How Does “The Lazarus Effect” Draw From All the Classic Tropes of the Reanimation Horror Sub-genre?
A few tropes define nearly every reanimation horror film in history. The Lazarus Effect employs all of them to create a familiar film in a new setting.
Why Was “The Western Book of the Dead” The Title of “True Detective” Season 2 Episode 1?
John Y. Crighton wrote an essay in the 1960s titled “The Western Book of the Dead,” which was published in an underground newspaper. Its content and style are similar to the themes of True…
What is Nadsat in “A Clockwork Orange,” and What Is It Derived From?
While Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of A Clockwork Orange (1971) does feature the complex language of the demoralized youths of future England, it only gives us a portion of the Anglo-Russian…
What Unique Camera Techniques Did the “Mad Max: Fury Road” Filmmakers Use During Filming?
The filmmakers used EYE TRACE and CROSSHAIR FRAMING techniques to maintain the CENTER OF THE FRAME as the focal point of every shot.
Is “Montage of Heck” a Pro-Courtney Love Film?
"Montage of Heck" doesn't do anything to make Courtney Love look like a better person. It only shows that Kurt was just as bad off as she was, and the two fueled each others'…
Is Buzz Osborne’s comment that “Montage of Heck” is 90% BS reasonable to Believe?
Buzz Osborne says 90% of this movie is BS - but should we believe him any more than we believe the filmmakers? That's really up to the viewer to decide.
For “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,” Who Created the Original Animations?
Montage of Heck contains animations by two different artists - Stefan Nadelman provided motion graphic animations of Cobain's journals and artwork, while Hisko Hulsing did the single cell…
How Did the “Ballers” Pilot Episode Set-up The Central Conflict?
The tagline for HBO’s new half-hour show "Ballers" is “Legends Don’t Retire. They Reinvent,” but the major conceit of the Dwayne Johnson vehicle comes in a line of dialogue from a…
Does “Montage of Heck” Suggest Cobain’s Biggest Problems Were the Product of His Childhood?
The embarrassment Kurt felt as a child of divorced parents, and as someone who never fit in with other teens, developed a deep fear of humiliation that carried through his life.
How Does “RoboCop” Work as Satire?
Sure, "RoboCop" is a great action flick, but it's also a vicious satire on American culture and politics.
What Does “RoboCop” Have to Do with Christianity?
In addition to all the gory gunfights, "RoboCop" is also full of intentional references to Christianity, such as the crucifixion and resurrection. In fact, director Paul Verhoeven even…
Why Is It That Documentaries like “Montage of Heck” Spur Debates About Their Validity and Agenda?
Any film that shows evidence of something contrary to a person’s original beliefs can make people want to discredit that film. Montage of Heck is no exception.