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Nick Lee

Reading Between the Lines – ‘Life of Pi’

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“I must say a word about fear. It is life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unnerving ease. It begins in your mind, always … so you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don’t, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.”

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The Early Photography of Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick. Genius. Auteur. Craftsman. Monster. Enigma. He stands tall among the pantheon of American filmmakers, often hailed as the greatest. With a filmography that includes Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Shining, it’s no wonder his work continues to captivate audiences. But what sets his films apart is his extraordinary eye—his unparalleled command of camera angles, lenses, and lighting. Kubrick didn’t just compose shots; he orchestrated visual experiences.

What many might not know is that before he became a legendary filmmaker, Kubrick was a photographer. At just sixteen, while hustling chess in New York’s Washington Square Park—a feat that demands a sharp intellect—he landed a job with Look magazine. It was here that he discovered his passion for visual storytelling, honing his craft and developing an instinct for capturing moments with profound clarity. This early foray into photography laid the foundation for the cinematic masterpieces that would follow, each frame a testament to his relentless pursuit of perfection. In delving into Kubrick’s photographic journey, we uncover the roots of his artistry and the vision that transformed cinema.

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Jenny Curran Is Not Your Villain, No Matter How Hard You Try

Jenny Forrest Gump

I don’t know what it is about the internet, but for some reason, we all love picking apart characters in movies like they’re contestants on Survivor. And nobody gets roasted harder in the post-Forrest Gump universe than Jenny Curran. Somewhere along the way, Jenny became cinema’s biggest villain—right alongside Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter—except her crime was having complicated feelings in a world where everybody just wants her to be uncomplicated.

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