Referred Pains: the Necessity of the (Minor) Malignant Violation in Slapstick Comedy

An extension of the Benign Violation theory of comedy developed by Tom Veatch and A. Peter McGraw and Caleb Warren. Source: The Cure (1917) Dir. Charles Chaplin and Edward Brewer

Leda + Swans

“Leda + Swans” depicts an infernal, mythic birth of cinema, dredging the violence and horror from Wallace McCutcheon’s comic short film “Photographing a Female Crook” (1904). Leda, who may or may not be a falsely accused young woman, is brought in for a mugshot by two officers. She first attempts to avoid the camera’s gaze, and, when overpowered and manhandled, contorts her face to ruin the photograph. However, her small rebellion proves futile; she was already being recorded, objectified, mapped, and co-opted by the Godhead of the director...

An Australian Rugby Player, Patriot, and Fan Foresees His Death

A young Australian rugby player, patriot, and fan experiences a premonition. An impending oblivion punctures the lungs planted by collective identity, shallow pools, and deified humans—one oblivion unveils another—. Akin to Australian rugby players themselves, the titular figure and his vision represent not just rugby but our country's values and cultural epicentre of sport more broadly.