Coming Soon: The Long-Lost Movie I Made as a Teenager

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I’m finally doing it! Back in the summer of 1997, I wrote my first screenplay about a group of four brothers camping in the woods who get terrorized by a creature of pure evil. It was called The Paddielphia Experiment, which is a wordplay on The Philadelphia Experiment and the fact that we had a rather large cat named Paddi. She was a sweet cat, and she would often sleep with her back up against me as I sat and read books for hours on end. But she definitely had a temper, so that’s part of why I wanted to make a movie about her. Continue reading →

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The End of The Ten Commandments (1956) Is the End of the World

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

In a film packed with memorable moments, the creation of the 10 Commandments stands out as quite possibly the best scene in The Ten Commandments (1956). And not just because it is packed with Logos, spirituality, and drama. Another reason this scene is so powerful is because it perfectly represents the end of the world. We can look at this scene and see what is coming in our own future. And that is what we are going to do right now. Continue reading →

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I Was Wrong About Avengers: Endgame

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I got a little cocky after correctly predicting that Spider-Man would finally leave New York City and that Justice League would follow the same format as every other Superman movie. One year ago, I predicted that Avengers: Endgame would begin with Thanos snapping his fingers, which would give us a new perspective on that devastating moment. And I was totally wrong. What happened instead was a pleasant surprise because it ensured I would have no idea what was coming the rest of the film. It’s quite a treat to not know where a story is going and to be delighted by the direction it takes. When it comes to Marvel movies, I don’t have a clue what will happen, so I’ll avoid speculating on them in the future.

Avengers: Endgame turned out to be less of an epic battle movie like Avengers: Infinity War was and more of a feast of character-driven stories. I’m sure it could be compared to many other movies from Back to the Future Part II to Ocean’s Eleven. But the two things it reminded me of the most were the final two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the 1992 Mel Gibson film Forever Young. Continue reading →

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I Found the Mother of All Plot Holes in The Ten Commandments (1956)

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

The Ten Commandments (1956) is one of the best movies ever made. It’s ambitious, awe-inspiring, emotional, and respectful of its source material. Everything I could ask for from a Biblical epic. So it was all the more surprising when I discovered a major plot hole in the film on my most recent viewing of it. Continue reading →

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The Best Compliment I Can Pay Shazam!

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I was pleasantly surprised by Shazam! It wasn’t just the energetic humor or the emotional story at its heart that really stood out to me. I’m sure many people have already praised those aspects of the film. No, the best compliment I can pay Shazam! is that it doesn’t remind me of any other film I can think of. It doesn’t feel like a ripoff, homage, or any other kind of second-hand entertainment. It’s just its own thing.

Shazam! is unlike any other movie I've seen.When I see new movies, I’m on the lookout for similarities to other films. I can’t help it. That part of my brain never shuts off. I found Bumblebee to be an enjoyable rehash of The Iron Giant. Heck, I even compared Avengers: Infinity War to the original Star Wars. Every movie I watch today feels an awful lot like older movies, as though they’re coasting on what worked in the past. So I was shocked when I saw a story unfold that was full of fun surprises and unpredictable twists. Continue reading →

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9 Types of Prayer on Film

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

As a praying man, I like to see the Almighty addressed reverently in films. But I also have a sense of humor, and so I don’t mind poking fun a little when it comes to conversing with God. With this in mind, I’d like to present nine types of prayer used in films, some of which are serious and some of which are humorous. I’m sure there are plenty of other examples and types I didn’t include, but let’s not get bogged down in the minutia or we won’t have a prayer of making it through. Continue reading →

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What I Hope to See in Bill and Ted 3

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

My apologies to Nate Hoffelder. He sent me an amazing idea for an April Fools Day joke, but I unfortunately couldn’t bring it to fruition in time. Instead, I have something equally amazing to talk about.

If you’re like me, you have heard rumors for years that a third Bill and Ted movie is coming, and you’ve dismissed them out of hand. It’s simply not possible to keep getting your hopes up only to have them dashed time after time. But now it looks like it’s finally happening. And it’s going to be called Bill and Ted Face the Music. The original writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon are back. Actors Alex Winters and Keanu Reeves are back. Everything is in place to make a solid final chapter in the saga of Bill and Ted. I am excited. Here’s what I hope to see in Bill and Ted 3. Continue reading →

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The Beast Died of a Broken Heart

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Gaston may have shot him with an arrow and stabbed him in the back, but it was Beauty killed the Beast in Beauty and the Beast (1991). I’d like to walk through the scene in which the Beast dies to explain what is going on beneath the surface. This scene means so much to me because it reminds me of my own experience losing and then winning back the girl who would become my wife. So I have a unique perspective on it that can explain some things most people wouldn’t pick up on. Continue reading →

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My Heart Aches for This Poor Man

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Prepare to meet a broken man who has been beaten down to the point of despair and whose cries of anguish and frustration are met with indifference. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a video quite so raw and heartbreaking as this one, and I felt compelled to talk about it for reasons I will discuss below. The video is nearly 27 minutes long, but it’s worth a watch because it’s like examining the shattered remains of a once-beautiful sculpture. You can see hints of nobility in his suffering. Continue reading →

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Sequel-Proof Movies That Somehow Got Sequels

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

There are some movies that you can tell the filmmakers never intended to make a sequel to. They either just wanted to tell a solid, self-contained story or they wanted to eliminate the possibility that anyone would even attempt to follow in their footsteps. Here are 10 examples of sequel-proof movies that actually got sequels. Continue reading →

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