Monsters, Fathers, and Stranger Things
"In a review of the show’s first season, Joshua Rothman described Stranger Things as something like “Lovecraft in suburbia.” The looming,...
History is for Making Great Men
National Review asked me to write about how to teach U.S. history to young people. I was happy to do so! In the piece I set out a person-fir
The Disturbing Origin of Maryland's State Song
"I used “Maryland, My Maryland” as an opening number for a production of Julius Caesar I directed earlier this summer (with the lyrics...
Julius Caesar, Smothered in Trumpery
"The decision to stage Julius Caesar with “Trump” as the dominant production idea has generated controversy and was enough to make...
Storming No Man’s Land
"I am thrilled my younger sister finally got to see a female-led superhero film, one starring the most iconic superheroine in all of...
Open Up Marriage—To More Children
Polyamorists should rebel not against marital fidelity but against filial parsimony. Having many children represents a real chance to fall i
Guardians of the Galaxy Grapple with God
"Enter a mysterious cosmic being claiming to be Peter Quill’s long-lost father. His name is Ego, and he is a living planet—but he creates...
Jesus is Not a Zombie
"Zombies, as popularized by George Romero in Night of the Living Dead and currently depicted on The Walking Dead, are mindless, rotting,...
Mother of All Monsters
"There’s something monstrous about living without responsibilities to others. That’s the clearest theme of Colossal, the new film...
Defiant Decency in Logan
"Logan wears its influences on its sleeve: Director James Mangold has his characters watch scenes of Shane on a hotel TV, and Johnny Cash...
