Hour 21: A Film and Interactive Media Blog

  The Crucible (1996) “There is prodigious danger in seeking loose spirits. I fear it.” “I never dreamed any of this for you… I wanted you, was all.” "I have given you my soul. Leave me my name!" -The Crucible It's astounding how we so often justify our actions to assuage our guilt. We prefer to build a lie around our failures, rather than just take stock and accept the truth. The truth is, we all fail. There is no one on this earth, who hasn't, at one time or another fallen short of the person we know we can be. It is the everlasting struggle to accept the better angels of our nature, instead of granting fuel to the fire of our demons. The Crucible is a remarkable examination of those demons. Our ability to hide behind our failures is the flame that perpetuates The Crucible in all its probing of the frailty of human nature. This extraordinary chronicle of the Salem Witch Trials profoundly illustrates the perpetuating realities of scapegoating as a way to cov...

  Mafia: The Old Country “Be careful… Enzo.” “If everything burns along the way, what is the cost of that ambition?” “God forgive me…Get out if you can… Get out.” -Mafia: The Old Country To be honest, I never thought rosary beads would be this impactful in a video game. That was probably not what you were expecting, so let me start from the beginning. Mafia: The Old Country is the fourth game in a series chronicling the rise and fall of organized crime throughout history. The Mafia games are somewhat unique in the realm of open world game experiences as their worlds are mostly designed to emphasize the characters, themes and ideas of a linear narrative, rather than facilitate the freedom of player choice. Mafia: The Old Country wonderfully maintains this narrative approach, granting us a richly layered story brought to life in a densely populated world of beauty, power and greed. The journey of Enzo Favera from the depths of the sulfur mines of Sicily to the heights of the ...

  King of the Hill, season 14 “Bobby, this…” “What's wrong dad?” “This isn't some ash tray you made in art class I have to pretend to like, this is The Cowboys.” “Are you ready to make some memories dad?  - King of the Hill, season 14 There is something wonderfully average about King of the Hill. Perhaps it's the show's ability to succinctly drill down to the core of a cultural viewpoint, it may also stem from the show's down to earth humor that rings true on all levels of social satire and cultural commentary. All the while never losing its clear and simplistically profound understanding of the human endeavor. King of the Hill is the joy and struggle of being human distilled down to its very essence, and its 14th season delivers this truth with a relevance that we've seemingly been missing since the show ended its first run 15 years ago. Animated TV show revivals seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays. Though King of the Hill takes this now well-worn patter...

  The Chosen, season 5 “What have you done?” “It would have been enough." “But none of that's the point. The point is that you would have said yes to the world’s no.” -The Chosen, season 5 As of yet, I do not think the depths of human doubt and misunderstanding have been as eloquently and heart-wrenchingly explored as they are in the fifth season of The Chosen. It is extraordinary how this show about the life of Christ is able to revitalize our appreciation for the greatest sacrifice of all time. Most remarkable of all, by focusing mainly on human weakness and mistrust The Chosen situates its fifth season in the liminal space between belief and faith in that which we cannot and do not fully comprehend. This season is a marker, a demonstration of what separates the Chosen from its cinematic biblical siblings. It is a show that is willing to dwell in and on the difficulties of life and human frailty. Honing in on the necessity of human growth in times of struggle, rather...

  The Fantastic Four: First Steps "Are we safe? I don't know.” “Let me make the sacrifice.” “It's not yours to make.” -The Fantastic Four: First Steps      I honestly didn't think this would happen. If you asked me three months ago I would probably tell you that Marvel Studios was headed down a path of no return. A path, by all accounts, that seemed to be dominated by the pursuit of the ever present almighty dollar. Though, after seeing their recent slate of films, that may not be the case. I could be giving them too much credit, but credit is due where credit is due. In any case, Marvel's pursuit of money should not be a factor in a story like this. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a fascinatingly resident excavation of the themes of sacrifice and family. At first blink this film may just seem like a charming 60s inspired alternate future journey of a superfamily, coming to terms with their relationship with those they protect. In other words, What is more...

  Superman (2025) "Your choices. Your actions… That's what makes you who you are." -Superman (2025) Is there such a thing as too much charm? In this case, I don't think so. Superman 2025 blasts on to the big screen with a buoyancy that, by all the estimates of our modern eyes, should not work. Though, this film succeeds with flying colors. In my humble opinion, there is no wrong here. James Gunn’s take on Superman is exhilaratingly entertaining from moment 1. This film is a reminder of a golden age of comics in the best way possible, Superman 2025 should be the definition of wearing your heart on your sleeve in the dictionary. Even still, this film manages to evoke more than just pure delight. It is also an honest exploration of what it means to come to terms with who we truly are. It suffices to say that this film works on all its levels. It may be a bit too saccharine for some, but that sweetness is balanced with real life realities in such a way that the fi...

  Moana “We were voyagers." “It's called wayfinding princess, and it's not just sales and knots. It's seeing where you're going in your mind. Knowing where you are by knowing where you've been.” “Maybe the gods found you for a reason? Maybe the ocean brought you to them because it saw someone who was worthy to be saved.” -Moana You know when you think about it, it's delightfully inventive to tell a story about voyaging out into the sea by making water so visually enthralling. To be honest the inventiveness doesn't come from the water itself. It's the sheer artistic flex that is Moana. Joking aside, Moana is a true visual treat, the Disney artists have really outdone themselves this time. Though their skill is not just for show it wonderfully conveys the central theme of setting out on your own path, taking life as it drives you forward., Unsurprisingly this forward momentum can only be achieved if we understand where we are going and where we h...