Reel Review

This crowd pleasing film centers on the overlooked stories of women of color whose mathematical work contributed to NASA's first successful launch of a human being into orbit during the space race of the 1960s. We discuss how the film both illustrated the racial divide in America while showcasing the work & struggle of African American women. Though we all have some criticism of the work, in the end it may be the telling of a story we never knew and it's representation of strong, smart black women that matters most.

Hidden Figures is directed byTheodore Melfi and stars the dream team of Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe among many others - including Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Mahershala Ali.

Warning: *spoilers!*

Featuring Alessandro Ago, Lt. Colonel Olivia Nelson, Anita Dashiell-Sparks, and Erroll Southers

Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation.

The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good. 

Sponsored by:

USC Price Video Services
http://www.usc.edu/pvs

USC Bedrosian Center
http://bedrosian.usc.edu 

Content Partners:

USC School of Dramatic Arts
https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/ 

USC School of Cinematic-Arts
https://cinema.usc.edu 

Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
http://priceschool.usc.edu 

This film has sparked controversy on its casting choices, with many critics claiming another instance of Hollywood whitewashing due to film’s Japanese manga. We discuss the nature of remakes, the whitewashing controversy, whether the film adds to the Ghost world, and Scarlett Johansson.

The futuristic sci-fi film Ghost in the Shell is directed by Rupert Sanders and based on the acclaimed Japanese Manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. It takes place in a futuristic alternate reality and follows a cyber-enhanced super soldier as she searches for a hacker as part of an anti-terrorism squad. The film stars Scarlett Johansson as Major, the first of her kind, human brain (ghost) encapsulated in an entirely cybernetic / synthetic body (shell).

In a world where terrorism has reached new levels, the film offers an interesting view of a potential evolutionary path for humans – where the lines between technology and biology are blurred almost beyond recognition, with the very question of what makes someone human at stake.

Is Ghost in the Shell the perfect conversation starter for the cultural moment?

Warning: *spoilers!*

Featuring Alessandro Ago, Meiling Cheng, Jonathan Schwartz, Aubrey Hicks, and Erroll Southers

Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation.

The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good. 

Sponsored by:

USC Price Video Services
http://www.usc.edu/pvs

USC Bedrosian Center
http://bedrosian.usc.edu 

Content Partners:

USC School of Dramatic Arts
https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/ 

USC School of Cinematic-Arts
https://cinema.usc.edu 

Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Our second episode of the Price Projection Room features a discussion of the poignant horror film Get Out, written and directed by Jordan Peele (MADTV, Key and Peele, and Keanu).

Get Out follows a young African-American photographer on a visit to his white girlfriend's parents' home. The tag line sums up the deep horror of the film, "Just because you're invited, doesn't mean you're welcome."

In modifying the horror genre to service social commentary on race, but still staying within the conventions of the horror genre, the film is simultaneously funny, relevant, and scary. The film has sparked conversations (and even a viral challenge) throughout the country.

Warning: *spoilers!*

Featuring Alessandro Ago, Carla Della Gatta, Aubrey Hicks, and Erroll Southers

Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation.

The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good. 

Sponsored by:

USC Price Video Services
http://www.usc.edu/pvs

USC Bedrosian Center
http://bedrosian.usc.edu 

Content Partners:

USC School of Dramatic Arts
https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/ 

USC School of Cinematic-Arts
https://cinema.usc.edu 

Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
http://priceschool.usc.edu 

Our inaugural episode of the Price Projection Room podcast features a lively discussion of the film adaptation of August Wilson's Fences, directed by Denzel Washington.

Fences is part of Wilson's series of ten plays, all set in Pittsburgh depicting different decades of African American life in the city, The Pittsburgh Cycle. Fences is set in the 1950’s, and its universal themes of generational, working class, and familial struggle make its setting in time seem unimportant. The film is directed by and stars Denzel Washington, along with Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson and Saniyya Sidney. Washington plays Troy Maxson, a former baseball player whose career in sports was cut short with a stint in prison for murder. Years later, bitter for a career lost, he stands to oppose his youngest son's desire to play football. While Tory struggles to find himself amidst the duties of family and work, the audience begins to see that each character faces the same grapples with the same interior dilemmas. This family drama focuses on themes of race, racism, duty, class, black life in America, and masculinity. For a summary of the film and its themes, check out the review on the Roger Ebert site.

Warning: *spoilers!*

Featuring Gregg T. Daniel, Ange-Marie Hancock, Jonathan Schwartz, and Erroll Southers

Special thanks to Dean Jack Knott, USC Price; Dean David Bridel, USC School of Dramatic Arts; and Dean Elizabeth Daley, USC Cinematic Arts for their support of this interdisciplinary conversation.

The Price Projection Room (PPR) features engaging conversations about film and television with interesting folks and USC experts from across disciplines (public policy, governance, theatre, and cinema) to look at visual storytelling, media literacy, diversity, and the public good. 

Sponsored by:

USC Price Video Services
http://www.usc.edu/pvs

USC Bedrosian Center
http://bedrosian.usc.edu 

Content Partners:

USC School of Dramatic Arts
https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/ 

USC School of Cinematic-Arts
https://cinema.usc.edu 

Recorded at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
http://priceschool.usc.edu