There are directors and there are composers, and then there are pairings so fused that it becomes hard to imagine one without the other. Hitchcock had Herrmann, at least for a while. Burton has Elfman, most of the time. But no director-composer relationship in film history has lasted longer, produced more, or shaped the sound … Continue reading Two Notes, Five Notes, and Fifty Years: How John Williams Became the Sound of Steven Spielberg
Movies I’ve Seen
The Evolution of Severus Snape: From Antagonist to Tragic Hero
There is a moment in the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that nobody remembers, because it has nothing to do with Severus Snape. A baby is left on a doorstep. A scar is described. A nosey cat goes uncommented on by passing Muggles. But J.K. Rowling has said that by the … Continue reading The Evolution of Severus Snape: From Antagonist to Tragic Hero
The Worst 14 – Babe: Pig in the City
Babe: Pig in the City 1998 Directed by George Miller Before we get into it, the standard disclaimer applies: everything below is my own opinion, shaped by my own viewing experience, and none of it is meant as a knock on anyone who genuinely enjoys this movie. If you grew up with Babe: Pig in … Continue reading The Worst 14 – Babe: Pig in the City
The Worst 15 – The Fly II
The Fly II 1989 Directed by Chris Walas Before we get into it, the standard disclaimer applies: everything below is my own opinion, shaped by my own viewing experience, and none of it is meant as a knock on anyone who genuinely enjoys this movie. If you grew up with The Fly II on cable … Continue reading The Worst 15 – The Fly II
The Worst 16 – Welcome to Mooseport
Welcome to Mooseport 2004 Directed by Donald Petrie Before we go any further, the standard disclaimer applies: everything you are about to read represents my own opinion, shaped by my own particular experience with this film, and none of it is intended as a criticism of anyone who genuinely loves Welcome to Mooseport. Maybe it … Continue reading The Worst 16 – Welcome to Mooseport
Jack Byrnes Broke Me: Why I’m Done with the Fockers
There are movies that you remember fondly precisely because you experienced them at the right time, in the right place, with the right mindset. Meet the Parents was that movie for me. When it hit theaters in October 2000, it felt like an instant classic — a comedy that was equally smart and broad, anchored … Continue reading Jack Byrnes Broke Me: Why I’m Done with the Fockers
Disney 26 – The Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective 1986 Directed by John Musker, Ron Clements, Dave Michener, and Burny Mattinson Welcome back to Movie Monday. It's the first Monday of the month, which means we're taking our usual break from the cinematic bargain bin to spend some time with something I actually enjoy. And this month, we're staying in … Continue reading Disney 26 – The Great Mouse Detective
Stargate: Building a TV Universe from a Single Film
Here's something worth thinking about as Amazon MGM Studios gears up for a brand new Stargate series: a movie that Roger Ebert once called out by name as evidence of cinema at its worst somehow spawned over 15 years of television, 364 episodes across three live-action series, two direct-to-DVD films, and a Guinness World Record. … Continue reading Stargate: Building a TV Universe from a Single Film
The Worst 17 – Wild Things
Wild Things 1998 Directed by John McNaughton Welcome back to Movie Monday. The standard disclaimer applies before we go any further: everything below is my own opinion, shaped by my own particular experience with this film, and none of it is meant as a criticism of anyone who genuinely loves Wild Things. Maybe it holds … Continue reading The Worst 17 – Wild Things
Welcome to Shermer, Illinois
Before the MCU. Before the DCEU. Before every major studio started scrambling to stitch their films together into a grand shared mythology with its own timeline, its own rules, and its own inevitable crossover event, there was a quiet suburb of Chicago that most people drove right past without realizing it. There was Shermer, Illinois. … Continue reading Welcome to Shermer, Illinois
The Confusing Middle 