The Guardian, April 3, 1979
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Reel Impact: Movies and TV at Changed History
Reel Impact: Movies and TV Õat Changed History - "Õe China Syndrome" Screenwriters and lmmakers often impact society in ways never expected. Frank Deese explores the "The China Syndrome" - the lm that launched Hollywood's social activism - and the eect the lm had on the world's view of nuclear power plants. FRANK DEESE · SEP 24, 2020 Click to tweet this article to your friends and followers! As screenwriters, our work has the capability to reach millions, if not billions - and sometimes what we do actually shifts public opinion, shapes the decision-making of powerful leaders, perpetuates destructive myths, or unexpectedly enlightens the culture. It isn’t always “just entertainment.” Sometimes it’s history. Leo Szilard was irritated. Reading the newspaper in a London hotel on September 12, 1933, the great Hungarian physicist came across an article about a science conference he had not been invited to. Even more irritating was a section about Lord Ernest Rutherford – who famously fathered the “solar system” model of the atom – and his speech where he self-assuredly pronounced: “Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.” Stewing over the upper-class British arrogance, Szilard set o on a walk and set his mind to how Rutherford could be proven wrong – how energy might usefully be extracted from the atom. As he crossed the street at Southampton Row near the British Museum, he imagined that if a neutron particle were red at a heavy atomic nucleus, it would render the nucleus unstable, split it apart, release a lot of energy along with more neutrons shooting out to split more atomic nuclei releasing more and more energy and.. -
University of Cincinnati
! "# $ % & % ' % !" #$ !% !' &$ &""! '() ' #$ *+ ' "# ' '% $$(' ,) * !$- .*./- 0 #!1- 2 *,*- Atomic Apocalypse – ‘Nuclear Fiction’ in German Literature and Culture A dissertation submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTORATE OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D.) in the Department of German Studies of the College of Arts and Sciences 2010 by Wolfgang Lueckel B.A. (equivalent) in German Literature, Universität Mainz, 2003 M.A. in German Studies, University of Cincinnati, 2005 Committee Chair: Sara Friedrichsmeyer, Ph.D. Committee Members: Todd Herzog, Ph.D. (second reader) Katharina Gerstenberger, Ph.D. Richard E. Schade, Ph.D. ii Abstract In my dissertation “Atomic Apocalypse – ‘Nuclear Fiction’ in German Literature and Culture,” I investigate the portrayal of the nuclear age and its most dreaded fantasy, the nuclear apocalypse, in German fictionalizations and cultural writings. My selection contains texts of disparate natures and provenance: about fifty plays, novels, audio plays, treatises, narratives, films from 1946 to 2009. I regard these texts as a genre of their own and attempt a description of the various elements that tie them together. The fascination with the end of the world that high and popular culture have developed after 9/11 partially originated from the tradition of nuclear fiction since 1945. The Cold War has produced strong and lasting apocalyptic images in German culture that reject the traditional biblical apocalypse and that draw up a new worldview. In particular, German nuclear fiction sees the atomic apocalypse as another step towards the technical facilitation of genocide, preceded by the Jewish Holocaust with its gas chambers and ovens. -
It's Not Just a Story Any More
(reprinted with permission from The Guardian, 4 August 1979) It's not just a story any more The phrase 'China syndrome' describes what happens if a nuclear plant backfires. Walt Patterson casts a professional eye over the film of that name and finds it alarmingly accurate. At the end of The China Syndrome, if the house lights don't come up too soon, you may notice an inconspicuous line far down the credits. After Best Boy Grip and Paint Foreman comes Technical Advisers [Nuclear] … MHB Technical Associates. Nowhere else in the publicity pack from Columbia Pictures is there any further reference to the specific technical content of the film, or to the technical advisers responsible. The coyness is curious, but understandable. In The China Syndrome the technical content is of a very different order to that, say, in Moonraker. In Moonraker the technical content is there essentially to astonish; its genuine credibility is irrelevant. In The China Syndrome, on the contrary, the technical content is central to the plot – and is moreover acutely controversial. It is not now, mark you, as controversial as it was before March 28 this year. The China Syndrome, of course, is about – among other things – the threat of an accident at a nuclear power station. The accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station near Harrisburg, which occurred about a month after the release of the film, was a classical if unnerving example of life imitating art. When the film was released the nuclear industry was still talking about hypothetical accidents at nuclear stations. -
