Tag Archives: action movies

Raiders of the Lost Ark Is a Symmetrical Masterpiece

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 … Continue reading

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Indiana Jones and the Victims of Their Own Success

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.

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10 Things I Appreciate About Airport 1975

I like Airport. There hadn’t been anything quite like it until it came out in 1970, and it won the Best Picture Academy Award, kickstarting the disaster-movie craze for the rest of the decade. I have a soft spot for … Continue reading

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Clever Foreshadowing in The Dark Knight

I love the dialogue in The Dark Knight. It’s punchy, full of memorable lines, and has plenty of excellent callbacks to Batman Begins and earlier lines within the film itself. “You either die a hero, or you live long enough … Continue reading

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We All Need a Pat on the Back Sometimes

I’d like to share a little story from when I was a new father. My first son was just over a year old when my daughter was born. It was hard having two young babies so close to each other. … Continue reading

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And I Thought My Jokes Were Bad

Remember that 2008 movie where, near the start, a bunch of mobsters’ money disappears from every bank in their city and gets put into one big pot that none of them have control over? And yet they’re told (by the … Continue reading

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Now That’s More Like It, James Cameron

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 … Continue reading

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What Is Best in Life? Finding Conan the Barbarian’s Chiasmus

I’m no longer surprised that my reader Jordan is an amazing prognosticator. He’s proven to be an expert at finding films that follow a chiastic story structure, meaning that the first half and second half mirror each other perfectly. Being … Continue reading

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Steve McQueen Is the King of Name Placement on Movie Posters

I like listening to music as I write. Sometimes I find great music soundtracks on YouTube and listen to them for hours at a time. And one soundtrack I particularly enjoy is the one from The Magnificent Seven (1960). I’ve … Continue reading

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Lightyear Is a Lot of Lego Movie 2 Mixed with a Little Aliens

As I recently watched Lightyear, something became clear. It doesn’t have a very original story. Ironically, Lightyear tried to distance itself from the Toy Story franchise while, at the same time, basing its story on a movie that’s all about … Continue reading

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