Justin Kownacki

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Avengers: Endgame movie poster from Marvel Studios spotlighting the six original Avengers: Black Widow, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Captain America and the Hulk / Bruce Banner
Storytelling

How Avengers: Endgame Fulfills the Emotional Arcs of Marvel’s Characters

Avengers: Endgame owes its success to one word: character.

By Justin, 4 yearsApril 28, 2019 ago
Zachary Levi stars as Billy Batson in the Warner Bros. DC superhero movie Shazam!
Storytelling

The 3 Biggest Storytelling Problems in Shazam!

A hero is only as good as his villain, and that’s where Shazam’s plot problems start.

By Justin, 4 yearsApril 6, 2019 ago
Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), Teddy Flood (James Marsden), and Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) star in the pilot episodes of HBO's TV series The Sopranos and Westworld
Storytelling

What Makes the Best Pilot Episodes in TV History Tick?

From The Sopranos to Westworld, how the 10 of the best TV shows displayed their game-changing brilliance from their very first episodes.

By Justin, 5 yearsAugust 21, 2018 ago
Bob Callahan (Jon Hamm) and Hogan "Hoagie" Malloy (Ed Helms) in the movie Tag
Storytelling

How Tag Hid a Heartfelt Movie in a Crass Comedy

Tag shouldn’t work as a movie, but it does — almost despite itself. Its crass, uneven comedy hides a surprisingly satisfying emotional payoff.

By Justin, 5 yearsJune 23, 2018 ago
Domino (Zazie Beetz), Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), and Cable (Josh Brolin) in Deadpool 2
Storytelling

The Tone Paradox in Deadpool 2

It’s no surprise that Deadpool 2, the ultra-violent R-rated superhero action comedy with the heart of a cartoon puppy, has a tone problem.

By Justin, 5 yearsMay 30, 2018 ago
Avengers: Infinity War poster art
Storytelling

Avengers: Infinity War Shows How to Write a Huge Ensemble Story

Why Marvel’s biggest movie yet is a great example of how to write for a large ensemble of characters.

By Justin, 5 yearsApril 28, 2018 ago
Lucas Hedges as Danny and Saorise Ronan as Lady Bird
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.

By Justin, 5 yearsJanuary 23, 2018 ago
Sam Heughan as Jamie and Caitriona Balfe as Claire in Outlander
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?

By Justin, 5 yearsDecember 14, 2017 ago
Concept art for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
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…

By Justin, 5 yearsDecember 11, 2017 ago

Popular Posts

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  • • How Iron Man Created the Formula for Every Marvel Movie

Latest Posts

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  • • Marvel
  • • Star Wars

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