Delving into the past is a risky proposition at the best of times. We may think we remember what lurks there and how it might affect us when we take a metaphorical shovel to long-buried memories and feelings, but the truth is our minds have a funny way of distorting Continue Reading
The short and the short of it: Existential lessons from The Talking Tree
SNAPSHOTThe Talking Tree is an off-beat short comedy film written and directed by Stefan Hunt and produced by Matt Webb. It stars Eka Darville (Jessica Jones, Empire) who plays a man searching for purpose alongside John Ventimiglia (Blue Bloods, The Sopranos) an endearing claymation-faced tree who appears to have all Continue Reading
Movie review: Toy Story 4
Belonging is one of the most fundamental needs we have as a species. If you’ve been any attention at all to Pixar’s superlatively-good Toy Story series, you will have come to appreciate that it’s pretty fundamental to toys too. Time and again in Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Toy Continue Reading
As heartfelt as it gets: Director of UP, Pete Doctor explains the creation of its poignant opening sequence
The opening sequence of 2009’s UP, which is, if you do the maths, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is one of the most moving and beautiful pieces of cinema out there, absolutely and utterly, in any genre, hands down. That may be seem like an extravagantly hyperbolic claim but Continue Reading
Book review: Recursion by Blake Couch
One of the truly exhilarating things about plunging into a book by Blake Crouch is that you know you are going to be treated to a wildly imaginative, enormously clever, fast-paced but emotionally-resonant take on a pivotal issue of the day. It takes a great deal of skill to hold Continue Reading
The Bravest Knight: New Hulu animated series makes a beautiful case for love being love
SNAPSHOTBased on wildly popular children’s book by Daniel Errico The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived, the story chronicles a young pumpkin farmer’s adventure as he attempts to become the bravest knight who ever lived. The new series is breaking boundaries, featuring a household with two dads (Sir Cedric and Prince Continue Reading
Retro movie review: Toy Story 3
If there is one thing that the Toy Story franchise has done beautifully, and deeply movingly it should be added, it is depicting the way all of us have invested vibrant, authentic humanity into our beloved play things. When we’re kids and playing with our teddy bears, action figures and Continue Reading
Fear the Walking Dead: “Humbug’s Gulch” (S5, E3 review)
SPOILERS AHEAD … AND ZOMBIE BOWELS WOOHOO! I MEAN, WHO DOESN’T LOVE ZOMBIE BOWELS? If there is one thing that The Walking Dead has always struggled with, it’s the humanity that should be sitting at the very heart of its storytelling. Sure, Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn) used to bleat on, reasonably Continue Reading
Lessons From the Screenplay: Minority Report and Dismantling Precrime
Minority Report, from a story by the impressively-imaginative mind of legendary writer Phillip K. Dick, is a tremendously good film by any measure. And one ripe for a video essay from Lessons From a Screenplay which compares Dick’s 1957 short story, Jon Cohen’s 1997 report and the final script by Continue Reading
Retro movie review: Toy Story 2
If you’ve lived long enough to be told you should put your childhood toys away and act like a grown up – seriously, why would you even do that? Don’t, just don’t, your toys need you still – you will likely have developed a feisty aversion to movie sequels. They Continue Reading