Spike The Search For Redemption

A childhood in the Bronx, a reputation behind the ropes, sudden deaths, and Vietnam have been threaded together to transform Spike into Anthony, a handsome NYU law student gifted with the ability to turn the heads of young women. When his path crosses with that of a beautiful music student, Angel, Anthony soon realizes his life will be about drawing lines between casual relationships and enduring love, the demands of a strictly monitored political life and his uncle’s connection to the underworld, between old relationships and new, and his life in America and the call of his Italian homeland. But just as he begins defending a new conglomeration of misfits, Anthony’s valiant efforts lead to disaster—and a possible murder charge. Now only time will tell if Anthony can survive his trials and tribulations and repent for his past behavior before the woman of his dreams fades away forever. In this compelling tale, a complex man battling internal demons and moral dilemma embarks on a journey to redemption that leads him in a direction he never imagined.

Buffy Conquers the Academy represents the cusp of pioneering research into a television show that has inspired a wealth of academic study since its cancellation in 2003. As a reflection of the current obsession with all things vampiric, this text offers an alternative perspective on the vampire myth from the point of view of scholars in the field and thereby celebrates the continuing existence of Buffy Studies as an endlessly fruitful academic discipline that is truly global and interdisciplinary. The Associations of Popular Culture and American Culture (PCA/ACA) have a tradition of encouraging growth in intellectual inquiry, and the acceptance of Buffy Studies as a subgenre of the Vampire area in 2008 reflected the belief in this globally recognized, sustainable discipline. In this volume, Buffyologists delve into the intricate world of Sunnydale from multiple perspectives that cut across all academic disciplines, ranging from gender/sexuality to religion, making this collection an excellent reflection of the current body of work under the umbrella of Buffy Studies.

Since his first feature movie, She's Gotta Have It (1986), gave him critical and commercial success, Spike Lee has challenged audiences with one controversial film after another. Lee has made a broad range of movies, including documentaries (4 Little Girls), musicals (School Daze), crime dramas (Clockers), biopics (Malcolm X).

The American Villain: Encyclopedia of Bad Guys in Comics, Film, and Television seeks to provide one go-to reference for the study of the most popular and iconic villains in American popular culture. Since the 1980s, pop culture has focused on what makes a villain a villain. The Joker, Darth Vader, and Hannibal Lecter have all been placed under the microscope to get to the origins of their villainy. Additionally, such bad guys as Angelus from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows have emphasized the desire for redemption—in even the darkest of villains. Various incarnations of Lucifer/Satan have even gone so far as to explore the very foundations of what we consider "evil." The American Villain: Encyclopedia of Bad Guys in Comics, Film, and Television seeks to collect all of those stories into one comprehensive volume. The volume opens with essays about villains in popular culture, followed by 100 A–Z entries on the most notorious bad guys in film, comics, and more. Sidebars highlight ancillary points of interest, such as authors, creators, and tropes that illuminate the motives of various villains. A glossary of key terms and a bibliography provide students with resources to continue their study of what makes the "baddest" among us so bad.

This book presents serious academic scholarship on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It differs from other works because it uses Buffy as a primary text and not as a secondary instrument to explore other concepts. In doing so, it demonstrates that popular culture studies should be approached with the same serious attention that is paid to classic philosophy and other long-established fields. Essays assemble the Buffy canon and explore how Buffy treats Shakespeare, comics, power, sisterhood, apocalyptic revisionism, folklore, feminism, redemption, patriarchy, identity and education. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

In this work Jobling argues that religious sensibility in the Western world is in a process of transformation, but that we see here change, not decline, and that the production and consumption of the fantastic in popular culture offers an illuminating window onto spiritual trends and conditions. She examines four major examples of the fantastic genre: the Harry Potter series (Rowling), His Dark Materials (Pullman), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Whedon) and the Earthsea cycle (Le Guin), demonstrating that the spiritual universes of these four iconic examples of the fantastic are actually marked by profoundly modernistic assumptions, raising the question of just how contemporary spiritualities (often deemed postmodern) navigate philosophically the waters of truth, morality, authority, selfhood and the divine. Jobling tackles what she sees as a misplaced disregard for the significance of the fantasy genre as a worthy object for academic investigation by offering a full-length, thematic, comparative and cross-disciplinary study of the four case-studies proposed, chosen because of their significance to the field and because these books have all been posited as exemplars of a 'postmodern' religious sensibility. This work shows how attentiveness to spiritual themes in cultural icons can offer the student of theology and religions insight into the framing of the moral and religious imagination in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries and how this can prompt traditional religions to reflect on whether their own narratives are culturally framed in a way resonating with the 'signs of the times'.

