Tag Archives: relationships

Another Reason to Love Aliens – It’s a Symmetrical Film

I’ve heard Aliens described as a “rollercoaster” because it’s such a thrilling ride. It turns out that that metaphor is true on an entirely new level. The first and second halves of that movie closely mirror each other, creating another … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 47 Comments

Movie Matchups: Who Framed Roger Rabbit vs. Chinatown

Some people have speculated that Who Framed Roger Rabbit is some sort of sequel, remake, or homage to Chinatown. But it’s none of those things. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is actually a perfect parody of that classic murder mystery. I … Continue reading →

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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 →

Posted in Cinematic Chiasmus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 87 Comments

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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‘Lego’ – A Parody of ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen

I wrote a funny version of “Let It Go,” from the wonderful Disney movie Frozen, and I’d like to share it with you, my kind readers. My sister and her children turned my words into a pretty cool music video. Sit … Continue reading →

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Movie Matchups: Frozen (2013) vs. Enchanted

Disney’s animation studio has been on a roll for the last few years with great films like Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, and The Princess and the Frog. But Frozen is the best film to come from the studio since Beauty and … Continue reading →

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Forgotten Film Gems: Untamed Heart

Long before Twilight romanticized the notion of a mysterious boy sneaking into a girl’s bedroom at night to watch her sleep, Untamed Heart did it without being creepy. And long before Moulin Rouge overused the line, “The greatest thing you’ll … Continue reading →

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Movie Matchups: Wreck-It Ralph vs. Tron

Disney cemented its role as the king of video-game movies with the debut of Wreck-It Ralph in 2012. It might be a coincidence, but Wreck-It Ralph debuted 30 years after another famous Disney movie, Tron, and the characters celebrate the … Continue reading →

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Movie Matchups: The Shining (1980) vs. Manos: The Hands of Fate

Stanley Kubrick did something that no one else can boast of doing when he made The Shining in 1980. He took the worst horror film ever made, 1966’s Manos: The Hands of Fate, and turned it into the best horror … Continue reading →

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Forgotten Film Gems: The Boy Who Could Fly

The Boy Who Could Fly deserves to be recognized alongside E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Stand By Me as one of the best coming-of-age films of the 1980s. It’s that good. I gave director Nick Castle some grief in my last … Continue reading →

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