One of the many purposes of this blog which I haven’t really taken advantage of much is its role as a place for the discussion/reflection/description of being in graduate school working on a doctoral degree. I think I’ve mentioned my comprehensive exams a couple of times and reflected on some of the books on that … Continue reading »
Teaching Philosophy? Why Not a Living Philosophy?
Time for some real talk. And some thinking out loud as I work through some ideas. From the inception of this website, I have struggled with including a section titled ‘Teaching Philosophy.’ After all, one of the purposes of this website is to include all of my professional development materials, and an instructor-to-be’s philosophy of … Continue reading »
China’s Homegrown Hit Films Don’t Need to Come Overseas
My sister shared this article with me today titled “China’s Homegrown Hit Films Getting Lost Overseas” and it made me want to offer somewhat of a response. Not because I think it’s wrong, but because I think there are other variables that continue to be ignored in these kinds of articles. So really, this response … Continue reading »
M. Night Shyamalan: The Rise and Fall of a Career in Posters
Do you remember M. Night Shyamalan? I saw the teaser for his new film with Will and Jaden Smith, After Earth, a while back and noticed something strange: it never once mentioned his name. This is M. Night Shyamalan we’re talking about here. The guy who blew everyone’s minds with The Sixth Sense, and then … Continue reading »
One-Sheet Quick-Takes: Round 1
I wrote briefly in a previous post about how much I love movie posters. I’ve been wanting to write more about them but had a hard time coming up with the best way to approach it, until now. I come across a lot of posters that I immediately have problems with, can’t believe the low … Continue reading »
My Armie Hammer Conundrum
[Full Disclosure: I have only seen one movie with Armie Hammer: Mirror Mirror.] Am I the only one who experienced an Armie Hammer Conundrum? Let me explain. As I referenced briefly in an earlier entry about the film geek, I tend to have a pretty good recollection of actors’ names and faces. However, every now … Continue reading »
BACK TO 1942 or: FLOWERS OF WAR 2
I recently read a film review, which I’ll discuss more below, and wanted to jot down some thoughts that I’ll probably return to and expand later. A lot of this connects back to issues I’ve discussed before. Do you know about Feng Xiaogang? He’s widely referred to as the PRC’s “Box Office King,” with almost … Continue reading »
Keanu Reeves and the Future of Martial Arts Cinema
I am a fan of Keanu Reeves. The Bill and Ted movies and cartoons were a childhood favorite. Speed blew my mind, and I’ll never forget that movie’s score. I walked out of The Devil’s Advocate (I was way too young and should have never been allowed in that theater in the first place!). And … Continue reading »
The Indefinite Recirculation of Bad Children’s Books: A Polemic
In which I put my “Father” hat on for the first time on this site. In an article titled “Canonicity,” Wendell Harris questions and problematizes the issue of canons in the field of English and literature. In describing the creation, establishment, and maintenance of these supposedly foundational and all-important texts, he describes part of the … Continue reading »
THE FLOWERS OF WAR: A Non-Review
…or, The Eternal Burden of Chinese Cinema The other day I finally got around to watching Zhang Yimou’s The Flowers of War. It was alright. Christian Bale and Chinese movies are pretty high up on my list of favorite things, so the film didn’t have to try very hard to keep me interested. There are … Continue reading »
