Martin Harris Bücher

Poker & Pop Culture provides a comprehensive survey of cultural productions in which poker is of thematic importance, showing how the game's portrayal in the mainstream has increased poker's relevance to American history and shaped the way we think about the game and its significance.

The narrative follows Eric Younger as he navigates his childhood crush on his friend's older sister, Jessica. When she enlists his help to solve a mystery, it becomes a pivotal distraction from his parents' looming divorce. This unexpected partnership allows Eric to delve deeper into Jessica's intriguing and obsessive personality, revealing layers of both their characters and the complexities of young love amidst personal turmoil.

Set against the backdrop of late October 1976, the story follows Richard Owen, a former NYPD patrolman turned private detective, as he uncovers disturbing truths from his past. A mysterious package containing newspaper clippings and a human bone leads him on a dark journey through New York's seedy underbelly, including adult film venues and nightspots. As Owen delves deeper, he confronts his previous life, rekindling connections with old colleagues while navigating a narrative filled with sex, violence, and political intrigue.

The book delves into horror and science fiction films from the 1950s to today, focusing on their portrayal of "us-versus-them" narratives. It examines how these films use allegory and satire to reflect and critique the growing polarization in American politics and society, highlighting the genre's role in exploring societal fears and tensions. Through this analysis, the book sheds light on the cultural significance of these cinematic works in understanding contemporary issues.

The Watergate scandal was a horror show. What better way to satirize it than with a horror movie? Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre premiered in October 1974, mere weeks after the resignation and pardon of Richard Nixon brought an uncertain end to the most corrupt and criminal presidency in American history. The film had been conceived, written, shot, edited, and produced precisely as Watergate was playing out, and those responsible for Chain Saw unhesitatingly spoke of the horrors of contemporary politics as having directly inspired the ones they created for the film. Leatherface vs. Tricky Dick presents a fascinating minute-by-minute exploration of the many uncanny connections between The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Watergate, as well as other ways the film comments on contemporary politics via satire and (very) dark humor. Read and discover Chain Saw's response to the White House horrors, the Saturday Night Massacre, and more, as well as how Leatherface's masks relate to all those Nixon masks worn throughout "our long national nightmare."