Tag Archives: movies

The Biggest Themes of Batman Begins

“Don’t be afraid.” That’s a big theme of Batman Begins, a movie all about being terrified and facing one’s greatest fears. “Don’t be afraid” are the dying words of Thomas Wayne to his son Bruce. Bruce Wayne’s 3 Biggest Fears … Continue reading

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The Funniest Thing About Airplane! Isn’t Even in the Movie

Airplane! is one of the funniest movies ever made. Its jokes and gags are the stuff of legend, from a jive-speaking June Cleaver to the panicking passenger who gets slapped silly by everyone on the plane. But, to me, the … Continue reading

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Unwilling to Speak, Unless We Expect to Say Something That Will Amaze the Whole Room

My wife and I recently rewatched the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice, which we both find to be the best, most-faithful version of Jane Austen’s celebrated novel. It was a delightful experience because we invited one of our sons … Continue reading

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The Moral of Beauty and the Beast (1991): Vincit Qui Se Vincit

I love Beauty and the Beast (1991). It’s my favorite movie. And it’s a rare movie that actually puts its moral front and center at the very start. Vincit Qui Se Vincit There’s a tiny detail I never noticed until … Continue reading

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My Preferred Piece of Music When I’m Tasked with Accomplishing the Seemingly Impossible

Music defines certain periods of my life. I can look back at a time of my life and remember the music I mostly listened to during it. “Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire” was my jam as a teenager approaching … Continue reading

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Annie Glenn Had The Right Stuff

What does it take to be a great man or woman? That’s the question that The Right Stuff asks again and again. Nobody talks about having The Right Stuff in The Right Stuff. It seems like a source of pride … Continue reading

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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

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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

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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

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I Love the Relationship Between Judah Ben-Hur and His Adoptive Father

I recently talked about one aspect of Ben-Hur (1959), but there’s so much more to say about this masterpiece of a film. One thing that has always stood out to me is the loving father-son relationship that develops between Roman … Continue reading

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