Shows About Nothing

The glamorous portrayal of evil in film and television, frequently denounced as an attack on family values and an incitement to real-life violence, is more complicated and more disturbing than we realize. Exploring the themes and artistry of landmark films and television shows, Thomas Hibbs argues that the demonic antiheroes and seductive comic evil of popular culture are not weapons in a conscious cultural assault, but reactions to the apathy and conformity of American life. -- Why is The Exorcist a family film? -- Are Forrest Gump and Natural Born Killers about the same thing? -- What do It's a Wonderful Life and Pulp Fiction have in common?