The darkness that began seeping into the Harry Potter series of films with HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN continues to progressively deepen: never has the sense of menace felt as strong as it does in HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. The ancient halls of Hogwarts have never seemed so confining or so dangerous.
More than once I’ve casually known — or even just known of — people (friends of friends, usually) who have made me think “That’s someone I need to be friends with.” Usually it’s a realization that we have similar interests, sometimes it’s a touch of envy because that person is already doing something I want [...]
I read a discussion of Up recently — I don’t remember where — which said that the movie was ultimately about acceptance of death, which is an awfully adult theme to find in a kids’ film. (Truth be told, of course: Pixar movies are family movies, not kids’ movies, and there’s a big difference.) I [...]
Now this is what I want out of a summer blockbuster. Star Trek delivered all of the action, all of the spectacle, all of the emotion, all of the characterization I could have asked for and then some. [1] I found myself immersed in the world, in the stunning visual design and the [...]