I tried reading two recent reviews of Shang-Chi today, curious how this newest continuation of the Marvel franchise measured up. Unfortunately, I came away more mystified than enlightened, and filled with a sense of dirtiness I hadn’t expected to contract from a movie review. To be honest, I could hardly call what I read “movieContinue reading “Shang Chi and the legend of a movie review”
Tag Archives: Art
Knowing when to stop
Open people, creative people, will always want to be on the edge of explored territory. And this can be a problem, if the territory is already quite expansive. They will always keep pushing the boundaries, by nature. There won’t be any logical stopping point. Once whatever used to be fresh and exciting has been fullyContinue reading “Knowing when to stop”
The market for art
I know from experience I would get accused of being a philistine, but I think it’s at least worth considering that there’s a kind of intelligence to the enduring popularity of certain art in the world market. Some works of art, like the great cathedrals of Europe, will live forever. You don’t have to convinceContinue reading “The market for art”
On Jingle Jangle
The song “The Square Root of Impossible” is pretty much the prime example of what I find cheap and shallow about modern children’s movies. It’s overproduced, sounds way too perfect, and is completely lacking in depth of character or struggle. It’s the shallowest idea of heroism. It’s heroic, but the broadest, most trite version ofContinue reading “On Jingle Jangle”
A dream of hell, or life, or death
I dreamt I was falling through an infinite red void. Darkness, directionless, expanding forever in all dimensions. Silent and gusty. Twisting, in one forever moment. Falling, pulled forever backward into an infinite regress into myself. It was a place of infinite space, where all the world was mine and I was the only thing inContinue reading “A dream of hell, or life, or death”
In defense of my criticism of WAP
I was wondering recently what would happen if I ever ran for political office, and what might come up when people inevitably connected me to my writings. I can imagine people criticizing me for my stance as a pro-family, pro-decency politician and pointing out my own tendency to talk about sex, and particularly quoting someContinue reading “In defense of my criticism of WAP”
Criticism is easier than creation
There are always going to be those who seek to hold others hostage and hold art hostage and hold speech hostage with their own complaints. It’s much easier to criticize a work of creativity than it is to produce one. In particular, the complaint that something is inadequate or imperfect, and therefore is corrupt andContinue reading “Criticism is easier than creation”
Playing the role
The great lesson to be learned from casting is that you won’t always get the role you wanted or expected or deserved, and you can waste your moment being resentful or disappointed about that. What you really can and should do is to make the most of the moment you’re given and play the partContinue reading “Playing the role”
A cut tangent from the entry about Untamed
The movie musical Rent does something similar. It has a song where the male singer, Roger, is clearly in the wrong and needs to change. The music becomes discordant when he sings, the style he uses is very harsh, the framing portrays him as separated and confined and in shadow. The girl, Miami, is free,Continue reading “A cut tangent from the entry about Untamed”
Speculation about the content of Untamed
I haven’t read the book Untamed, and in order to criticize something you should definitely read it. I’m just not sure I want to spend my time on it. But a quick glance offered me enough insight that I think I could get at a lot of its major take-home points. A book like thatContinue reading “Speculation about the content of Untamed”
The Good Place?
I don’t think I’ve talked much about The Good Place before. I don’t really have the energy to, but somehow I’m going to do it for way too long. It doesn’t reflect well on me to be so hard on what is really a fine show with some decent laughs, but I’m going to anyway.Continue reading “The Good Place?”
Mulan 2 and duty
Here’s a super relevant topic, Mulan’s straight to video sequel! Seriously, this movie isn’t really worth talking about a lot. It was fine. Not terrible, not great. Fine. The one thing I wanted to talk about is what a perfect example it is of the conflict between Chinese and American values. As a sequel withContinue reading “Mulan 2 and duty”
Cuties, part 2
An afterword about sexual taboos. Please skip if you’re easily offended. The topic of discussion is taboos we have already dropped and what ones we may still drop. So no matter where you are in the timeline of taboo holding or taboo rejecting, you’ll probably find something to be offended about. On a side note,Continue reading “Cuties, part 2”
Cuties
The film Cuties has raised some ethical problems about popular art. One particular problem is, where do you draw the line between exposure of an issue and exploitation of an issue? It may have been the intent of the filmmaker to criticize the sexualization of children. On the other hand, she did it by showingContinue reading “Cuties”
Art is not necessary
Art seems to stand as a peculiar and bizzare feature of humanity, because it is not necessary. It did not have to be. It is an act of creation, of interference in and addition to nature. When you attempt to reduce human behavior to simple, biologically deterministic routines scaled up from basic animal routines, thereContinue reading “Art is not necessary”
Aladdin and modern Disney anthems
I’ve been trying to untangle what bothers me about the “I won’t be silent” song from Aladdin. I suppose a lot of it is context. The movie is a pale imitation of its predecessor, it adds almost nothing to the story and subtracts much. The title character is clearly the weakest in the whole movie.Continue reading “Aladdin and modern Disney anthems “
On one of my life’s great disappointments
If I had to pick one of my absolute greatest disappointments in life, it was realizing that I would never be a great musician. I wanted so much to be a great singer. But by middle school my total loss of my voice and my vocal nodes ended that dream. I felt the music soContinue reading “On one of my life’s great disappointments”
Art as a vision
Our art tells the story of what our culture wants to become. The art we consume tells the story of who we will become. Through art we apprehend with the imagination as the reality of beauty what the mind apprehends through cognition as the reality of truth. Knowledge is specific and defined and clear becauseContinue reading “Art as a vision”
On Infinity War
There’s a lot you could say about this movie. Here’s my sort of spoiler review. It was an amazing experience, the biggest cinematic experience I’ve ever had, certainly the most emotional. It’s the ultimate comic book movie and a great end to the MCU. If I were to pick out my only tiny nitpicks, theContinue reading “On Infinity War”
Only time is adamantine
Only time is adamantine. Only one hardest substance serves As an armor impervious To all ventures. Not a thousand years of tearing and Scratching with desperate hands serve to carve Even a single, transparent curl From the surface of one moment. Bright and fixed for eternity; Unchangeable, unreachable Before your eyes. Untouchable. My eyes searchContinue reading “Only time is adamantine”
Making Nobody Happy 