Tag Archive | movies

Plot Is Determined by Setting

The plot of any story is driven by the choices its protagonist makes.  However, the other major factor that affects the plot is the setting–the time and location the story takes place.  Not much thought is given to setting of movies in general; if a movie uses a contemporary setting, then it’s obvious that it’s […]

Sequels That Ignored Previous Films in a Series

Every time you turn around nowadays a movie series is being “rebooted” or “reimagined.”  Basically, that’s the filmmakers saying they don’t care about what came before and will do whatever they want to do with this movie.  Ignore the first Hulk’s origin story, because The Incredible Hulk gives us a brand new one during the […]

Annoying Trends in Movie Titles

Coming up with a name for anything is hard.  Just ask any parents of newborns–why do you think the world is full of Juniors?  With movies, it’s tough because it has to fit the plot, theme, and feel of the film and be marketable and memorable.  At least, you’d think so.  It would seem that […]

Director/Actor Pairings That Need to Continue

There have been great movie director/actor pairings in the history of cinema: John Ford and John Wayne, Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant, Martin Scorsese and Robert DiNiro, Martin Scorsese and Joe Pesci, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese and Harvey Keitel…you get the picture.  Of course, the most overused one that everyone is sick […]

For Your Consideration – This Movie Critique

Christopher Guest has made a career from mockumentaries.  He co-starred and co-wrote This Is Spinal Tap and then went on to direct such fun films as Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, and Best in Show.  All of those had the conceit of being documentaries about people who only think they’re important.  For Your Consideration […]

Movies That Are Surprisingly Sequels

We all know that Hollywood is sequel-happy.  In 2011 alone, there are 27 sequels planned for release, constituting over a fifth of all movies on the year’s slate.  Everyone expects that when a film does well, a sequel is soon to follow.  However, a few movies slip by that no one ever realizes is really […]