Interview: Director Steve James talks Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

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Here’s the interview I mentioned with my previous post! Hop on over to my patreon page for even more discussion!

ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail

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This is another great documentary from Steve James, who also made “Life Itself” and the 30 for 30 on Allen Iverson’s Trial. I was also fortunate enough to interview the director about this film, so look for that in the near future! Review here.

Post #300 on Plot and Theme!

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For my 300th post here on Plot and Theme, I decided to update all my readers by explaining the next phase of my blogging, which involves getting the word out that the blog is growing and rewarding readers who support my nonsensical writings.

Twelve Cool Films from the Cannes Film Festival

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The Cannes Film Festival is in the books, and there are some cool things that happened at the 70th iteration of this super-prestigious festival.  This will be a causal post where I touch on a few of the things that interest me and therefore should interest you (because I am very often right).  Obviously, I … Read more

The Hilarious “Mindhorn” Blends Crime with Irreverence and Dry British Wit

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Are you re-watching episodes of QI and startling yourself with how often you remember the answers?  Do you have a VPN set up to watch 8 Out of 10 Cats?  Are you slightly angry that my previous question didn’t conclude with “Does Countdown”?  This hackneyed rhetoric is just a way for me to say that … Read more

“War Machine” is Imbalanced, Has Too Few Barbs

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The satire is the most fragile of all the genres.  Drama fails or succeeds on the strength of very definite qualities like story, character, and pathos.  Comedy has leeway with its execution on account of its casual tone, as even the blackest comedies have a jokey kernel.  Strict genre fare or action is even more … Read more

“Dr. Strangelove” and the Absurdity of the Politically Powerful

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A Year of Masterpieces: The Filmography of Stanley Kubrick Introduction Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a satirical masterpiece.  In this piece, we will discuss the germination of the great film and then detail how the director combines a serious camera (Part I), genuine but … Read more

Inside Out 2017: A Date for Mad Mary

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This movie is fantastic! One of my favorite things about getting screeners is being blind-sided by something awesome, and “A Date for Mad Mary” definitely counts!

Inside Out 2017: Handsome Devil

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Here’s a wonderful little Irish flick I got to review as part of TIRFF. Now, it’s showing at Inside Out!