Brief History

Brief History is a column that tells you all you need to know about your favorite — and not so favorite — pop culture topics. It is currently written weekly by Will DiGravio.

Explore the full Brief History archive below

Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow

A Brief History of Scarlett Johansson Suing Disney

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The ‘Black Widow’ star has accused Disney of a breach of contract.

Cannes 2021 Lineup Breakdown

A Brief History of the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or

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A.k.a. the sometime Grand Prix du Festival International du Film.

The Elephant Man

A Brief History of Mel Brooks, David Lynch and ‘The Elephant Man’

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‘The Elephant Man’ is one of David Lynch’s best movies. Did you know that Mel Brooks was the one who hired him to direct it?

Steven Spielberg At Cannes

A Brief History of Steven Spielberg and Netflix

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Steven Spielberg has signed a new multi-film deal with Netflix, but the two weren’t always friends.

horror-westerns history Pale Door

A Brief History of Horror-Westerns

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Horror and Westerns are two distinct genres, but they’ve proven to be strong companions throughout the years.

Hollywood Sign (Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com)

A Brief History of the Hollywood Sign

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Now entering its 97th year, the famous landmark has changed and evolved throughout the last century.

Mad Max Ripoffs List

A Brief History of ‘Mad Max’ Ripoffs

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Battletrucks? Bikers? Barbarians? Cannibals? Car chases? You name it. These shameless copycats of George Miller’s iconic action franchise know what fans want to see.

Bounty Law

A Brief History of Quentin Tarantino and the Small Screen

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The ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ director is turning the movie’s fictional show ‘Bounty Law’ into a miniseries. But he is no stranger to television.

Brad Astra

A Brief History of the Oscars Brad Pitt Should Already Have

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One of our most gifted performers has never won an Academy Award for acting, but he’s been deserving of quite a few.