The twists of ’99
The best plot twist is one that completely respects the rules. Consider Fight Club and The Sixth Sense, two 1999 films famous for their third-act mindblowers. If you haven’t seen …
Category: Art & Entertainment
The anime feeling
One of the traditional differences between American and Japanese animation is their portrayals of advanced technology. America has shied away from it, favoring creatures, fairytales, and preindustrial societies. You can …
I must scream
Here are the five movie scenes that have disturbed me the most. How scary are they? Well, it just got dark outside, and I refuse to rewatch them for research. …
The ends and means of stories
When it comes to stories, everyone’s a critic. And they should be; narrative criticism is a vital enterprise. But that enterprise, I would argue, is marred by a major misconception. …
Why do we love fiction?
Many have endeavored to answer that question, some poetically, some methodically. My answer is a bit of both: A human being has two parts: a moment, and a story. The …
More worldbuilding
I think Harry Potter is an excellent book series. I’m in awe of J.K. Rowling’s clockwork plots and rich characterization. Her worldbuilding is shakier, but not shallow. It operates similarly …
Dichotomous monsters
Perhaps ghosts are so pervasive in horror because they make definite the blurry line between body and spirit. They fascinate us because they characterize the soul. They do what we …
Horror got too good
It’s the 2020s, and horror is becoming a respected genre of film. Scary movies aren’t a guilty pleasure now, they’re celebrated for their direction, acting, and subtext. For a horror …
Worldbuilding
Good worldbuilding doesn’t come from maps and charts. Those can be used effectively, but they’re always secondary, in my mind, to character reactions. As an occasional writer of the fantastical, …
Offensive art
Some say the arts have gone soft, because creators are too afraid to hurt people’s feelings. Such cowardice is a threat to art, they say, for art is meant to …