Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

  Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft, season 2 (2025) “Why do you keep trusting me?" “Because I believe we are more than our pain. “The time has come to rebuild." -Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft, season 2 What are the masks we hide behind? What are the realities we seek to accommodate by granting anonymity in our minds to the corresponding pain. Hiding pain behind masks ultimately creates more pain, and disconnects us from the avenues of healing and connection that bring us truer understanding and fulfillment. Contentment lies in the realization that we are broken human beings in need of reconciliation. If we are able to come to terms with the scars of our past, they can often be redirected, redefined by healing, and turned into a hope for the future. I can't precisely tell you why, but the nuances of simple stories consistently surprises me with their richness and depth. Though, now that I think about it, that surprise and delight may come from the fact...

My top five is slightly different than last year. I decided to include all forms of visual narrative, video games, TV and film. So here it is, my overall top 5 of 2025 5.   Ken Burns's The American Revolution (2025) documentary series= “We the people.” -The United States Constitution “I wish the Constitution which is offered had been made more perfect. But I sincerely believe that it's the best that could be obtained at this time. And as a constitutional door is opened for amendment here after, the adoption of it is in my opinion desirable.” - George Washington “Our government daily acquires strength and stability. The union is complete. Nothing hinders are being a very happy and prosperous People. Provided we have wisdom rightly to estimate our blessings, and hearts to improve them.” - Abigail Adams There are certain moments in history that are emblazoned onto the popular consciousness. It is fascinating to me that these moments become so accepted as pivotal components of...

  Clair Obscure Expedition 33 (2025) “Sometimes, we paint the bars of our own prison.” "And repaint your throat while you're in there, before you completely forget how to have a conversation." “I treat you as if the shadow from the worst day of our lives is going to suffocate you, and take you from us too!” "It's going to be okay… it's going to be okay… huh. You have this incredible power to paint. You'll never have to suffer a life you don't want.” -Clair Obscure Expedition 33 There seem to be moments every year where a film or video game truly understands the medium that they inhabit, conveying to an audience, to you and to me, a powerful understanding of the impact and nuance of the human experience. This year is no different, perhaps it's a medium that may be unfamiliar to some of you. However, by my estimation that does not lessen its emotional and thematic relevance by one fraction of a pixelized inch. I wish there was some way to e...

  The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) “Quickly, it’ll be warmer in there.” “Mr. Scrooge I. Presume?” “A life can be made right.” -The Muppet Christmas Carol Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol is almost synonymous with the better parts of our human nature. The tale of a wretch of a man who is visited on Christmas Eve by three spirits in the hopes to unearth his dormant humanity. Ebenezer Scrooge's journey from a miserable sinner to a siren of goodwill, may be as much a staple of the Christmas season as Jesus's Nativity, at least in the nonreligious sense of the season. A Christmas Carol represents humanity at its highest potential. This little novella achieves an aspirational view of the human condition without ever downplaying its hardship. In short, A Christmas Carol is humanity in almost perfect microcosm. That may be the reason for its longevity and its countless adaptations into other media. We will always need the aspirational humanity that A Christmas Carol provid...

  Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) “You're right. I guess the question is, do these stories convince us of a lie or do they resonate with something deep inside us that is profoundly true, that we can't express any other way, except for storytelling?” “Touché, Padre.” “ Father Jud that was… very good.” -Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Perception is perhaps the greatest barrier facing faith nowadays. Both in and out of The Church. Perception consistently holds us hostage, disavowing us the opportunity to experience Catholicism as it was, and is intended to be conveyed to the wider world. I certainly do not have all the answers in that regard, to be honest I don't think we will get all the answers on this side of eternity. What we can do however, is keep the conversation of faith going, always returning to the fact that Christianity was not started by a litany of rules or regulations. but by a man. A humble carpenter from Nazareth who was God incarnate....

  A Little Princess (1995) “It's all right Papa. I'm going to be fine.” “What are you doing? memorizing me by heart?” “No, I already know you by heart." -A Little Princess (1995) It may come as a surprise that the most eloquent of stories often present themselves in the most eccentric of ways. Children's stories especially offer us a unique vantage point into the art of storytelling. They grant us a pattern to follow. A script that allows their young audience to engage effectively in the message or lesson that is presented. However, for adults, these patterns are well worn and easily detected, frequently lessening the impact of the story for this older subset of narrative consumers. That is an issue. This narrative malaise from an older audience consistently robs these stories of the relevance they deserve. It strikes me at this moment, is there a way to engage both sets of this captive audience? Indeed there is, it's happened many times. Though, to steer u...