Hardcore Henry is not a good movie. Hardcore Henry is an awesome movie. Let me explain.  Some films, like Spotlight, exist to illuminate an injustice. Other films, like United 93, are made to create an intense emotional reaction, to imagine ourselves in an unimaginable situation. Still other films, like The Shawshank Redemption, are inspirational fodder, designed to make us feel that we can overcome adversity just like the hero. That’s great, there’s a place for seriousness and art in cinema. But sometimes, seriousness won’t do. Sometimes we want fun, and fun in the... Read More

If you’re an aspiring or practicing writer of fiction, there’s one rule you’ve most likely had drilled into your head. You’ll frequently hear this from creative writing instructors and hacky screenwriting books. Your protagonist, or hero, must be likable, in order for the audience to relate to them. This is wrong. The fact is, your protagonist needs to be interesting. That’s it. Robert De Niro’s Jake La Motta in Raging Bull is a roiling sea of violence and sexual confusion. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort in The Wolf Of Wall Street is totally consumed by... Read More