Author: Rob Dean

With a rapidly moving news cycle covering an increasingly divided nation, it can feel like politics is more pervasive and omnipresent then ever before. Every segment of society (current events, technology, sports, entertainment, etc.) has become an extension of this ongoing ideological battle that puts a different lens on activities than in decades past. Despite that, or maybe because of it, there is a desire for escapist fun – a way to step back from the debates and simply enjoy something on its own terms. Everyone, no matter how ardent an activist, has something (or wants something) they can experience…

People are just beginning to truly understand trauma and its effects on those who suffer it. In fact, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a fairly recent term, coined in 1978 to describe issues previously waved away with inexact phrases like “shell shock,” “gross stress reaction” or “scarred for life.” PTSD rose in prominence and acceptance due to the huge numbers of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who suffered from it, though it’s not limited to warfare or veterans. Survivors of sexual assault, violent crimes and other horrific ordeals carry around their past experiences at all times, triggered in unanticipated…

“The book says, we might be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us.” — “Magnolia” One of the most alluring ideas baked into the American Dream is that the past isn’t predictive of the future. The theory goes that anyone, regardless of their station in life, can work their way to being successful and prosperous within society. It no longer matters who your parents are or where they come from – with enough hard work and a bit of luck, people can be anything they want. Of course, the truth is not as simple as that…

It seems like the fervor has died down a bit around what children see in movies. As long as there have been films targeted at kids, there have been people arguing that it’s detrimental for young ones to be exposed to elements that are scary, violent or in any way “dangerous.” The creation of the PG-13 rating in the mid ‘80s was a strong salvo in the war, and it really picked up steam in the mid ‘90s as more groups decried letting children see potentially upsetting imagery or thematic elements. But it seems these days that the argument has…

Shane Black has always loved a good team-up. From his screenwriter days (“Lethal Weapon,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight”) to his foray into directing (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “The Nice Guys”), Black has shown an affinity for having seemingly disparate characters come together in a complimentary way to battle sinister forces. His latest movie, “The Predator” (co-written with long-time collaborator Fred Dekker), has a plot element about hybridization that makes this long-running theme more than just subtext. It also works as a pretty good metaphor for the film itself, as this entry in the sci-fi action franchise feels like a combination…

Not every movie has to reinvent the wheel, but there has to be some hook in place in order for audiences to feel something. If the plot is familiar, then perhaps it’s populated by interesting characters or filled with memorable dialogue. And if those don’t excite you, then maybe it has an aesthetic that pops and evokes emotions simply through colors, framing or lighting. There has to be something to engage the audience or else it risks being bland and forgettable. Unfortunately, director Pierre Morel’s “Peppermint” is an oft-told story full of trite characters that brings nothing new to the…

Formulaic approaches to filmmaking are not inherently a bad thing. While innovation and unique storytelling is certainly preferred, there are many instances where sticking to a defined format and set of tropes works well. Most movies follow the three-act structure, for example, as that creates a satisfying emotional journey for audiences. Roger Corman, in his heyday as the ‘70s king of B-movies, would go so far as to have specific (to the minute) requirements for scripts about when action scenes and nudity should occur to properly entice viewers. Formulas can be acceptable when offset by memorable characters, engaging dialogue, mesmerizing…

Every technological innovation, no matter how helpful, is partially greeted with the fear of how it can be abused and used against people. These developments are far-reaching and have become ubiquitous in daily lives; even the non-technically inclined have some interaction with technology like smartphones and CCTV. The fact that technology has been advancing at such a fast clip has left many people confused by what these changes mean and scrambling to figure out how to safeguard themselves from the emerging dangers. “Unfriended: Dark Web,” from writer/director Stephen Susco, wades into these murky waters and confronts those seedy corners of…

Casting for movies is a special art that greatly impacts the stories being told. Matching up a part with an actor, or even writing a part with a specific actor in mind, can yield tremendous results that breathes new life and possibilities into a film. Denzel Washington is arguably the greatest actor of his generation. The choices that he makes in his performances greatly heighten and deepen any movie, granting the film more emotional power while simultaneously adding layers of nuance. One of his greatest strengths is his ability to convey so much potential or unstated emotion that’s not in…

“High concept” is a term that is thrown around a lot when it comes to movies, usually as a way of describing the plot. The simplest definition is an idea that is easy to communicate to audiences. So to sell people on a movie like 1989’s “Leviathan,” it becomes, “‘Alien’ but underwater.” People take basic concepts or stories that are popular and make small tweaks to sell it to audiences everywhere. “Skyscraper,” written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, is another high-concept blockbuster that combines “Die Hard” with 1974’s “The Towering Inferno.” The film is a solid action vehicle for…