feed the audience. The audience is plenty smart on their own, and they’re perfectly capable of adding two plus two. That’s something we typically like to do on Breaking Bad, to hint at things and imply things. It’s not out of a desire...