A Man’s Man
I am a massive Jason Statham fan. There are lots of reasons why I like him; he’s the sole modern action hero that feels like he comes from the age of legends like Schwarzenegger and Stallone, he’s got an incredible screen presence, he deals out violence like no one else, and he’s one of those […]
Pulling Pistols and Whistling Dixie
Clint Eastwood is one of the great modern filmmakers, a man whose directing talents have landed him many Oscar nominations and widespread critical acclaim. Those accolades don’t usually extend to his work in front of the camera, however; it may be the parts he often played in his younger days, the cops and cowboys and […]
Give and Take in Superhero Cinema
The other day I was talking to a friend and he brought up the idea that there’s no such thing as a perfect movie, arguing that the best films have flaws that enhance them rather than sully them. In principle, I disagree with this (a Hitchens quote comes to mind: “It’s only true if you […]
Where No Man Has Gone Before
Since its inception, the Kelvin Timeline – that is, the alternate timeline that has encompassed Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond – has been a real shot in the arm for the Star Trek brand, allowing the new films to simultaneously honor what has come before while forging their own […]
Spy Games
*Author’s Note: Like my article on Captain America, this piece was written before I saw Avengers: Age of Ultron and I decided not to alter it to accommodate that film.* Starting with Iron Man back in 2008, Marvel decided to bring the world of comic books to movie screens in a way no one had […]
A Little Old-Fashioned
*Author’s Note: This piece was written before I saw Avengers: Age Of Ultron and, as a result, doesn’t discuss Captain America’s latest MCU appearance. I find that the movie validates my thesis here, though.* During the World War II era, Captain America made a lot of sense. In a time of clear delineations between good […]