The most frequent criticism of the book version of “A Monster Calls” is that it is overly dark and depressing. While that may be true, it speaks more to our sensibilities concerning death than to the reality of coping with the final act. The original book was conceived by Siobhan Dowd as she was in […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Arrival” — Not a Science Fiction Movie, and Not Quite in Focus
It may be a stretch to call “Arrival” a science fiction movie. It certainly borrows from the genre’s themes and presents itself in the guise of an alien invasion movie. But at its heart it is something closer to a meditation on faith, loss, and the challenges of the tough decisions life presents us. There […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Birth of a Nation” — A Missed Opportunity for an Important Conversation
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” – Edgar Degas “Race is the great taboo in our society. We are afraid to talk about it. White folks fear their unspoken views will be deemed racist. People of color are filled with sorrow and rage at un-righted wrongs. Drowning in silence, […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Sully” — An Uneven Movie Written to Win Awards
There’s no question that “Sully” will take you on a visceral, emotional ride. Much of the first 45 minutes of the film offers visions of what could have happened if Sully had turned the plane back to LaGuardia instead of landing in the Hudson. Scene after scene of planes hitting buildings in New York have […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Suicide Squad” — Another Missed Shot at Establishing DC Film Universe
This film makes one thing very clear: there is a reason why Marvel made standalone movies for each of their characters before they put them together. Not only does it make the characters relatable to the audience, but it prevents having to reduce the backstory of each character to a throwaway line. That is the […]
Dagger Movie Night – “Star Trek Beyond”: Action-Packed, but Fails to Engage
The revival of the Star Trek franchise has centered on a more action-oriented focus, and while this approach has ingratiated the movies to a modern audience, it is not without its flaws. Among a fan base that considers Star Trek to be the “thinking person’s” science fiction, the lack of truly engaging scripts at the […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Me Before You” — A Testament to the Worst Kind of Romantic Movie
Little more than a thinly-structured attempt at forcing tears out of you, “Me Before You” is a testament to the worst kind of romantic movie. Rather than develop characters, a story, or a point to all this, Thea Sharrock simply throws on the soft filter and has Emilia Clarke make doe eyes while wiggling her […]
Dagger Movie Night — “Alice Through the Looking Glass”: How Many Colors Can We Put On-Screen At Once?
There is a scene in “Alice Through the Looking Glass” where the plot suddenly jumps to find Alice locked up in a mental institution. There’s a little hope that the contrived plot up to that point has been an elaborate setup to show that Alice has been having a “St. Elsewhere” moment. Alas, that’s not […]
