Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: The End of a Film Series and NOT of a Media Franchise

Yannis Tzioumakis (Reader in Film and Media Industries in the Department of Communication and Media comments on the failure of the new Indiana Jones film to connect with audiences. The box office numbers are in. The (not so) eagerly anticipated fifth instalment of the Indiana Jones film series is going to be a major flop. […]

2023 Oscars: Diversity and Who Produces It

Yannis Tzioumakis Reader in Film and Media Industries Department of Communication and Media Another year, another Oscar ceremony, another celebration of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science embracing diversity. This time it was the visibility and recognition bestowed upon the Asian and Asian American communities, with actors Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan […]

From Titanic to Avatar: The Way of Water: James Cameron and Global Film Entertainment in the Past Quarter of a Century

Dr Yannis Tzioumakis James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water is ready to land today on 52,000 screens worldwide (a new record) and, according to some estimates, is expected to bring in $0.5 billion in its opening weekend alone. Cameron’s previous film, 2009’s Avatar (of which Avatar: The Way of Water is a sequel), became […]

When the Games can’t go on…

By Dr Beatriz Garcia, Senior Lecturer, Communication & Media; Editor Culture @ the Olympics; Associate Director, Centre for Cultural Value The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been postponed. It is only the fourth time this happens in 124 years, the only three previous occasions being due to World War I and World War […]

Why the BBC is not to blame for the TV licence fee cuts

By Peter Goddard At first sight, the current crisis sparked by the BBC’s decision to restrict free television licences for over-75s seems like a spectacular own goal by the corporation. After all, older people tend to watch more television than younger people and are more likely to favour free-to-air television channels like the BBC’s, so […]

‘Best Film vs Nicest Film’ or Back to 1989

29 years ago, on 26 March 1990, the Academy Awards ceremony for the 1989-1990 season was eagerly anticipated by industry and cinephiles alike. Major Hollywood studio Oscar hopefuls had failed to generate a real buzz. Oliver Stone’s Tom Cruise-starring Born on the 4th of July had secured 8 nominations including one for its superstar actor […]

Retrenching/Entrenching Youth: Mobility and Stasis in Youth Culture Representations on Screen

Dear Colleagues, We are thrilled to announce the schedule for the upcoming conference, Retrenching/Entrenching Youth: Mobility and Stasis in Youth Culture Representations on Screen. The conference will be held at the University of Liverpool on the 4th and 5th of June. Registration is required and can be completed at: http://retrenchingentrenchingyouth.eventbrite.co.uk In this conference, we will […]

‘Covert autoethnography’ and other research ethics anomalies: making the case for ethics-in-practice

In this blog I wish to sound off about – or provide some considered critical reflections on, you decide which it is – the process of obtaining research ethics approval for projects that employ what may broadly be understood as autoethnographic methods. The subject matter for this blog entry has come about as a result […]

Conference Call

Retrenching/Entrenching Youth: Mobility and Stasis in Youth Culture Representations on Screen University of Liverpool 4th – 5th June 2018 Confirmed Keynotes: Professor Pamela Robertson Wojcik, University of Notre Dame Dr. Timothy Shary, Southern New Hampshire University Professor Karen Lury, University of Glasgow In recent years the expansion of free trade, globalization and freedom […]

University of Liverpool Media Students Launch New YouTube Channel

Students in the University of Liverpool’s Department of Communication and Media are this week celebrating the launch of a new YouTube channel which brings to life theoretical perspectives on the rise of social media. The channel, named Media/Pool, following the Department’s blog of the same name, is part of a new final year module […]