I always thought M. Night Shyamalan just wasn’t a very good writer. Too many scenes in his movies come off stilted. His characters feel like robotic plot devices–like they’re all puppets. Symbols more than people. But it turns out that’s just what M. Night Shyamalan’s life is like. Speaking to Sci-Fi Wire about the personal … Continue reading
This is the time of year that I typically start listening to melancholy music, spend many hours in movie theaters and think deep thoughts about my life and how it’s gone wrong. Not this year. Well, let me go back a step. Keep the melancholy music part. Subtract the thoughts about failure. Keep the deep … Continue reading
I noticed that M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening is out on DVD today. For those who haven’t already had the pleasure, I very much half-heartedly recommend giving this flick a spin. You can read my earlier, slightly more considered and considerate appraisal of this newest movie and the rest of Shyamalan’s work HERE, but … Continue reading
Generally I don’t see a lot of commercials that require comment nor debate, unless it’s around Super Bowl time. And ever since I’ve had a satellite DVR, I’ve dispensed with commercials as quickly as I can hit the fast forward button. DirecTV has had these series of commercials for a couple of years now where … Continue reading
THIS IS THE BEST COMIC BOOK ON THE STANDS RIGHT NOW. IF YOU ARE NOT READING IT YOU ARE CHEATING YOURSELF. Okay, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, on to meaningful exchange… ………… I’m returning to Chicago in a few weeks for a wedding. I love going home again, especially in Autumn … Continue reading
Why Do the Palins Hate America? Imagine the reaction if Michelle Obama had belonged to a political party that advocated secession from America, a party whose founder ranted, “The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government… And I won’t be buried under their damn flag… I’m not an … Continue reading
“Show, don’t tell” is one of those things that gets pounded into your head in all avenues of creative writing, but especially in film school. The idea behind the mantra is that it’s better to convey information (exposition, facts, character, anything) visually than to state it outright. First, it lets the audience piece it together … Continue reading
Watching it again for the 12th time or so since buying the DVD, I looked back fondly at all the reasons why this film works, even though people try to compare it to others. I don’t agree with their assumptions, putting this film on a pedestal of fantastic horror films in the last 10 years. … Continue reading
I saw a number of great films last year, but only one has remained at the top of list. It was one of the most polarizing not only of last year, but of the past decade. It’s a genre film that makes us question the aesthetics of what has come before and after it, while … Continue reading
So…I got a little sick there, been sleeping a lot, but I’m gonna keep up on this, you’ll see. I’ve got the time now to catch up on all my little art projects, so I figure I’ll share a few for fun. For years I’ve tried to overcome my generally middling talent for painting with … Continue reading