Shifting Expectations

Do you see the stars in 3 dimensions when you look up at the sky at night? Or is that eternal blackish blue firefly filed abyss as flat to you as paper? James Cameron sees the final frontier in 3D glory and this week we watched his thesis statement on the subject, 2009’s Avatar. Next […]

This week we travel to the clean deserts of the Middle East to experience the true adventures of Lawrence of Arabia. We argue about the virtues of a film based on true events. We also attempt to tie a bow on our regular discussion on the cultural sins of historical Hollywood. Next week we will […]

None of us received that magical letter letting us know we were wizards when we turned 11. So we have settled with discussing the Harry Potter film franchise and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban specifically. We talk about growing up as an entire media culture is born and how the fandom has evolved. […]

Are you your mother? If you answered this question in the affirmative you should probably visit a medical professional and you probably should not watch this week’s movie: Psycho. We talk again about our fascination with serial killers and how some movies invade and shape our culture. Next week we will finish our spooktacular spooktober […]

This week we get lost in Pan’s Labyrinth. We debate if it deserves a spot on our list and if it is even a good movie. We also discuss the differences between low and high fantasy. Next we will bare witness to Murder! We will do this by discussing 1960’s Psycho.

This week we watched the 1964 film adapted from a 1956 Broadway play that was a musical version of a 1913 play that was also made into a movie in 1938 and itself was based on a Greek myth from book 10 of Ovid‘s Metamorphoses: My Fair Lady. We talk about the stunningly beautiful Audrey Hepburn and […]

This week we are watching the final animated film to be featured on this season of Shifting Expectations. Discussing Spirited Away is a challenge and a pleasure. We try to describe the beauty of the story and animation. We also wrestle with the themes of the film and ask what cultural significance we might be […]

The wild world of insurance is not often the set piece for Hollywood movies, but if Double Indemnity is any indication perhaps it should be more often. This week we explore the film that established Noir films as a Hollywood mainstay. We talk about the math discussed in the film and debate what Neff’s one […]

The hills are alive! This week we explore one of the 11 films to hold the title of Highest Grossing Film of all time: The Sound of Music. We attempt to understand this movie’s incredible staying power and ask the question, “Why is My Favorite Things a Christmas song?” Next week we will be introduced […]

The Academy Awards might not matter but they give s a measuring stick by which to compare films. And few films have as impressive an Academy Award resume as 1950’s All About Eve. In this episode we discuss the film’s impressive 14 Academy Award nominations and its perhaps more impressive 5 acting nominations. Next week […]