Revolutions: some kind of sick joke? Discuss.

By Chris Meeske / November 6, 2003

Chris: This is possibly the most pointless review in the long, sad history of cinema commentary. Matrix: Revolutions is going to be seen by everyone in the universe, mark the conclusion of a new cultural touchstone, and make approximately $18 trillion. Unfortunately, it is also a horrible, horrible movie. I even enjoyed the widely disparaged...

Tarantino gets everyone kung fu fighting

By Chris Meeske / October 9, 2003

Allow me to make the case that the kung fu movie is the epitome of all human entertainment. The focus of any good kung fu movie—whether it features the old-school goofiness of Jackie Chan or the sleek and polished Keanu Reeves—is on the grace and power of athletic achievement through martial arts. The sheer poetry...

Intellectual discourse lacking

By Chris Meeske / March 7, 2003

I’m going to begin with a disclaimer: this is not about the War On Iraq. For several reasons, I have no interest in “answering” the question of whether or not the United States should invade Iraq. The issue has been talked and written about to death by commentators both on and off campus. More importantly,...

The joy of dining hall meals

By Chris Meeske / February 18, 2003

If only griping about dining halls were a sport, and this sport somehow reflected in the appearance of those College students who sustain themselves with Aramark’s industrially produced food-like substances. Then Pierce, B-J, and Bartlett would undoubtedly host a wondrous collection of well-toned pectorals and rippling biceps, conditioned by grueling workout sessions of complaining about...

Demons and dispossessed wander a Midnight Nation

By Chris Meeske / January 31, 2003

Damnation, both as a spiritual condition and as a metaphor for more secular misery, has long inspired some of literature’s greatest creations (Dante’s Inferno, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment spring to mind). While it is probably presumptuous to compare Midnight Nation to these pillars of Western literature, its story of damnation, loss,...

Wavering Europe, think again

By Chris Meeske / January 28, 2003

The role of internationalism in a world dominated by the American “War on Terror” is an ambiguous one. International terrorism is diffuse because of its ability to ignore borders and jurisdictions. The U.S. foreign policy of “going it alone” and ignoring the views and objections of our allies in favor of unilateral actions to theoretically...

U.S. can use strength for good

By Chris Meeske / January 14, 2003

Acrimonious argument swarms around America’s new role as the world’s enforcer of order, currently exemplified by the rhetoric of war with Iraq. The Bush doctrine of unilateral preemption has been accepted by default, and debate on the subject has been crushed by the conflict’s seeming inevitability. The left has decried the potential humanitarian and international...

Leftists: Find yourselves a plan

By Chris Meeske / November 26, 2002

The most disturbing trend of American politics of the last decade has been the decisive seizure of the national political discourse by the right. For all of the progress made and popular support enjoyed by the left, there has been a complete lack of strong leadership, little or no coordination between the disparate elements of...

Liberals, use different tactics

By Chris Meeske / November 19, 2002

We live in a deeply and profoundly troubled world. Living in America, a nation with unique wealth and power, insulated by both distance and prosperity, it has become far too easy to embrace the status quo. In the recent midterm elections, voters were asked to express their approval or disapproval for the course of the...