Tag Archives: film critic

Movie Review Blogging is about Momentum (2014)

Posted on August 31, 2014 by rorydean

Why do we watch films at all if not to escape, sometimes gingerly, almost all together brazenly into places familiar and not-so familiar to our own for minutes if not hours at a time of peaceful disinterest? Are we not consumed with the validating principle of our own misery as seen through the misery of others – or perhaps it is best thought of in slices at a time of confrontation, the way we live vicariously through close contact sports with the lives of others similarly distressed or otherwise purposefully impressed with pride, prejudice and privilege? It’s not about idealism or even happy endings but an ending that fits the mood and tone of the story and gives us a place to land and take off from… Continue reading →

Posted in Essays on art, Essays on Film, Movie I've Seen, Movies You Should or Should Not See, philosophy and film, Rants & Raves, Speak-Freely | Tagged above the line, blogger, Coney Island hot dog, crazy heart, dissave pictures, entertainment news, film critic, filmmaker movie critic, i melt with you, inconsolable human tragedies, independent productions, Life is a multi colored, many splendid thing, melissa k. smith, negative reviews, once beautiful past, practical movie reviews, rampart, rory dean, sometimes we hear the bullet, student film, The best stories, The cumulative power of doing things, the wrestler, verisimilitude, warrior | 2 Comments

Why Write About The Movies We Hate

Posted on July 15, 2013 by rorydean

Apparently I’m not alone. We hate our movies and love them for all sorts of reasons. People hate theaters and theater people, they hate other movie goers and especially critics; that goes for bloggers who are equally hated by the stodgy officials of film criticism, teachers and theorists and other bloggers too. We even hate the movies we love. Continue reading →

Posted in Essays on Film, Movie I've Seen, Movie Makers & Shakers, Movies You Should or Should Not See, My Review of Their Review:, Online, philosophy and film, Rants & Raves, Speak-Freely, Uncategorized | Tagged above the line, bad movies, blogging, dissave pictures, Film, film critic, film criticism, good movies, hollywood victims, la maniere que nous disons au revoir, movie rants, Movie theater, movie theater cathedrals, movies we hate, once beautiful past, popcorn bucket parking lots, practical movie reviews, rory dean, we hate movies | 7 Comments

Filmmaker and Film Critic makes Movie Blogger Efforts

Posted on July 10, 2013 by rorydean

Writing about movies is about as close to making them as I can get right now and I think it puts me in a unique position to share my thoughts as a bridge for others to fall in love with the how as much as the possibility of movies. Continue reading →

Posted in Essays on art, Essays on Film, Movie I've Seen, Movie Makers & Shakers, Movies You Should or Should Not See, On DVD, Online, philosophy and film, Rants & Raves, Speak-Freely, Uncategorized | Tagged above the line, Academy of Art University, Arts, Dukes of Hazzard, east bay, Film, film critic, film criticism, filmmaker, Filmmaking, jean-luc godard, la maniere, movie, movie blogger, northern california, once beautiful past, practical movie reviews, rory dean, San Francisco | 7 Comments

Brave (2012)

Posted on February 23, 2013 by rorydean

“Brave” is about knowing yourself in everything you perceive as different and the realization that the heart is as delicate as it is resilient to the wounding of experience – what the soul already knows – that neither masculine nor feminine governs us, rather an understanding and emotionally rich union of the two is at the heart of the universe. Merida comes to embody this place of tradition and transitional and in revealing the mysticism of the feminine spirit the laws of the land open to the warmth of nurtured possibility. Continue reading →

Posted in Movie I've Seen, Movie Makers & Shakers, Movies You Should or Should Not See, My Review of Their Review:, On DVD, Rants & Raves | Tagged 2012 movie, above the line, Academy Award, academy award nominated film, Academy of Arts & Sciences, Animation, Billy Connolly, blogger filmmaker, Brave, Brenda Chapman, creative differences, director replaced, disney, feature-film animation, film critic, first female director, Kelly Macdonald, magic kingdom, mark andrews, Merida, movie review, pixar, Pixar’s 13th film, practical movie reviews, rory dean | 11 Comments

Above the Line: End of the Year (2012) Wrap Up

Posted on January 6, 2013 by rorydean

Movie review blogs are curious places filled with ideas and opinions and even dreams. Movies are the motion picture soundtracks of our lives, constantly lifting us up and setting us down, taking us away at least for a little while. Above the Line: Practical Movie Reviews is Rory Dean and Mr. Dean is a circle sometimes or better yet, a staircase leading forward, sometimes back, but always onward. Continue reading →