Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

  F1 (20205) “We still have two cars on track.” “Then we have a team” “This has been 30 years in the making.” -F1 (20205) It's all in the name. All the power. All the speed, and dare I say, all the formula. To be sure, that is not a put down in any way. F1 is high-speed cinema at its most streamlined and well constructed. The story of Sonny Hayes trying to reclaim his former glory on the F1 racing circuit is a charm-filled reminder of the nuances of thrill. It may be a bit reductive, but a respectful awareness of itself is what makes this film thrive. F1 knows what it is and that is absolutely fantastic. Far too often we forget the simple joy of experiencing a movie in all its visual and auditory splendor. That isn't to say that F1 doesn't have a narrative heart, of course it does. Though that narrative rhythm is made all the more enjoyable when taken in as a completed whole. That whole in turn speaks for itself in the enjoyment of its engagement with the material...

  X-Men: Days of Future Past “Are we destined down this path? Destined to destroy ourselves like so many species before us? Or can we evolve fast enough to change ourselves, change our fate? Is the future truly set?” "I don't want your suffering. I don't want your future." “Please Charles. We need you to hope again.” -X-Men: Days of Future Past We are all broken in some way. Though, it is how we discover our wholeness that truly defines us, leading us down the path we know we should follow. It's remarkable how prescient the X-Men films are. Yet, their consistent relevance is not manufactured in any way. It is innate in their DNA. A mutation that has been there from the very beginning. X-Men Day is a Future Past is no different in this regard. The film is a prime pillar in a series brought to life by the very heart beat of human dignity and purpose. The X-Men franchise is often the most willing, in popular culture, to look back in order to look forward. To hope...

  True Grit (2010) “The wicked fee when none pursueth” -Proverbs 28:1 “I was just 14 years of age when a coward by the name of Tom Cheney shot my father down.” “He could have walked his horse, for not a soul in that city could be bothered to give chase… No doubt Cheney fancied himself scot-free but he was wrong. You must pay for everything in this world one way an’ another. There is nothing free except the grace of God.” -True Grit (2010) It is remarkable how much you forget as you grow old, as you begin to see the world in a different light. It seems as if we lose the ability to remember who we were and who we wanted to be. The story of Mattie Ross and a journey of revenge is a heart wrenching, yet beautifully exuberant immersion into pain and drive of loss. True Grit 2010 in essence, is childhood in microcosm with all its joys and sorrows intact. It is a tale of vengeance for sure, though that vengeance is as much a stand-in for the encroachment of adulthood, as it is a remin...

  James Cameron's Avatar: Countering the Ableism Narrative to Discover Who God Wants Us To Be “One life ends. Another begins.” “She says, all energy is only borrowed and one day you have to give it back.” “I see you” -James Cameron's Avatar James Cameron's Avatar is simplicity at its most mesmerizing. I've always wondered how Cameron's films manage to do what they do with so little. To be fair, "little" is not really the proper word here, economic would be near the mark. Avatar has such a streamlined approach to storytelling that I would guess the film comes across as simple to most. A simple story bolstered by a profound knowledge of technological and visual wonder. In short, all visuals and no substance. However, as I have mentioned in other places, simplicity does not indicate a lack of depth. This reality remains resolute with Avatar to a tremendous degree. The story of paralyzed Marine Cpl. Jake Sully and his coming to terms, quite literally...

  As Dusk Falls (2022) “The truth is there's still too much to forget." “I won't sleep much tonight, I never do. I'll try again tomorrow.” “We just cover up one mistake with the next one.” “Wherever you run your problems, run after you.” -As Dusk Falls Choice, when you think about it, choice is a remarkable thing. Even the smallest of decisions can lead to the most unforeseen circumstances. Circumstances that are by all estimates out of our control. That is a quintessential promise of interactive storytelling, choice. A driving barometer in the interactive media space is its willingness to give us the freedom to choose. To give us in a sense, the opportunity to decide an outcome or a person's fate without real world consequences. We want to be given the ability to experience someone else's life without the detriment of mental or physical anguish. Though perhaps with a bit of irony, it strikes me that video games are not really the proper avenue for choice ...

  Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World “My God, what can we do? He has us by the hip." “You forget yourself doctor." “"No Jack. No, you forgot yourself.” -Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World It never ceases to surprise, and perhaps that is the point, especially in this case. Even the simplest of stories has the capacity to hide a depth that outpaces the most rigorously detailed of explorations. Simplicity is indeed a marvel. So, the circle continues. The combining of simplicity and depth to create an eloquent dance that surpasses all expectations. In the case of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, the film is one of the finest cinematic examples of that particular narrative economy. Intermingled with a rich understanding of its historical setting, this film is a quintessential starting point for the concise power and nuance of the filmic image. In other words, Master and Commander is indeed a picture of multiple thousands of words....