Economic vs Artistic Science Fiction Success

The Terminator a major 1984 U.S. blockbuster does not usually come up in conversations with Solaris, a 1972 indie project from the USSR. The Terminator, while enjoyable, does not come up in all time greatest science fiction lists. Solaris, while an economic failure, is generally considered one of the greatest science fiction movies of all…

Violence and Intimacy

                                  This week I watched two movies. The first was Hard Boiled, a Chinese action film directed by John Woo. Many people consider this Woo’s try out for American action films and he did not hold anything back. The…

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) vs Deep Red (1975)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Texas Chainsaw Massacre (TSC), a film that is supposedly based on a true story, begins with Sally, her brother Franklin, and three others journeying to Sally’s grandfather’s grave after hearing it may have been robbed. Along the way, they make a quick detour at their family farmhouse that results in the brutal…

Hard Boiled and Deep Red: Walk in and out of Gender

Hard Boiled and Deep Red: Walk in and out of Gender  Around 1980, Hong Kong action movies were suffering after the sudden death of Bruce Lee. After many lame imitations of Bruce Lee style action movies, the Kung Fu craze had lost its steam. Near the same period, big vertically integrated studios like Shaw Brothers…

Two Different Techniques Used to ‘Wow’ Viewers

The film, Blue Velvet, directed by David Lynch is like nothing that has reached the big screen  before with disturbing themes of violent and controlling BDSM sex. The story follows Jefferey, a college student who is back home because his father is in the hospital, who finds a human ear in a field and teams…

A Heartfelt Blockbuster

A Heartfelt Blockbuster As argued by film analyst David Gibson, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial is, “one of the most personal blockbusters ever.” While E.T. contains many elements of a traditional blockbuster it differs slightly from the traditional due to director Steven Spielberg’s ability to pull on the audience’s heartstrings and tell a personal story that…

The Temple Of Doom

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is one of the greatest blockbuster films to have ever been made. Throughout the film, we are riding on a roller coaster of action and emotion. With this film, we are given everything a great blockbuster could ask for.  We are given the wonderful love interest of Willy…

Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom

  Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Death (Doom) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom theatrically opens with a marvelous song called ‘Anything Goes’ sung by the films shallow damsel in distress, Willie. After a deal has gone wrong Indiana Jones, his sidekick Shorty, and a reluctant Willie flee from a group of what…

Dancing the Times Away

We have been taught from a very young age that we should always try to achieve our highest goals in our life, but that is not easy to do most of the time. In the 1983 iconic film Flashdance we see Alex (played by Jennifer Beals) taking every step she is capable to be able…

What Does it Mean to be Human: A Look at A.I.: Artificial Intelligence

In a futuristic world where humanity barely survived major global catastrophes, a need arose for the creation of intelligent robotic creatures, meccas, who consumed no resources and helped humanity flourish again. Thus artificial intelligence was born, but when does artificial beings become real humans. This is the thin line that the Steven Spielberg film, A.I.:…