Nerdwriter

I’ve often heard the criticism that much of cinema and movies in general are just a huge waste of time. And to be fair, there’s lots of movies out there that fit this criticism perfectly – and you know, plenty of films and movies I’ve seen have been just that.

But this is not to say that all movies should be painted with that brush. Enter The Nerdwriter.

The Nerdwriter has fast become one of my most watched youtube channels. He’s got some highly perceptive comments to make on a number of topics, but it’s his videos about movies which have really captured my attention. With thoughtful commentary Evan Puschak provides key insights into the purpose of the artistry involved.

Here are some of my favourite examples:

How composer Howard Shore develops the musical themes for the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies, and also how music plays such an important part in the experience of a film:

How director Alfonso Cuarón‘s direction in the third movie of the Harry Potter series (The Prisoner of Azkaban) is not only brilliant, but also highlights how ‘cinematic illiterate’ a number of us are:

And this one giving an insightful comment on why ‘Man of Steel’ and ‘Batman vs Superman’ just really didn’t hit the mark (hint – it’s go to do with director Zack Snyder’s obsession with movie moments at the expense of scenes):

But it’s not all about movies over at his channel. He also has some insight into culture in general, in particular I appreciated this take on one reason why Donald Trump has gained so much popularity:

Now, I want to appreciate these clips not only for bringing the insight that they do, but to also elevate Christian thinking on art in general. I’m hoping over the next few posts to do just that, but we’ll see how time goes.