Pride and Prejudice (1995) Is a Beautiful Chiasmus (Complete)

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

This is a love letter to my wife. When we got married 14 years ago, I had never read Pride and Prejudice. But it’s my wife’s favorite book, so she encouraged me to read it. Of course, I had to comply with her wish. I imagine she was equal parts gratified and mortified by that decision. Because I ran to her every time a shocking revelation came to light, even though they were all old hat to her.

“Can you believe who Mr. Collins got engaged to?” I asked her in utter disbelief. “Did Mr. Darcy really just admit that? He’s such a jerk!” I forcefully declared. “How could Lydia do that?” I moaned to her in despair. And much more. And my wife just patiently patted my shoulder and, like Mr. Bennett, simply said, “Read on.”

And now I get to echo her words by telling you, my amazing readers, if you want to see how the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice works as a chiasmus, read on! Continue reading →

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Pride and Prejudice (1995) Is a Beautiful Chiasmus (Part 3)

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Once again we return to Pride and Prejudice (1995), the famous BBC miniseries that just so happens to be a perfect chiasmus. In the first part, we explored how Episodes 1 and 6 match up. In the second part, we did the same to Episodes 2 and 5. And now it’s time to set our sights on Episodes 3 and 4.

Quite possibly the most crucial part of the chiasmus, the middle point is where things come into focus and we see what is at the heart of the story. The chiasmus builds to its climax in the exact center where it repeats itself for the first time. And Pride and Prejudice does not disappoint. It has one of the best turning points I’ve ever seen in a Cinematic Chiasmus.

I’m so excited to finally lay this all out for you to see. Let’s not waste any time.

The Chiasmus

The chiasmus in Episodes 3 and 4 of Pride and Prejudice can be summed up thusly: Continue reading →

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Pride and Prejudice (1995) Is a Beautiful Chiasmus (Part 2)

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Let’s continue this in-depth analysis of the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries to discover more of how its chiasmus works. It’s truly breathtaking. If you thought the first part of this chiasmus was interesting, just wait until you see how it continues into Episodes 2 and 5.

The Chiasmus

Here is a brief overview of the chiasmus in these two episodes of Pride and Prejudice. Continue reading →

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Pride and Prejudice (1995) Is a Beautiful Chiasmus (Part 1)

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Pride and Prejudice (1995) is not only quite possibly the best BBC miniseries of all time, but it is also the most complex Cinematic Chiasmus I have ever found. For this reason, I have chosen to separate this article into three parts. The miniseries itself is separated into six episodes. That made the chiasmus nice and neat because each episode mirrors the one on the opposite side from it. So Episode 1 and Episode 6 mirror each other, as do Episode 2 and Episode 5, and Episode 3 and Episode 4. The turning point of the entire chiasmus takes place at the end of Episode 3 and the start of Episode 4.

In this first part, I will cover the chiasmus contained in Episode 1 and Episode 6. Thus, we will get to see how the beginning and end of the story symmetrically connect.

The Chiasmus

Remember that this is only the first third of the chiasmus. Here is what it looks like in its briefest form: Continue reading →

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The Most Epic Cinematic Chiasmus I’ve Ever Done

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

We’re starting 2023 with a bang. I’ve taken on the unprecedented task of uncovering the incredible chiasmus found in Pride and Prejudice (1995). That’s right, the BBC miniseries. Not a two-hour movie or even a trilogy of movies. I’m talking about a 5-and-a-half-hour miniseries broken up into six episodes. This rivals, if not exceeds, the complexity of my Dark Knight Trilogy Cinematic Chiasmus.

For such an unprecedented task, I’m taking the unprecedented step of publishing this chiasmus over the course of an entire month. Every Tuesday in January will be dedicated to this Pride and Prejudice Cinematic Chiasmus. Here’s how the schedule will go: Continue reading →

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In God We Trust

Posted on December 25, 2022 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

"In God We Trust" is the key to Kris Kringle's freedom in Miracle on 34th Street.I recently watched the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street for the first time. I’d seen the 1947 original before, so I was fully expecting a recreation of the famous court scene. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find something totally different. There was no direct proof that Kris Kringle is actually Santa Claus based on physical evidence from the post office. Instead, there was a beautiful illustration of the fact that we, as a country, already believe in a Being we can’t prove the existence of.

