Glenn McDonald writes about popular culture from his home in lovely Chapel Hill, NC. His humor essays have been described as “grammatically consistent” and “remarkably frequent”. He is editor of the Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me daily news quiz at NPR.org, and a film critic at the Raleigh News & Observer. He lives virtually at www.glenn-mcdonald.com.
Features
Thursday, June 26 2008
The World Remade: An Interview with the Creators of Alpha Omega
Glenn McDonald talks to the creators of Alpha Omega about their new table top game, the challenge of game development, and that little Cloverfield mix-up.
Wednesday, June 28 2006
You Don't Know What You Think You Know: An Interview with Museum of Hoaxes Curator Alex Boese
'The scams that advertisers, politicians, and the media get away with frustrate me enormously, and I often wonder why people allow themselves to be manipulated so easily.' Glenn McDonald talks to author and Hoax Expert, Alex Boese
Tuesday, June 6 2006
A Flowering of Genres: An Interview with Scott McCloud
Upon the debut of PopMatters' new PopComix section, one of the medium's most articulate thinkers talks about the creative potential at the nexus of comics and the Web.
Sunday, January 1 1995
You Don't Know What You Think You Know: An Interview with Museum of Hoaxes Curator Alex Boese
'The scams that advertisers, politicians, and the media get away with frustrate me enormously, and I often wonder why people allow themselves to be manipulated so easily.' Glenn McDonald talks to author and Hoax Expert, Alex Boese
Columns
Wednesday, May 11 2011
How Sherlock Holmes and Isaac Asimov Can Help Purge Your Social Media Addiction
Old books and even older movies can fend off the creeping anxiety of information overload.
Monday, March 14 2011
'I Am Number Four': Vampires, Aliens and the Art of Movie Recycling
I Am Number Four, a PG-13 science-fiction-slash-teen-romance movie, is so faithful to the Twilight template that it could have been assembled by marketing software.
Tuesday, January 18 2011
'Glee' on the Wii
Video games and cross-promotional marketing yield the inevitable: console karaoke for Gleeks.
Wednesday, November 10 2010
'Knucklehead': The Tenacious Appeal of Pro Wrestling
It occurred to me that Clint Eastwood used to make these kinds of movies – often with an orangutan – back when he made good movies.
Thursday, September 23 2010
Return of the Situational Ethicist!
Glad you asked about the mosque! This is what situational ethics is all about!
Reviews
Wednesday, January 19 2011
'Crazy Taxi': A Fast and Reckless Trip Down Memory Lane
In 1999, I was a traveling freelance video game savant.
Monday, June 14 2010
The Book of Eli: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and the End of the World
A clever script and a compelling visual strategy make 'The Book of Eli' a superior post-apocalyptic specimen.
Friday, March 20 2009
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic appears to be aimed at the casual fan who wants to experience the graphic novel without the hassle of, you know, reading it.
Wednesday, October 1 2008
Mario Super Sluggers
With the baseball postseason in full swing, Mario Super Sluggers steps up to the plate with a typically psychedelic take on America's pastime -- and hits an RBI triple.
Wednesday, September 17 2008
Wonder World Amusement Park
Carnival games on the Wii is a great idea whose time has come -- and apparently gone -- without any developer truly realizing the potential of the concept.
Blogs
Sunday, August 17 2008
GenCon, Day 2: The Continuum and the Importance of Writers
Glenn McDonald's coverage of GenCon continues...
Saturday, August 16 2008
GenCon, Day 1: Wits, Wagers, and Ranks
Glenn McDonald reports from day one of GenCon, Gary Gygax's annual tabletop and board game convention.