1 the Politics of Independence: the China Syndrome (1979)
1 The Politics of Independence: The China Syndrome (1979), Hollywood Liberals and Antinuclear Campaigning Peter Krämer, University of East Anglia Abstract: This article draws, among other things, on press clippings files and scripts found in various archives to reconstruct the complex production history, the marketing and the critical reception of the nuclear thriller The China Syndrome (1979). It shows that with this project, several politically motivated filmmakers, most notably Jane Fonda, who starred in the film and whose company IPC Films produced it, managed to inject their antinuclear stance into Hollywood entertainment. Helped by the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant two weeks into the film’s release, The China Syndrome gained a high profile in public debates about nuclear energy in the U.S. Jane Fonda, together with her then husband Tom Hayden, a founding member of the 1960s “New Left” who had entered mainstream politics in the California Democratic Party by the late 1970s, complemented her involvement in the film with activities aimed at grass roots mobilisation against nuclear power. If the 1979 Columbia release The China Syndrome (James Bridges, 1979) is remembered today, it is mainly because of an astonishing coincidence. This thriller about an almost catastrophic accident at a nuclear power plant was released just twelve days before eerily similar events began to unfold at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg in Pennsylvania on 28 March 1979, resulting in, as the cover of J. Samuel Walker’s authoritative account of the event calls it, “the worst accident in the history of commercial nuclear power in the United States” (Walker). -
China's Dilemma
CHINA’S DILEMMA i ii CHINA’S DILEMMA ECONOMIC GROWTH, THE ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE Ligang Song and Wing Thye Woo (eds) Asia Pacific Press Brookings Institution Press SOCIAL SCIENCES ACADEMIC PRESS (CHINA) iii Co-published by ANU E Press and Asia Pacific Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 Australia Email: [email protected] This title available online at http://epress.anu.edu.au/china_dilemma_citation.html © 2008 ANU E Press, Asia Pacific Press, Brookings Institution Press and Social Sciences Academic Press (China) This work is copyright. Apart from those uses which may be permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 as amended, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the publisher. Co-published with SOCIAL SCIENCES ACADEMIC PRESS (CHINA) C H I N A B O O K under the China Book International scheme. This scheme supports INTERNATIONAL co-publication of works with international publishers. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: China’s dilemma : economic growth, the environment and climate change / editors Ligang Song ; Wing Thye Woo. ISBN: 9780731538195 (pbk.) 9781921536038 (pdf.) Notes: Includes index. Bibliography. Subjects: Economic development--Environmental aspects--China. Climatic changes--China. Energy consumption--China. China--Economic conditions. China--Environmental conditions. Other Authors/Contributors: Song, Ligang. Woo, Wing Thye. Dewey Number: 338.900951 Cover design: Teresa Prowse Cover photo: Jason Lyon. iStockphoto, File Number: 2831996 -
The Inventory of the Michael Douglas Collection #1839
The Inventory of the Michael Douglas Collection #1839 Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center Douglas, Michael #1839 3/31/16, 4/7/16 Preliminary Listing I. Wardrobe. A. Costumes. Box 1-2 1. “The American President.” Box 3-8 2. “Behind the Candelabra.” Box 9 3. “Disclosure.” 4. “A Perfect Murder.” 5. “Romancing The Stone.” Box 9-14 6. “The Game.” Box 15-20 7. “The In-Laws.” Box 21-25 8. “It Runs In The Family.” Box 26 9. “Jewel Of The Nile.” Box 27-32 10. “Traffic.” Box 33-37 11. “Wonder Boys.” Box 38 12. “Wall Street.” B. Hanging Costumes. Pkg. 1-2 1. “The American President.” Pkg. 3-35 2. “Behind the Candelabra.” Pkg. 36-57 3. “The Game.” Pkg. 58-78 4. “The In-Laws.” Pkg. 79-116 5. “It Runs In The Family.” Pkg. 117 6. “Wall Street.” Box 39-56 C. Personal. Pkg. 118-124 D. Hanging Personal. II. Printed Materials. A. Files. Box 57-88 1. Clippings (not on their spreadsheets). Box 88 2. General. B. Blueprints/Maps. C. Internet printouts. D. Postcards. Box 89-91 E. Magazines. Box 92-94 F. Programs. Box 95 G. Newspapers. Box 95-96 H. Reviews. Box 96 I. Clippings. J. Booklets. K. Pamphlets. L. Fliers. Box 97 M. Posters. Pkg. 125-141 N. Oversized posters. Douglas, Michael (3/31/16, 4/7/16) Page 1 of 46 III. Film and Video. Box 98-131 A. VHS. Box 131 B. 8 mm cassettes. C. Mini-DVs. Box 132 D. DV-Cams. Box 133 E. DVDs. Box 134 F. -
American Auteur Cinema: the Last – Or First – Great Picture Show 37 Thomas Elsaesser
