Author Archives: Gods in the Cogs

This was created as part of my Honors Thesis Presentation at Umass Boston.

This is my submission as a final paper to my Honors Junior Colloquium. In this media analysis through the eyes of philosophy (and Marxist ideology), I reflect on concepts and themes of Transhumanism, as shown in the first two seasons of the popular HBO show, Westworld. If you don’t like spoilers, and you have notContinue reading “Westworld as a Morality Tale on Social Power Imbalance (media analysis from a philosophical standpoint)”

This paper was originally submitted for my Communications class on New Media Society.      In our current world, digital media – especially social media – has become ubiquitous. This allows us to remain virtually connected to others around the clock and has become more and more integrated in our lives each year.  These digital and socialContinue reading “The Social and Psychological Challenges of Pervasive Social Media Use, with a Focus on Teens”

Recently, I posted my thoughts on the movie “The Platform”, a movie which I watched as my thoughts turned to the rich experience of food at Thanksgiving. The movie is visually beautiful, managing to be both Brutalist in its sets, while a meticulously set table of a sumptuous feast is shown descending, to be ravagedContinue reading “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover”

Words have power. They can infect the world with notions, ideas, concepts. It brings with it understanding. And zombies. Words and language are the key to our entire human evolution. To communicate, share, command, control, question, create – all are enabled by speech. This world of words has long since expanded into the world aroundContinue reading “KILL is KISS – Pontypool (A Review and Synopsis)”

Movies have filled more of my days than usual, even for a movie lover, during this time of COVID. Netflix and other streaming services have provided material to fill the void that would normally be time spent with friends and family, perhaps even going to movies in theaters together (remember that, those “before times”?).  IContinue reading “The Platform – Just in Time for Thanksgiving”

Cat People is an extraordinary classic. It was a slow-burn hit in 1942, and became a beloved cult movie, and one often discussed in Cinema Studies. There is a rich tapestry of visuals and messages contained within it, and every moment of its 73 minute runtime has been devoured and digested, from dialog, to lightingContinue reading ““I like the dark, it’s friendly” – a Look at the Classic, Cat People (1942)”

30 years after the debut of Paris is Burning, we have become more culturally aware of the niche of gay culture that the movie portrays – the Ballroom scene – and yet a more widespread acknowledgement for the movie itself is culturally overdue. We have binged on Pose, and perhaps on RuPaul’s Drag Race; queerContinue reading “Paris is Burning – an Important Slice of Queer History”