Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

  Mother Angelica: A Contemplative life of Action "If you don't go, He won't go." -Mother Angelica “Mother Angelica, weak in body, strong in spirit. Charismatic woman, charismatic woman.” -Pope St. John Paul II “The Lord gave it to me to do, I've done it.” -Mother Angelica An active Christian faith is not solely defined by motion, but by the strength derived from prayer and meditation. That is how Rita Rizzo was able to propel herself through hardship, tragedy and struggle. To become one of the most respected conveyors of the redemptive message of the Gospel, and the love of Jesus Christ. Whether you are religious or not, the sheer spunk and tenacity of Rita Rizzo cannot be overstated. It could be said that Rita Rizzo was born to take on the mantle granted her as Mother Angelica. As with all of us, Providence held her in the palm of His hand, and when He called, she answered with eagerness and gusto. She lived her calling to the fullest extent of her bei...

  Fallout season 1 (2024) “I'm not going back without my dad.” “If you insist on staying, then you will have to adapt. The question is, will you still want the same things, when you have become a different animal altogether?” “What Happened." “It's the same thing that always happens. Everyone wants to save the world, they just disagree on how.” -Fallout season 1 (2024) Perhaps it is a bit presumptuous, but credit is due where credit is due. Amazon's adoption of the Fallout video game franchise, is a delight in the most apocalyptic of ways. Fallout is known for its ridiculous, albeit insightful ridiculous satire on the end of the world. The humor is sharp, and the wit is biting, and remarkably it all works to a concise degree. Because, when you reach the precipice of the Apocalypse, you realize that maybe we're all to blame, in some way or another. Fallout, in its televised form, thrives in its ability to eloquently take shots at its many ideological combat...

  Resident Evil Requiem (2026) “Rest now Grace. We have so much to do.” “So nice to finally meet you, Leon.” "Through you, Elpis can finally be set free." -Resident Evil Requiem (2026) It's somewhat ironic that the most cathartic experiences, the moments in our lives that change us for the better. The moments that help us realize where we came from, and where we are going, often show themselves in the most unlikely of ways. Resident Evil Requiem is one such vehicle of catharsis. Though I have yet to formally declare it, in the broader sense of the word. Ask anybody close to me, and they will probably tell you that my taste in the interactive narrative space does not extend to horror. Making it all the more surprising when the ninth entry of the Resident Evil franchise, with its captivating visuals and intriguing characters, drew me into its horror infested world. To be clear, this is the first Resident Evil game I have ever played all the way through. I have dabbled h...

  Hamnet (2025) “Don't be sad Hamnet, I shall be well.” “I shall not. Not without you." “I'll be brave.” -Hamnet (2025) In all honesty, there aren't enough words to express the sheer poignancy of this film. Hamnet is an exercise in empathy to the most powerful degree. Though, even that phrase seems hollow and reductive in the face of the immense weight of sadness that pervades the thematic core of this beautiful parental tragedy. Hamnet abides in a place of waiting, a place where the terminus of grief seems eternally distant from its unlooked for start. However, time is your ally in these cycles of sorrow. At first, it may seem counter to the seeking after healing, though it is the traversal through this sadness that allows for the possibility of joy. It is the passage of time that allows us to remember our heart, and its beating truth, love is born out of suffering and its return echoes its beginning. Hamnet poignantly holds all these human truths in its skil...

  Scrubs (2026), season 10 “Look at me… We do the most good we can in a single shift and then, as hard as it is, we go home. That’s the job.” “When we think about a hospital, the first things that come to mind are illness, death, pain and disease. But, if you look in the right places there is also love.” “And sure, love can sting sometimes, but love is also the thing that heals us.” -Scrubs (2026), Season 10 Episodes 2 and 3 Pain, we often cover it up, hide it away from the world and put on a happy face. In essence, we are conveying what the world wants to see or at least, what we think the world wants to see. In reality, however, our pain is what ultimately allows us to show the world our humanity. It is somewhat ironic that in order for us to heal, we must first reveal the very thing that has caused us so much distress and discomfort. Our pains are our greatest fears, though we must face those fears, so that they can disappear. It's always surprised me that we often find hea...

