An Homage to my GrandFather

James Woodrow Bazemore. That man raised me. That man was my grandfather. That man was my father. That man was my friend. I’m going to miss him. He was a character. He was a hard worker and a man of consistency. Rarely ever did he …

Oh, The Places You’ll Go Part 2

So here I was, some random black man, with no prior knowledge of the Japanese language, other than arigato (thanks), kara age (fried chicken), and toidei ( bathroom), alone, on the opposite side of the world. When we got off of the train there were a …

Oh, The Places You’ll Go Part 1

Ok, so it’s been a month or so since making the big move from the states to Japan and so much has transpired. Firstly, the move in and of itself is still surreal. The final week home it had obviously occurred to me that I’d be leaving …

Duty v. Inclination and Fatalism v. Optimism: Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954)

Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 film, Seven Samurai, is a film in which many of the different dichotomies entrenched within Japanese society are critically and effectively addressed. Through intense character analysis and observation of plot,  one can approach  these various dichotomies from many different angles. Because of …

Mildred Pierce, She Done Him Wrong, and their Representations of Women in Film

Throughout this history of mankind, our oral, written, and more recently, visual stories, have assisted with the identifying of oneself in correlation with personal development as well as understanding one’s place in society. 1933’s She Done Him Wrong and 1945’s Mildred Pierce, offer very different …

8 Films Every Humanitarian Should View

Around the globe film has been instrumental in bringing awareness to certain issues and even bringing about change. Here is a list of films, both recent and past, that every person who cares about issues surround human rights should take the time to see. All …

Cultural Fears, Unruly Children, and the Recurring Themes in Horror Films: A Comparison of Child’s Play (1988) and Orphan (2009)

  According to the Holy Bible’s story in Genesis, Chapter 4, which depicts the brutal slaying of Abel by his brother Cain, the concept of violence, in particular, murder is as old as creation. The story suggests that because of sin, the inability to control …

George Melies’ Le Voyage Dans La Lune: Innovations in Film Technology, Contributions to Early Science Fiction Film, and a Reading of Dominant Culture

George Melies’ Le Voyage Dans La Lune: Innovations in Film Technology, Contributions to Early Science Fiction Film, and a Reading of Dominant Culture Throughout the duration of civilization many great cultural movements have taken place that have assisted in shaping and molding the world into …

American Hustle: The Contemporary Film Noir?

While many argue that Film Noir is a mode of film that blossomed in the 40’s and 50’s, then died out, just as the 80’s murdered disco, others may contend that Film Noir is a genre and/ or a style. That being said if indeed …

Oppositional, Dominant, and Negotiated readings Within Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave (2013)

Dialogue, plot/story, and action are key elements which have a profound effect on an audience’s cinematic experience, and ultimately sway the manner in which they may interpret and read into a film. Based on the true accounts of Solomon Northup life, and set in the …