Tag Archives: cinema

White Paper: Buster Scruggs as a Compelling Character for Feature Films and Serialized Television

Posted on November 18, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Buster Scruggs, the white-suited singing gunslinger from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), stands out as one of the most singular Western characters created in the 21st century. Though he appears only briefly in an anthology film, his … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: Better Man and the Truth of Robbie Williams: Artifice, Confession, and the Performance of Self

Posted on October 7, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract This paper examines Better Man (2024), the feature film biopic directed by Michael Gracey and centered on British pop icon Robbie Williams, through the intersecting lenses of production, narrative structure, and public reception. The film’s unusual use of a … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Music History, Musings | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: When Beloved Works Are Rejected: Authors, Audiences, and the Tension of Reception

Posted on September 21, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract Many artists face the paradox of finding their most personally meaningful works dismissed, misunderstood, or rejected by their audiences. This white paper examines this phenomenon through two case studies: Budd Schulberg’s What Makes Sammy Run?—which portrays the disillusionment of … Continue reading →

Posted in Graduate School, History, Musings, On Creativity | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Satire as a Mirror to Ugly Truths: Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks, and the Fragile Power of Laughter

Posted on September 9, 2025 by nathanalbright

I. Introduction: Why Laughter Stings Satire has always occupied a dangerous space. It is at once a form of entertainment and an act of confrontation. From Aristophanes mocking Athenian politics to Jonathan Swift’s deadpan proposal to eat Irish children, satire … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Film Review: The Accountant

Posted on October 11, 2024 by nathanalbright

[Note: There are spoilers below. This is a film that has been out awhile, but caveat lector all the same.] In The Accountant, a film from 2016 that I just got around to seeing on my flight from LAX to … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Movie Review: Napoleon

Posted on December 4, 2023 by nathanalbright

Napoleon was a bad movie, but it was a bad movie of a specific kind that is quite rare. It is probably a disadvantage when it comes to enjoying this film to come to it with a high degree of … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Military History, Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The World Of The Hunger Games

Posted on October 25, 2023 by nathanalbright

The World Of The Hunger Games, by Kate Egan As always, when you read a book, a fair question to ask is, “Why does this book exist? Does it serve any purpose that is not already being met by another … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Album Review: The Barbie Album (Best Weekend Ever)

Posted on August 30, 2023 by nathanalbright

The Barbie Album (Best Weekend Ever), by Various Artists From time to time, I am asked to review soundtrack material, and this material is often of interest to me whether or not I have ever seen or ever want to … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Music History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Album Review: Footloose: Original Soundtrack

Posted on August 14, 2023 by nathanalbright

Footloose: Original Soundtrack, by various artists As strange as it may seem, the Footloose soundtrack is one of the most successful soundtracks of all time, distinctive as one of only a handful of albums to hit #1 on the Billboard … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Music History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Is This The Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?

Posted on July 28, 2023 by nathanalbright

What does the following list of movie have in common: Bohemian Rhapsody, Pearl Harbor, The Greatest Showman, The Pursuit Of Happyness, Straight Outta Compton, Elvis, American Hustle, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Pocahontas, Patch Adams, The Sound of Freedom, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Musings | Tagged , | Leave a comment