All That Glitters

Coloring Place and Identity in CSI

by Janine Hiddlestoneon CSI

The news that Jerry Bruckheimer, executive producer of two decades of big-screen, enormous-budget guilty pleasures, was producing a television series was greeted with mixed feelings. Any given Bruckheimer film is often spoken of in a tone of derisive superiority by critics and film-going intelligentsia alike, though mysteriously, possibly through some sort of celluloid osmosis, most members of both groups have still seen the film in question. He is a filmmaker who, along with his former partner, the late don Simpson, has had substantially more hits than misses, a stable full of award-winning actors and directors, and has become a brand name that is a license to print money. But he also possesses a unique style, usually making his stamp on a film unmistakable. Whether it is the tense drama of Black Hawk Down or the campy adventure of Armageddon, there is always one constant and it is not the stuff … read more»

Recent Free Essays (Still Available!)

Available Until
Wed 8/12

My Dragon, Myself

by Kelly McClymeron the Inheritance series (Eragon)

Confession time: I love dragons, and have since the first time I heard of the mythical creatures who liked to kidnap princesses and test the princes who would rescue them. Only the best, bravest, smartest–smartest was always the key–could beat the evil, ravening, blazing beasts and free the princess. This … read more»

Available Until
Tue 8/11

Daddy's Girl

by Joyce Millmanon Veronica Mars

Like great tv series from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Lost, Veronica Mars is a kaleidoscope for the imagination. It can be viewed as a coming-of-age drama, a private-eye spoof, a Southern california soap, or a mystery yarn. But when I lift the scope to my eye, what I see … read more»

Available Until
Mon 8/10

Unseen Horrors & Shadowy Manipulations

by Kevin Andrew Murphyon Buffy the Vampire Slayer

On television, Buffy and her gang must contend with unseen horrors, unspeakable evils, and the dark and shadowy manipulations of secret organizations bent on reshaping the world in their own image. In reality, the writers, producers, and cast of the show contend with much the same.

The names are different, of … read more»

Available Until
Fri 8/7

What It Means to Mourn

by Martin Shusteron Dollhouse

In “Omega,” the twelfth episode of the first season of Dollhouse,
Alpha explained to Caroline: “that’s just a body–they’re all
pretty much the same.” Through the course of Dollhouse’s two
seasons, it was difficult to determine whether Alpha was right
or wrong. … read more»