Tag: movies
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Macho, Macho Men: Vulnerability In ‘Casino Royale’ And ‘The Bourne Identity’
Originally published in the North Central Chronicle on April 25, 2008. John McClane, Rambo, the Terminator. They are the American Action Hero: muscular, terse, a killing machine. They favor spouting clever catchphrases and blowing stuff up over expressing emotion. To them, women are hors d’oeuvres best enjoyed while they serve cold dishes of revenge to […]
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12 Angry Men
Published in the North Central Chronicle on Feb. 22, 2008, as part of a series called “Chad Picks Classic Flicks.” I was about 7 years old when O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder. I’ve seen the highlights—the slow-speed chase, O.J. struggling with the glove—but I don’t remember the sensational media coverage or the racial debates […]
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Listen Up, Academy…
My 2007 ACADEMY AWARD PICKS: Best Picture Who will win: No Country for Old Men Who should win: No Country for Old Men Best Director Who will win: The Coen Brothers for No Country for Old Men Who should win: The Coen Brothers Best Actor Who will win: Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood […]
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Lord of the Rings
The Turner Classic Movies channel is showing Academy Award winning films all day every day this month in a series called “31 Days of Oscar.” I watched Lord of the Rings: Return of the King last night and realized something. I would remember that trilogy for the rest of my life. I hadn’t read the […]
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Standing Tall: Comparing ‘High Noon’ And ‘On The Waterfront’
Published in the North Central Chronicle on Jan. 25, 2008 “I have here in my hand…” said Senator Joseph McCarthy in February 1950, effectively hoodwinking the country into a hysterical anti-Communism era known as the Red Scare. McCarthy claimed the list identified 200 Communists within the American government, so he and the House Committee on […]
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First Love Birds: Notes on The Notebook
I watched The Notebook again recently. I still really like it, but now I have some reasons for it. (Though I’m still searching for more.) There is a bird motif. Birds of some kind appear in 3 obvious time: in the very beginning, when old Allie overlooks a boater we assume is Noah/Duke; on the […]
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and the oscar goes to…
Ahhh, the Oscars. Such a glorious time. I guessed 11 correctly which is pretty good for me. Things I’m pumped about: –The Departed winning 4 awards including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and a much deserved Best Director for Martin Scorsese (finally!) -Alan Arkin blowing everyone away and upsetting Eddie Murphy for Best Supporting Actor –Pan’s […]
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The Prestige
The Prestige is a film about magicians and their illusions, but it is also an illusion itself. In the film and in magic, we are first shown the Pledge; a seemingly ordinary scenario that we will assume is probably not so ordinary. Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) two rival magicians who […]