A lot of thought goes into making Hollywood films and television series. The best artists of the twentieth century chose this medium over the arts they would have practiced in previous centuries --the painters, sculptors, writers, musicians, actors, and most of all the director, the master auteur, packed up their gear and went west. As time has gone on, television and movie-making converged into one huge canvas for all that creative thinking. Let's think about some of the best things that got thunk in the last hundred years, see if we can uncover the deeper layers of that thinking and sling a little philosophy at the screen.
Table of Contents:
Note to the Reader iv
From the Alamo Draft House to the Livingroom
Couch (Or There and Back Again) xiii
Part I Rated G: General Audiences 1
1. I Know Something You Don’t Know-THE PRINCESS BRIDE 3
2. Lions and Tigers and Bears-SCARY STUFF IN THE WIZARD OF OZ 17
3. The Monster and the Mensch-A CHILD’S EYE VIEW OF SUPER 8 37
4. Chef, Socrates, and the Sage of Love-FINDING LOVE IN SOUTH PARK 59
5. Killing Kenny-DEATH THERAPY IN SOUTH PARK 77
Part II Rated PG: Parental Guidance Suggested 89
6. The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful-SERGIO LEONE’S ANIMALS, ACTORS, AND AESTHETICS 91
7. Democracy Adrift-HITCHCOCK’S LIFEBOAT 109
8. Cuts Like a Knife-CUTTING TO THE CORE OF HIS DARK MATERIALS 125
9. Mrs. Coulter—Overwoman?-HER DARK MATERIALS 153
Part III Rated R: Restricted Audiences Only 179
10. A Very Naughty Boy-GETTING RIGHT WITH BRIAN AND MONTY PYTHON 181
11. Have You No Decency?-CLAIRE, FRANK, AND THEIR HOUSE OF CARDS 199
12. Vinnie’s Very Bad Day-TWISTING THE TALE OF TIME IN PULP FICTION 221
13. Once upon a Time-INCEPTION 241
14. Dream Time-INCEPTION 263
Part IV Director’s Cut 289
15. To Serve Man-A Visit to The Twilight Zone 291
Bibliography 315
Suggestions for Reading 319
Index 327
About the Author :
Randall E. Auxier. He is a musician, an environmental activist, a union advocate, and a 2018 candidate for the United States House of Representatives in the 12th Congressional District of Illinois. He is a co-founder and co-director of the American Institute for Philosophical and Cultural Thought.
Review :
"As Deep As It Gets is as good as it gets. Few find the philosophy in movies and television as well as Randy Auxier does, and even fewer do it in such a delightful way. These essays are loads of fun, and per-fect for the classroom. Hell, even movie critics are likely to enjoy this fine read!" -RICHARD GREENE, author of Spoiler Alert! (It's A Book About the Philosophy of Spoilers) (2019)
"Reading As Deep As It Gets is like having a brunch conversation with your favorite cool professor, always engaging and never pedantic. Whether you're looking for Hitchcock or Heidigger, Plato's Forms or The Princess Bride, Auxier's personal twilight zones are sure to both edify and amuse."-MEGAN VOLPERT, co-editor of Ru Paul's Drag Race and Philosophy: Sissy That Thought (2020)
"In our media culture where people tend to prefer watching to reading, movies have become a beloved focus for discussions about what matters in life. In this refreshingly honest and invitingly accessible book, Randy Auxier demonstrates his love of watching and discussing movies in a way that radiates contagion and philosophical interest."-RICHARD SHUSTERMAN, author of Philosophy and the Art of Writing (2022)
"As Deep As It Gets: Movies and Metaphysics belongs not just in
media studies libraries and classrooms, but in collections strong in modern
philosophy, using popular current movies and TV shows to explore philosophical
insights. Auxier's discussion of movies goes beyond plot and character outlines
to consider the deeper meanings and inspections in essays which go beyond
education to invite discussion and debate. From political metaphors in movies
to enlightening surveys of ethics, religion, and connections between modern
media and ancient philosophers, Auxier draws seemingly disparate subjects
together in a moving survey that is surprisingly lively for its title and
subject. This will make As Deep As It Gets attractive to much more than a
singular audience of modern-day philosophy students."
-The Bookwatch: September 2022: Midwest Book Review
