Classic(s) Cinema

In 1899 (CE), the streets of New York echoed with the voices of newsies, peddlin' the papers of Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, and other giants of the newspaper world.

And in 494 BCE, the streets of Rome echoed with the cries of the Plebeians. Coincidence?

Join me and my VERY SPECIAL GUEST EMILY GILMORE as we break down Newsies! That'll be nice.

(Apologies for the sound quality - I'll figure out second mic sooner or later!)

"So, Odysseus, what have you been doing with yourself the last ten years?"

"uh....professional killer."

"Oh! Good for you. It's a....growth industry."

Join us this week as we discuss nostos narratives, Springsteen cover bands, and we barely mention Christopher Nolan at all (mostly).

For more on nostos narratives...

Bonifazi, Anna. "Inquiring into Nostos and Its Cognates." American Journal of Philology 130, no. 4 (2009): 481–510.

Kelly, Adrian. "Nostos in Three Moves or Five Stages: A Story Pattern in Early Greek Epos." Yearbook of Ancient Greek Epic 9 (2025): 1–42. https://doi.org/10.1163/24688487-00901003.

"Can you tell me the Classics Moment in Clue?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes."

"So can I."

I suppose you'll just have to listen!

For more on Clue and the Nature of Roman Comedy...

Duckworth, George E. The Nature of Roman Comedy: A Study in Popular Entertainment. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1952.

Hatch, John. "What Do You Mean, Murder?": Clue and the Making of a Cult Classic. Columbus, OH: Fayetteville Mafia Press, 2024.

Vary, Adam B. "The Crazy Story of How Clue Went from Forgotten Flop to Cult Triumph." BuzzFeed News, December 10, 2015. https://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/something-terrible-has-happened-here-the-crazy-story-of-how.

In this episode, we tackle the tough questions: Did the Romans prefer the classic Romero-style lumbering zombie, or did they leave room for the runners of 28 Days Later? Also — what's your favorite statue?

For further exploration on Laocoön:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoco%C3%B6n#/media/File:Laoco%C3%B6n_and_his_sons_group.jpg

https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/laocoon-bandinelli

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/laocoon-vatican-michelangelo-forgery-2620416

Welcome to Classic(s) Cinema! In our pilot episode, you'll get a quick introduction to classical reception, and I'll explain how I'll approach Classical Reception in Cult Classics. We will also examine a quick scene from Cameron Crowe's 2000 classic "Almost Famous" to give you a taste of what's to come. It's all happening!