Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

  Supergirl (2026) “Maybe this is home.” “Without the antidote there is nothing she can do.” “We will be with you.” -Supergirl (2026) Embattled by trauma and entwined with regret, Kara Zor-El is not your average Kryptonian survivor. Unlike her more renowned cousin, Kara must come to terms with the aspects of herself that are defined by a planet that no longer exists. Her life then, is a series of questions, brought on by a tragedy and a wish to rewrite history. What is the power flight if it reminds you of your failure to stay? What is life if regret dominates every day, and what is a hero if sacrifice continually calls your name? "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” -1st Peter 2:24 (NRSV-CE) The emotional capacity of a story lies in its ability to invite you into the human struggle of an everyday lived experience. That is to say, storytelling grants us access to ...

  The Signing of The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull, 1818, oil on canvas Happy 250 th birthday, or should I say, Happy 4th of July weekend everyone! Here’s one from the archives, a post on Ken Burns’s documentary series, The American Revolution.  May we all have the opportunity to live up to the sacrifices, and experience the freedoms granted to us through the accomplishments of so many. God bless America 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 ri...

  Disclosure Day (2026) “Don't be afraid of what you don't know.” “If you are hearing this, if you are seeing this. You are not alone." -Disclosure Day (2026) “For of course, it is no very new idea that the Eternal Son may, for all we know, have been incarnate in other worlds and so saved other races than ours.” -C.S. Lewis, “Will We Lose God in Outer Space”, April, 1958. The Christian Herald Vol 81 It's fortuitous that Disclosure Day is difficult to encapsulate in a singular phrase or word. Though my inability to articulate the film's motivating narrative, doesn't come from a lack of vocabulary. If asked me for superlatives they would be flowing out of my digital pen with ease. Right now however, I will stay my hand, because the enriching enchantment of Disclosure Day is born out of the process of discovery? Not the reveal of facts. Wonder, that's the word. If I were asked to distill Disclosure Day down to a single word that would be it. Though, if...

Outlaws (1997) "Where are you Marshall?” "Damn it! I told that fool doctor, stealing your kid, weren't going to be good for anyone's health.” “It's a shame he didn't listen.” -Outlaws (1997)      One minute, one minute. It is remarkable what one minute can do. A single moment in time can encapsulate an entire world and open the door to cinematic and interactive experiences you never knew before. In an instant you are brought from ignorance into the joy of knowledge, this is not a discovery of a lack, but a finding of something deep within. What we find is the connection between the story and its audience.      As I write these words, it strikes me yet again: the capacity of a choice to affect our wonder and capture our imagination. As a 9-year-old you really don't have the wherewithal to appreciate the connective power of a single image or story. That is to say, my dad gave me, my brother and four sisters a tremendous gift, by allowing us to experience sto...

  This post is in loving memory of Gilbert “Gil” Kelly. Thank you Papa for showing me, day in and day out, what family truly means. You loved us grandkids equally. Even so, our relationship with you was uniquely our own. I for one, would not be who I am today, were it not for your willingness to drive me back and forth from Raritan Valley Community College for two years, on almost a daily basis. That was an immeasurable gift. You helped me start my college journey. You believed in me, even when I thought my disability would hold me back, you knew I could accomplish great things. Also, I don't know what came first, the chicken or the egg, in terms of my love of visual storytelling, but having a grandfather who played video games in the '90s was pretty awesome. PGA Tour, 1994 on the Sega Genesis for the win, along with all the racing games you could find for the system. Love you, Papa. Say hi to Danny for me, and I'll see you both again, on the other side of eternity. Streets...

  Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, season 1 (2026) "You have been indoctrinated since you were a child. Now, you must adapt.” "It's all right, it's all right. I won't let him do this to anybody else.” “Fear is natural, we just can't allow it to control us.” -Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, season 1 (2026) Pain that is not transformed is transmitted. Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is a driving echo of this sad truth. If we are unable to confront our trauma, we often give it to others unwittingly, even when our deepest hope is that our pain ends with us. Maul - Shadow Lord is a poignant reminder that revenge only amplifies our mental anguish. It does not rid us of it. In his attempts to keep at bay his inner demons, Maul actually fortifies them, giving them space to occupy a prime place in his mind. Outwardly Maul's ultimate goal of vanquishing his former master, Darth Sidious, is admirable. Though, revenge, however justified, only keeps the door open. In...