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.

Two and a Half Flicks: The Narrow Margin, Manhattan Melodrama, and Return to Glennascaul

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Mark DuPré

Narrow Margin, 1952 Manhattan Melodrama (1934) Return to Glennascaaul (1952, a short with Orson Welles) Having spent the long weekend with best friend Clint Morgan and his wife, I knew that I would be treated to a series of classic … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Older Films | Tagged 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Barabbas, Charles McGraw, Clark Gable, Conan the Barbarian, David O. Selznick, Design for Death, Donald Ogden Stewart, Fantastic Voyage, George Cukor, Hilton Edwards, Jack Conway, James Wong Howe, John Dillinger, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Manhattan Melodrama, Marie Windson, Mickey Rooney, Myrna Loy, Orson Welles, Return to Glennascaul, Slavko Vorkapich, Soylent Green, William Powell | 1 Comment

Quick Takes on Two Netflix Movies: Back in Action and The Six Triple Eight

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Mark DuPré

Netflix has two movies out right now (I can’t really justify calling them films) that are both second-rate. That works well for one, but not for the other. The one it works for is Back in Action, a title that … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged "Glory", A Soldier's Story, Annie, Back in Action, Cameron Diaz, D.W. Griffith, Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Mem;phis Belle, Men of Honor, Red Tails, Six Triple Eight | Leave a comment

A Complete Unknown

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Mark DuPré

A Complete Unknown, which covers the very young Bob Dylan from his arrival in New York at 19 to his ground-breaking electronic performance at the 1968 Newport Folk Festival, does a few things very well, and its central performance is … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged A. Complete Unkiown, American History X, Birdman or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, Bob Dylan, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Fight Club, Ford v Ferrari, Forrest Gump, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, James Mangold, Logan, Monica Barbato, The Wolverine, Timothée Chalamet, Walk the Line | Leave a comment

Melody Cruise (1933)

Posted on January 6, 2025 by Mark DuPré

Melody Cruise is a delightful, one-of-a-kind film that’s not quite a musical (but is), not quite a romantic comedy (but is, sort of), a very Pre-Code film (which is definitely is), and a crazy blend of cinematic experimentation and sheer … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Older Films | Tagged Alice Faye, Astaire, Charles Ruggles, Chick Chandler, Holiday Inn, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Love Me Tonight, Mae West, Mark Sandrich, Melody Cruise, Phil Harris, RKO, Rogers, She Done HIm Wrong, Soldiers of Fortune | Leave a comment

Wicked

Posted on December 7, 2024 by Mark DuPré

Seeing Wicked (a.k.a. Wicked Part 1) brings up old-fashioned terms, such as “movie-movie,” “beautifully mounted,” and “lovingly produced”. All are true, and all are doubled-edged swords, meaning simply that many of the film’s great strengths are also some of its … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Ariana Grande, Crazy Rich Asians, Cynthia Erivo, Dancing Through Life, DEfying Gravity, Elphaba, Ethan Slater, Everything Everwhere All at Once, Fiyero, Galinda, Glinda, Harriett, In the Heights, Jeff Goldblum, John M. Chu, Jonathan Bailey, Kristen Chenowith, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Wicked | 1 Comment

La Bohème

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Mark DuPré

La Bohème is a silent film from 1926 starring the luminous Lillian Gish and the overactive John Gilbert, and is directed by King Vidor (Oscar nominations for directing The Crowd, Hallelujah, The Champ, The Citadel, and War and Peace). Note: … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Older Films | Tagged books, film, Lillian Gish, movies, reviews | Leave a comment

Gladiator II

Posted on November 30, 2024 by Mark DuPré

So the big question of course is, “Are you entertained?”, which was the famous quote from the original Gladiator. For the sequel, the answer is basically yes. But being an entertaining movie is not the same as being a great … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Charles Laughton], Denzel Washington, Gladiator, Gladiator II, John Mattieson, Julius, Lucila, Maximus, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, The Mandalorian, The Sign of the Cross | Leave a comment

Conclave

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Mark DuPré

Conclave is a beautifully directed, stunningly gorgeous, carefully sound-designed, very well acted production, and is also an ultimate disappointment. For those that were curious but haven’t yet decided to see the film, it’s the story of the death of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Leave a comment

Saturday Night

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Mark DuPré

OK, what movie has dazzling cinematography, contains at least two supporting performances that could easily be nominated for Oscars and came and went so fast that almost no one saw it? Yes, if you read the title here, it’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Academy Awards, Andy Kaufmann, Chevy Chase, film, Gabriel LaBelle, Garrett Morris, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jason Reitman, John Belushi, Juno, Lamorne Morris, Lorne Michaels, Matt Wood, Milton Berle, movie, movies, Nicholas Braun, Oscars, Saturday Night, Saturday Night Live, Up in the Air | Leave a comment

Twisters

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Mark DuPré

Twisters Bottom line: Twisters is the perfect movie to see in the theater if you want to just kick back and let it take you on its ride, OR it’s the perfect movie to wait to see until it hits … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Anthony Ramos, Anyone But You, Bill Paxton, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Downton Abbey, Glen Powell, Hamilton, Harry Hadden-Paton, Helen Hunt, Hit Man, In the Heights, Lee Isaac Chung, Minari, Twister, Twisters, Under the Banner of Heaven, Where the Crawdads Sing | Leave a comment