Author Archives: davetcourt

Film Journal 2024: Challengers Directed by Luca Guadagnino This is a bit of an assumption on my part, since I’ve only seen it once, but one of the biggest take aways from my initial viewing of Challengers is it definitely lingers as an experience and grows the more I think about the film, suggesting thatContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: Challengers”

Film Journal 2024: PratfallDirected by Alex Andre I guess the Before series has essentially come to define a whole genre. Another one of those films that easiest to describe as “Before, just with…” Fill in the blanks with an unstable insomniac and a French tourist wandering and reflecting through the streets of New York City.Continue reading “Film Journal 2024: Pratfall”

Film Journal: The Moon and BackDirected by Leah Bleich Lots of wonderful and endearing dynamics at work here. It’s funny, sad quirky, charming, real, adventurous, relatable. Setting it in an era where home movies were a thing and anyone could be a director by picking up that camcorder and getting creative without the aid ofContinue reading “Film Journal: The Moon and Back”

With my recent shift in jobs, I’m still driving a school bus, and still driving for a private school (which, for my American friends, means religious/faith based school here in Manitoba). These things are the same. I have seen a very real shifts though in location and the students. I have shifted from a ruralContinue reading “Students, buses, religion and philosophy: Finding Fresh Context to Consider Finiteness and the Infinite”

Film Journal 2024: Late Night With The Devil Directed by Cameron and Colin Cairnes The irony of the present controversy regarding the filmmaker’s public admission over using AI, which is seen as an issue because of the way the question of AI has shaped the most recent strikes in Hollywood, is that this controversy existsContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: Late Night With The Devil”

Film Journal 2024: ProblemistaDirected by Julio Torres Impressive for the ways it celebrates the simple virtues of authenticity and creativity. It defies categories, telling its story in a way only it can. What makes this work as well as it does though is the ways the filmmaker actively invites us as viewers into the process.Continue reading “Film Journal 2024: Problemista”

Reading Journal 2024: The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross Author: Brian Zahnd Beauty Will Save The World might still be where one should begin when diving into Zahnd. I contend it is his strongest and most important effort, and captures the essential conviction and thesis that runs through his largerContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: The Wood Between The Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross”

Film Journal 2024: King Arthur Directed by Simon Cellan Jones Simple, straightforward, perhaps a bit safe. When the formula works though, it works. And this true story ultimately manages to hit the right notes when it comes to its feel good, inspiring tale.

Film Journal 2024: Ghostbusters: Frozen EmpireDirected by Gil Kenan The follow up to Afterlife, and this is not something I thought I would be saying a few years ago, has big shoes to fill. One of the great, unexpected delights of Afterlife was its minimalist and intimate approach. It allowed the film to take someContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire”

Film Journal 2024: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Directed by Adam Wingard This is a long ways from where we started. Takes all of about 5 seconds for this thing to hit the ground running, not to mention some bizarre tonal shifts that yank the viewer left and right in the first 5 minutes.Continue reading “Film Journal 2024: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”