A Thinking Reed

"Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed" – Blaise Pascal

Movies

  • Calling all Trekkies

    I’m more of a casual Star Trek fan than a hardcore Trekkie (sorry, Trekker), but this Entertainment Weekly article makes J.J. Abram’s (of Lost fame) upcoming reboot of the franchise sound somewhat promising. I thought this in particular was interesting: Abrams says he was also drawn to the project because he believed in — and Read more

  • I Am Legend, human extinction, and theodicy

    We watched this the other night and I liked it quite a bit more than I expected. I think using CGI zombies was a mistake, but other than that it was a taut sci-fi/horror thriller with some interesting themes (the fate of humanity, providence, the nature of heroism, etc.). Will Smith nicely toned down his Read more

  • Dark Knight blogging – post-viewing edition

    I’m happy to say that The Dark Knight met or exceeded most of my expectations and didn’t fall into most of the traps I feared it would. I liked how its version of the character harked back to the noirish 70s Denny O’Neil version, though seen through a gritty, Frank Miller-ish lens. Some (slightly spoilerish) Read more

  • Dark Knight pre-blogging

    I haven’t seen The Dark Knight, and probably won’t for at least a couple of weeks, but – while I enjoyed Batman Begins – the NYT review gives me pause: This is a darker Batman, less obviously human, more strangely other. When he perches over Gotham on the edge of a skyscraper roof, he looks Read more

  • Movie memery

    This one comes by way of Marvin. 1. One movie that made you laugh The Princess Bride 2. One movie that made you cry Big Fish 3. One movie you loved when you were a child Back to the Future 4. One movie you’ve seen more than once Ghostbusters (many, many times) 5. One movie Read more

  • Of course, the James Dean/Ricky Nelson duet was inevitable

    Nice appreciation of the great Howard Hawks/John Wayne flick Rio Bravo as a kind of “cinema of democracy” and John Wayne as something quite different than the symbol of rugged indivdiualism. Note: the author is neither Charles Taylor the canadian philospher nor Charles Taylor the evil dictator, but Charles Taylor the film critic. Read more

  • Friday metal – Tony Stark edition

    This afternoon I went to see Iron Man with my pal Andrew. Big fun – exactly what a superhero movie should be. Definitely a cut above some recent superhero mediocrities; the A-list cast certainly didn’t hurt. Robert Downy Jr. has become one of my favorite actors in recent years. So, naturally: Oh, and I don’t Read more

  • Okay, now I’m officially excited…

    Yes, Harrison Ford is probably too old for this, but still. Read more

  • Was Narnia missing its sexy?

    British newcomer Barnes brings sexy back to ‘Narnia’ (via Christianity Today) I have to say, C. S. Lewis and sexy are not two things that usually go together in my mind. That said, I recently caught the trailer for Prince Caspian and thought it looked pretty good. But I’m darned if I can remember what Read more

  • Indiana Jones 4

    I’m cautiously optimistic. We’ve all been burned with the Star Wars prequel experience, and I’ve joked that it should be called Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Retirement Home, but I’ll be more than willing to give it a shot. Read more