September 18, 2013

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Is ‘Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox’ the Darkest Superhero Film Ever?

Is ‘Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox’ the Darkest Superhero Film Ever?

Can creators in essence separate the “super” from the “hero” and still be said to be working with the same character?

Exclusive: Papercutz to Publish Rio Graphic Novels

Silvani SDCC 1

The children’s graphic novel Papercutz, already home to the Smurfs, Annoying Orange, and Lego Ninjago graphic novels, is adding another licensed property to its lineup: A series of graphic novels based on the movie Rio, which will fill in the story between the original movie, which came out in 2011, and the sequel, Rio 2, [...]

Confessions of a Cosplaying Librarian

“The key idea is actually a media literacy one related to representation: no one in real life actually looks like an anime or manga character.”

Now in Theaters: An Absolutely Must-See Doc About Digital Literacy

Now in Theaters: An Absolutely Must-See Doc About Digital Literacy

Filmmaker Cullen Hoback’s work represents a treasure trove of ideas for those who want to connect domestic spying and the death of privacy to civics, media studies, ICT, and political theory—not to mention information literacy and digital literacy specifically.

Big Brawlers and Little Children: The Not-New Appeal of ‘Pacific Rim’

Big Brawlers and Little Children: The Not-New Appeal of ‘Pacific Rim’

The reason such overt silliness is nonetheless so effective is that we all connect with the fantasy of controlling a creature much, much larger than we could ever hope to be.

Oh, All That Annoying Movie Marketing: A Chat with Critic Eric D. Snider

“Young people are pretty savvy about marketing…They don’t consider something ‘bad’ or ‘annoying’ just because it’s marketing, the way many of us in the previous generation did.”

The Pop Culture Propaganda of Ender’s Game, Pacific Rim, and G.I. Joe

The Pop Culture Propaganda of Ender’s Game, Pacific Rim, and G.I. Joe

These posters’ apparently value-free aspect is perhaps what’s most worth exploring with young people…

Moriarty, Hannibal, and Despicable Me: How We End Up Rooting for the Bad Guy

It’s okay to find the villain appealing in certain respects—in fact, much of pop culture depends on our doing just that.

‘World War Z’ At the Movies: Some Critical Thinking Questions

‘World War Z’ At the Movies: Some Critical Thinking Questions

Media literacy discussion points covering novel-to-film adaptations, marketing, genre, screen violence, and more.

Why Are Zombies So Good for Libraries?

Why Are Zombies So Good for Libraries?

More than just a craze, the interest in zombies points the way towards a new kind of literacy engagement.

Joss Whedon, Modern Dress Shakespeare, and the Problem of Class in Classrooms

Both curriculum and pop culture, perhaps not coincidentally, have no problem dealing with class systems when they’re at a remove.

‘Tiger Eyes’ and Transliteracy: Confessions of Someone Who Hasn’t Read the Novel

‘Tiger Eyes’ and Transliteracy: Confessions of Someone Who Hasn’t Read the Novel

‘Tiger Eyes’ is not really an upbeat film—which is, oddly, what makes it so refreshing.

‘Super Pop!’ and Making (Extremely Fun) Connections Across Media

Quick, what do these have in common… the ‘dingy basements’ in ‘Fight Club’ (the film), the video game Flower, a couple of novels by Harumi Murakami and E.L. Konigsburg, the bathroom in HBO’s ‘Girls,’ Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’s ‘Empire State of Mind,’ and Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’?

This Weekend Forget ‘Gatsby,’ and See ‘The World Before Her’ Instead

…the most riveting film about gender I’ve seen in a looooong time.

Page to Screen: Summer Reading Blockbusters, Dystopian Teen Lit, and Childhood Classics

gatsby movie poster

As reviews for Baz Lurhmann’s whirlwind adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby come roaring in, take a look at the latest installment of SLJ’s Page to Screen, where you’ll find updates on already much-touted future movies, and news of recent options on film rights. This roundup of releases will have your students and patrons heading to the theater—and, hopefully, to bookshelves as well.

When Curriculum is Media: The Important Lessons of ‘The Revisionaries’

When Curriculum is Media: The Important Lessons of ‘The Revisionaries’

Students are provided with curriculum in much the same way that religious adherents are provided with scripture, as something whose source and authorship are not be discussed, much less questioned.

After Earth Day, Who “Speaks” for Nature?

Aren’t most of our public policy debates about the environment informed by factoids/partial data/dramatic images supplied by media coverage rather than the relevant research?

A Must-See Movie for Book Lovers Now on DVD

A Must-See Movie for Book Lovers Now on DVD

On top of everything else that they do, libraries with collections of thoughtfully published art books are also, essentially, museums.

Why ‘Marble Season’ is My Favorite Book of 2013 (So Far)

Why ‘Marble Season’ is My Favorite Book of 2013 (So Far)

As far as outside-of-school literacies are concerned, “Marble Season” is possibly a definitive treatise on the subject without even intending to be…

With ‘42’ in Theaters, Here’s a Free Movie Starring Jackie Robinson

With ‘42’ in Theaters, Here’s a Free Movie Starring Jackie Robinson

Alfred Green’s 1950 film, made at the height of Robinson’s career, is in the public domain…