Once Upon a Dream: A Magical Disney Movie Montage
In one way or another, all of us have been deeply affected by the legacy of Walt Disney. Maybe we fell in love with the magical animated features as kids or wound up visiting the…
Category: Literary & Media Analysis
Her Fantasy: A Review of the Movie “Austenland”
What is it about men who wear breeches, billowy white shirts, velvet waistcoats, and top hats? Is it the knee-high boots that make the ensemble or the way they tip their hat as a woman…
A Light to the World: The Call Heard and Answered
At the ‘Council of London’ the Tea Club and Barrovian Society held in December 1914, J. R. R. Tolkien and his three dearest friends spoke of the call they felt to bring beauty and meaning…
Freedom: A Catholic Analysis of the Trials and Triumphs of William Wallace in “Braveheart”
“The secret of happiness is freedom; the secret of freedom, courage.” - Thucydides When I watched the movie Braveheart, I found myself uplifted in an experience of what it truly means to be human.…
Sharpe: The Rise of a Natural Born Leader
The Sharpe Series, based on Bernard Cornwell's books, was a popular period drama series set during the Napoleonic Wars that was originally screened on ITV in the UK between 1993 and 1997 (with one-off episodes…
The Martial Arts of Marvel
So I just earned black belt in Shorin Ryu Karate. I am by no means a martial arts expert. A black belt simply means that I have mastered the basics to the satisfaction of my…
Book Versus Movie: When Bad Movies Tell Good Stories
“The book is always better,” someone said to me one day. “I don’t know why you even bother watching film versions. They are never as good.” She was referring, of course, to my Jane Eyre…
An Essay on Evil: Lessons from Life and Literature
My views on good and evil have been formulated by my Catholic upbringing, my research and participation in the Celtic bardic tradition, the work of Edgar Cayce, and from the fantasy literary genre including books…
The Bride of Frankenstein: A Halloween Classic or a Campy Freak Show?
Everything about this movie is halved—in my opinion, most of the good juicy horror moments and the acting. The movie is praised as being the best in the classic Frankenstein Universal cycle. It is a…
Jane Austen and Me: A Reader’s Sojourn in the World of Classic Regency Romance
Pride and Prejudice was the first period drama novel I had ever read. It was on the summer reading list for my high school (I usually read every book on the list each year, though…