Author Archives: Mark DuPré

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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.

Quick Takes: Inside Out, Ant-Man, Out of the Past

Been busy with the publication of book number two and the continuation of book number three! So here are some quick takes on what I’ve been seeing. Inside Out Pixar’s latest success in a long string of successes. Great vocal … Continue reading →

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Jurassic World

Jurassic World has two things going for it—state-of-the-art special effects and Chris Pratt. It’s also got a completely unoriginal plot line with cliché subplots, and is often poorly directed. And it’s the biggest moneymaker of the year, which is worth … Continue reading →

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New website coming next week!

My Friends: I am launching a new website next week called “Dedicated to Grammar.” It’s for everyone, but aimed primarily at students and business professionals who want to sound and write more accurately. It’s not high-falutin’ and will be fun … Continue reading →

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The Garden of Allah (1936)

Such a curiosity! The film is visually stunning, stolid, lumpy and howlingly unbelievable. But it’s worth a look for several reasons. The story is so out of our time as to be worthy of archeological study. A young woman who … Continue reading →

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Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

If you somehow managed to cross The Fault in Our Stars with Juno, you might get something like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. That’s neither a compliment nor an insult, just something of a description. Me and Earl … Continue reading →

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Judgment at Nuremburg and A Man for All Seasons: The Cinema of Conscience

When I teach my students about editing, I make sure to point out that it has a dual power—to both contrast and compare. Classic scenes of violence cut with scenes of a holy rite (The Godfather, Part One) or violence … Continue reading →

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Far from the Madding Crowd

Far from the Madding Crowd is the newest cinematic incarnation of the Thomas Hardy novel, but it perhaps fits most comfortably somewhere between a top-of-the-line Masterpiece Theatre production and the recent slew of Jane Austen films. That’s not a criticism, … Continue reading →

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Avengers: Age of Ultron

The latest installment in the Marvel universe film world is such a box office phenomenon (already at more than $1 billion internationally) that it seems inconsequential or trifling to attempt a real analysis of the thing. Yet on we trudge…. … Continue reading →

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Woman in Gold

Woman in Gold, starring the legendary Helen Mirren, is a great story and a so-so film. It’s based on the true account of a famous Austrian painting seized illegally and immorally by the Nazis from its rightful owner, and the … Continue reading →

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Do You Believe?

Do You Believe? is uneven, bumpy, and at times simply unbelievable. It’s also the best Hollywood-style “Christian” movie of its type. The acting, while uneven, is a huge step above the norm. Its cinematography, too, is by far the best … Continue reading →

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