Synopses & Reviews
From the giant ants of "Them!" to the Martians of "War of the Worlds", the asteroids of "Armageddon" and Dr. Strangelove's beloved bomb (Hi there!), the end of the world has been a mainstay of the movies.
Kim Newman provides the ultimate look at 20th-century paranoid cinema. Examining our obsessions with Doomsday, Newman ranges from the patriotism of World War II through the frightened '50s and the anti-nuke films of the '60s and '70s, right up to the Bomb's role in recent blockbusters. Such diverse films as "Deep Impact", "The War Game", "Teenage Caveman",and "Independence Day" are covered with wit and insight.
Review
and#8220;Readers who voraciously consume apocalypse-themed YA novels should feel right at home with this guide to end-of-days scenarios, as depicted in pop culture.and#8221; and#8212; Publishers Weekly and#160; and#8220;An entertaining and fascinating compendium of doomsday scenariosand#8230;An amusing, informative look at apocalyptic pop culture.and#8221; and#8212; Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Youand#8217;ve probably heard rumors that the end of the world is going to happen in the year 2012. But people have been making predictions about how and when the world is going to end for ages.
The End is a fun, comprehensive, pop culture read about the 50 top movies, books, songs, comics, artworks, and playsand#8212;from the movie
Shaun of the Dead to the pop song "Itand#8217;s the End of the World as We Know It"and#8212;that have been created about the apocalypse. Each item includes:
- a synopsis of the apocalyptic work
- information about the apocalyptic theory behind it (from alien invasion to meteors, nuclear war, and natural disasters)
- an explanation about why this work is important in pop culture
Love doomsday talk and the art that is made about it? Check out this fun and entertaining read!
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 264-266) and index.
About the Author
Laura Barcella is a freelance writer and editor from Washington, D.C. She is a contributing editor at xoJane and a contributing writer at The Fix. She edited Madonna and Me: Women Writers on the Queen of Pop, an anthology of essays about Madonna by women writers, and is the author of a pop culture guide to the apocalypse called The End: 50 Apocalyptic Visions From Pop Culture That You Should Know Aboutandhellip; Before Itandrsquo;s Too Late. Laura has written features, profiles, essays, and more for Salon, Esquire.com, the Village Voice, Cosmopolitan, Elle.com, Refinery29, the Chicago Sun-Times, Time Out New York, AlterNet, BUST, Elle Girl, CNN.com, and NYLON. An expert on pop culture, feminism, and lifestyles, she lives in San Francisco, California.