The Philosophy of Birdman: The Icarus Complex

March 21, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: This is an in-depth analysis article. As such, spoilers for Birdman ahead. If you want to purchase Birdman, you can find it on Amazon Video here.

Note: The page links are a bit hidden at the bottom of this page. Just to be clear, there are five pages to this article, you might just have to scroll a bit to find the correct buttons.

Icarus, son of Daedalus, is the famed tragic figure of myth who wore wax wings and flew too close to the sun, failing to heed his father’s warning in his aerial jubilation.

I. “Birdman is Like Icarus”

In Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 2014 film Birdman, we just so happen to have a similar icon as Icarus in the eponymous winged superhero. In an early scene of the film we hear Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) mention briefly that Continue reading The Philosophy of Birdman: The Icarus Complex →

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Film Philosophy / Editorials

The Philosophy of Battle Royale: The Moral Suicide

March 17, 2016 Alex Brannan

Note: This article contains an in-depth analysis of one scene of the film Battle Royale. As such, spoiler alert. If you want to watch Battle Royale, you can find it on Amazon Video to rent and buy here.

Battle Royale is an intriguing film about a class of Japanese students who are sent to an island and forced by the government to murder each other until only one remains. Many extend comparisons between this film and the popular Western Hunger Games franchise. I guess, wherever you are in the world, you can find movies about kids killing each other entertaining.

The most fascinating part of Battle Royale for me is the Continue reading The Philosophy of Battle Royale: The Moral Suicide →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards Season Four Finale Recap & Review

March 12, 2016 Alex Brannan

The season four House of Cards finale picks up where the previous episode left off, with President Frank Underwood’s (Kevin Spacey) powerplay in process. A brash ultimatum leaves the fate of the ICO hostages in the balance.

Following the phone call, Frank sends Republican Presidential candidate Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman) on his way, having cornered him in a lie that threatens to Continue reading House of Cards Season Four Finale Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E12 Recap & Review

March 12, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode 12 (and previous episodes) ahead!

House of Cards season four, episode 12 opens on White House covert surveillance guy Aidan MacAllan (Damian Young) blasting loud music as he watches traffic in relation to the dual President-Vice President debate.

The debate, which highlights the major points of contention with the presidential race, is interrupted and Continue reading House of Cards S04E12 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E11 Recap & Review

March 12, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode 11 (and previous episodes) ahead!

The new Underwood-Underwood ticket is campaign strategizing when Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) has a medical issue. He is told by a specialist that air traffic should be limited. Given the campaign, this is impossible if Frank is to win. He remains grounded as Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) continues campaigning, not to mention continuing her affair with speech writer Thomas Yates (Paul Sparks).

Doug Stamper’s (Michael Kelly) newfound obsession, the wife of Continue reading House of Cards S04E11 Recap & Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Leave it

The Brothers Grimsby (2016) Movie Review

March 11, 2016 Alex Brannan

How else could you possibly start a Sacha Baron Cohen film but with a grotesque sex scene over an R. Kelly track. Not to mention a low-brow Cosby crack.

In The Brothers Grimsby, Nobby (Cohen) is a lowly, dim man who has been waiting for his brother Sebastian’s (Mark Strong) return for 28 years. Sebastian, now an MI6 secret agent, has no intention of ever being found.

The opening credits action scene is surprisingly Continue reading The Brothers Grimsby (2016) Movie Review →

Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Horror, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Movie Review

March 11, 2016 Alex Brannan

Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), in the process of leaving her boyfriend, suddenly becomes party to a car wreck. She awakens in a concrete room chained to the wall. An effectively desperate Winstead struggles just to reach her phone in a tense scene that culminates in the menacing introduction of Michelle’s captor Howard (John Goodman).

This early standoff between Winstead and Goodman is fascinating, although it would have played better with Continue reading 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Movie Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E10 Recap & Review

March 9, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: House of Cards season four, episode 10 (and previous episodes) spoilers ahead!

House of Cards season four episode 10 begins by educating the viewer on some state delegate politics. President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), vying for re-election, entered the DNC with the popular vote majority due to Heather Dunbar (Elizabeth Marvel) dropping out of the race. However, the superdelegates can still be pledged anywhere, as well as 24 states that don’t legally have to pledge their delegates to the primary winner.

Long story short, Underwood can still lose the Democratic nomination during the DNC. Hey, it’s an open convention, so anything can happen.

This DNC mix-up gives Frank a reason to Continue reading House of Cards S04E10 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E09 Recap & Review

March 9, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: House of Cards season four, episode nine (and previous episodes) spoilers ahead!

The Democrat VP race has gone to an open convention, with each state casting delegates for different candidates. The administration has decided to put their chips behind Secretary of State Catherine Durant (Jayne Atkinson), although current VP Donald Blythe (Reed Birney) isn’t exactly on her side.

Inside the administration, we see a side from Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) that we haven’t seen in some time, and that is one of Continue reading House of Cards S04E09 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E08 Recap & Review

March 8, 2016 Alex Brannan

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode eight ahead.

Thomas Yates (Paul Sparks), the soft-spoken ex-biographer of Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), makes his re-appearance into the House of Cards mythos in season four, episode eight. He is being buttered up by Republican Presidential candidate Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman), who is trying to get his hands on the untold Underwood story. Yates doesn’t appear convinced with Conway’s rhetoric, but the guarantee of newfound fame after a decade long literary slump may be too hard for the writer to pass up.

In the White House, Underwood is vetting a new VP possibility, namely NRA-sympathizing Democrat Sen. Dean Austin. Although Frank sees no political zeal in him, he is the Continue reading House of Cards S04E08 Recap & Review →

CineFiles Movie Reviews

The Philosophy of Birdman: The Icarus Complex

I. “Birdman is Like Icarus”

The Philosophy of Battle Royale: The Moral Suicide

House of Cards Season Four Finale Recap & Review

House of Cards S04E12 Recap & Review

House of Cards S04E11 Recap & Review

The Brothers Grimsby (2016) Movie Review

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Movie Review

House of Cards S04E10 Recap & Review

House of Cards S04E09 Recap & Review

House of Cards S04E08 Recap & Review

One man. Thousands of movies.