For many lovers of film, American cinema of the late 1960s and early 1970s – dubbed the New Hollywood – has remained a Golden Age. AND KING HORWATH PICTURE SHOW ELSAESSER, AMERICAN GREAT THE LAST As the old studio system gave way to a new gen- FILMFILM FFILMILM eration of American auteurs, directors such as Monte Hellman, Peter Bogdanovich, Bob Rafel- CULTURE CULTURE son, Martin Scorsese, but also Robert Altman, IN TRANSITION IN TRANSITION James Toback, Terrence Malick and Barbara Loden helped create an independent cinema that gave America a different voice in the world and a dif- ferent vision to itself. The protests against the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement and feminism saw the emergence of an entirely dif- ferent political culture, reflected in movies that may not always have been successful with the mass public, but were soon recognized as audacious, creative and off-beat by the critics. Many of the films TheThe have subsequently become classics. The Last Great Picture Show brings together essays by scholars and writers who chart the changing evaluations of this American cinema of the 1970s, some- LaLastst Great Great times referred to as the decade of the lost generation, but now more and more also recognised as the first of several ‘New Hollywoods’, without which the cin- American ema of Francis Coppola, Steven Spiel- American berg, Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton or Quentin Tarantino could not have come into being. PPictureicture NEWNEW HOLLYWOODHOLLYWOOD ISBN 90-5356-631-7 CINEMACINEMA ININ ShowShow EDITEDEDITED BY BY THETHE -
Antinuclear Politics, Atomic Culture, and Reagan Era Foreign Policy
Selling the Second Cold War: Antinuclear Cultural Activism and Reagan Era Foreign Policy A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy William M. Knoblauch March 2012 © 2012 William M. Knoblauch. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Selling the Second Cold War: Antinuclear Cultural Activism and Reagan Era Foreign Policy by WILLIAM M. KNOBLAUCH has been approved for the Department of History and the College of Arts and Sciences by __________________________________ Chester J. Pach Associate Professor of History __________________________________ Howard Dewald Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT KNOBLAUCH, WILLIAM M., Ph.D., March 2012, History Selling the Second Cold War: Antinuclear Cultural Activism and Reagan Era Foreign Policy Director of Dissertation: Chester J. Pach This dissertation examines how 1980s antinuclear activists utilized popular culture to criticize the Reagan administration’s arms buildup. The 1970s and the era of détente marked a decade-long nadir for American antinuclear activism. Ronald Reagan’s rise to the presidency in 1981 helped to usher in the “Second Cold War,” a period of reignited Cold War animosities that rekindled atomic anxiety. As the arms race escalated, antinuclear activism surged. Alongside grassroots movements, such as the nuclear freeze campaign, a unique group of antinuclear activists—including publishers, authors, directors, musicians, scientists, and celebrities—challenged Reagan’s military buildup in American mass media and popular culture. These activists included Fate of the Earth author Jonathan Schell, Day After director Nicholas Meyer, and “nuclear winter” scientific-spokesperson Carl Sagan. -
Absence of Malice, 53 Academy Awards
Index A Absence of Malice, 53 Ain’t in It for My Health, 59, 83 the Baby, 77; Bronco Billy Academy Awards (Oscars), 3, Albee, Edward, 52, 53, 54 and the Greaser, 3; Broncho 4, 5, 7, 10, 18, 31, 38, 39, 41, Alexander, Katharine, 11, 12; Billy and the Maid, 2; 42, 43, 46, 47, 50, 53, 56, Death of a Salesman (play), Broncho Billy and the School 57, 58, 59, 60, 63, 64, 74, 12; In Name Only, 12; That Mistress, 3; Broncho Billy’s 79, 80, 81 Awful Mrs. Eaton, 12; That Christmas Deed, 2; Broncho Accomplices to the Crime, 57, 92 Certain Woman, 12 Billy’s Redemption, 2; Accountant, The, vii, viii, 74, Alfred Hitchcock Presents Broncho Billy’s Sentence, 3; 75, 85 (TV series), 42 Broncho Billy: The First Reel Action in the North Atlantic, 31 Alias Smith and Jones Cowboy, 81; The Girl from Adam at Six A.M. (TV series), (TV series), 54 Montana, 2; The Great 51 Allegiance (musical), 55 Train Robbery, 2; The Lucky Adams, Joey Lauren, viii, 66, Allen, Eric, 49 Dog, 3; Raffles, The Amateur 67, 90; Big Daddy, 66; Allen, Woody, 20 Cracksman, 2; The Son-of- Chasing Amy, 66, 67; All the President’s Men, 47 A-Gun, 3; Western Justice, 2 Come Early Morning, 66; All the Real Girls, 68 Andrews, Lloyd, 17, 29–31, 90; Coneheads, 66; Dazed and American Beauty, 66 Rhythm of the Rio Grande, Confused, 66; Mallrats, 66; American Dream, The (play), 53 30; Take Me Back to Trucker, 66; Valley Inn, 66 American Folk Blues Festival: Oklahoma, 31 Adams, Julie, 17, 27, 28, 30; The British Tours, 1963– Andy Griffith Show (TV series), Bend of the River, 30; 1966, 82 33 Creature -
Marcelo Henriques De Brito, 2011 Marcelo Henriques De Brito, 2011
