The Intricate Chiasmus of Ever After Will Leave You Stunned

Posted on July 1, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Few movies have such a special power over me as Ever After. The Cinderella story has been told numerous times, but this version stands out because of its beautiful music, messages, and performances. And I’d like to add yet another reason to adore and stand in awe of Ever After: it’s a chiasmus!

I had a good feeling about this film years ago, and it’s taken me a while to get around to discovering its chiasmus. But this one is worth the wait because, as you will discover, its chiasmus is incredibly complex and beautiful. I’m dumbfounded by all the connections I found as I explored it.

Let’s begin this analysis right. Once upon a time, there was a romantic film called Ever After that managed to tell its story in a perfectly symmetrical way. Continue reading →

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Is Forbidden Planet’s Chiasmus a Happy Accident or Did They Plan It?

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Forbidden Planet is a wonderful movie. It predated Star Trek, Alien, and other popular science fiction tales, and it set the stage for the direction they would take. As it turns out, it also established an important precedent in the way its story unfolds. You see, it’s a chiasmus, just like Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and the entire Alien Trilogy. That means that its first half mirrors its second half perfectly.

This Cinematic Chiasmus is special. It’s the latest one recommended by my friend Jordan, who has previously been right about Tron, Escape from New York, Dreamscape, Akira, Conan the Barbarian, Scream, Goldfinger, Revenge of the Sith, X2: X-Men United, and The Running Man. That’s an impressive streak.

Let’s add another feather to his cap by uncovering the symmetrical story of the classic film Forbidden Planet. Continue reading →

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Why Didn’t Steve Guttenberg Become as Big as Tom Hanks?

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Some movie stars get big because they appear in big movies. Others make movies big by their very presence in them.

For example, there are two actors who started out around the same time in the early 1980s: Tom Hanks and Steve Guttenberg. One became a household name and the other has been mostly forgotten. Why is that? Guttenberg seemed primed to be a major movie star after a string of hits, while Hanks struggled to find his footing for a while but once he did, he became one of the most popular actors of all time.

Let’s explore similarities between these actors and see why they veered off in different directions. Continue reading →

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I Was Dead Wrong About the Final Destination Series

Posted on June 10, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

At the end of 2022, I wrote an article called “Final Destination Is Unique Among Movie Series.” I felt safe in making this pronouncement because it had been 11 years since the debut of the last film in the series, Final Destination 5. The series appeared to be well and truly dead.

Boy was I wrong. Continue reading →

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Be Prepared

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Life doesn’t always go the way we expect. My mom used to joke, “If you ever want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.” That’s not to say that God is cruel, but I suppose it’s like hearing a child tell his parent that he wants to raise unicorns and fawns in Narnia when he grows up. We who know better can’t help but laugh at such a wrongheaded idea.

I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer. And I have felt divine guidance in that quest, so I don’t think that plan was off-base. In addition, I have strived to better myself by forgiving as I would like to be forgiven, being a friend to everyone, loving my wife and children to the best of my ability, and humbling myself rather than being forced to be humble. As I did these things, I readied myself for the hard times that inevitably come. Continue reading →

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Why I Love The Sound of Music Even More Than Bluey

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Bluey is a great TV show. The music is excellent to listen to, often referencing classical compositions. The visuals are compelling and rich. And the stories are frequently moving. Its primary audience is children, yet it also speaks to adults in surprising ways. I’ve enjoyed watching it for the past few years, and I’ve loved all the lessons it shares, such as:

  • Obey your parents, not because they’re bigger than you or bossy but because they have your best interests at heart. We learn that in “Tina” and “Show and Tell.”
  • Patience is a virtue, and it’s important to obey the Golden Rule. “Slide” and “Army” teach us this lesson.
  • Self-sacrifice shows true love. We see that in “Hairdressers” and “Fancy Restaurant.”
  • There’s a difference between meekness and weakness. “Circus” and “Granny Mobile” demonstrate this dichotomy.
  • The truth will set you free, as we discover in “Bus,” “Family Meeting,” and “Fairytale.”
  • Gratitude and appreciation are highlighted in “Barbecue.”
  • “Copycat” teaches us that this life is temporary, and it’s sad when it ends.
  • The importance of humility and the dangers of pride are revealed in “Library” and “Cricket.”

The thing is that there’s a throughline in all of these lessons. Can you tell what it is? That’s what I want to talk about in this article. Continue reading →

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What All Borrowers Truly Need

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

A wise king once said, “Are we not all beggars?” That begs the question: who are we begging from and what have we borrowed? I’ll answer that a little later. First, I’ve been hearing on the news about people worried about how to repay their student loans in addition to all the other debts they have. Credit cards, buy now pay later, car loans, and even mortgages are weighing heavily on people’s minds.

A vanishingly small number of people can claim to be debt-free. And even they are still indebted to someone. Borrowers are becoming hopeless, but I want to make it clear that there is a way out of this awful situation. Continue reading →

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A Mortgage Was Burned and 3 Lessons Were Learned

Posted on May 13, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

For someone like me, throwing a party is hard. I’m not eager to make a public spectacle of myself, but I do love making personal connections with good people. My shyness is partly why it took me nearly three years after I paid off my mortgage to actually throw a mortgage-burning party in celebration of being debt-free.

I’m happy to report that my mortgage-burning party went perfectly. About 70 of my friends came and enjoyed great food and conversation, and they got a signed copy of my joke book. I gave a little speech in which I read the poem I wrote called “Ode to the Bank” and then I burned the mortgage itself.

Here are three things I learned from throwing this party. Continue reading →

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The Running Man Comes Full Circle in an Action-Packed Chiasmus

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Unlike Ben Richards, I definitely do requests. And when my amazing reader Jordan asks me to analyze a film to see if it’s a chiasmus, I always say yes! He has a perfect track record, helping me discover the chiasmus in Tron, Escape from New York, Dreamscape, Akira, Conan the Barbarian, Scream, Goldfinger, Revenge of the Sith, and X2: X-Men United.

Now he gets to add The Running Man, the classic 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie, to his trophy case. That’s right, a movie about a dystopian future where mankind is ruled by a totalitarian regime and lulled to sleep by bread and circuses is told in a way that is perfectly symmetrical.

Let’s find out how The Running Man manages to create a chiasmus. Continue reading →

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X2: X-Men United Is an Extraordinary Chiasmus

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I mentioned weeks ago that Jordan asked me to see if X2: X-Men United is a chiasmus, and I agreed. Unfortunately, I got very sick shortly after that, so it took me quite a while to make good on that promise. But I’ve mostly recovered my health, and I have finally figured out that yes, indeed, X2 is an extraordinarily symmetrical film.

Jordan is the same incredibly gifted reader who has an unblemished record of recommending films that turn out to be chiasma. He’s already recommended Tron, Escape from New York, Dreamscape, Akira, Conan the Barbarian, Scream, Goldfinger, and Revenge of the Sith. And all of them turned into amazing articles.

Let’s cut to the chase and see how X2’s chiasmus looks! Continue reading →

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