Stare into the sun

Stare into the sun

Films can have many layers of meaning. Some can be as simple as the effective use of imagery to convey a metaphor, but other films can look like one thing to a casual viewer and be something completely different to those who are paying attention. Sam Raimi’s Drag Me...
Dispatches from book addiction

Dispatches from book addiction

A lot of people have asked me if I’ve done anything fun with my summer. My full-time job doesn’t give many vacation days (sorry, students, but that’s real life for you), so I haven’t had the chance to travel much or go to the beach often. But I have been reading. A...
There’s fun in the formula

There’s fun in the formula

Guillermo del Toro’s latest film, Pacific Rim, is as predictable as the tides. It features a protagonist who is so incredibly bland that you could replace him with a Golden Retriever and nothing much would change; it has a gruff father figure whose ultimate fate is a...
The intelligent summer book

The intelligent summer book

The term “beach read” is often applied to a very specific kind of book: light on theme, easy on plot and not much of a challenge. It’s understandable why these books are popular during vacation; as a student, you’re tired of slogging through required materials that...