Tag Archives: action movies

Is Superman II as Good as It Gets for Superman Films?

I saw the trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice this weekend, and I couldn’t help asking: Is this what they think we want in a Superman film? It looks dark, depressing, and charmless – the exact opposite of … Continue reading

Posted in Random Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Braveheart Is a Perfectly Executed Example of Cinematic Chiasmus

Sons of Scotland! I am the Deja Reviewer. And I see a whole army of moviegoers who are here in defiance of casual movie viewing. You’ve come here to dig below the surface of a great film, and dig we … Continue reading

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

5 Reasons Why Star Trek V Needed to Exist

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is generally considered one of the worst Star Trek films, if not the worst. It certainly has ambitious ideas, but the perfect storm of a writers’ strike, an overburdened Industrial Light & Magic, and a … Continue reading

Posted in Random Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Guy Pearce Has Quietly Had a Spectacular Acting Career

I was pleasantly surprised when Guy Pearce showed up in Iron Man 3 because his character fit his career as an actor so oddly well. In that film he plays a nerdy genius named Aldrich Killian who realizes that his … Continue reading

Posted in Random Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

10 Actors Who Owe Their Careers to Someone Else’s Misfortune

A lot of movie casting decisions have compelling stories attached to them. Sometimes actors get a job at someone else’s expense. I’ve discovered 10 examples of actors who owe a lot of their professional success to someone else’s misfortune. Some … Continue reading

Posted in Random Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Everything in Planet of the Apes (1968) Came from These 6 Twilight Zone Episodes

It’s no secret that Rod Serling co-wrote the screenplay to the original Planet of the Apes in 1968. That was four years after his signature TV series, The Twilight Zone, had left the air. I’ve heard people talk about the … Continue reading

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

10 Actors Who Played Diametrically Opposed Characters

A great actor can play anyone, even if it means playing two characters that seem similar in some respects but are actually the opposite of each other in big and small ways. I’ve come up with a list of 10 … Continue reading

Posted in Random Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Whoa! The Matrix Is a Symmetrical Film

The Wachowskis have made yet another box-office bomb in the form of Jupiter Ascending. But that doesn’t mean that all of their films are terrible. I would like to draw your mind back to a time when they seemed like … Continue reading

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Patriot Games Just Got a Whole New Layer of Complexity

While most people were watching the Patriots defeat the Seahawks at the Super Bowl last Sunday, I was watching Patriot Games and discovering something profound about it. What I learned is far more intriguing to me than any football game. … Continue reading

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

10 Clever Uses of Old Pop Songs in Modern Movies

I love good music. And while I appreciate how some films (for example, Star Wars) manage to create a completely original orchestral accompaniment that complements the action, sometimes I like to relax in familiar territory with some good old pop … Continue reading

Posted in Random Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments