I want to be upfront about something: I have spent a genuinely embarrassing amount of time thinking about Disney princesses. Not in a weird way. More in a I-grew-up-loving-these-movies-and-now-I-can't-turn-my-brain-off kind of way. If you've spent any time around this blog, that probably doesn't surprise you. Here's the thing about Disney princesses that I find endlessly … Continue reading The Evolution of Disney Princesses
Film
The Worst 29 – Hero
Hero 1992 Directed by Stephen Frears Welcome back to Movie Monday, where we continue the slow, occasionally painful march down my personal ranking of cinematic disappointments. We're at number 29 now, which means we're creeping up the list toward films that are, theoretically, slightly less bad than the ones below them. That's the deal with … Continue reading The Worst 29 – Hero
Biopics as Oscar Bait: Analyzing the Genre’s Success at Award Shows
Let me be upfront with you: I have a complicated relationship with biopics. On one hand, I genuinely love a well-crafted biographical film. When the right actor inhabits the right real-life figure and the whole thing just clicks, there's a kind of electricity to it that pure fiction can't always manufacture. You're not just watching … Continue reading Biopics as Oscar Bait: Analyzing the Genre’s Success at Award Shows
Disney 22 – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 1977 Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and John Lounsbery Welcome back to Movie Monday! As we do every first Monday of the month, we're setting aside the cinematic disasters for a palate cleanser. This month we're visiting the Hundred Acre Wood with Disney's 1977 compilation film The Many Adventures … Continue reading Disney 22 – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Worst 30 – Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead 1991 Directed by Stephen Herek Welcome back to Movie Monday, where we continue making our way down my personal list of cinematic disappointments, one ranking at a time. The usual disclaimers apply: this list is mine, it's subjective, and it's shaped by nothing more scientific than years of head-to-head … Continue reading The Worst 30 – Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
Scream Queens: The Evolution of Strong Female Leads in Horror
There's a moment in the original Halloween — you've probably seen it a hundred times — where Laurie Strode is huddled in a closet, crying, trying to hold herself together while Michael Myers is literally just on the other side of the door. And she does something remarkable. She stops crying, fashions a weapon out … Continue reading Scream Queens: The Evolution of Strong Female Leads in Horror
The Worst 31 – The Gods Must Be Crazy II
The Gods Must Be Crazy II 1989 Directed by Jamie Uys Welcome back to Movie Monday, where we continue the long, winding journey through my personal list of cinematic disappointments. As always, the standard disclaimer applies: this list is entirely subjective, shaped by my own experiences and tastes. If The Gods Must Be Crazy II … Continue reading The Worst 31 – The Gods Must Be Crazy II
Hughes’ Chicago: How the Windy City Shaped His Cinematic Universe
There’s a scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that stops everything. Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane stand in the Art Institute of Chicago, staring at Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. The camera slowly pushes in on Cameron’s face — then cuts to the painting’s dots of color dissolving into abstraction. No dialogue. No … Continue reading Hughes’ Chicago: How the Windy City Shaped His Cinematic Universe
When Battleship Wakes You Up: A Defense of Board Game Movies (Done Right)
Let me set the scene: It's a weeknight, I'm exhausted, and I decide to wind down with Regarding Henry on YouTube. (Yes, YouTube has an entire library of free movies—you're welcome for that public service announcement.) Somewhere during Harrison Ford's amnesia-induced moral awakening, I drift off. Natural. Expected. What I don't expect is waking up … Continue reading When Battleship Wakes You Up: A Defense of Board Game Movies (Done Right)
The Worst 32 – Rumpelstiltskin
Rumpelstiltskin 1987 Directed by David Irving Welcome back to Movie Monday, where I continue my journey through the cinematic wasteland of films that have earned permanent residence in my personal hall of shame. As always, the disclaimer: this list is purely subjective, shaped by my own experiences and tastes. If Rumpelstiltskin holds a special place … Continue reading The Worst 32 – Rumpelstiltskin
The Confusing Middle 