April 25, 2016

What A Film Is v. What It Should Be, or Why We Can Criticize Batman v. Superman For What It Failed To Be

April 25, 2016/ Greg Kanaan

Is it ever appropriate to critique a film for what it could have or should have been, as opposed to what it is? In most film criticism circles, the answer is generally no. A good critic has to judge the film based on what it sets out to do - even if it fails by conventional standards - not what you want from it. You wouldn't criticize a hangout movie like Dazed and Confused for not having a plot, or disparage Furious 7 for not being an Oscar contender. Those films wanted different things than you. But do we always have to follow this rule? I ask because I recently saw Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (BvS from this point on) and I think it’s one of those films that permits us to judge it for what it wasn’t. Let me explain.

January 25, 2016

Why Representation Matters

January 25, 2016/ Greg Kanaan

A few years ago, my cousin told me he wanted to be an actor. I told him that as a Middle Eastern man he better get used to playing terrorists and cab drivers because those are the only roles he’d ever be offered. It broke my heart to tell him that, even as I knew the truth of what I said.

January 20, 2016

Great Teamwork Makes Great Films, So What Makes Great Teamwork?

January 20, 2016/ Greg Kanaan

If you’re old enough to read this blog, then you’ve probably been forced to work in a group at least a few times in your professional life. There’s a ton of academic work out there espousing the benefit of teamwork, but if your experience is anything like mine, you’ve probably come to one indisputable realization: teamwork sucks. Between the egos, the shirking of duties, and the micromanagement, who needs it? Filmmakers do.

January 01, 2016

When A Movie Works Even When It Doesn’t, Or Why I Enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Awakens Despite Its Problems

January 01, 2016/ Greg Kanaan

Is Star Wars: The Force Awakens any good? I mean, if the box office take is any indicator, a lot of you liked it and saw it repeatedly. But objectively speaking, does it work as a narrative? I don’t think it does. In too many spots storytelling shortcuts are taken, impossibilities are glossed over, storylines are left purposely vague, and it’s filled with contrivances that make no logical sense. Here are a few that stuck out to me.

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