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Fred, and my mother, Linda. My father has taught me many things during my lifetime, not the
least of these being the value of hard work and dedication. Similarly, my mother taught me about
the transformative power of love, compassion, and empathy. My interests were nurtured at a very
young age by my father and mother, who were always ready to reward good grades and good
behavior with trips to the video store or the comic book store. Together, my father and mother
have wholeheartedly supported my efforts and interests, no matter how ridiculous sounding these
may have been. For that, I will be eternally grateful.
Another active agent in the early stages of my development was my brother, Greg. Eight
years my senior, Greg was able to go to the movies in town before I was allowed to. Greg would
always tell me about what he had seen there, and believe me, his descriptions of movies like
Friday the 13
th
Thanks go to Greg Simpson, my best friend, who was my constant companion during my
teenage years when I began to discover my passion for cinema. Together, Greg and I discovered
the work of directors like John Ford, Sam Peckinpah, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese. I
also have to thank Greg’s parents, Judy and Glenn (RIP), who were like my second parents. Greg
has a family of his own now, Haley, his wife, and Sterling, his son, who benefit, no doubt, from
Greg’s immense loyalty, dedication, and robust sense of humor.
Part VI: Jason Lives!, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, and
Predator were way better than the movies themselves. Greg now has a family of his own, my
sister-in-law, Reneé, and my nephew, John, and I have no doubt that his storytelling ability
provides them with hours of entertainment.
My early academic life was shaped by my wonderful experiences with the English
Department at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee, my undergraduate
institution. There, I fell under the tutelage of wonderful teachers like Dr. Gerald Wood (who
introduced me to Film Studies), Dr. Shawn O’Hare, Dr. Susan Underwood, and Dr. Andrew