Author: Geoff Shakespeare

Everyone has secrets. But while they may be terribly embarrassing or humiliating to the people who keep them buried year after year, their exposure rarely makes a ripple beyond the outer boundaries of their lives. But people aren’t the only ones who carry secrets. Powerful institutions like governments and business also sometimes have information they…

Although the First World War technically took place in the same century, World War II was undoubtedly the war of the 20th Century. Unlike the earlier conflict, which was a culmination of events deeply rooted in the 19th Century, WWII fully reflected the technological, political, and cultural trends of the century in which it took…

Hosting Saturday Night Live is a pretty thankless job. Hosts, who often having little or no comedy training, are expected to come in on a Monday and be hilarious by Saturday. Add to that that the show often has no idea what to do with the guests hosts besides some lame sketch that capitalizes on…

Approaching an entire nation’s cinema can be a daunting challenge. Especially when that nation’s movie history is a hodgepodge of genres and styles like Japan’s is. In the last 100 years or so, Japanese cinema has produced works of great beauty, greater weirdness, and in the process has influenced scores of filmmakers around the world.…

A lot of nasty things go on behind closed doors. Free from scrutiny, groups, governments, and companies often get up to no good, safe in the belief that their images will remain squeaky clean, no matter how filthy their actions may be. If not for the brave actions and dogged determination of a few men…

The Second World War was the greatest, bloodiest conflict in human history. Millions were killed, empires rose and fell, and no corner of the planet was spared the destruction, fire, and death it left in its wake. Although it is often remembered as the first technological war, many of the battles of WWII were fought…

The annals of Pop Music history are rightly filled with the talented and charismatic men and women who played, sang, and danced their way into the public consciousness. Fans memorize their songs, see their shows, and most importantly, buy their records. But great albums and singles don’t just come out of nowhere. It takes a…

Considering the scandal, tragedy, and failure that typically plague child stars after their careers end, you’d think any parent would keep their child as far away from a Hollywood studio as humanly possible. Yet, despite the numbers of child actors who end up as drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals, or worst of all- reality show participants,…

Originally popularized by Alfred Hitchcock, the term “MacGuffin” refers to the object in a movie that drives the action. In most cases, what the MacGuffin actually is irrelevant. It exists solely to get the characters moving and drive the plot forward. The only real requirement is that it must be something people are willing to…

It’s seems like people have always been hardwired to laugh at the misfortune of others. It transcends all cultures, nations, and ages. As you read these words, a group of school kids in Hong Kong are peeing their pants laughing at a kid who did a faceplant into a mud puddle, somebody in Paris is…

Although they’re great for killing time, most people don’t think of games as being especially dramatic. Sure they may be exciting to play and they may occasionally expose long simmering family resentments, but mostly they’re just a bit of fun when there’s nothing else to do. Nobody wants to watch other people playing them, right?…

A few months back, Roger Ebert posted a blog in which he asserted that video games would never be considered art. He freely admitted to not having really played many games and having the inborn bias against them that so many of his generation do, but he was still confident in his contention that there…

When it comes to TV comedy, sitcoms are king. Turn on the tube any day of the week between 8 and 9pm and odds are the big networks are airing a sitcom. With their familiar sets, likeable actors, and generic plots, sitcoms (even really good ones) have an easy charm. They’re safe. Sitcoms are the…

Once upon a time, just about every man in the world felt it was his sworn and solemn duty to grow a mustache. Boys would long for the day when the space above their lips sprouted the thick, beautiful hairs that would tell the world they were men. Mustaches may have fallen out of fashion…

No matter where you go in the world, vehicles play a major role in almost every aspect of our lives. Vehicle ownership is seen by most as an essential part of existence in the modern world. Whether for pleasure or economic necessity, just about all of us will want or need to own a vehicle…

Top 10 Fictional Doctors You Don’t Want An Appointment With There are plenty of fantastic fictional doctors. Whether it’s the cantankerous, but brilliant Dr. Gregory House on House or the inexplicably “McDreamy” Dr. Derek Shepherd on Gray’s Anatomy, there are plenty of top-notch made-up medical professionals ready to take the best pretend care of their…