Author Archives: davetcourt

Film Journal 2023: The Killer Directed by David Fincher Came into this one with high hopes. Found myself slightly let down. I feel like I understand what it wanted to be- a smart, patient, artsy thriller. I also feel like it thinks it’s better than it actually ends up being on all those fronts. AContinue reading “Film Journal 2023: The Killer”

Film Journal 2023: Anatomy of a FallDirected by Justine Triet At one point during this riveting legal thriller, one of the characters ruminates about the uncertainties surrounding the issues on trial, suggesting that when we are faced with doubts about what is true and what is not, at some point we simply need to chooseContinue reading “Film Journal 2023: Anatomy of a Fall”

Reading Journal 2023: Milwaukee Mayhem: Murder and Mystery in the Cream City’s First Century Author: Matthew Prigge I visited Brewtown, or Cream City last summer. While I had been to and through Chicago a few times over the years, I had always been intrigued by its much smaller counterpart barely an hour north over theContinue reading “Reading Journal 2023: Milwaukee Mayhem: Murder and Mystery in the Cream City’s First Century”

Reading Journal 2023: Sleep Author: Lynn Biederstadt Picked this up at my local bookshop. A random paperback with an alluring and interesting cover. Felt like it would be a good fit for spooky season, and it turned out to be a decent page turner. It’s not out and out scary as far as horror goes,Continue reading “Reading Journal 2023: Sleep”

Film Journal 2023: Five Nights at Freddy’s Directed by Emma Tammi My entire frame of reference for Five Nights at Freddy’s was: 1. It is based on a video game 2..it stars Peeta from the Hunger Games From what I knew it was a single concept idea given a feature length story. What I knowContinue reading “Film Journal 2023: Five Nights at Freddy’s”

Film Journal 2023: Priscilla Directed by Sofia Coppola One of the things that Sofia Coppola’s films tend to ask of viewers is to expect to have a complicated relationship with an iinitial viewing, but to also trust that subsequent viewings will ultimately bring the pieces together in a coherent fashion. She is not prone toContinue reading “Film Journal 2023: Priscilla”

Reading Journal 2023: Rethinking the Atonement: New Perspectives On Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascension Author: David M. Moffitt Right off the top, one of things I most appreciate about this book is Moffitt’s extremely graceful and careful presentation of this theories. He makes clear distinctions between where he is dealing with theory and where heContinue reading “Reading Journal 2023: Rethinking the Atonement: New Perspectives On Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascension”

Film Journal 2023: Fingernails Directed by Christos Nikos A brilliant premise undercut by an unsatisfying ending. For me, the overall experience still held up though, finding ways to take a particular concept/idea with a particular focus and applying it to some lofty and important cultural and societal realities. The premise is simple. Our main character,Continue reading “Film Journal 2023: Fingernails”

Reading Journal 2023: The Lost YearAuthor: Katherine Marsh The folks over at the Currently Reading podcast often talk about the dreams and hopes of finding that book that is “un-put-downable”. We are free to create words where it matters, and such a word helps to capture that magicable moment when you do come across oneContinue reading “Reading Journal 2023: The Lost Year”

Film Journal 2023: The MarvelsDirected by Nia DaCosta You’d have to be a legitimate grinch to hate this film. Or for that matter, to want to hate this film as it seems some are predispositioned to do. I get it, superhero fatigue is real. But if you can set that aside, even if for aContinue reading “Film Journal 2023: The Marvels”