Author Archives: davetcourt

Reading Journal 2024: Small Mercies Author: Dennis Lehane I’m typically not a mystery-thriller guy. I find them difficult to get into and usually not very interesting. This is especially true when they have a murder mystery element. There are, however, a couple of authors that are must reads, and even must buys for me fromContinue reading “Reading Journal 2024: Small Mercies”

Reading Journal 2024: Ireland: A Novel Author: Frank Delaney Delaney’s imaginative exploration of the identity and history of Ireland hinges on this one, single conviction- you cannot come to know Ireland simply through a distant and cold articulation of historical facts, you can only truly know Ireland by hearing and experiencing its stories. The storiesContinue reading “Reading Journal 2024: Ireland: A Novel”

Film Journal 2024: Kung Fu Panda 4Directed by Mike Mitchell In terms of the franchise it’s a step below. Given that the franchise is one of the better ones, this fourth installment still stands taller than much of the animation that it shares space with. Thanks in large part to its beloved characters and itsContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: Kung Fu Panda 4”

Film Journal 2024: One LifeDirected by James Hawes If I could make one, simple case for this film, it would be this- One Life is a family movie. And a necessary one at that. Now, to be clear, the film deals with tough subject matter. It could be a lot for younger viewers. But whereContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: One Life”

Film Journal 2024: Road House Directed by Doug Liman Did we need a remake? I’m not sure. But if you’re going to do it, casting a buffed up Jake Gyllenhaal in the role of Dalton is the way to go. It is definitely by the numbers in a lot of respects, but the brooding, uncertainContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: Road House”

Film Journal 2024: Love Life Directed by Koji Fukada A film about loving from a distance. Or perhaps about loving through the distance. As an intimately drawn human drama, grief creatss this distance. Pain creates this distance. The complexities and struggles of relationship, especially familial relationship, creates this distance. Muteness and the physical barriers toContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: Love Life”

Film Journal 2024: Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell Directed by Bên trong vỏ kén vàng Features one of the most engrossing and powerful opening shots I’ve seen in a long while. A single take shot that establishes the films thematic interest in a profoundly visual and visceral way. This debut (and yes the fact thatContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell”

Reading Journal 2024: Goodbye Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided LandAuthor: Jacob Mikanowski “This is a history of a place that doesn’t exist.”So begins the prologue of this much anticipated boook. Took me a while to get around to it, mostly due to the lengthy wait period at the library. Now that I’veContinue reading “Reading Journal 2024: Goodbye Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land”

Film Journal 2024: Immaculate Directed by Michael Mohan That final 5 minutes though. This is next level stuff from Sydney Sweeney. For all the ways this checks conventional boxes, how it tells its story and some of the turns it takes makes this one a bit unconventional in its approach. Some of it works betterContinue reading “Film Journal 2024: Immaculate”

Reading Journal 2024: Field Notes For the Wilderness: Practices For An Evolving FaithAuthor: Sarah Bessey We all bring ourselves to the things we read and watch. To try or want to remove ourselves from the equation so that we can speak to something truly objectively would be to miss the point of why we readContinue reading “Reading Journal 2024: Field Notes For the Wilderness: Practices For An Evolving Faith”