  Predator: Badlands (2025) “Yautja may hunt alone, but they die alone too.” “You know you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.” “We can be more than what they ask of us” -Predator: Badlands (2025) The innate thematic richness of Predator: Badlands catches you off guard in the best of ways. Not that a Predator film can't be defined by its thematics, they most certainly can. Though, Badlands intermingles these themes into a world that is lively and brimming with a reality that speaks to the best in the sci-fi action genre of film. Death is our titular Predator's aim, though life is what we get in its stead. The hunting grounds of the planet Genna, maintain a uniqueness that hides a treacherous underbelly, alive with death and danger. Yes, Predator Badlands is a concise and streamlined sci-fi action thrill ride. It is a film that knows what it wants, and it executes those desires with extraordinary skill and passion. Its consistency is its greatest weapon...

  A Beautiful Mind: And The Autonomy of Connection “She never gets old… Marcy can't be real. She never gets old.” “Maybe Rosen is right? Maybe I have to think about going back to the hospital again?” “No…come here…maybe try again tomorrow.” -A Beautiful Mind (2001) John and Alicia Nash's biographical silver screen debut is a quintessential example of the innate eloquence of cinematic visual language to help us understand and empathize. A Beautiful Mind is a film about the contradictions and connections that are defined by a mental illness that is not eradicated but accepted as part of a lifelong journey of healing. A Beautiful Mind is therefore a film about love, and its power to create avenues of separational connection. In other words. It is an autonomy, on the part of John and Alicia Nash that paradoxically brings them together rather than tears them apart. Indeed, A Beautiful Mind is a sea of wayward contradictions as varied as the schizophrenic delusions of its ...

  Persons of No Interest, season 1 (2026) “He just… He showed me the world was so much bigger than my parent's little bakery in Rhode Island.” “Now she's dead and uh… no one's going to ever remember she existed…That's really sad.” “It matters…Twila, you matter.” -Ponies, season 1 (2026) In every story there are moments that have the possibility to captivate us, to motivate us and help us realize that stories matter. Not in the artistic sense of the word, but in the real human sense. People matter. Everybody matters. Perhaps that is why Ponies' first season is so affecting in its exploration of the dignity of the human person. Truthfully though, this 1970s era spy thriller comedy deserves far more than the word “perhaps” in its initial thematic narrative description. Ponies is far more than just an exuberantly engaging, and comedic journey through the spy-craft of the 1970s. The series is also remarkably grounded in its thoughtful examination of voyeurism and...

  Wicked (2024 and 2025) “What is going on? People are watching.” “Don't we all know there's no place like home?” “Because all that's required to live in a dream is endlessly closing your eyes.” -Wicked: For Good (2025) Wicked is at its core uniquely orchestrated to take advantage of all the dramatic nuances of the musical form. It is a story that calls into question perceptions and manipulations that evoke the most wily of propaganda tools. Though fret not, this backstage pass to the wonderful world of Oz, and the two witches that dominate its most iconic tale, is not seeking to deceive you, but to show you what it may look like beyond our preconceived notions. Therefore, Wicked seeks to find the realities that motivate trust and truth. When taken as a whole, it really is an impressively moving achievement of the musical narrative form that Wicked resolves as beautifully and coherently as it does. Wicked inventively and innately comprehends its melodic power in ...

One Battle After Another (2025) “From here on in, it's one battle after another." “Viva la revolution.” “It's your dad Willa” -One Battle After Another (2025) At first glance, it may seem completely out of place to say this, but One Battle After Another is an enormously heartwarming and tremendously engaging political satire. Once the film reaches its stride you come to realize a truth, politics should never replace the love of family. In a way, Willa and Bob’s father daughter relationship is a touching reminder of the true purpose of freedom. Freedom isn't the ability to do whatever we want. It is the ability to do what is best. Freedom asks us to seek the good of the other. Here, then, is where this film's satirical method comes into play. One Battle After Another uses satire to elevate rather than to denigrate its characters. At least from a narrative perspective humanity is the focus point of the film's ideological gaze. Even when the satirical meth...

“Screw the mountain bike, my daughter is getting a Prius.” “When one person is very powerful they make the other person change who they are.” “I'm telling you this because we are friends. ‘We are no longer friends'. " -The Muppets (2015 TV series) It's rare that an actor achieves worldwide fame, and it is even rarer that a troop of actors receives that same level of honor. They achieve such respect that their very names become synonymous with the idea of quality. The Muppets are among these rarefied few. Encountering fame and fortune with a grace and poise that draws all into their orbit. Perhaps that is why a documentary crew has seen fit to delve into the inner workings of The Muppets most ambitious, yet intimate come back yet to date. Kermit and the gang have certainly outdone themselves this time. Allowing Miss Piggy to poke and prod at the upper crust of Hollywood's most glamorous elite. Though, Up Late with Miss Piggy isn't your average late-nig...

  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...