John E. Wills
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View article: Culture;Playing the Hollywood Western on Repeat: Cinematic Realism in <i>Mad Dog McCree</i>
Culture;Playing the Hollywood Western on Repeat: Cinematic Realism in <i>Mad Dog McCree</i> Open
This article explores video game adaptations of American popular history and culture by looking at the 1990 arcade title Mad Dog McCree produced by American Laser Games. Heavily inspired by the Hollywood Western (along with the broader myt…
View article: Doom Town, Nevada Test Site, and the Popular Imagination of Atomic Disaster
Doom Town, Nevada Test Site, and the Popular Imagination of Atomic Disaster Open
This article explores the effect of Doom Town, a civil defense experiment conducted at Nevada Test Site in March 1953 and May 1955, on American attitudes toward the atom. Initially conceived by the Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCD…
View article: Nostalgia for the Old West in Knott’s Berry Farm, Orange County, California
Nostalgia for the Old West in Knott’s Berry Farm, Orange County, California Open
Over the last century, western nostalgia has taken on a variety of entertainment forms. From Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows through to Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption video games, the entertainment industry has maintained an emotional attac…
View article: “Ain’t the American Dream Grand”: Satirical Play in Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V
“Ain’t the American Dream Grand”: Satirical Play in Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V Open
Rockstar Games is a video game publisher famous for its immersive and highly detailed action-adventure titles set in America, thanks to its two main franchises, Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto. This article explores how Rockstar e…