This is not a “Star Wars vs Star Trek” post. I’m non-partisan. I enjoy both Star Wars and Star Trek about equally. And it turns out that I am not alone. Last December, John Hawkins (University of Canberra) wrote in The Conversation about what Star Wars can teach us about economics. This year, Hawkins (with Tesfaye…
What Star Wars AND Star Trek can teach us about economics
What Star Wars AND Star Trek can teach us about economics
01 Jan 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, defence economics, economics of regulation, international economics, labour economics, labour supply, movies, television, TV shows, unions
“Monsieur Klein” — Identity, Complicity, and Bureaucratic Terror
11 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, movies, war and peace Tags: France, Nazi Germany, The Holocaust, World War II
Alain Delon would have celebrated his 90th birthday today. Sadly, he passed away last year, leaving behind a legacy that forever shaped European cinema — and, to a certain extent, Hollywood as well. Known for his striking screen presence, enigmatic charm, and unforgettable roles, Delon stood as one of the true icons of 20th-century film. […]
“Monsieur Klein” — Identity, Complicity, and Bureaucratic Terror
Kenneth Williams – Parkinson 1979 (with Lorraine Chase and Kevin Keegan)
16 Oct 2025 1 Comment
in movies, television, TV shows
Kenneth Williams on Joan Rivers’ show – UK – ’86 – HQ
02 Oct 2025 Leave a comment
in movies, television
Robert Redford 18.8.36 – 16.9.25
17 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in movies
Actor and director Robert Redford has died: Robert Redford, who has died at the age of 89, appeared in more than 50 Hollywood films, won an Oscar as a director, and became a champion of independent film-makers, founding the annual Sundance Film Festival to showcase their work. Success meant he could pick and choose his projects, […]
Robert Redford 18.8.36 – 16.9.25
Scott Sumner is still the greatest movie critic in the world
17 Aug 2025 1 Comment
in movies
Here is the intro: Over time, I’ve noticed that an unusual number of important films came out in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In this post, I’ll argue that the period from 1958 to 1963 is the artistic peak of filmmaking. So what is the evidence for this claim? I certainly won’t argue that […]
Scott Sumner is still the greatest movie critic in the world
Propping up the film sector or stimulating growth?
19 May 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, movies, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, rentseeking, survivor principle, television Tags: corporate welfare
Ani O’Brien writes – On Friday night, having imbibed a few wines I strayed onto X to unwisely engage in some (slightly drunk) opinion sharing. I tweeted:
Propping up the film sector or stimulating growth?
Tabarrok on the Movie Tariff
07 May 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, international economics, movies, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: 2024 presidential election, free trade, tariffs
The Hollywood Reporter has a good piece on Trump’s proposed movie tariffs: Even if such a tariff were legal — and there is some debate about whether Trump has the authority to impose such levies — industry experts are baffled as to how, in practice, a “movie tariff” would work. “What exactly does he want […]
Tabarrok on the Movie Tariff
Trump proposes 100% tariff on movies shot outside the United States
05 May 2025 1 Comment
in industrial organisation, international economics, movies, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election
Here is one link. Of course the proposal is not easy to understand. If it is a Jason Bourne movie, do they add up the number of scenes shot abroad and consider those as a percentage of the entire movie? Does one scene shot abroad invoke the entire tariff? o3 guesstimates that about half of […]
Trump proposes 100% tariff on movies shot outside the United States
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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