Movie Matchups: Mrs. Doubtfire vs. Liar Liar

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Remember that amazing mid-‘90s comedy about a divorced man trying to be a good dad that stars a legendary comedian at the height of his career? That’s right, I’m talking about Liar Liar pants on Mrs. Doubtfire.

That is, I’m talking about those two films, which starred Jim Carrey and Robin Williams, respectively. Imagine if those two actors had ever starred in a film together. Now that would have been a comedy for the ages.

Liar Liar and Mrs. Doubtfire have a surprising number of things in common, and we’re about to go through them all. Continue reading →

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I Figured Out What Dune (1984) Is Missing

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Frank Herbert’s Dune is one of my favorite books. And David Lynch’s Dune (1984) is a guilty pleasure of mine. For a long time, I’ve been fascinated by its failure. What is it about that interpretation of Dune that doesn’t work? I finally figured it out, and I’d like to share it with you because it points to a critical element of every film. Continue reading →

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The Person I Wish Would Read This Never Will

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I’m writing this to someone I knew once, even though I don’t think they will ever read it. I can’t even remember her name. I think it was Sister Dill, so that’s what I’ll call her. She wasn’t a nun, but just a regular member of my church who accepted the calling to teach my Primary class when I was a boy of about 8. Continue reading →

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The Brilliance of Clue’s 3 Endings

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

There's no one single villain in the board game Clue.Clue is a remarkable movie. It managed to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of turning a simple board game into a richly dark comedy. The brilliance of the filmmakers is that they realized this isn’t an Agatha Christie whodunnit where there is just one murderer with a clear motive. In this case, everyone has a motive and opportunity to murder. And since this is a board game put to screen, the bad guy is a matter of pure chance.

That’s certainly true of the source material. Whenever you pick the murderer, weapon, and location of the murder at the start of a game, it changes. So there’s no way to know the who, what, or where that is involved until you untangle all the clues. Continue reading →

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All 6 Terminator Films Summed Up in a Few Words

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Each Terminator movie can be summed up in just a few words.We’re going to use a little clever wordplay to boil down each movie in the Terminator series to its essence. Okay, most of these descriptions are more than one word, but I’m including them in the One-Word Film Reviews section because they’re along those lines. I hope you enjoy. Continue reading →

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The Biggest Problem with Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I remember somehow watching Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead as a kid and actually enjoying it. I’m not sure if my mom even knew I saw it. It must have been the film’s final part that won me over because that’s when things finally start going right, and I like seeing goodness prevail.

However, I feel differently about the film now. I checked it out at the library last week to show my wife because I was oddly in the mood for it. I thought it would be a fun feel-good kind of experience to revisit. At least I hoped it would.

Now I owe my wife an apology because it turned out to be not a diamond in the rough but a polished turd. Continue reading →

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10 Examples of Hypnotic Movie Music

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Some music sounds like circles – spirals of sound that send your consciousness down an engrossing path. Here are 10 examples of absolutely hypnotizing movie music that draw me in every time I hear them, and I have to listen to them to the end. Continue reading →

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I Wish I Had Seen This Ventriloquist Special as a Kid

Posted on June 13, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

My wife recently introduced our kids and me to a TV special from 1988 starring a ventriloquist named Ronn Lucas. Actually, it’s starring a dummy named Buffalo Billy, while Lucas just kind of bumbles his way through the show. Of course, I’m being facetious. The man is a genius! His special is called Who’s in Charge Here? and it is on par with the best children’s entertainment I ever saw as a child. Continue reading →

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Raiders of the Lost Ark Is a Symmetrical Masterpiece

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I know I said that I have three more Cinematic Chiasmus articles to write, which were submitted by a reader of mine named Jay. I promise I’ll get to those. But I had such a powerful impression that I needed to write this one right now that I simply couldn’t ignore it.

While writing last week’s article about Indiana Jones, I suddenly felt sure that Raiders of the Lost Ark was a chiasmus. I rewatched that movie and found it to be true! Just in case you needed another reason to love this cinematic masterpiece, here you go. Continue reading →

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Indiana Jones and the Victims of Their Own Success

Posted on May 30, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Last December, I talked about Final Destination being a rarity among film franchises for ending on a high note. Now it’s time to talk about its antithesis. Continue reading →

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