How Drive My Car Uses Uncle Vanya to Illuminate Its Themes

Film critic Roger Ebert once remarked that it’s a bad idea to reference a beloved movie in your film since it can only serve to remind people of superior features they could be watching instead. The same can be said for tremendous works from other mediums of artistic expression. A tedious film flashing a vivid painting on-screen, for example, could inspire one to vacate the auditorium and check out a museum instead. The new Ryusuke Hamaguchi movie Drive My Car, though, is the perfect example of how to interweave classic works of art into your film (in this case, vintage plays) and not only not distract from your story but enhance it. Continue reading

Clever Animated Man Dangling From Gutter Christmas Decoration

In how to get 911 called constantly news, these are a couple videos of the man dangling from a gutter Christmas light decoration that TikTok user survivordiet built and installed on his home, complete with “Is anybody there?! Help!” audio playing. I could be wrong, but I assume the decoration was inspired by Clark W. Griswold’s infamous light-hanging experience, which was probably inspired by many people’s actual experiences. I know I’ve fallen off my unfair share of roofs before. God may not have given me much in the way of brains, but my goodness can I survive a fall. Continue reading

Zachary Levi on American Underdog, Kurt Warner, and Shazam 2

With the Erwin Brothers’ American Underdog opening in theaters on Christmas Day, I recently spoke to Zachary Levi about playing former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner in the biopic. Based on the book All Things Possible by Warner and Michael Silver, the film chronicles Warner’s incredible true story, as he went from stocking shelves at a supermarket to becoming a two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP before being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Written by Jon Erwin, David Aaron Cohen, and Jon Gunn, the film also pulls back the curtain on what a lot of people don’t know about Warner’s personal life, including how he met his wife Benda (Anna Paquin), the struggles they went through, and the importance of faith, family and determination in their lives. The film also stars Dennis Quaid, Adam Baldwin, Bruce McGill, Ser’Darius Blain, Chance Kelly, Morgana Shaw, Brett Varvel, and Bryce Bruckbauer. Continue reading