The website of John C. Snider
[Originally posted on October 26, 2007 at AmericanFreethought.com.] The Bible is pretty straightforward in its message when it comes to homosexuality: it’s a sin, and those who insist on practicing it are going to Hell. It’s simple. Or is it? The growing movement to reconcile gay rights with Christianity is the subject of a fascinating …
[Originally posted in July 2006 at SciFiDimensions.com; re-posted on October 16, 2007 at AmericanFreethought.com. This documentary subsequently won an Academy Award; Al Gore won a Nobel Prize for his work in raising awareness about global warming. I should also point out that when I wrote this review, my views were much more Libertarian and my …
An Interview with actor Doug Jones (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Fantastic Four 2) [This interview originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in February 2007.] You might not know his face, but if you’re a fanboy or fangirl, chances are you know Doug Jones. For nearly two decades Jones has flown under the media radar, parleying his physical abilities (he has …
How the Japanese Destroyed Tokyo Themselves and Unwittingly Unleashed a Trans-Pacific Collaboration that Helped Mend US-Japanese Relations The early 1950s was not an easy time to be Japanese, especially if you were trying to please Americans. Despite winning the Pacific War and exacting vengeance by firebombing Tokyo and subjecting Hiroshima and Nagasaki to nuclear annihilation, …
[This review originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in November 2003.] Everything that has a beginning has an end. Sort of. When Larry and Andy Wachowski introduced audiences to The Matrix back in 1999, it was the beginning not only of one of the most lucrative film franchises of all time, it was also the beginning of a fresh …
[This review originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in May 2003.] Reality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The Matrix is a vast computer simulation feeding the minds of humanity, whose bodies (housed in row upon row of nutrient-filled cocoons) provide energy for the Machines who have conquered their creators. As far as everyone “trapped” in …
The Dilemma of Shutting Down the Matrix [This essay originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in May 2003, just before the first sequel to The Matrix—The Matrix Reloaded—was released. Obviously, the franchise went in directions that completely negate my speculations, but I think they’re interesting enough to warrant revisiting. –JCS 12/27/2021] Millions of science fiction fans have May …
Many of you who’ve visited this magazine over the last few months have probably been asking “What the heck is anime and manga?” hey are indeed mysterious terms to the average American; less so to kids nowadays; and even less so if you’re into comic books and cartoons. And that’s exactly what they are: comic books …
Don Bluth seems like a nice guy. For 45 years he’s worked on adorable animated films that appeal to little kids and grown-ups alike. Starting out at Disney Studios, he worked on such classics as Sleeping Beauty and Robin Hood. In the late 1970s he struck out on his own, creating such wonderful films as The Secret of NIMH, An …
Directed by Roger Christian Starring John Travolta, Barry Pepper, Forest Whitaker Okay, I’ll make this one quick: Battlefield Earth has good special effects. And that’s about it. Based on the bestselling novel by the late L. Ron Hubbard (founder of Scientology); produced by and starring John Travolta (the most famous adherent of Scientology), this movie would do …