Monthly Archives: January 2015

Selma, Black Actors and Oscar

Throwing some thoughts into the mix…. There’s always some kind of “scandal” surrounding the Oscar nominations, and the key word is “snub.” If you were magnificent in a film but people in Hollywood don’t like you, they say you’re snubbed. … Continue reading

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Selma

Selma is the companion piece to American Sniper in terms of being a Rorschach test for America in early 2015. Those loving neat categories would place Selma on the left and American Sniper on the right, and might find some … Continue reading

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American Sniper

Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure… To this Biblical passage I add, “to the political, all things are political.” This goes for film critics as well as politicians, and that has posed a few problems in covering … Continue reading

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2015 Oscar Thoughts, #1

Today the Oscar nominations came out. There were a few surprises, and the usual bellyaching about snubs. Whatever…. BTW, I’ve posted the nominations below. Best Picture Only 8 nominees for Best Picture out of 10. No Into the Woods, no … Continue reading

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Unbroken

Analyzing Unbroken so far after its release, and the day that the Oscar nominations came out, makes this a different kind of analysis: Unbroken is a great sophomore effort by a young director with limited directorial experience. She happens to … Continue reading

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An open letter to the creators of Exodus: Gods and Kings

Note: Normally, I write a critique of a film in the standard way. After viewing Exodus: Gods and Kings, I felt a note to the director, screenwriters and producers of the film seemed more in order. Dear Mr. Scott, Myriad … Continue reading

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Big Eyes

When we talk about “story” in my film class, we often talk about how much it means to American moviegoers and how little it can mean to filmgoers from other cultures. Many students come into class professing that their sole … Continue reading

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