Applying Films on Environmental Cases to Discuss Corporate Response and Ethics ANPAD Motivation for this work • environmental issues entangle technical challenges and passionate human feelings amid complex communication and ethical issues, including Applying Films on Environmental Cases managerial dispute and government lethargy to Discuss Corporate Response and Ethics • recent environmental accidents: hefty BP oil spill (second quarter 2010) and Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant radioactive leakage (March 2011) • distinguish external from internal environmental investigations, which may lead to or result from lawsuits • productive debate may be triggered from seeing scenes and hearing dialogues based on real situations • belief that lectures and research should also quote films and plays, exploring Marcelo Henriques de Brito similarities, differences and particularities among them Administrador, Tec.Contábil e Engenheiro Ph.D., CNPI, CFP® • apply the IEA Communication Model (Henriques de Brito, 2003) Professor Ibmec-RJ • course “Strategic Financial Management with Globalisation” held in English [email protected] - [email protected] at Ibmec-RJ (www.ibmecrj.br) with Brazilian and international students Marcelo Henriques de Brito, 2011 Marcelo Henriques de Brito, 2011 Environmental Cases Interaction with the IEA-Model external impacts message message external impacts (from social and (including (including (from social and business feedback) feedback) business environment) environment) perception perception Opinion E E Opinion x A A x p t t p judgement e t t e judgement c i i c Interest t t Interest a t t a u u will t t will i d d i o e e o Need n n Need action action inhibition inhibition impulse predisposition predisposition impulse Fiction reflects Reality ! (internal stimulus ) (internal stimulus ) HENRIQUES DE BRITO ; “Applying the Interest-Expectation-Attitude Model to International Relationship ”, plots intertwined discussed in : III International Conference on Discourse, Communication and the Enterprise (DICOEN 2005), September, 2005. -
Film Review: the China Syndrome
REVIEWS 47 The China Syndrome. Director: James Bridges; baddies and, implicitly to rectify any errors which Producer: Michael Douglas. might have crept in. The film celebrates the capacity of ordinary people, no matter how China Syndrome arrives much ballyhooed, as squeezed and trapped in corporate structures, to let an enthralling political thriller, overflowing with their consciences be their guide, to feel civic gripping action, desperate circumstances, and responsibility and, when the crunch comes, to stunning performances. The publicity for the manifest that responsibility and to tell the truth. picture emphasizes its entertainment value, and in Most particularly, China Syndrome is about the the United States, the stars — Jane Fonda, Jack capacity of the media — in this case, television — Lemmon, and Michael Rogers — carefully despite its own monopoly corporate nature, to be downplayed the film's highly political theme. ALR the voice of the people, to be the guardians of fair readers who heard Dale Bridenbaugh, the ex play, democracy, truth and liberty. The “hero” of General Electric employee, on his lecture tour of China Syndrome turns out to be The Power of the Australia some time ago, will be familiar with the Media, and the film explicitly devalues citizens’ film’s focus: an accident at a nuclear reactor, the organisations, the anti-nuke lobby, etc., discovery of wholesale breaches of the safety portraying their public protests as weird and regulation procedures, and a ruthless attempt at irrelevant. cover-up by the nuclear energy company. Some of you may remember Watergate, that mammoth indictment of American democracy During the film’s initial release in America, ie which, over the intervening years, has undergone nuclear energy industry campaigned vigorously an amazing transformation in people’s minds. -
Is Nuclear Power History? the Dream Evaporates
GENERATION Is nuclear power history? The dream evaporates... by CM Meyer, technical journalist This is the 15th in a series of articles being published in Energize tracing the history of nuclear power throughout the world. “It was truly a case of life imitating art. has since been explained, much of the anti- those arguing that pressurised water reactors Last month, amid a burst of publicity, nuclear feeling in the USA can be ascribed to (the competing V VER design) were more Columbia Pictures released, in the United something not easily explained; an incredible dangerous, and strengthened the Soviet States its film "The China Syndrome. coincidence that a fictional movie about a commitment to continuing and modernizing The fictional tale deals with the near melt- nuclear accident was released just before a the RBMK [3; 239]. real nuclear accident happened. down of a nuclear reactor. Then last week it The Three Mile Island incident was basically almost happened in real life.”[10; 20] Three Mile Island; what happened? caused by a faulty valve. At about 04h00 on In actual fact, the Three Mile Island accident 28 March 1979, the main feedwater pumps of “In the two decades since Three Mile island, of 28 March 1979 was a real meltdown, the non-nuclear section of the plant stopped the plant has become a rallying symbol resulting in more than half of the reactor’s running, because of either a mechanical or for the anti-nuclear movement. But the core being permanently damaged. But electrical failure. This prevented the steam nuclear power industry, which has not built many people living near the damaged generators from removing heat.