Shock Corridor

Howdy, first thing first - is that a terrible title? I think that might be a terrible title. I have to do this stuff unsupervised so things like that will happen. Anyhee, this post will have a wee look a 'strong' female roles by focusing on two recent-ish animations:   Brave (Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman ( co directed Steve Purcell ), 2012) and  Monsters vs Aliens ( Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon, 2009). The main reason for this is twofold I've loved Monsters vs Aliens  since the first time I saw it, in Norway no less, and I think it was woefully undervalued, in particular the lead character always who stood out for me. The other reason is the (over)praising, as I see it, of  Brave; it was garnished with awards , fawning reviews, and all sorts so it must be good, right? Well, it's not only good but it is politically challenging! It's shaking cages and rattling...some...some other cages - and knocking bins over or something...I dunno - it's progressive! Bu...

On Thursday, the 4th of April, Roger Ebert died and I felt I wanted to write this as I have a great affection for him. The details of Roger's life and death can be found elsewhere on the internet, this is about what he meant to me. Roger Ebert was a film critic, more accurately, and in keeping with this piece, he was my favourite film critic. That might sound like I'm being overly film-y; "Imagine having favourite film critics! What a wanker." I'm afraid to say it is true. There are other film critics whose writing and reviews and insights I enjoy but there are very few that I make a habit of reading. So why did Roger Ebert make such an impression on me? Was he always right - of course not. Film reviews are subjective, first and for most, and simply being immersed in film doesn't give you some sort of direct link to a filmmaker's mind. There were three things that made Ebert's writing stand out for me: his wit, his honesty, and his love of film. Th...