Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

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...

  Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) “They feared him, now they cheer for me.” "Goodbye, kid." "The old protect the young, then the young protect the old. This is the way.” -Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) Family is a pivotal anchor for the Star Wars thematic canon. You could even say that family is the central thesis of that galaxy far far away. Even so, you would be hard-pressed, in the confines of those stars, to find a family that is not racked by misfortune and sorrow. Though, fear not, we all know there is hope out there. All we need to do is find a way towards that light. The credo, “This is the way” resounds through Din Djarin’s life. The loss of family and home are but two of the many tragedies he has endured throughout his time in this mortal coil. So, no wonder a strict code, born out of honor and strength, would dominate his ideas of safety and security. Our safety, however, does not always denote truth, and in turn, our perception of...

  Mixtape (2026) "Because the music goes somewhere, and you're going with it." "You know how to jet?" "To what?” -Mixtape (2026) What is the capacity of a moment, and how do you define it? A consistent reminder of time is that we never have enough of it. It always seems to slip away, never really granting us a sufficient duration of our human capacity for experiencing life to its necessary fullness. Though, when you really think about it, time is not the enemy here. The enemy, with all its nuance and variety, finds itself not in time, but in our misunderstanding of it. Time isn't meant to be sped through, Its rhythms and tones should be savored, as much as they possibly can be. Mixtape offers us something special in the realm of reverie and appreciation. Allowing you and I to come to terms with the necessity of presence in the flow of our everyday lives. While Mixtape does chronicle the supposed final hours of a high school friendship, Stacy, Va...

  Solo Mio (2026) "Keep your eyes open in Rome.” "Is everything okay?” "I wish I handled it differently. I mean, I should have been honest and just talked to you.” -Solo Mio (2026) I can't remember a time when I have felt such a refreshing and filmic spring breeze. That's not to say this film is vapid or empty by any means, it's simply a refreshing take on the stalwart romantic comedy genre. Where most romantic comedies find their end, Solo Mio discovers its purpose. Matt Taylor is left at the altar, after the whirlwind of a seemingly perfect relationship, sees him alone at his own destination wedding. He's already paid for honeymoon now burning a hole in his metaphorical pocket. Solo Mio, finds the perfect balance between joy and reverie as Matt has to unexpectedly take advantage of his non-refundable honeymoon. This film is a delight from end to end. Not only because of its humor, but its heart as well. Matt's journey from heartbreak to who...