The Social Network
At the end of their 1979 ode-to-nihilism, The Wall, Pink Floyd, after dismissing most of the things we turn to for comfort—school, work, love, sex, politics—as “just another brick in the wall,” gave themselves an out in the album’s last…
Discussion questions for The King’s Speech
1) What are your first impressions of the film? First impressions aren’t considered conclusions; they’re what you’re left thinking of in the moments after the film ends. 2) Contrast the brothers, David and Albert. How are they similar; in what…
The King’s Speech
“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them”. William Shakespeare in Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene V In January of 1936 King George V of England died, leaving the…
The Importance of a Good Jihadist Comedy
Most people don't take funny movies seriously. If you want to reflect and be challenged, go see the latest foreign import or dramatic biopic. If you want to escape and be entertained, go see “Due Date” (actually, if you want…
Discussion questions for Get Low
Discuss your first impressions of Get Low. What does watching this film leave you thinking about? What do you think Felix means when he announces “It’s time for me to get low”? The original tagline for the film wasn’t the…
A Story That Needs to be Told
I love good stories. Sitting in a rocking chair on my grandmother’s front porch on a hot Alabama summer night, listening to my father and his brothers laugh about boyhood egg-stealing; cold November evenings in northern Minnesota while the Block…
The Meaning of a Good Conversation
Who do you think is happier? People who spend more time talking about the state of the world? Or people who prefer discussing the weather? Given the current state of the world, one might assume the weather would be a…