The Rings of Power: An Initial Review
Let’s get this out of the way: Rings of Power is not Tolkien, even if Amazon paid to have The Lord of the Rings in the title. These stories are essentially […]
Pop Culture
Random Thoughts on Popular Culture: Books, Films, Comics, TV Shows, and Otherwise
The World of Stranger Things!
Several of you probably saw Stranger Things a year ago, but I just saw the first episode. The homage to the 1980s is lovely, but the artistic expression in
Cars 3: The True Sequel to Pixar’s Racing Masterpiece
Cars 3 clearly shows Pixar returning to the original film for inspiration. While Cars 2 was more a feature-length version of Mater’s Tall Tales, this film inherits more thematically from
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Charismatic Characters: Comments on Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
I have mixed feelings about the second installment of Guardians of the Galaxy. Although I would not call it a great movie, I have the desire to see more of
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“It’s Not about You!” : A Moral Lesson in Doctor Strange
Does Stephen Strange Grow into a Virtuous Person? Dr. Strange is another enjoyable entry in the Marvel Studios master plan. Of course, this film is another superhero adventure with the obligatory
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The Better Star Wars Movie, The One That Gives Me Hope
Recapturing the Spirit of the Franchise Yeah, yeah. I know I’m months behind, but I just finally watched Rogue One–had to get it in before May 4th! My delay in seeing
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Designated Survivor: The New Must-See Show
Mix the themes of West Wing (yet, alas, not the Sorkin-inspired banter) with the action and occasional family moments of 24 (with no ticking clock), and you will have a good idea
Fear or Change? : The Message in Zootopia
Disney’s Zootopia is a masterpiece of quirky characters, thoughtful plot twists, and brilliant spectacle. Imagination abounds in the film’s portrait of a city containing multiple habitats and species living right
Harold and the Ultimate Good: Ethics in Person of Interest’s Season 5
After the action-packed premiere (picking up with last season’s cliffhanger), the Person of Interest writing team take time for a more cerebral episode. Harold and company have risked their lives to
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What Breaks Friendship? : Captain America, Civil War
Before you judge this latest Marvel film, you should ask yourself what you think makes up a good superhero story. Comic book writers and readers have long noticed the difference
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Can Humans Live with Animals? : Jungle Book Reinvented
There is a reason certain works get the label “classic,” and every now and then we see a re-telling of the story that reminds us of the power of its
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Writing Lessons (3.2): Conflict in Colony’s Pilot
To help explain the elements of CHANGE mentioned in my last post, I thought it would be helpful to analyze a movie or television episode. I just recently watched the
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The Force Awakens: Color Me Mostly Disappointed (Except for John Williams)
I finally saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens this weekend after carefully navigating around family and friends who had seen it before me. I know there will be plenty of
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How Martin Luther King Saved Uhura: The ‘Escapist’ Power of Stories
I recently watched the documentary Trek Nation and learned Nichelle Nichols considered leaving Star Trek after the first season. During this pivotal time, she met Martin Luther King, Jr. and learned he
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An Environmentalist Message from Pixie Hollow: A Review of Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast
After seven adventures (including the much shorter Pixie Hollow Games), who’s your favorite fairy? From the start, when I was drawn into this world for my daughter, mine has been
How Should We Treat Virtual Wolves?
Charlie Huenemann reminds us that even how we manage our “attachments” to virtual pets reveals who we are as moral persons. Here he reflects on his treatment of dogs
Why Watch Avengers Age of Ultron Even if It Feels Familiar
Good news and bad news come with the second Avengers movie. When the first film came out three years ago, there was still a freshness to Marvel’s presence in theaters,
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A Game of Chess: Where The Flash Excels
CW’s The Flash is now my favorite superhero show. Not too long ago, we didn’t have a choice; there might only be one such show on television. But Batman, Wonder
Ready, Player One: An Appreciation
This book was written for me. Well, not expressly for me, but the fact that I was born a couple years earlier than Ernest Cline and grew up in the
How Far Are We Willing To Go? Moral Dilemmas in the Fourth Season of Person of Interest
“How much wrong are we willing to do in the name of right?” Harold Finch asks of himself, as much as Root, in the seventh episode of Season 4 of
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Batman, Detective: Final Part
Working in the System: Truth, Justice, and Cooperation Fundamentally, the project of tracking and trapping these criminals is too great for Batman to complete alone. Despite his reputation and demeanor