Hey! My latest column is up at AMC and I take a look at the “elderly” in fantasy film. My sense of what it means to be elderly is wildly skewed since my grandmother will be 105 next week, is sharp as a tack and still lives on her own. Sadly, fantasy has a narrower […]
AMC- Call the AARP! Middle Earth’s Ageism Needs an Intervention Read More »
In epic battles of good vs. evil, the outcome often comes down to a one-on-one combat. A duel if you will. Historically, duels have been fought to settle a disagreement: Don't like what someone called your mother? Out come the swords! Fantasy movies, as it happens, have some of the best duels — and the
The Top Ten Fantasy Duels – SciFi Scanner – AMC Read More »
Merry Christmas! One of the things I love most about this time of year is that its the one time of the year when fantasy and the real world intersect. I mean, in households all around the world, people are participating in the world’s largest fairy tale as they open presents under the tree to
AMC – Six Fantastic Candidates for the Next Santa Claus Read More »
My column this week looks at the films of Roald Dahl. There are few authors who have had as profound an influence on the fantasy movie genre as Roald Dahl. It's not just that so many of his stories have been adapted for the screen, but also that he was himself a fantasy screenwriter. You
AMC – The Many Fantastic Flicks of Mr. Roald Dahl Read More »
It’s like I’m the Scrooge of Thanksgiving. Leftovers? Bah! Humbug. In America, nothing matches the archetype of “Feast” like the Thanksgiving dinner, which conjures images of tables groaning with food. But all that bounty comes with a price: leftovers. Sure, with that first turkey sandwich you're living the good life. But how long before the
AMC – Ten Fantasy Meals I Would Rather Eat Than Thanksgiving Leftovers Read More »
What do we love about Fantasy? The monsters. Fantasy has a lot of monsters. Sure, they turn up in science fiction from time to time, but nuclear mutations aside, enormous beasties are typically the result of imagination — and fantasy has the lock-down on sheer ferocity. Monsters make a ready conflict for the hero, and
AMC – The Ten Deadliest Monsters in Fantasy Read More »
To give you plenty of time to prepare for Halloween, I cover ten costumes based on Fantasy characters, over at AMC. Swing by and check out Ten Costumes to Make Your Halloween Fantastic.
AMC – Ten Costumes to Make Your Halloween Fantastic Read More »
Where the Wild Things Are opens today, which I’m pretty excited about. The visuals look exactly right, but… When I first heard Spike Jonze was adapting Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are as a feature, my reaction was along the lines of Buh-Wha? I mean, the story has nine sentences. Nine. You see, in
AMC – Nine Candidates for the Next Where the Wild Things Are Read More »
Monday is Columbus Day and so, over at AMC, I take a look at how films treat Native Americans in Fantasy. Check it out and let me know what you think.
AMC – Attack of the Stereotypes! Native Americans in Fantasy Read More »
This week at AMC I take a look at the Fantasy career of David Bowie, who has done a surprising number of fantasy films. Actually, when you consider the actor, it shouldn’t be a surprise. Check it out. AMC – Blogs – SciFi Scanner – Mary Robinette Kowal – The Fantastic Stylings of David Bowie.
AMC – The Fantastic Stylings of David Bowie Read More »
When I started writing these columns for AMC, the first thing I did was to define terms. In particular, we talked about the difference between fantasy and science fiction. While both types of films break the rules of our world, one explains it by magic, the other by science. The only catch is that some
AMC – Precogs and Ray Guns Have No Place In True SciFi Read More »
I’m off to Orlando today. While I’m in transit you can swing by AMC to check out my top 10 list of Fantasy Chick flicks. There are two films that I genuinely like, plus eight that for me range from “run-screaming” to “not my cup of tea.” Can you guess which is which?
Top 10 Fantasy Chick Flicks Read More »
Really, you can probably look at the picture and know what this week’s column at AMC is about. Women in skimpy armor. I’ll tell you, the longer I looked at this, the more irritated I got. These are supposed to be smart, highly trained warriors but look at what they are wearing. I’d love it
AMC – Wildly inappropriate clothes for women warriors Read More »
This week at AMC I take a look at the utterly bone-headed things that fantasy heroes do. Like, why does Peter take his helmet off while fighting? Actually, I don’t cover that one, because I could only pick one item from the list of stupid moves in Prince Caspian. But that film is hardly the
AMC – Want to Be a Fantasy Hero? Don’t be an idiot. Read More »
As an antidote to the entrails post, you can swing by AMC to take a look at my column on mothers in Fantasy film. I don’t know about you, but my mom is fantastic all on her own. Mother’s Day is here and lest you need reminding, none of us would exist were it not
AMC – Ten Movie Moms Too Fantastic to Be True Read More »