Cultural Studies Film and Discussion Series
The automobile has played a significant role in modern culture for at least the last half-century. Now that various global conditions (climate change, the price of oil, politics) threaten to change that scenario, this film series takes a timely look back at the role that cars have played in our collective culture, as depicted in film.
Remaining Fall dates:
Thursday, October 23rd, 7 PM, Media Center, room 104
?Europe Looks at Car Culture,? introduced by Prof. Peter Lev, EMF. The program includes Rendezvous, directed by Claude Lelouch, an adventurous tour of Paris, and ?On My Vespa? (part of the feature film Caro Diario), directed by Nanni Moretti, a leisurely, philosophical ride through Rome. Plus, a very strange Audi commercial from France, directed by Tarsem Singh. The common theme is vehicles as (tremendously varied) expressions of culture.
Thursday, Nov. 6, 7pm, LI 100 Speed Racer, introduced by Ryan King-White, Kinesiology. In 2008 Speed Racer opened to a tepid critical and commercial response. While stylistically and visually stimulating, the film seemingly failed to engage movie-going audiences in the way typical summer blockbusters do. These days, the Hollywood formula for success typically includes seemingly harmless renditions of American nationalism, commercial conquest, or explosive militarism.
In this forum we will view the film Speed Racer, and discuss how the films demise at the box office may have less to do with its formulaic failings or missing overtones and more to do with its almost uncomfortable mixtures of motor sports innocence and a pervasive, if underlying, critique of (multi)media sporting representations, American consumer culture, and the rise of corporate imperialism.
For More Information Contact Prof. Bill Tsitsos, Sociology {wtsitsos@towson.edu}
