Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

  Light and Magic, season 2 “I love making a movie that's not supposed to work, that's the magic. The adventure is, we don't know what's going to happen." “We're putting every dollar on screen, it's not going into polished brass door knobs.” “We've never been there before, let's go there together.” -Light and Magic , Season 2 Season 2 of Light And Magic is an engaged enthusiastic reminder that just because we take something for granted nowadays doesn't mean It has lost its heart. Joe Johnson and his former colleagues at Industrial Light And Magic bring us back to the start of the digital filmmaking age. From the ecosystems of entire planets to the tentacle beard of a mythical pirate, we see that in the digital realm, size does not always dictate the immensity of what is rendered on the silver screen. This three-part documentary series exudes joy and enthusiasm as it explores the creativity and passion housed in a single rendered frame. U...

  Jesus of Nazareth, 1977 “This is the king of Israel who will take away the sin of the world.” “A stable, I thought my brothers were mistaken. But now I see the justice of it, there could be no other place.” “Before kingdoms change, men must change." “This is your hour Judas, the hour of shadows." “Now it begins, it all begins.” -Jesus of Nazareth, 1977 The most impressive aspect of Jesus of Nazareth is not its scale. This 1977 miniseries is remarkable because of its simplicity. It is a simplicity born out of a grand idea to be sure. Though, whether it be coincidental or intentional, this six hour journey through the life of Christ is the quintessential example of a medium reflecting the inner reality of its primary subject. The smallest of places, housing the mightiest of kings. The television does not deprive us of spectacle in this instance. It eloquently calls to mind the true sacrifice that was made to save us from our sins Jesus came to earth to set all free. T...

  Win or Lose “You want to unpack that? We should unpack that right now.” “It's never been about being the best, it's about trying your best.” “Then a meteor heading straight towards Earth, oh no! It's going to hit the softball game. What do we do?" “Just relax and let the game come to you.” -Win or Lose Win or Lose is a microcosm of charm, delight and human struggle as only Pixar animation can render it. With a young co-ed softball team as its abiding center Win or Lose effortlessly translates the ever-present Pixar charm to episodic storytelling. Jumping from player to player and beyond, each episode encapsulates how each of us deals with this world we inhabit. The series is a thoughtfully insightful deep dive into the nuances of our personal coping mechanisms, and how we deal with our day-to-day struggles. From a delightfully enthusiastic sentient bead of sweat, to a 5-year-old's richly charming hand-drawn-esque imagination, Pixar's knack for playfully ...

  Sunrise on the Reaping A Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins "All propaganda is lies, even when one is telling the truth. I don't think this matters so long as one knows what one is doing, and why." -George Orwell, BBC Broadcast, March 14, 1942 "A truth that's told with bad intent. Beats all the lies you can invent." -William Blake, Auguries of Innocence "Quoth the Raven “Nevermore." -Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven Choices, our choices have consequences. It seems rather morbid and frankly unaware to praise Suzanne Collins for Sunrise on the Reaping. Though, as I am thinking about it, if that statement is true then it should apply to all four of the previous Hunger Games novels. If anything is true about these novels, it is that truth comes at a cost. That cost may be a steep price to pay, sometimes it is worth it and sometimes it most certainly is not. This quandary is not the thematic focus of Sunrise on the Reaping, but it is one of many ...