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Popular Culture Review
less immediately accessible to a reviewer not possessing pre-existing
understandings of Uranian psychoanalysis and of film theory, respectively.
Additionally, Elliott’s article concerning “Perspectives on the Truth in
Aliens and Titanic"" appears to put forward a seemingly insupportable claim,
when he essentially asserts that Aliens ’ Cpl. Hicks is among those who enter into
an ideological clash with Ripley concerning her knowledge of the creatures in
question. Elliott further suggests that Hicks “dismiss[es] her [Ripley’s] unique
perspective as...ignorance/cowardice” (77). However, within the film itself,
Hicks appears to do no such thing, reacting—unlike his fellow “grunts”—to
Ripley’s briefing merely by inquiring, “What exactly are we dealing with here?”
In doing so, he expresses far more concern—and far less skepticism—toward
the insight offered by Ripley, than do any of the other characters, including the
company man, Burke, and Lt. Gorman. Upon re-evaluation, it seems more likely
that Elliott has—like Lt. Gorman himself—conflated Hicks with the openly
disdainful Hudson. Such a disparity, however, could itself prove a useful starting
point for class discussion or other critical engagement, an opportunity for
problematizing and critically examining this essay.
Presenting diverse scholarly readings of the films of James Cameron—
emphasizing those texts rather than the man himself—Kapell and McVeigh’s
collection showcases a multiplicity of both perspectives and approaches to the
iconic, mythic, and commercially successful films of one of Hollywood’s most
impactful directors to date. Engaging enough to read for entertainment, but
academic enough to read for research or to assign to your students. The Films o f
James Cameron: Critical Essays, is well worth the forty-dollar price tag.
Though the work contains minor, admitted, shortcomings—as with the texts it
examines—these flaws themselves hold the potential to spark further intellectual
inquiries and debates.
Sarah Pawlak, University of Nevada, Las Vegas