Category: Articles
Musical Snares: ‘Cavalleria,’ ‘Raging Bull,’ ‘The Godfather: Part III’ and Art’s Integrity
If a great piece of existing music is used to accentuate a brilliant sequence in one film and then, much later, employed as the background for another superb scene, is the music’s impact—as well as its context—diluted? This question has troubled me for a long time, as it concerns the nature and purpose of art…
18 thoughts on the 2018 Academy Awards
Another Oscars has come and gone and, well, given the explosive events of 2017, it was fairly benign. No big upsets. No big controversies. A few nice moments and a few groaning embarrassments, but overall, pretty tame. But here are about a thousand thoughts about it anyway. Right off the bat, they missed the best…
Puppet the Critic Show: Blade Runner 2049
It’s an odd time we’re living in when it comes to visual media. We have TV shows that should’ve been movies, to cut out the filler (I’m talking about you Stranger Things). What about that one board game that actually made a decent horror flick? I’m looking at you, Ouija 2, directed by the talented…
The Surviving Stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age
The oldest actress to appear in a feature film unfortunately passed away in 1997 at the age of 122. Coincidentally, she is also the oldest person ever on record. Jeanne Calment, at the young age of 114, made a guest appearance in the 1990 film Vincent and Me; technically making her an actress. Whilst many more well-established Hollywood Golden Age…
Why good sequels are bad sequels: Blade Runner 2049 and the building of worlds
After recently watching Blade Runner 2049, I found myself in a conflicted state. On the one hand, I felt that Denis Villeneuve had done an outstanding job of embracing the spirit of Ridley Scott’s original whilst finding a way to express his own unique vision – one that was undoubtedly beautiful, intelligent and often awe…