Tag Archives: science fiction

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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The Lockard Theory Strikes Again

Ten years ago, Netflix dedicated a video to my Back to the Future Trilogy chiasmus. That was extraordinary. What a compliment to have my insights into one of the best film trilogies of all time branded as “The Lockard Theory” … Continue reading

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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

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The Art of Film Back Covers

As a writer, I love reading other authors’ work, especially when they’re trying to sell me on something like a movie. When you buy a physical copy of a film, do you ever read the back cover? It’s fun to … Continue reading

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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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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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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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