Using essays on such topics as musical films, superheroes, the sublime, morphing, science fiction, special effects, and amusement parks to illustrate his argument, Scott Bukatman’s collection explores the importance of popular culture in relation to the possibilities of flight offered to the body in constricted environments. His celebration of the sense of liberated movement offered by popular culture's varying forms of entertainment offers insight into the necessity of these types of spectacle and play in light of the frightening realities of our culture.