I think that anyone who thinks the reveal of Rosebud at the end of Citizen Kane is anticlimactic are missing the primary point of the movie. Citizen Kane is not a traditional narrative. Charles Foster Kane is revealed to the…
Tag: Movies
Movies, Neglected Cinema
1970’s Scrooge is a magical take on the classic Dickens tale
We all rewatch movies. Why? To relive that initial experience? To analyze the acting, directing, or screenplay? Or are we simply creatures of habit, replaying on a favorite film like one would slip on a pair of comfortable slippers? The…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
Penn and Teller Get Killed is an odd look into the minds of the master magicians
“Don’t pout! I’ve got a goddamn knife in my stomach!” I love Penn and Teller. They are incredibly talented, witty and brilliant entertainers. That their socioeconomic and political views align almost 100% with mine makes me appreciate them all the…
Disney, Movies, My Quora answers
Why did Disney choose to create new characters in Wreck-It-Ralph instead of using existing video game characters?
The answer is simple, and to explain it I will quote Yogurt from Spaceballs: "Merchandising! Merchandising!" If Disney used existing characters from classic video games as the protagonists, they would have to share/pay substantial licensing fees to the companies that…
Disney, Geek, Movies
Disney buys Star Wars: One fan’s perspective
Slow news day. As we are all still reeling in the east coast from Hurricane Sandy, and seeing the devastating aftermath, there is no logical reason at all to get worked up over an announcement of yet another corporate acquisition.…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
In the Mouth of Madness is Lovecraft, John Carpenter style
John Carpenter has read the works of H.P. Lovecraft. That point is abundantly clear when you watch his loving homage to the works of Lovecraft, In the Mouth of Madness. Starring Sam Neill as a private investigator, the movie opens…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is Bond at his most underrated
Tomorrow October 5th is “James Bond Day”, a new international holiday that also happens to occur just before the release of the new Bond film Skyfall (wow, what a coincidence). To celebrate Bond day I rewatched one of my favorite…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
The Ruling Class is a dark, overlooked classic
As I sat down to rewatch The Ruling Class, the 1972 British black comedy, I remembered the first time I watched it. It was at the suggestion of a good friend, who said to my 19-year-old self, “If you consider…
Geek, Movies, Trek
My Top 10 List of seminal Science Fiction films
Top 10 Lists: Everybody’s doing them! I just read Film.com‘s list of the top 50 science fiction films, and I… disagreed (and apparently I’m not alone). Not violently, but enough to prompt this, my absolutely biased look at the top…
Movies, Neglected Cinema, Trek
Never give up, never surrender: Galaxy Quest is one of the best Star Trek movies ever made
Next week I will be flying to Las Vegas to join some friends for the official Star Trek convention. I plan on meeting some celebrities, having some great conversations, and generally having a good time (no, I won’t be in…
Movies, My Quora answers, Orson Welles
What are the ten best movies of all time?
I'm looking at this question semi-scientifically. When you look at the 10 "best" of anything, you have to look at the characteristics of that "thing" and then find examples where every identified characteristic is exemplary. For movies, I think the…
Movies, Neglected Cinema, TV
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me blu-ray review
On February 23rd, 1989, Laura Palmer died. And we all heard about it. That’s the date, in the fictional world of Twin Peaks, that the high school homecoming queen met her end… The pivotal event that was the moment that…
Movies, My Quora answers
Why are British detectives and spies depicted as more sophisticated than American detectives and spies, even in American movies?
Why are the British detectives and spies portrayed as more sophisticated than Americans in our movies? Three reasons I can think of. First, the genres and the archetypes of said genres both come from the United Kingdom, in an age…
Movies, My Quora answers
What movies do people enjoy watching over and over, and why?
A purely subjective list, obviously… here’s mine. Singin’ in The Rain – The best musical, ever. It is pure happiness in cinematic form. It’ll cure what ails you! The Godfather – The best movie, ever. It’s flawless. Citizen Kane –…
Movies, My Quora answers
Who is the protagonist in Hitchock’s "Psycho?"
There are two protagonists. The first is clearly Marion Crane, who we invest our emotional energy in as she attempts to steal the money and start a new life with her boyfriend Sam Loomis. Then… after a shower that goes…
Movies, My Quora answers
What is the best action movie of all time?
With all due respect to the surveys, the best action movie of all time is Raiders of the Lost Ark. It has the best script, the best action sequences and the best action hero (besides James Bond) of all time…