Break the Engine – Snowpiercer

Dystopian science fiction has an uncanny ability to come up with entertaining concepts that can contain far more narrative space than they ought to have. Such is the case with Snowpiercer, a 2013 film that I remember touted as a bit of an indie production by Bong Joon-ho that few in the U.S. saw when…

You Are More Than Your Memories — 3P Reviews: Memento

The mind is a fickle thing. Within it is almost everything we are — our thoughts, our personality, our potential, our perceptions. Holding all of the intangibles of a person is memory, both that of the person living their life and of the people around them. Writing systems and art were invented in part as…

What Makes a Good Character Relationship?

There are hundreds, thousands, maybe even more beautifully-written characters in published works. But what is a character on their own without any connection to the people around them? Isolated characters can only go so far; we are a social species, after all, so relationships of all sorts are important to us. Let's take a look at how fictional relationships work.

What Makes a Good Monster?

Everyone loves a cool monster design. I recently came across a Twitter thread on the subject and it got me thinking about what goes into effective horror monsters. There are a lot of schools of thought regarding horror in general, and because it's such a broad genre, its appeal will vary quite a bit from…

3P Reviews (Best Family Films): Paranorman

Paranorman   Spoilers: Yes (after Part One) Audience Assumptions: None   Part One: It Looks Like Psychonauts. Of Course I'm Going to Love It. This is a singular animated film. Watching it the first time, I was struck by its artistry and twisting narrative. Watching the second time, I was struck by how incredible each of those…

3P Reviews: The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy

Series Breakdown Rating: Characters and Character Development: 6 Aesthetics and Style: 8 Pacing: 5 Overall Plot: 5 Humor: 6 Sum: 30/50   Spoilers: Yes Audience Assumptions: Minor familiarity with the MCU, some familiarity with this film.   Prologue: I'll be completely honest, the main reason I'm doing these out of order is that I haven't been able…

3P Reviews (Best Family Films): Ratatouille

Series Breakdown Rating: Characters and Character Development: 6 Depth: 7 Creativity: 8 Overall Plot: 7 Pacing: 7 Sum: 35/50   Spoilers: Yes Audience Assumptions: No assumptions   Ratatouille   Part One: Story and Characters From 1995 to the late 2000s, PIXAR Animation Studios released a slew of films that are nearly unmatched by any other production studio.…

3P Reviews: Inception

Breakdown Rating: Plot: 8 Characters: 7 Aesthetics: 9 Structure: 8 Pacing: 9 Sum: 41/50   Spoilers: Yes Audience Assumptions: No familiarity   Inception   Part One: Christopher Nolan’s Love Affair with Non-Linear Narratives I complain a lot on this blog, mainly about narratives other people love. You might imagine this is because I just like to complain…

Quicklist Reviews Black Swan

Black Swan Summary: A very sad lady wants to be a bird but maybe not.   Breakdown Rating: Characters: 4 Aesthetics: 6 Plot: 6 Cinematography: 6 Theming: 5 Sum: 27/50   Important Features: Mirrors Swans The Black Swan The White Swan Ballet Sex Buns Obsession with perfection Delusion and possibly hallucinations Death More swans  …

3P Reviews (Best Family Films): How to Train Your Dragon

Breakdown Rating: Characters: 6 Creativity: 7 Dialogue: 5 Main Plot: 6 Animation: 8 Sum: 32/50   Spoilers: Minor Audience Assumptions: No familiarity   How to Train Your Dragon   Preface: I’ve found reviewing series to be a lot of fun and I’d like to write on more of them, but series are also very time-consuming and…