Dictators and twisted ideological movements have been the causes of terrible things. And they are still very much alive, in one way or another. But despite the seriousness of the topic, they have not been safe from parody and satire in the film industry. Take the immortal Charlie Chaplin as an example. The issues and …
Ride or die (Ford v Ferarri, 2019)
There are some things that easily identify a movie that will make a big splash at the Academy Awards that year. You have to have a gripping, if at all possible a true story. There are bonus points if it's set at least a couple of decades ago. There have to be great performances by …
Thank you for your service or Thank you, next?: Veterans and Triple Frontier
Hollywood just loves movies about war and soldiers, there’s no denying that. Some of the most notable spectacles of the American cinema are military-centered – Apocalypse Now, The Thin Red Line, or Saving Private Ryan. However, most of the time the films focus on the horrors of the war or the trauma – either physical …
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Moral grey in military green (Triple Frontier, 2019)
What do you do when you reach a certain age and point in your military career? If you're lucky, you are a desk-bound, high-ranking officer. If you're not, you can end up with private contractors, or try to persuade young recruits not to stray from the high, albeit low paying, patriotic road. You can leave …
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“This thing in my ear”: Invisible disability in A Star is Born
There is a lot to commend about the newest rendition of A Star is Born. The music, the actors, the realness, and the fact that it is not just a copy-and-paste of the previous three movies despite sharing the same story. The film ranks among those which treat the dangers of alcohol addiction and mental health seriously, and …
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Raise a star, raise a glass (A Star is Born, 2018)
For a time there, the 2018 film A Star is Born was inescapable. With the title song "Shallow" blasting from every speaker in earshot and the gossip sites attempting to uncover a real-life affair between the leads, the attention towards the fourth (!) adaptation of the same story was definitely sparked. Yet underneath the big …
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How to disable the disabled stereotypes: Treatment of injury in How to Train Your Dragon
When you get asked about your favorite movie hero or heroine, there are so many iconic options to choose from. And while there is increased diversity in creating characters for the big screen, there is one category which remains overlooked. How many disabled main heroes can you name? Sure, there is post-Episode V Luke Skywalker, and …
Crash course on prejudice from a dragon’s back (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, 2010; 2014; 2019)
Movie and TV series fans like to take sides in the debates over which is better - Marvel v. DC, How I Met Your Mother v. Friends, Star Trek v. Star Wars, even Team Edward v. Team Jacob. One of these eternal questions is Pixar v. Disney. The former is now a part of the …
In technology we trust (Ex Machina, 2014)
When people create true artificial intelligence, it can go both ways. Depends on your level of optimism and trust in technology. AIs could potentially be the answer to questions we can't answer. At the very least, they could replace us in things we don't really want to do. Or they could start procreate on their …
After the Credits 