No one watches Return of the Jedi first. Blame it on an
obsessive introspective culture, but everyone wants to know the beginnings of
their favored entertainment. Consider Required Reading an etymology of sorts. A
way to find the roots, references, inspirations and blatant concept thefts of
upcoming releases. We break down popular media, be it books, music, movies or
fine art so you can understand, learn and prepare.
What do Jean Luc Godard, Milla Jovovich, Ken Levine and EA's
Dante Inferno all have in common? Source material, obvs.
Dante's Alighieri's The Divine Comedy has been the stuff of remedial English classes for decades, but maybe you missed it - you slept through the lecture, you're self taught like the janitor in that hunting movie, whatever. Point is: you could enroll in college, matriculate into the English program and beat out a grad these titled "Modern Pastiche and The Divine Comedy," but as they say, the road to hell's paved with useless MAs.
Instead, study these four digestible bits
of entertainment. I guarantee you'll
have all the skinny you'll need on Alighieri's work to impress your friends during a Dante's
Inferno play through. Unless they mention Gustave Dore.
Abandon hope, all ye who enter here...
