For most who have encountered the character of Patrick Bateman – either in the original 1991 novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, or in its adaptation starring Christian Bale – it is difficult to associate him as a symbol of rebellion. Greedy, misogynistic and utterly vapid, the character seems to be a rock-solid personification…Read more The Psychotic Rebel – A Dramaturgical Analysis of American Psycho
Christian Bale
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
Top Ten: Best Freak Outs in Film
There is nothing quite like a good film freak out. Whether it is James Cagney giggling with macabre glee before spraying a 1930′s cityscape with gunfire or Nicholas Cage flailing about the inside of a bear costume, a good freak out can light up a movie like nothing else. From the hilarious, to the disturbing,…Read more Top Ten: Best Freak Outs in Film
Alright, Alright, Alright: Matthew McConaughey and the Inescapable Fusion of Player and Part
After a lost decade of rom-coms Matthew McConaughey roared back to life with a trio of indies in 2012. In each film he created lively even somewhat audacious performances. While all of these characters were embraced with acclaim – particularly his turn as the chiseled strip-club owner Dallas from Magic Mike – dissenters began to rear their ugly…Read more Alright, Alright, Alright: Matthew McConaughey and the Inescapable Fusion of Player and Part
“Don’t Lose Your Way” – Thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s Transformation from Hard-Boiled Nihilist to Simpering Moralizer
From the ice-cold amorality of his debut feature, Following, to the electrifying and nihilistic conclusion of Memento, Christopher Nolan's film career seemed to once hold great promise. However, in the years that followed Nolan's sensibilities changed dramatically. This seismic change is evident not only in his films possessing a continually inflated scope, or his casts…Read more “Don’t Lose Your Way” – Thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s Transformation from Hard-Boiled Nihilist to Simpering Moralizer
Adam Mohrbacher 