Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

  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....

  Triumph of the Heart “So help us God.” “Did your song save her? Did it!” “Maybe not from her pain, but maybe it shows her that she is not alone.” -Triumph of the Heart The greater the pain, the more profound the love. Taken at face value this sentiment often seems naive, if not downright flippant of the agonizing weight of sorrow. Mingle this mental agony with physical trauma and the above statement seems to be nothing more than air calling after the wind. This sentiment has no place in our reality, or does it? While it is true that pain is a difficult consequence of human experience, it does not mean it has no place in it. Perhaps that is the shining light of the Triumph of Heart. This film's ability to distill the meaning of suffering is rather impressive, and that's saying nothing of the impact of the film's central protagonist, Catholic priest Maximilian Kolbe. Triumph of the Heart chronicles the last two weeks of Kolbe's life as he takes the place of a m...

  Lilo & Stitch 2025: The Art of Conversation and the Love of Family “Now make up with your sister, yeah. If you need anything just ask okay. We're not just neighbors. You know, we're ohana." “People treat me differently.” “Aww baby, they just… they just don't know what to say?" “But you… didn't mean what you said, did you? ” “No, of course not, you're my sister and I'll always be here for you, got it.” -Lilo and Stitch, 2025 To be honest, it must be difficult to be a filmmaker, extraordinarily so, in today's popular climate of remakes and reimagining. This has to be exponentially more true when taking into account the legacy of an intellectual property or film studio. Where does one start in reimagining a classic, when from all angles you know in your heart of hearts it will turn out to be a fruitless endeavor. Mocked by fans of the original and chastised by newcomers as simple and uninspired. By all appearances you are trapped in the cy...

  The Walking Dead season 2 Episode 7: Pretty Much Dead Already “But the world out there isn't what you saw on TV, it is much, much worse and it changes you. Either into one of them or into something a lot less than the person you were.” . “Is this about you and the Asian boy?” “No… His name is Glenn. He saved my life yesterday, and one of the people you think are sick tried to kill me. How's that for dramatic? Things aren't what you think they are, they aren't.” -The Walking Dead season 2, Episode 7 There are moments that we will remember, and then there are moments, and then there are moments that we think we remember. Though that memory is usually tainted either by hindsight or the obscuring vision of rose tinted glasses. Then there are monoliths, moments in time run that become so synonymous with the concept of popular culture that we begin to misread its impact, as just The luck of the draw, rather than a turning point in the popular consciousness. That al...