WYOMISSING, Pa. — Kendall R. Phillips, professor of communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University, will present a lecture titled “This is how it ends. Everything goes: Heroes and Horrors in an Age without Hope.” The talk will focus on both horror and superhero movies, addressing how these films reflect current social, political and economic contexts and invite audiences to think about the world and their place in it. It will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium, and it is free and open to the public.

A graduate of Penn State’s doctoral program, Phillips has published numerous books and essays on film, paying special attention to horror films and how they identify and resonate with public fears and anxieties.

Most recently, Phillips authored “A Place of Darkness: The Rhetoric of Horror in Early American Cinema,” which delves into the dawn of the horror genre. His other books include "Dark Directions: Romero, Craven, Carpenter and the Modern Film," "Controversial Cinema: The Films that Outraged America," "Projected Fears: Horror Films and American Culture," “Global Memoryscapes: Contesting Remembrance in a Transnational Age” and “Framing Public Memory.”

This event is also part of the 2022 Reading Film Fest. This lecture is presented by the Penn State Berks Communication Arts and Sciences Program and is funded by the Howard O. Jr. and Jean S. Beaver Endowment for Guest Lecturers at Penn State Berks.

For more information, contact E. Michele Ramsey, associate professor of communication arts and sciences and women's studies, at 610-396-6148 or via email at emr10@psu.edu.