Month: January 2015

On American Sniper or How Chris Kyle Put Aside the Cowboy and Became a Man

The late Chris Kyle was a highly decorated veteran, dubbed "The Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History". However, Kyle's story has also been polarizing, with seemingly everyone having an opinion on the man's actions. Nowhere has this debate been more recently visible (or more humorous) than in the Internet's response to Clint Eastwood's American…Read more On American Sniper or How Chris Kyle Put Aside the Cowboy and Became a Man

Film Review: The Furies (1950)

When one is forced to think of directors typically associated with the western genre, only a few names leap instantly to mind. After one immediately blurts out "JOHN FORD" and "CLINT EASTWOOD" and fumbles around to say "um... well... oh gee... Sergio Leone?" the wellspring usually runs dry. This is certainly understandable; these men did…Read more Film Review: The Furies (1950)

Film Review: One, Two, Three (1961)

Billy Wilder is a name synonymous with Hollywood classics. During his tenure as a movie-making big shot, Wilder produced a string of acclaimed features, including Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Ace in the Hole and Some Like it Hot. With such iconic films littering the man's resume, it is perhaps no surprise that are many entries…Read more Film Review: One, Two, Three (1961)

Examining Exodus: How Ridley Scott’s Film Hates Not Only Brown Actors, But All Actors

"I can’t mount a film of this budget [...] and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such." - Ridley Scott (2014) A feeling of castration and omission pervades the heart of Ridley Scott's new film, the big, lumbering, impersonal and frankly idiotic Exodus: Gods and Kings. Not only do many of the…Read more Examining Exodus: How Ridley Scott’s Film Hates Not Only Brown Actors, But All Actors