TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

The tragedy of September 11, 2001, reshaped so many facets of our world, and film and media are no exception . The immense impact of the attacks introduced new genres and themes in film and media. This blog explores how 9/11 influences American cinema, the emergence of new cinematic themes and genres, and why movies based on tragedy are so popular. We’ll also dive into some movies based on 9/11, such as The Rest of Us , directed by Dr. Linda G. Mills.  Immediately after the attacks, the media avoided showing destruction, shifting away from the disaster-laden blockbusters of the 1990s. Some films and TV shows, such as Sex and the City, even removed images of the Twin Towers from the opening credits of shows and scenes in movies. Most famously, the teaser trailer and poster for Spider-Man were edited so that the Twin Towers could no longer be seen in the background. In the Vox Article Movies, Patriotism and Cultural Amnesia , Lindsay Ellis states, “The two-year period immediately ...

( Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros.) In the forever-evolving landscape of film and television, one thing is constant: sequels. Hollywood's impulse to extend popular narratives has become a regular feature of contemporary entertainment. However, most fan bases and film buffs are often weary of sequels. While sequels can sometimes breathe new life into a franchise, they usually dilute the original's success and charm. Let's explore the phenomenon of sequel culture through the lens of Beetlejuice and a few lesser-known yet intriguing titles like The Worst Witch , Weird Sister College , The Legend of Boggy Creek , and Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues .  A typical critique of sequel culture is that you take a film that was a labor of love and then try to make a sequel without the originality or the heart to make a profit. Travis Knox , a film producer and professor at Chapman University, said, “It’s purely financial. The cost of marketing feature releases is enormous, and ...