Closely related to the “Villain Arc” but not precisely the same. The villain arc simply tells you how a given character–regardless of their beginning state–becomes the villain. Often these are side characters or friends of the hero or a counterpoint to the hero. But when it’s the actual hero who falls, or fails, or succumbs,Continue reading “The Everlasting Trope: The Failed Hero”
Category Archives: Movie Rec’s
The Lucky Number Slevin Effect
There is this movie that, despite some highly inappropriate scenes and incredibly dark themes, I truly love. It’s a dark humor mystery movie where a hapless fellow and a bubbly neighbor find themselves caught in the crossfire of two different mobs. It is also something quite different than that. But I won’t tell you what,Continue reading “The Lucky Number Slevin Effect”
Everlasting Trope: Dash or Die
I don’t know what the real name of this trope is, but it generally works like this: there’s a ticking clock of some lethal kind and the character has to run–and I mean RUN–to make it in time. Run to slam a gate to keep the monster out. Race to deliver a letter before aContinue reading “Everlasting Trope: Dash or Die”
The Red Herring Device
So in this recent blog post, I discussed a storytelling device that I really liked which was to be found in two wildly different stories–Till We Have Faces and The Emperor’s New Groove–and now I want to talk about a different device which also seems to have a similar sort of bait-and-switch quality. I’m sureContinue reading “The Red Herring Device”
Lewis and a Llama
There is a narrative device that I dearly love, but of which I have only found two clear instances. (No doubt there are many others, but these are the only ones I know of.) I’m going to talk about C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces, which I have written about several times before, and The Emperor’sContinue reading “Lewis and a Llama”
Not That You Asked: Mini Movie Reviews
So I don’t get to watch new (or any) movies very often. By the time I manage to get to a movie, all the buzz and hubbub is over. But I did watch a few movies lately…usually in 45 to 60 minute portions over the course of two nights. I can’t watch too much tvContinue reading “Not That You Asked: Mini Movie Reviews”
Things Beloved: Monsoon Wedding
Monsoon Wedding is one of my all-time favorite movies. I have surely seen it more than a dozen times, and I’ll likely see it many more…and I’m going to tell you why, because this is some good storytelling. For those who have never seen or even heard of this movie, it is, at first glance,Continue reading “Things Beloved: Monsoon Wedding”
Things Beloved: Mulan
When I was very little (and to this day) I was not into Princesses at all. I mean, I loved to dress up, and I had a serious romantic streak but I just did NOT understand the princess thing, specifically. It was just outside my comprehension. This was actually extraordinarily advantageous to me when playing with mostContinue reading “Things Beloved: Mulan”
Everlasting Trope: Disguised Noble Hero
Or, according to TvTropes: Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass/Rich Idiot with no Day Job I actually kind of adore this trope, even though it usually involves a lot of silliness and suspension of disbelief. There are three VERY popular examples of this trope: The Scarlet Pimpernel, Zorro, and Batman. You have a rich, useless, ne’er-do-well onContinue reading “Everlasting Trope: Disguised Noble Hero”
Things Beloved: Fiddler on the Roof
My not-yet-two-year-old asked for me to put on some music, a word he pronounces suspiciously like “magic,” by the way. Instead of putting on the same album that I always do because he likes it so much (Dear Wormwood by The Oh Hellos), I decided it had been too long since I’d listened to FiddlerContinue reading “Things Beloved: Fiddler on the Roof”
J. L. Odom 