Showing results by author "Matthew J Ryan" in All Categories

The Boys in the Band's debut was revolutionary for its fictional but frank presentation of a male homosexual subculture in Manhattan. Based on Mart Crowley's hit Off-Broadway play from 1968, the film's two-hour running time approximates real time, unfolding at a birthday party attended by nine men whose language, clothing, and behavior evoke a range of urban gay "types." Although various popular critics, historians, and film scholars over the years have offered cursory acknowledgment of the film's importance, more substantive research and analysis have been woefully lacking. The film's neglect among academics belies a rich and rewarding object of study. The Boys in the Band merits not only the close reading that should accompany such a well-made text but also recognition as a landmark almost ideally situated to orient us amid the highly complex, shifting cultural terrain it occupied upon its release-and has occupied since.

A mysterious suicide. An airbus A380 heads over the Colorado mountains, before crashing through the snow clouds. The only bridge over the River Styx is taken out. No phones, no internet, no communication with the outside world. Then things start to get strange. Welcome to a town called Hell. This collaborative collection of short stories takes place over the last seven days in Hell. Poisonous green slime, murderous rampages, talking trees, rogue wolf-packs - the residents of Hell are having a bad week.

Ever wondered what it would be like to participate in Athenian democracy? To explore the Mid-Autumn Festival amongst the million citizens of Chang'an? To witness the birth of our modern world through the art and writings of the Renaissance? Well, good news: There's a Time and a Place For That. In this podcast, you'll get the chance to walk the streets of some of history's most famous cities and learn the thrilling stories of how they came to be, all through the power of your own imagination. So, pop on some headphones, clear your mind, and get ready to explore history.