The films of Guy Ritchie succeed best when they blend comedic elements with a strong circuitous narrative set on the fringes of society. Usually, that fringe is some underground criminal element, but with The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Ritchie puts his inimitable aesthetic to work on the period spy thriller. Though the plot can feel fairly derivative at times, the stars ably carry the film forward and offer some surprisingly funny moments amid the tradecraft and action set pieces.
The Basics of the Romantic Realism School of Art
The first aesthetics post on this blog sought to broadly define the philosophical field of aesthetics, tasked with the study of art and its role in human life. In it, I mentioned that there are many different viewpoints and theories in this field, and that I would be approaching the questions of aesthetics from the perspective of a particular school: Romantic Realism. So, with our foundational knowledge of aesthetics taken care of, we are now prepared to delve into this particular school of thought, which will be the focus of this piece.
Classic Review Friday – “The Dark Crystal” (1982)
The very best fantasy films hypnotize with an aura of uneasy wonder, as though we are observing something foreign yet fundamentally familiar. The Dark Crystal from Jim Henson and Frank Oz is just such a film. Heralded as “the first live-action film with no human characters”, Henson and Oz weave a fabulous aphorism of the duality of human nature set on a scarred, alien world. The result is a piece of magic – a dark fantasy film for children that respects their intellects and emotions and thereby resounds as an absolute classic.
First Trailer for “Trumbo” Displays Adept Acting and Portends Oscar Glory
A few months ago, I wanted to write a news piece about some casting announcements for the new film Trumbo, but I held off. Now, the first trailer for the McCarthy-era film about the blacklisting of the titanic Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (played by Bryan Cranston) has been released, and it looks like we’ve got one of our first serious Oscar contenders. Have a look:
The Ages of Disney Animation – Part VII: The Computer Age Renaissance
Previous Parts
Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI
In Part VII of The Seven Ages of Disney Animation, we finally reach the end of our (original*) journey: the age we currently exist in, The Computer Age Renaissance. Disney was finally able to utilize computer animation to create powerful stories and gorgeous sequences, but there are still some hand-drawn gems in this age, as well.
The Hateful 8 Trailer is Pure, True-to-Form Tarantino Beauty
The first official trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s eighth theatrical feature, The Hateful 8, was released yesterday. The film appears to be a mish-mash of Django Unchained and Reservoir Dogs, fusing the Old West bounty hunting of Django with the ensemble cast and bottle-episode feel of Dogs (possibly with some non-linear storytelling thrown in for good measure). We get to see a number of Tarantino regulars in the trailer, plus a few newbies, bumping elbows in a log cabin in the middle of the winter. Check it out:
The Ages of Disney Animation – Part VI: The Second Age of Inconsistency
Previous Parts
Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V
In Part VI of The Seven Ages of Disney Animation, we fall from the heights of the Five-Year Renaissance and into another age of inconsistency. While most Disney historians continue the Renaissance period for a few more years, I believe that the drop in quality from those films to the first few of these is sufficient to usher in a new age: The Second Age of Inconsistency.
The Ages of Disney Animation – Part V: The Five-Year Renaissance
Previous Parts
Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV
In The Seven Ages of Disney Animation – Part V, we are rescued from the mundane and boring previous age and vaulted to the wonderful heights that are quintessential Disney. Those in my generation were lucky to be smack in the middle of Disney’s target demographic at this point in time, as we have not seen such consistently wonderful quality from the studio since. This is Disney’s return to form, this is Disney’s beauty realized, this is The Five-Year Renaissance.
The Ages of Disney Animation – Part IV: The Age of Inconsistency
Previous Parts
Nothing lasts forever, and in Part IV of The Seven Ages of Disney Animation we look at the inevitable fall from grace following Disney’s Golden Age. After the death of Walt Disney, the studio struggled to re-create the magic of the previous ages, and failed to produce a film rivaling the quality of any of their previous masterpieces. Due to the shaky quality and wandering narratives, I call this age, “The Age of Inconsistency”.