When I listed 10 details that elevate WarGames above most thrillers, I criminally left out one of the best characters in the movie, General Beringer. This guy is amazing in every one of his scenes. He has a commanding presence that can’t be ignored, and he’s always so intense and serious that it makes one of his last scenes that much more memorable. He demonstrates the perfect way to deliver and respond to insults. Continue reading
Despite reading all of the available books in the Song of Ice and Fire series, I’ve never watched an episode of Game of Thrones. Despite watching every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as a kid and adult, I haven’t seen a single episode of Star Trek: Picard. And despite enjoying many fantasy stories and films, I haven’t felt any desire to check out The Witcher. Something is wrong. Continue reading
It felt wrong to publish a serious article this week because of the shutdown and worries over the Wuhan virus. I love sharing my thoughts on movies, but this time it just seemed to be besides the point. However, I find that in tough times, a little levity helps a lot. So, in place of a long article, I would like to offer you this quick joke:
What disease feels sorry for Leonardo DiCaprio? Continue reading
I’ve spoken at length about the beautiful story structure of WarGames, and now I’m going to share 10 little touches that make me absolutely love this movie. There are a lot of thrillers out there, but there’s something special about WarGames, and I think these 10 details explain much of its appeal and why it continues to stand out from the crowd as one of the best suspenseful films of all time. Continue reading
I’ve seen Spaceballs many times, and there’s one joke in it that’s always gone over my head. I couldn’t understand why it was in there or what it meant until this past week when it finally dawned on me, and I had a huge “Oooooh!” moment.
Spaceballs cleverly parodies just about everything in the original Star Wars trilogy from Alderaan to Yoda. But there’s one big detail that I used to think it overlooked. There’s a secret, hidden base in the first two movies: Yavin 4 in Star Wars and Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. Is there a secret base in Spaceballs? Well, yes, from a certain point of view. You see, there’s a silly scene that used to weird me out as a kid, but that’s because I didn’t understand the joke. Here it is: Continue reading
I’m not one to obsess over little details, am I? Oh, except for just about every movie I’ve ever written about on this website. Be that as it may, I can’t quite wrap my head around one particular rhyme in the movie Tangled. It comes from the song “Mother Knows Best,” which goes like this: Continue reading
It’s the little things that distinguish James Cameron from other visually impressive action directors like Michael Bay and Zack Snyder. Case in point, Cameron has a strict moral code when it comes to his action sequences that help the audience root for the good guys while also justifying over-the-top brutality and thrills. He always presents his heroes as people of good moral character. Let’s go through examples of how he does this in all his films. Continue reading