You can watch the scene here. It’s less than two minutes in length, and it’s well worth your time on this fine Christmas Day. Continue reading →

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Now That’s More Like It, James Cameron

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

It’s no secret that I hated Avatar. I saw it on Christmas Day in 2009, and I was sorely disappointed. James Cameron has written and directed some of my favorite films of all time, including The Abyss, Aliens, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. So it was truly frustrating to watch a genius filmmaker recycle old ideas from his previous films in the most simplistic way possible in Avatar.

That movie made piles of money because everyone else in the world was distracted enough by the beautiful visuals to look past its bland story and characters. So here we are 13 years later with a sequel entitled Avatar: The Way of Water. I watched it on Thursday, December 15, 2022 with some friends of mine who were holding me to a promise I made many years ago.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m committed to watching every Avatar sequel. Going into the theater, I was expecting to be in immense pain as I would be once again disappointed. However, my worry soon evaporated when I found myself enjoying this film. I’m not saying it’s the greatest movie ever made or anything like that. But it’s not dull, and it’s much better than the first one. I actually found quite a lot I enjoyed about it. And I’d like to talk about the things that won me over. Continue reading →

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas Improves on Multiple Viewings

Posted on December 13, 2022 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

The first time I watched the 2000 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I wasn’t impressed. The off-putting character designs, Jim Carrey’s strange voice, and the forced sentimentality all combined to make me dislike that movie from the start.

However, having children often allows parents to revisit old things and give them another chance. In this case, my kids recently wanted to watch this movie, and I couldn’t help catching a glimpse or two of some scenes as they watched it. And I was shocked. Instead of finding the performances grating, I found them endearing. It was my wife who helped me put into words the change of perspective I had. I’ll save that reveal for later. It made all the difference, and I’m excited to share it with you.

So let’s find out why How the Grinch Stole Christmas improves on multiple viewings! Continue reading →

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Final Destination Is Unique Among Movie Series

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

“You either die a hero, or you see yourself live long enough to become the villain.” Those wise words were ironically spoken by Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, arguably the greatest Batman movie (if not comic book movie) of all time. The filmmakers and studio couldn’t take their own advice, though.

Plenty of Batman movies (of varying degrees of quality) have premiered since that one. The Dark Knight Rises, The Lego Batman Movie, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and The Batman. And there will likely be plenty of other adaptations of the Caped Crusader in the future.

In truth, it’s impossible for Batman to end on a high note. When he has an artistic and financial triumph like Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, it just leaves fans craving more. Plus, he’s too well known to leave alone for long. Continue reading →

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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Spa

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Life doesn’t always go the way we expect. Take, for example, my most recent visit to a spa.

The older I get, the achier I feel. My shoulders tend to get extremely sore from time to time. To combat this, I’ve been getting massages every few months. My favorite place to get a massage is at the Seasons Salon and Day Spa in Orem, Utah. I’ve tried numerous other massage places, but I keep returning to this one because they always do the best job. I say this as someone getting no compensation to endorse them. I’m an impartial judge.

Two Thursdays ago, I set an appointment with them to come in as soon as they opened on Saturday, 11/19/2022. Little did I know that something wholly unexpected was about to happen that day. A funny thing happened on the way to the spa, if you will. Not funny haha, but more like strange and unfortunate.

I was approaching in my car but, as I was waiting at a stoplight, I noticed something odd. There were ambulances and firetrucks with their lights on blocking the entrance into the parking lot of the spa. I decided it would probably be best if I turned into a grocery store parking lot just before the spa. It looked like there was a major fire engulfing a building. So I got out of my car and started taking pictures. Here’s what I captured as I got closer to the source. Continue reading →

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