Invictus
The following appeared in the Jerusalem Post print and online January 2010
Jerusalem Post Link (archived)
Invictus PDF
Note the following is the original submission and does not include changes by the editor
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Eastwood proves he is still invincible
“Invictus” is the Latin for word for unconquerable, undefeated, invincible. In Clint Eastwood’s latest film he uses Rugby as a metaphor for the struggle of South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman), to unite his racially divided country. A sociology professor I had once gave a fascinating lecture on obsessive sports fans. He said that people love sports because they can vicariously get to see a conflict resolved. In real life conflicts tend to resist resolution. Eastwood seems to innately understand this.
Avatar
The following appeared in the Jerusalem Post print and online December 2009
Jerusalem Post Link (archived)
Note the following is the original submission and does not include changes by the editor
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Avatar soars in three dimensions
Parents who view the latest state-of-the-art 3D sonogram of their unborn infant are often amazed and even unnerved by the detail, beauty and the stark reality of what is to come. For a film critic, viewing Avatar is also an overwhelming look into the future—the future of filmmaking and film watching. The film has already been compared to groundbreaking features such as “The Jazz Singer,” the film that brought sound into the mainstream, and “Star Wars,” which changed the scope and scale of science fiction. After fourteen years of development, three years of production, and a rumored budget of half a billion dollars, director James Cameron and his team have created a film that truly places us inside the world they imagined for us. Avatar is a film you don’t just see. It’s an experience.
Mad Men
The following is my first published writing. Appeared in the Jerusalem Post print and online December 2009
Jerusalem Post Link (archived)
Mad Men review (PDF of print edition)
Note the following is the original submission and does not include changes by the editor
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A Fine Madness
In a time when “Reality Television” succeeds in convincing us that nothing we see is truly real, Mad Men comes along and makes us believe again in the real rewards of good old-fashioned writing, acting, directing, and photography. Now in its third season, AMC’s original series Mad Men remains one of TV’s most unapologetically provocative, sexy, and stylistic shows.
Zombieland
The following is an un-published and un-paid writing sample for the Jerusalem Post.
The idea of the sample is, of course, to show if I can write a contemporary movie review.
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Step 1: Find a Zombie. Step 2: Kill it by any means necessary. Step 3: Have fun. In the new movie Zombieland, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and Columbus (Jessie Eisenberg) are a pair of travelers trying to make their way across a zombie infested America. They shoot, smash, bash, and cut through America’s heartland. Columbus has developed a set of zombie survival rules such as: “Beware of Bathrooms” and “Wear Seatbelts.” With his rulesColumbus has survived, so far. But when Tallahassee and Columbus meet a pair of con-artist sisters, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), all bets are off.
Dark City
The following is an un-published and un-paid writing sample for the Jerusalem Post. It is about one of my all-time favorite movies Dark City.
The idea of the sample is, of course, to show if I can write a contemporary movie review.
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Dark City (1998) is a great film you’ve possibly never seen. Dark City was overshadowed by the wildly popular The Matrix, released less than one year later, which also presents a dark world that is not quite what it seems. But film critic Roger Ebert calls Dark City the Best Film of 1998, includes it in his list of Great Films, and recorded a commentary track for the film’s DVD. Dark City has become a cult favorite with cineastes (cinema buffs) because of its masterful cinematography, editing, sound design, and production design. Indeed the craft of Dark City leaves nothing to be desired. It is this writer’s opinion that Dark City is a film that exemplifies the pinnacle of great storytelling that uses every device, character, word, moment, and each frame to push the story forward, reveal something new, and keep us guessing as to what will happen next.
Twisted Ladder Movies 