Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

This week on The Spectator Film Podcast… Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) 8.26.18 Featuring: Austin, Maxx — Notes — Addendum: at 55:20 when Austin references “some other movie featuring a monster in a rubber outfit from the same year as Creature,” and then neglects to mention the actual name of said movie – such is to be expected of blithering idiots – he is, in fact, referring to Godzilla (1954). A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origins of the Sublime and the Beautiful by Edmund Burke — This is the link to the Penguin edition, which includes some additional writing by Burke and is the only one I’ve ever had the opportunity of reading; other versions may be superior. The concept of “the sublime” existed prior to Edmund Burke’s investigation of it (Check out Cassius Longinus On the Sublime), but it has since become one of the most intriguing and discussed ideas in aesthetics. We can’t mention Burke without also mentioning his public debate over the French Revolution with Mary Wollstonecraft, who kicks his ass with A Vindication of the Rights of Men. (This video offers a nice outline of the context surrounding their debate.) If you’re going to read A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origins of the Sublime and the Beautiful, it’s worth it to read A Vindication of the Rights of Men (and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman) as well. The sexism in Burke’s writing shouldn’t be neglected, and Wollstonecraft has lots to say about it. A commercial celebrated for its excellence… Rational Fears: American Horror in the 1950s by Mark Jancovich — We recommend this book on 50s horror films for anyone looking for a reliable introduction.