SPACE COWBOYS A BOUNTY HUNTER’S LIFE EXPLORING COWBOY BEBOP'S MAIN THEMES, CHARACTERS AND THEIR JOURNEYS Introducing "Space Cowboys: A Bounty Hunter’s Life: Exploring Cowboy Bebop's Main Themes, Characters And Their Journeys" – the ultimate guide to understanding one of the most beloved anime series of all time. This book delves deep into the heart of Cowboy Bebop, exploring its main characters, themes, and central ideas. From the exploration of death and mortality, to the significance of dreams and aspirations, to the role of music and comedy, this book covers it all. Through the analysis of these themes, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the characters and story of Cowboy Bebop, and the cultural significance of the series as a whole. The book also includes a list of 5 main themes that are explored in depth throughout the chapters, including: - The exploration of death and mortality - The significance of friendship and relationships - The role of music and sound in storytelling - The exploration of identity and self-discovery - The impact of space travel and science fiction on storytelling This book is a must-have for fans of Cowboy Bebop and anime in general. It offers a comprehensive analysis of the series that is both engaging and enlightening. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer to the series, "Space Cowboys: A Bounty Hunter’s Life: Exploring Cowboy Bebop's Main Themes, Characters And Their Journeys" is a valuable addition to any anime lover's bookshelf. CONTENT (30 CHAPTERS) Cowboy Bebop And Its Significance In Anime Spike Spiegel: The Protagonist And His Complex Character Jet Black: The Father Figure And His Past Faye Valentine: The Femme Fatale And Her Tragic History Edward: The Quirky Genius And Her Role In The Story Ein: The Smart Corgi And His Significance The Bebop Crew: Analysis Of Their Dynamics And Relationships The Villains Of Cowboy Bebop: Analysis Of Their Motivations And Characterization The Bounty Hunting World Of Cowboy Bebop: An Overview The Music Of Cowboy Bebop: Its Impact And Significance. The Visual Style Of Cowboy Bebop: Its Influences And Innovations The Philosophy Of Cowboy Bebop: An Exploration Of Its Themes And Ideas Existentialism In Cowboy Bebop: Its Significance And Impact On The Story The Exploration Of Human Emotions In Cowboy Bebop The Role Of Memory And Nostalgia In The Story The Significance Of Freedom In Cowboy Bebop The Role Of Family In Cowboy Bebop The Exploration Of Death And Mortality In Cowboy Bebop The Significance Of Dreams And Aspirations In The Story The Use Of Flashbacks In Cowboy Bebop: Its Significance And Function The Importance Of Friendship In Cowboy Bebop The Role Of Humor And Comedy In The Series The Influence Of Film Noir On Cowboy Bebop The Role Of Music In The Series: Analysis Of Its Themes And Messages The Impact Of Space Travel And Science Fiction On Cowboy Bebop The Symbolism In Cowboy Bebop: Analysis Of Its Meaning And Significance The Exploration Of Identity And Self-Discovery In Cowboy Bebop The Relationship Between Cowboy Bebop And Japanese Culture Cowboy Bebop And Its Impact On Anime And Pop Culture The Legacy Of Cowboy Bebop And Its Exploration Of Main Characters, Themes And Central Ideas

Directors Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, and Spike Lee emerged as filmmakers toward the end of the 1960s, when the breakdown of the studio system paved the way for new production partnerships and gave more creative authority to directors, actors, and writers. In what has come to be called the “Indie” movement, these directors were able to explore ethno-racial themes with more frankness than previously allowed. From the perspectives of their own minority communities, Scorsese, Allen, and Lee dramatized and critiqued the challenges this restless, ethno-racial underclass posed to the “White Republic” imagined by the Founding Fathers. The three directors whose work is at the heart of this book explore the question of how identity formation is a process of negotiation, particularly among America’s ethno-racial minorities. They emphasize the stresses related to the double burden in the assimilative process of patterning oneself after the majoritarian culture, while acknowledging in complex ways the culture of the community of origin. Annie Hall tells Alvie Singer, “you’re a real Jew.” Buggin’ Out instructs his homeboy friend, “Stay Black, Mookie!” What implications do these phrases carry? Will Alvie have a chance to modify his identity? Should he? Will Mookie honor his friend’s admonition? Is “black” also susceptible to a cultural makeover? Is identity a personal choice? This book highlights how various films by these three directors explore the ways in which “cultural capital” (musical, artistic, intellectual, athletic, etc.) is used to erase “ethno-racial taint” (skin tones, supposed biological “traits,” offensive cultural habits). The formula ordains that assimilation and interculturation will be asymmetrical, favoring those groups or individuals who bring with them the most cultural capital.