Tag Archives: funny

Great Scott! The Entire Back to the Future Trilogy Is One Big Chiasmus

I’ve discovered that some films follow a chiasmus formula in the way their stories are set up. What is a chiasmus? It’s an ancient writing structure in which ideas are listed in one order and then repeated in the opposite … Continue reading

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10 Amazing ’80s Directors Who Lost Their Mojo in the ’90s

It’s not always easy for directors to make the transition from one decade to the next. For every Steven Spielberg there are several Francis Ford Coppolas. Filmgoers’ expectations change, technology improves, and the industry moves in a new direction. If … Continue reading

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Pleasant Surprises: High School Musical 2

I’m fascinated by High School Musical 2, not because it’s a particularly deep movie but because I absolutely love it. By all rights, I should hate it. It’s a TV movie that bridges the gap between two utterly forgettable (if … Continue reading

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Pleasant Surprises: Ernest Goes to Camp

Ernest Goes to Camp perfectly captures childhood in a way I’ve never seen another film pull off. I loved this movie as a kid because it spoke to me on a very personal level. That might sound strange because it’s … Continue reading

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Every Mel Brooks Movie Follows the Same Formula

Mel Brooks was really good at telling one kind of story. In fact he was so good at it that he just kept telling it throughout his career. The Producers served as a template for every other movie Brooks wrote … Continue reading

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1990: The Year of Failed Film Franchises

As far as I can tell, 1990 had more series-destroying sequels than any year before or since. And most of these sequels to popular films didn’t exactly go out on a high note, like, say, Return of the King. Most … Continue reading

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In Defense of Joel Schumacher’s Batman Movies

No one can mistake Joel Schumacher’s two Batman films for masterpieces. Nor can they call me a Schumacher fan, especially after I lambasted his atrocious St. Elmo’s Fire, which he took sole credit for both writing and directing. But I … Continue reading

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10 Ridiculously Lopsided Hero-Villain Fights

This is the first time I’ve done something like this. I’m participating in the Great Villain Blogathon with dozens of other bloggers. We all staked out some famous villains to talk about in our own unique ways. Since I’m such an … Continue reading

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10 Movie Poster Mashups

I usually compare movies’ plots to show how similar they are, but today I’m going to do something different. Here are 10 movies with titles that could work for completely different films. Let’s dive right in and start having fun.

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Predator Is Surprisingly Deep for an Action Movie

Happy April Fools’ Day. I’m only half-joking when I say that the 1987 classic Predator is surprisingly deep for an action movie. It’s not exactly the kind of movie you watch hoping for a lot of subtext to analyze. Predator … Continue reading

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