The History on Film Podcast

Ross is joined by Dr. Tiffany Knoell to discuss analyzing and teaching time travel on film! They discuss how perceptions of the past and future reflect the present, how and why the "rules" of time travel matter, and much more! This episode was previously recorded tomorrow.FURTHER READING:Ni Fhlainn, Sorcha. ‘There’s Something Very Familiar About All This’: Time Machines, Cultural Tangents, and Mastering Time in H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine and the Back to the Future trilogy.Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.Adorno, Theodor and Max Horkheimer. The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception.FURTHER WATCHING:"Army of Darkness""Futurama""Star Trek: First Contact""Time and Again"CHECK OUT:"Silent Film Fridays" on Stream.place!

Ross squares off against the tag team of Drs. Christopher Olson and Carrie-Lynn Reinhard as they talk professional wrestling studies! They talk about wrestling as performance art, the influence it has had on cultural production and the broader entertainment industry, the boundaries of kayfabe, and much more! Ross proposes a new use case for generative AI.FURTHER READING:Johnson, Daniel Warren. Do a Powerbomb.FURTHER WATCHING:The Wrestler (2008)

Ross speaks with Dr. Landon Palmer about teaching 70s Hollywood Cinema! They discuss the major trends and changes to the film industry in this period, presenting these films to younger audiences, how culture perpetuates through generations, and much more!FURTHER READING:Alsop, Elizabeth. Elaine May.Henderson, Odie. Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema.Nystrom, Derek. Hard Hats, Rednecks, and Macho Men: Class in 1970s American CinemaTarantino, Quentin. Cinema Speculation.FURTHER WATCHING:"Is That Black Enough For You?!""Shampoo""The Wiz""What's Up, Doc?"

Ross is joined by Dr. Sage Gray, and Tim Fielder, the co-creators of The Graphic History of Hip Hop! They discuss the process behind producing graphic histories, the cultural and political evolution of hip hop, as well as approaches to teaching the multifaceted history of music to younger generations. All the mutual aid organizations mentioned in the episode can be found below.FURTHER READING:"Dearly Beloved"The Graphic History of Hip Hop.FURTHER WATCHING:Style Wars (1982)House Party (1990)Sankofa (1993)Tupac: Resurrection (2003)FURTHER LISTENING:Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998)The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1999)AID GROUPS:Halle Q Brown Community CenterRise and RememberReconnect RondoPilgrim Baptist ChurchPrepare and ProsperPay Attention!

Ross is joined by webcomic artist David Rapoccio to discuss NFL fandom, trends in sports culture, and the Super Bowl! It's got a little bit of everything- fandom studies, predictions and analysis, why the commercials aren't good anymore, Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and a game! And if you aren't a football fan, we tell you what to talk about so you can join in on the fun.FURTHER READING:Nanni, Ryan. The New Cats Turn 20.TheDrawPlay.com!FURTHER WATCHING:The Super Bowl!"Lisa the Greek""Bart Starr""Sunday, Cruddy Sunday"

Ross is joined by professor of American Studies Dr. Benjamin Railton, author of and co-creator of Black and White and Read All Over. Together, they do a deep-dive on a relatively-obscure episode of The X-Files, "Unrequited", which looks at the contested legacy, cultural impact, and unresolved trauma of the Vietnam War and the POW/MIA movement. You don't have to be an X-Files fan to listen to this episode, but it does help if you remember what Ross Perot's 1992 campaign song was.FURTHER READING:Perlstein, Rick. The Enduring Cult of the Vietnam "Missing in Action".Lembcke, Jerry. The Spitting Image:Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam.FURTHER WATCHING:Uncommon Valor (1983)Missing in Action (1984)Rambo: First Blood, Part II (1985)Platoon (1986)Full Metal Jacket (1987)Born on the Fourth of July (1989)Casualties of War (1989)AND CHECK OUT:Black and White and Read All Over!

Ross is joined by Robert Spinelli and Dr. Bethan Jones to discuss the history of conspiracy theories in popular culture. They look at how conspiratorial thinking reflects social and political anxieties, the ways in which conspiracy theorists are depicted in media, and the difficulty in approaching these topics academically. FURTHER READING:Spinelli, Robert (Ed.). The Lizard People Don't Want You to Read ThisJones, Bethan. Participatory Culture Wars: Controversy, Conflict, and Complicity in FandomFURTHER WATCHING:Community S2E9, "Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design"JFKThe Truman ShowThe X-Files

Ross kicks off the new mini-series "Class Notes" by speaking with Dr. Josie Torres Barth about her courses on Film and Media History! They discuss the major trends and focal points of the subject, the challenges of teaching media studies in our modern cultural ecosystem, and much more.FURTHER READING: Hilmes, Michele. Radio Voices: American Broadcasting, 1922-1952.Spigel, Lynn. Make Room for TV: Television and the Family Ideal in Postwar America.Schatz, Thomas. The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era.Monaco, James. How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond.FURTHER WATCHING:"The Story of Film: An Odyssey""Babyface""The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari""Cleo From 5 to 7"

As we bid a fond farewell to a close friend and colleague, please enjoy this collection of fun moments from the HoFCast Archives.SEGMENTS:Biopic Mailbag Question: 3:50Cartoon Music Trivia: 13:35Christmas Movie Trivia: 38:00Stranger Things Prediction: 51:16