Tag Archives: films

My Favorite 20 Seconds of the Independence Day Soundtrack

Independence Day is a bombastic movie with an equally bombastic soundtrack. I love it for its simplicity. The villains have scary music, and the heroes have heroic music. Not much ambiguity there. But there are about 20 seconds tucked away … Continue reading

Posted in Videos, Significant Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Like RoboCop, Starship Troopers Is as Symmetrical as It Is Satirical

My Cinematic Chiasmus series began 12 years ago with 1987’s RoboCop, a film directed by Paul Verhoeven, produced by Jon Davison, and co-written by Ed Neumeier. I had noticed that the film seemed to repeat itself quite a bit, and … Continue reading

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Kinship with Daniel Jackson in Stargate

Stargate is a really good movie. It takes a compelling concept and turns it into a fun adventure that spans the known universe. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about today. What I actually want to focus on … Continue reading

Posted in Random Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Everything Changed with James Bond After The World Is Not Enough

An actor’s third outing of James Bond is often remembered as his greatest performance and the best film of his tenure. Sean Connery’s Goldfinger built upon the first two films to perfect the template that future films would follow. Roger … Continue reading

Posted in Significant Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thunk from The Croods: You Have Issues

Time for some fun. I had a silly thought about Thunk in The Croods, which I then put together into this little graphic. Enjoy!

Posted in Random Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Piece of Music That Gets Me Revved Up for a Big Challenge

Do you ever listen to music when you’re about to attempt something difficult? Something that gets your heart pumping. Some people like “Eye of the Tiger” from Rocky III or “Barbarian Horde” from Gladiator. Those are both solid pieces of … Continue reading

Posted in Significant Scenes, Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Each Story Beat in Fiddler on the Roof Has a Perfect Match

Jo’s matchmaking skills are even better than those of Yente the matchmaker! She already helped me discover the chiasmus in How to Train Your Dragon 2, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, The Lion King, The Hunt for … Continue reading

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

After 3 Years of Searching, I Finally Found an Obscure 1970s Film!

In 2023, I started to have an itch to find a 1970s movie that I didn’t even know the title of. I described it in my article, “My Quest to Find an Obscure 1970s Film.” It’s frustrating to be convinced … Continue reading

Posted in Forgotten Film Gems | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This Simple Scene in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Is Stunning

Can we all just take a moment to marvel at the complexity of this little dance number in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? The song is called “Lonesome Polecat.”

Posted in Significant Scenes, Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Untangling the Beautiful Complexity of An American in Paris

Some people like to examine the endings of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Inception, and The Usual Suspects as masterclasses in complexity. Those film endings are endlessly minable for depth, and they’re quite challenging to decipher. There’s one film I’ve never … Continue reading

Posted in Significant Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment