Celebrity fanbases such as BTS’s “ARMY,” Beyoncé’s “Beyhive,” and Taylor Swift’s “Swifties” all have one thing in common—they are incredibly loyal. From buying front-row concert tickets to investigating every detail of social media posts, these fans follow their idol’s every move. Such devout admirers make for perfect marketing targets for[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric
Halloween movies: When holiday culture meets the horror film genre
Randy Meeks from the cult classic Scream once said, “There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie.” In Meek’s words: “You can never have sex, you can never drink or do drugs, and never (ever, under any circumstances) say ‘I’ll be[Read More…]
Film trailers with spoilers rob us of the joy of surprise
In an era of empty movie theatres and increasingly popular streaming services, movie marketers are desperate to entice viewers back to cinemas. According to the Motion Pictures Association’s annual theme report, the United States and Canada’s box office market decreased by 81 per cent between 2019 and 2020. At the[Read More…]
‘He’s All That’ is a hollow ode to ’90s teen nostalgia
As if by mass psychosis, filmmakers have been scrambling to rehash ‘90s movies in all their zany glory. Case in point: He’s All That, a gender-swapped revamp of 1999’s She’s All That. On the surface, the remake has all the trappings of a potential Netflix hit: Lucrative source material that[Read More…]
Canon or continuation? The delicate art of remaking a classic
A remake of Rebecca appeared on Netflix in October 2020, The Magic School Bus is going live-action, and HBO Max is making a new Gossip Girl television series. Seeing our childhood remade and repackaged can be unsettling. Remakes of familiar fictions can indulge our nostalgic memories, but half-baked carbon-copies of[Read More…]
In speculative fiction, sex is no longer a fantasy
New and exciting fantasy novels are constantly making names for themselves in the present day: From Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, the fantasy genre has continued to redefine and reinvent itself. While fantasy is not new—arguably over a century old, dating[Read More…]
Why we are obsessed with obsession
Hannibal Lecter has been a fixture in contemporary horror since his introduction in Thomas Harris’ seminal 1981 novel Red Dragon. Even though Harris, at the time, may not have understood why readers wanted more of his character, media featuring or referencing the character has been around for 40 years. CBS’s[Read More…]
Accessing local arts scenes—TikTok style
Most Montrealers are familiar with the vibrant, animated entertainment cornucopia that is its arts scene. With safety restrictions suspending live performances, artists have had to adjust to the hindrance of lockdown life. Creatives, however, are by no means taking a break from showcasing their art; from comedy to dance to[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: How TikTok democratized Broadway during a global pandemic
The first musical of its kind, Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical served up a delicious community-baked Broadway treat this January. Based on the Disney-Pixar 2007 film Ratatouille, the project began last year on Aug. 10 when TikTok user Emily Jacobsen posted a TikTok of her squeaking out a high-pitched ode to[Read More…]
The ‘Steel Magnolia’ Ms. Dolly Parton
As she celebrates her 75th birthday, Dolly Rebecca Parton, of Pittman Center, Tennessee, remains one of the finest country music stars. To some, Parton is simply that: A star. But to others, her body of work is above simple concepts of “stardom.” In 1989, well after the successes of albums[Read More…]
