‘Hey! Hey! I've seen this one, I've seen this one. It's a classic’: Nostalgia, repeat viewing and cult performance in Back to the Future

This article examines the enduring popularity of Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985) and its status as an emergent cult blockbuster for a new generation of fans. It draws on the findings of a small-scale audience survey conducted at a one-off screening of the film at Aberystwyth Arts Centre in early February 2012, where it was part of the University’s cult film club programme. The responses to the survey are contextualised by examples of fan practices found online; these indicate some of the additional ways in which a continued affection for Back to the Future is expressed by its followers. From these sources, two audience-led approaches are developed as a means to investigate on-going fandom of Back to the Future. The first of these is an exploration of the nature and value of fan nostalgia expressed towards Back to the Future and other “classic” popular culture texts of the eighties.2 This includes an examination of the kinds of nostalgia that are articulated by fans towards films that were released before they were born, and takes Barbara Klinger’s work on the practice of re-watching films as a starting point (2006). The second approach considers the popular acting partnership of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, and draws on the emergent academic study of cult stardom and performance (Mathijs and Sexton 2011; Egan and Thomas 2013). Through an exploration of these two audience-led approaches, I consider whether it is possible to observe an on-going process of cultification in relation to the Back to the Future franchise in a number of significant ways

[Review of] Linda Hogan. Eclipse

Linda Hogan\u27s poetry is of the world, a word which recurs frequently in Eclipse, her latest book of poems. The poems are personal yet not confessional. She speaks of the earth -- and for the earth -- in the roles of human being, Native American, woman, mother, daughter, and granddaughter. They are not the poems of self absorption, of reductio

Understanding Christianity: exploring a hermeneutical pedagogy for teaching Christianity

Disagreements about how Christianity should be taught in state-funded school RE have a long history. In this article we take England as a case study and examine the debates that have arisen about the legitimacy of a theologically-based pedagogy following the publication of Understanding Christianity, a resource inspired by recent developments in academic theological hermeneutics. We particularly focus on the question whether or not pupils should be treated as insiders or outsiders. Drawing on Anthony Thiselton’s notion of responsible hermeneutics, we argue that this offers a robust model for an academically rigorous approach to teaching Christianity in schools that enables pupils to be both insiders and outsiders in the hermeneutical process. We then illustrate how Understanding Christianity has attempted to embody this aspiration

The mitochondrial ratchet: Examples from non-bilaterian animals

The origin of eukaryotes is intrinsically linked with mitochondria. Mitochondrial evolution is characterized by a gradual process of gene loss and transfer to the nucleus, and thus eukaryotic genome evolution is intimately tied to mitochondrial DNA. Among animals, the widest variation in mitochondrial genome structure occurs in the non-bilaterian phyla (Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Placozoa), where one can find one of the largest, most gene-rich animal mitochondrial genomes, as well as the smallest and most gene-impoverished. This variation in gene content is predicted to have consequences for the evolution of protein-coding genes that remain trapped in mitochondrial DNA, which are mediated primarily by two non-adaptive forces: mutation and random genetic drift. In particular, increased mutation rates lead to the loss of mitochondrial genes, which in turn can lead to elevated mutation rates through drift. This positive feedback mechanism, or mitochondrial ratchet, can manifest itself in different ways depending on the population genetic environment in which mitochondrial DNA is evolving. I will highlight key examples from non-bilaterian animals that illustrate the link between mutation, selection and drift in animal mitochondrial DNA, and represent some of the more extreme ends of the mitochondrial ratchet spectrum. Furthermore, my results show how the mitochondrial ratchet can extend its reach into the nuclear genome, influencing the evolution of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes

Climate of Hostility Stalked U.S. Marshals at Ole Miss

An article detailing examples of harassment and hostility directed at the United States marshals sent to protect James Meredith on the University of Mississippi campus; Source: Milwaukee Journal; Unknown datehttps://egrove.olemiss.edu/jws_clip/1101/thumbnail.jp

The concept of anyone is key to the discussion of 3D production

The burgeoning 3D scene provides a panoply of opportunities for academic and museum communities to engage with diverse and increasingly technologically astute audiences. Until recently, technological and financial barriers to entering the 3D realm have been relatively high, even insurmountable for private and public institutions and individuals considering the development of 3D models en masse. The advent of high-quality mobile phone cameras, mobile 3D production applications, and the rise of photogrammetry now makes it possible to cheaply and easily create 3D representations or even reproductions of suitable objects

Poor man's Plato from Missouri

Includes an Associated Press photo."As it must be to all men, a spontaneous, unrehearsed evening on the town--a night out with the boys--comes occasionally into the life of Hal Boyle, the columnist."--Page 10By Saul Pett (AP Newsfeatures Writer)