Justin Kownacki

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pop culture

Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) open a trunk in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction
Storytelling

The Real Hidden Genius of Pulp Fiction

When Pulp Fiction debuted in 1994, writer-director Quentin Tarantino was hailed as a filmmaking genius, and his movie rewired filmmakers’ brains for the next 20 years. The film earned tons of buzz for a number of valid reasons: its unexpected revival of John Travolta’s career its profanity-fueled pop culture dialogue Read more…

By Justin, 9 yearsNovember 26, 2016 ago
Storytelling

What Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead Can Teach Us About Modern Storytelling

Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead take have so much more in common than zombies. In many ways, they’re almost the same show… and they’re not alone.

By Justin, 9 yearsAugust 16, 2016 ago
Flash, Superman, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Aquaman are the Justice Leage in the DC WB film universe.
Storytelling

How DC Should Have Built Their Movie Universe

NOTE: This post was written in June 2013. Since then, DC and Warner Bros have released Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League, plus a parallel DC TV Universe on the CW. While DC and WB stuck to their vision, I still think my strategy would have Read more…

By Justin, 12 yearsJune 16, 2013 ago
Armchair Sociology

Q&A Interview with Frank Rose, Author of “The Art of Immersion”

From the audience’s impact on the making of LOST to the eerie web promotions for The Dark Knight Returns, our media is becoming more immersive by the day. WIRED contributing editor Frank Rose noticed this trend and embarked on a years-long voyage to connect the digital dots.  His goal was Read more…

By Justin, 14 yearsSeptember 2, 2011 ago
Storytelling

Harry Potter’s Surprise Ending

The way the series ends is a crucial aspect of its theme.

By Justin, 14 yearsAugust 1, 2011 ago
Jon Hamm as Don Draper on AMC's TV series Mad Men
Armchair Sociology

What the Existence of Don Draper and Katy Perry Really Says About You

Why we need to stop living vicariously through our pop culture heroes and start living our own lives like we mean it.

By Justin, 14 yearsJune 16, 2011 ago
Armchair Sociology

The Popularity Paradox: Why Do We Hate Pop Culture?

I don’t know anybody who loves pop radio. I know people who listen to it ironically, as though they’re not comfortable admitting they don’t entirely hate Lady Gaga.  And I know people who admit to liking just Lady Gaga, or just Usher, but still insist they “hate the radio.” But Read more…

By Justin, 15 yearsJune 21, 2010 ago
Armchair Sociology

The Paradox of Quality

One of the web’s primary flaws is that it’s actually too easy to use. And as content becomes ever easier to create, finding quality content becomes even more difficult. That’s the general premise of Cult of the Amateur by Andrew Keen, which lobbies for the return of cultural gatekeepers.  It’s Read more…

By Justin, 16 yearsMay 9, 2010 ago
Armchair Sociology

Sorry Guys: When It Comes to Your Audience, Size DOES Matter

There’s a gentleman’s agreement in social media that needs to be debunked. We’re always supposed to judge ourselves by the quality of the conversations we have, rather than the sheer volume of our reach. Even Gary Vaynerchuck, who has more Twitter followers than anyone else who’s not “mainstream famous,” preached Read more…

By Justin, 16 yearsMay 3, 2010 ago
Armchair Sociology

Do You Want Them to Remember You Tomorrow?

When I was in art school, we had one English class. Our instructor wasn’t used to teaching art students, and she was confused by our habit of rewatching the same movies over and over again. “I don’t get why anybody would watch the same movie twice,” she told us. For Read more…

By Justin, 16 yearsDecember 2, 2009 ago

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