New Books Network Mark Goble, "Downtime: The Twentieth Century in Slow Motion" (Columbia UP, 2025)
Sep 15, 2025
Mark Goble, a Professor of English at UC Berkeley and author of 'Downtime: The Twentieth Century in Slow Motion,' dives into the evolution of slow motion in film and literature. He discusses how this cinematic technique has transformed from niche to mainstream, shedding light on its cultural significance. The conversation also touches on how humor, such as dad jokes, enriches academic writing, and the importance of appreciating downtime in our hectic lives. Goble argues slow motion reflects deeper societal crises we navigate today.
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Slow Motion's Uneven Early History
- Slow motion originated early in cinema but became a standardized special effect much later. Mark Goble found few comprehensive technical histories of slow motion and set out to map its development.
From Margins To Mainstream In The 1960s
- Slow motion appeared in early non-narrative uses like sports and scientific films but was rare in studio features until the 1960s. After the late 1960s its use exploded until it became ubiquitous in contemporary media.
Blockbusters Lean On Slow Motion
- By the 2000s blockbusters almost always include slow motion, sometimes comprising a notable share of shots. Goble observed that big-budget films had become highly likely to feature slow motion.
