Category: Blog (Page 4 of 5)

Waking from “Oblivion” — A Review

May 12, 2013 / marielcalloway

Oblivion is the result of too much story and not enough canvas. Think of a house with a tiny frame, or a painting wadded up into a crumpled ball. The story — trust me, it’s in there somewhere — is a compelling work of creative fiction that both reveals and represses human nightmares of technological development. A speculative creation of a sweeping, gothic variety, Oblivion is too ambitious and in its efforts to say too much all at once, its message becomes lost in a frenzied shout of sound and fury.

Uncanny Visions

March 15, 2013 / marielcalloway

How do writers anticipate future technology? There is no clear cut rule, and like many visionaries we are wrong more often than we are right (hover boards by 2015). However, there are two guiding questions that tend to form the boundaries of creative space in which to develop fictional societies and depict imagined worlds — Where will technology go? But more importantly, where will technology refuse to go?

The Man Behind the Spectacle: A Review of Oz: The Great and Powerful

March 14, 2013 / marielcalloway

In the beginning, there was spectacle. The novelty of moving pictures was enough to satisfy audiences who hurried into theaters to catch a glimpse of the newest blockbuster — usually something as mundane as a horse eating hay or small girls having a pillow fight. Little by little the abilities of film as a storytelling medium developed, and audiences were treated to such classics as “A Trip to the Moon” (1902) and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligiri.” (1920). Sound was another milestone, then color. Digital animation and 3D imaging have been among filmmaking’s most recent technological advancements, and regrettably, in many occasions have continued the tradition of sacrificing story for spectacle.

Oz: The Great and Powerful reminds us strongly of this time. Unlike its predecessor, Victor Flemming’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, this prequel lacks the magic and wonder of the earlier film. Oz favors flash over substance, immersing its viewers in a dazzlingly beautiful world of emerald spires, ethereal sunsets and glowing (yellow brick) roads. But sadly, that’s all we have to look forward to.

The Game is On(line): BBC’s “Sherlock” in the Age of Social Media

March 8, 2013 / marielcalloway

Because they’re able to get away with it, British television seasons are usually much shorter than American ones, often resembling a typical cable air schedule. Seasons may contain anywhere from 6 to 12 episodes, with start dates unpredictable. Sherlock tortures its fans with three 90-minute episodes and an undetermined hiatus between seasons. So far we’re averaging at about 2 years.

Sherlock, as the title implies, is another Sherlock Holmes adaptation, this time set in modern-day London. Although it predates the American version Elementary by quite a few months, it remains somewhat obscure to American audiences, lost in the shuffle between Guy Ritchie’s recent cinematic adaptations starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Which brings up a good point. In recent years we’ve seen no less than three mainstream adaptations of the familiar tale. Why is it that nearly 100 years after what would have been his death, modern entertainment seems determined to resurrect him?

Repeating History: Why “Argo” Won Best Picture

February 28, 2013 / marielcalloway

When I was little, I used to watch the same movies over and over again. At one point during my eleventh consecutive viewing of The Lion King, I asked myself why. What was the point of watching a story when I already knew the ending? At first I thought that it might be because I hoped that I could influence the outcome — somehow guide the characters away from pitfalls and lead them to triumph. Perhaps on some level that is why I’ve become a writer, but it’s not the answer to the question. Instead, the real answer likely has more to do with the way that our minds engage with stories and what we expect from them in the moment. The best stories are rarely about the what, but the how, and it is precisely the how of how Argo crafted a historical event into a binding suspense thriller that won it the Oscar for Best Picture.

Like a House of Cards: Online Content and the Changing Face (or Screen) of Television Part I

February 21, 2013 / marielcalloway

Part I

Link to Part II

In a fit of roommate bonding and late-night boredom, my new roommate and I decided to check out the Netflix series House of Cards. I hadn’t seen advertisements and knew little about the content. The only information I had going in was that it was an unserialized serial — all parts of the whole available for viewing at the same time. That was enough to spark my interest. In the end, House of Cards is the perfect series with which to inaugurate the new direction of serialized content.

Like a House of Cards: Online Content and the Changing Face (or Screen) of Television Part II

February 21, 2013 / marielcalloway

Link to Part I

Part II

I provided that lengthy bit of history in my previous post as a way to give context for why House of Cards is so revolutionary. The transition from the broadcast model to an internet-based streaming model will undoubtedly change the perception of television as a storytelling medium.

Identity Crisis

July 27, 2012 / marielcalloway

So yes, like most everyone else last week I did see the amazing premiere of The Dark Knight Rises and no, this will not be a post on that movie just yet. Expect one eventually, but not now. I prefer to hold off posting on new films until I can have a physical copy in my possession, and I loved that movie too much to settle for a grainy camrip for stills and analyses.

So instead I decided to take a look at another film I was reminded of while watching Christian Bale go about his metropolitan adventures in Armani suits — Mary Harron’s 2000 film, American Psycho.

Intelligent Design: Biopunk and the Utopian Body

April 28, 2012 / marielcalloway

Whenever I’m asked about my chosen genre, I tend to say drama and “occasionally” science fiction. But I realize, I find myself only grudgingly admitting to writing sci-fi only because my true genre is speculative fiction. Speculative fiction (another SF, as a friend an I have often discussed) tends toward the scientific side simply because it is a recent trend that the rapid exponential development of technology has enabled humanity to fulfill its dreams while simultaneously facing its fears. But in actuality, SF can cover all genres. It’s all about the “What If?” that every writer chases.

Planned Obsolescence

April 18, 2012 / marielcalloway

It’s been reported that some kind of remake and/or prequel is in the works for Ridley Scott’s 1982 cyberpunk film Blade Runner. As a fan of both the film and the original novel I find this somewhat troubling but also rather amusing. It seems that no other story has had such a complicated history with the freedom of creative expression, and now it seems they want to open this can of worms yet again.