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.

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

From Prohibiting to Demanding: The Newest Unnecessary and Anti-Art Regulations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Mark DuPré

Most folks with even a cursory knowledge of American film history knows about the Hays Code. In brief: the Hays Code was implemented by the film industry in the early 1930s primarily to avoid government censorship and to attempt to … Continue reading →

Posted in Film-Related Articles | Tagged A Streetcar Named Desire, Academy Award, Baby Face, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Freaks, Hayes Code, It Happened One Night, Jaws, Mae West, Oscar, Scarface, Schindler's List, SNL, The Bad Seed, The Godfather, The Goodbye Girl, The Letter | Leave a comment

Quick Takes on Four Recent Rom-Coms: Anyone But You, The Idea of You, A Family Affair, and Hit Man

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Mark DuPré

I remember often telling my college film class students that they really didn’t know how wonderful romantic comedies could be, as we were then living in an age of wretched films in that genre. I emphasized that though it might … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged A Family Affair, Adria Arjona, Anne Hathaway, Anyone But You, Brad Pitt, Crazy Rich Asians, Glen Powell, Hit Man, Joey King, Matthew McConaughey, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nicole Kidman, Nietzsche, Notting Hill, Palm Springs, Shop Around the Corner, Sydney Sweeney, The Big Sick, The Favourite, The Idea of You, Twisters, We Were the Lucky Ones, You've Got Mail, Zac Efron | Leave a comment

A Quiet Place: Day One

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Mark DuPré

A Quiet Place: Day One isn’t at all what one might expect based on the first two films. It is altogether different in emphasis, tone, and degree of warmth. It’s a well-crafted and well-acted prequel to the other two films, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged 12 Years a Slave, A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place Part II, A Quiet Place: Day One, Alex Wolf, Amistad, Apocalypse Now, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Blood Diamond, Dakota Fanning, Denis Villeneuve, Djimon Hounsou, Dune, Game of Thrones, Gladiator, In America, Joseph Quinn, Lupito Nyong'o, Martin Sheen, Oppenheimer, Pig, Shelley Duvall, Stranger Things, The Shining, War of the Worlds | Leave a comment

Stars Are Born: A Comparison of the Five “A Star is Born” Films

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Mark DuPré

There isn’t much of any interest in movie theaters these days, so it’s a good time to remind everyone of all the classics available to enjoy. In fact, it’s always a good time to view the classics. So here is … Continue reading →

Posted in Film-Related Articles, Newer films, Older Films | Tagged 1932, 1937, 1954, 1976, 2018, A Star is Born, Adela Rogers St. Johns, Adolphe Menjou, Andy Devine, Barbara Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Bat, Batman, Bing Crosby, Bradley Cooper, Climb Every Mountain, Constance Bennett, D.W. Griffith, Eddie Rochester Anderson, Evergreen, Frank Pierson, Frederic March, Gene Fowler, George Cukor, Gone with the Wind, Humphrey Bogart, James Mason, Jane Murfin, Janet Gaynor, Joan Bennett, Judy Garland, Kris Kristofferson, Lady Gaga, Lionel Stander, Louise Beavers, Lowell Sherman, Maestro, Marlon Brando, May Robson, Meet Me in St. Louis, On the Waterfront, Owen Moore, Paul Williams, Peggy Wood, Rebecca, RKO Pathé, Robert Carson, Sunrise, Sunset Boulevard, The Best Years of Our Lives, The Caine Mutiny, The Country Girl, The High and the Mighty, The Ox-Bow Indcident, The Wizard of Oz, William Wellman | Leave a comment