Tag Archives: films

I’m Trying

“I’m trying” is a deceptively simple statement because, in spite of its brevity, it can have two meanings. The most obvious one is that I’m attempting to do something difficult. The other one is that I’m taxing someone’s patience. In … Continue reading

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Groundhog Day and the Importance of Doing Things in the Right Order

Have you ever noticed something interesting about the way Phil Connors ends his two “perfect” days with Rita Hanson? He says nearly the same things, but he gets completely opposite results. The first time Phil gets Rita to care about … Continue reading

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When Was the Last Time You Said, ‘That’s the Coolest Thing I’ve Ever Seen’?

I love movies. There’s a power in being shown something I’ve never seen before. In my life, I’ve had many times when I’ve been able to say, “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” However, I worry that that’s becoming … Continue reading

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60 Examples of Cinematic Chiasmus

Since 2014, I have written a lot of Cinematic Chiasmus articles. These explore the symmetry of individual films, trilogies, and even TV miniseries. I would like to present about 60 films (give or take) that mirror themselves in remarkable ways. … Continue reading

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This Scene from Witness Shows What Happens When People Don’t Act Christian Anymore

It’s not normal to return good for evil or to love one’s enemies. For most of world history, we have accounts of people seeking revenge for wrongs committed against them, hating their enemies, and allowing anger to supersede patience and … Continue reading

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Movie Matchups: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse vs. Back to the Future Part II

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is similar in many ways to Back to the Future Part II. I’m too excited to say much more than that in this introduction, so let’s just fly through their connections and see what sticks.

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When Bill Murray Turned a Baby Ruth Into a Tootsie Roll

All right, I’m in the mood for something fun. And since it’s nearly Halloween, I want to relate it to candy.

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Edge of Tomorrow’s Most Impressive Parlor Trick

In Edge of Tomorrow, Major William Cage experiences a time loop every time he is killed in battle fighting a horde of aliens called mimics. He also falls in love with a fellow soldier named Rita Vrataski along the way. … Continue reading

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Why Idiocracy Speaks to Me on a Personal Level

When people watch Idiocracy, I imagine most of them are focused on the world it creates, not the main character Joe Bauers. He’s just supposed to be a vessel for reacting to all the craziness around him. But when I … Continue reading

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Like Its Predecessor, Tron: Legacy Is a Symmetrical Film

What an interesting situation this is. You see, Tron was the first complete Cinematic Chiasmus I found as a result of a reader making that suggestion to me. That was Jordan, the same one responsible for Escape from New York, … Continue reading

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