heroism – Cows in the Field

WARFARE (2025)

Alex Garland’s second film in two years traces the true story of co-director Ray Mendoza’s experiences in Iraq. We discuss the film with Jim Penola (An Invitation Productions), considering what drove Garland to the project, heroic sacrifice, decontextualizing violence, and the film’s commitment to realism. Peeking With Serious Intent To Probe Elliott

THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)

We are joined by Jamelle Bouie (NYTimes / Unclear and Present Danger Podcast) to discuss the conclusion to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and bring our miniseries to a close. We pick up the discussion about heroism with Frodo’s empathy towards Gollum, Sam’s faithfulness to Frodo, and Aragorn’s radical faith in the hobbits. Then,Continue reading “THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)”

THE TWO TOWERS (2002)

We sit down with Agnes Callard (Philosophy, Chicago) and Robin Hanson (Economics, GMU) to discuss the second installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers! We talk about the film as a transitional piece that deals with the transformations of its main characters, the addictive and corruptive capacity of power, and wonderContinue reading “THE TWO TOWERS (2002)”

SULLY (2016)

Join us to talk about the Miracle on the Hudson with friend Chris Kaiser (Columbia University / the podcast Said and Done)! We delve into Eastwood’s hatred of bureaucracy and tease apart his complex feelings towards individualism and collective heroism. Is the film dripping with gay subtext? We explore the semiotics of a mustache and wonderContinue reading “SULLY (2016)”

SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)

Come swing through the streets of Manhattan with us and Sam Adams (Slate) as we discuss Sam Raimi’s melancholic and reflective Spider-Man 2! We talk about the film’s major themes of grief and the burden of heroism, as well as Sam Raimi’s view of humanity as fundamentally decent. We consider the film in light ofContinue reading “SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)”

GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE (1997)

Have you ever seen two cows swing through the trees? We talk about Brendan Fraser’s ultimate committed performance as George of the Jungle in this most silly and juvenile and heartfelt movie. We wonder about heroic fools, praise the film’s strategy of giving the central arc to Ursula, and comment on the film’s questionable presuppositionsContinue reading “GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE (1997)”