Film Criticism and Fiction Writing by Derek Jacobs
Derek Jacobs 
Feature-length Disney animated films are a hallmark of cinematic culture, and it is strange to think that they date back to before the beginning of the second world war. As we approach 80 years of animated features from Disney, I find myself looking back at that history and noting the various high-points and missteps in … Read more
The Merc with a Mouth had something to say to us on Monday about the trailer for his new movie. Like the hipster asshole that he is, Deadpool narrates the trailer to his trailer with some bourbon and a pipe in full costume (which makes holding the pipe in his mouth fairly difficult). His voice … Read more
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation revels in its tropes. Heists, MacGuffins, and double/triple crosses abound and elevate the film to the very apex of the spy film genre. Director Christopher McQuarrie (director of Jack Reacher, writer of Edge of Tomorrow) ably adds his touches and always keeps the action intelligible, but this is unequivocally Tom … Read more
The August 2015 state of the blog post has quite a bunch to say. I’ve got a brand-new look, a simpler address, and plenty of blog news to discuss. I saw some great movies this month, and have a great deal upcoming that I want to tell you about, so let’s get to it.
Every new entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has multiple obstacles to overcome. First, and most importantly, the film must fit into the rest of the MCU in a way that feels genuine and earned. Also, it must be careful not to retread old ideas and instead offer us something fresh. The latest offering, Ant-Man, … Read more
The first full trailer for the next entry in Daniel Craig’s James Bond begins with Ralph Fiennes’ M chiding Bond for carrying out an unauthorized operation in Mexico City. Fiennes stands behind his desk and towers over a seated, subservient Bond asking, “Mexico City: What were you doing there?” We cut to the event in … Read more
The Revenant has been anticipated since April of 2014, when Alejandro G. Iñárritu announced that he had started to work on the project with Leonardo DiCaprio in the leading role. The story was to be based on a novel of the same name detailing the true events of a fur-trapper on the American frontier at … Read more
Think about something in which you truly believe. It could be quaint, or it could be defining – but is it the truth? Do you believe this thing because someone has tricked you into it, or is it genuine? In An Honest Liar, escape artist, magician, and debunker James Randi investigates the world of professional … Read more
So I definitely found all the fun in the DCCU, and it looks like I was right – it is going to come from the villains. Look no further than the recently released trailer for Suicide Squad, where I finally get the sense that there is more to the DCCU than brooding, gritty darkness. Somehow, … Read more
It is no secret that the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has darker ambitions than its brightly colored and quip-filled Marvel counterpart. Since the DCEU is late to the shared universe party, they are tasked with differentiating themselves, and if Man of Steel and the teaser trailer for the follow-up Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice … Read more