Author Archives: Mark DuPré

About Mark DuPré

Retired (associate) pastor at a Christian church. Retired film professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband for nearly 50 years to the lovely and talented Diane. Father to three children and father-in-law to three more amazing people. I continue some ministry duties even though retired from the pastoral staff position. Right now I'm co-writing a book, co-writing a serious musical drama, and am half-way through writing (on my own a month-long devotional.

Harriet

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Mark DuPré

It’s hard to believe that this is the first film on the life of Harriet Tubman, the legendary 19th-century “conductor” on the Underground Railroad. This film should be a remake, or at least a retelling, as this is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged 12 Years a Slave, Ava DuVernay, Braveheart, Cynthia Erivo, Eve's Bayou, Greta Gerwig, Harriet, Harriet Tubman, Janelle Monáe, Joe Alwyn, John Toll, Kasi Lemmons, Lady Bird, Legends of the Fall, Matrix 4, Selma, The Color Purple | Leave a comment

Judy

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Mark DuPré

Judy Garland was the greatest musical performer in American film (and perhaps on the concert stage as well) of the 20th century. It’s likely that no film could do her life—or even a portion of her life–justice. Judy, which focuses … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", Chicago, Come Rain or Come Shine, Edith Piaf, Finn Wittrock, Hitchcockian, Judy, Judy Garland, La Vie en Rose, M-G-M, Marion Cotillard, Mickey Deans, Renee Zellweger, Sid Luft, The Pirate, The Trolley Song | Leave a comment

Joker

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Mark DuPré

Where to begin? I can’t recommend this to most of my friends, for a myriad of reasons. For those that want to be entertained, the film falls short, delivering a dark shot of confused and depressing nihilism in place … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Arthur Fleck, Batman, Blow Out, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, Joker, Martin Scorcese, Robert De Niro, Taxi Driver, The Dark Knight, The King of Comedy, Zorro the Gay Blade | Leave a comment

Ad Astra

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Mark DuPré

Ad Astra is an intimate emotional journey writ large (as in galaxy large.) It’s a combination of Gravity, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and 127 Hours, with hints of A River Runs Through It, Road to Perdition, Field of Dreams, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged 127 Hours, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A River Runs Through It, Ad Astra, Apocalypse Now, Brad Pitt, Donald Sutherland, Eve, Field of Dreams, Gravity, James Gray, Liv Tyler, Road to Perdition, Roy McBride, Ruth Negga, The Immigrant, The Lost City of Z, Tommy Lee Jones | Leave a comment

Downton Abbey

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Mark DuPré

Nothing really new here. If you liked/loved the series on TV, you’ll like/love the movie. It’s just a little bigger, a little more grand, a little more lush, and has perhaps one or two too many subplots. To give enough … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Allan Leech, Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes, Kevin Doyle, Maggie Smith, Michael Engler, Mr. Moseley, Raquel Cassidy | Leave a comment

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and The Whales of August (1987)

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Mark DuPré

Sometimes, seeing two films in a short period of time can lead to fascinating insights and comparisons that would otherwise not have presented themselves. I just saw Lawrence of Arabia (1962) in a movie theater on a large screen (thank … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Alec Guinness, Ann Sothern, Anthony Quinn, Bette Davis, David Lean, Dr. Zhivago, Freddie Young, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Ivanhoe, Lawrence of Arabia, Lillian Gish, Lust for Life, Mary Steenburgen, Mogambo, Nicholas and Alexandra, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Peter O'Toole, Ryan’s Daughter, The 49th Parallel, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, The Whales of August, Vincent Price | Leave a comment

Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Mark DuPré

This is the first time I’ve genuinely looked forward to seeing a Quentin Tarantino film. As my film students have come to learn, I’ve had an aversion to him and his films for a number of reasons, none of which … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Ann Reinking, Brad Pitt, Brooke Shields, Bruce Dern, Burt Reynolds, Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Taylor, Fosse/Verdon, George Spahn, Hollywood, IMDB, Inglourious Basterds, Julie Butters, Kent State, Lena Dunham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Luke Perry, Manson murders, Margaret Qualley, Margot Robbie, Maya Hawke, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, Quentin, Rick Dalton, Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate, Spahn Ranch, Squeaky Fromme, Timothy Olyphant | Leave a comment

Spider-Man: Far from Home

Posted on July 27, 2019 by Mark DuPré

Spider-Man: Far from Home is a minor but delightful entry in the MC canon. It impresses because it doesn’t try to be more or weightier than it needs to be, and it slyly and subtly addresses a number of larger … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Andrew Garfield, Angourie Rice, Aunt May, I Will Always Love You, Iron Man, Jacob Batalon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, MC universe, Mission: Impossibe, MJ, Mysterio, Peter Parker, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Thanos, the blip, the Decimation, Tobey Maguire, Tom Holland, Tony Stark, Whitney Houston, Zendaya | Leave a comment

Late Night

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Mark DuPré

Late Night is, well, occasionally diverting. Much of the promotion for the film has focused on the fact that current star Mindy Kaling wrote this specifically for legendary actress Emma Thompson, as if that fact had value in and of … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Benneton, Denis O'Hare, Emma Thompson, Hellen Mirren, Hugh Dancy, John Lithgow, Judi Dench, Late Night, Maggie Smith, Mindy Kaling, Nisha Ganatra, The Devil Wears Prada, The Office | Leave a comment

The King of Kings (1927)

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Mark DuPré

First of all, apologies for how long it’s been. I’ve seen lots of movies, some old and a few new, but have been too busy with other activities. I hope this gets me back in the groove! So I stepped … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Older Films | Tagged Bible, Cecil B. DeMille, Dorothy Cummings, H.B. Warner, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, It's a Wonderful Life, J. Peverell Marley, Jeffrey Hunter, Jesus, John Wayne, Judas, King James English, Mary Magdalene, Mel Gibson, Peter, Sunset Boulevard, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The King of Kings, The Passion of the Christ, The Ten Commandments, two-strip Technicolor, William Holden | Leave a comment