Storytelling
Why Black Panther and Wakanda Are the Keys to Marvel’s Future
How the success of Black Panther changes action movies and lays the groundwork for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Storytelling
The 3 Story Elements That Jumanji Gets Right
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is satisfying despite its shortcomings. How? Because it gets the three most important aspects of any story right.
Storytelling
How Good Editing Saved Star Wars
From Star Wars to Casablanca, some of Hollywood’s best-loved classics were saved in the edit. Here are three ways editing can make or break a film.
Storytelling
The Identity Crisis That Defines Every Sports Story Ever Written
When Nick Foles and the Eagles defeated Tom Brady and the Patriots to win Super Bowl LII, it exposed the fragile “truth” behind every sports narrative.
Storytelling
10 Subtly Amazing Moments in Lady Bird
Lady Bird is a movie that does nearly everything right. Here’s why Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut works so well.
Storytelling
My Top 10 Most-Read Posts of 2017
From story problems in Blade Runner to the great irony of The Walking Dead, here are my top 10 blog posts that attracted the most readers in 2017.
Armchair Sociology
17 Storytelling Moments That Defined 2017
From Donald Trump to The Last Jedi, here are 17 of the stories that defined us politically, culturally, scientifically, financially, and socially in 2017.
Storytelling
Why Outlander Is the Show America Needs Now
How do the big differences between two of TV’s most talked-about prestige dramas reflect a vast gap in pop culture?
Storytelling
The Tone Problems in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
As I was watching Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 yesterday, one thought kept running through my head: Marvel movies have two problems when it comes to onscreen violence: tone and stakes. This problem is actually most noticeable in Deadpool 2, but it first became obvious here. The Tone Paradox Read more…
Social Media
2017 Social Media Survey Results
I asked my readers 15 questions about their social media habits in 2017. Here’s what they love, what they hate, and what they wish would improve.