Hardin-Simmons University has a long running history of emphasizing the arts.
This love of the arts has been demonstrated through past issues of The Brand featuring movie critiques and recommendations. Revisiting popular films at HSU provides viewers with a wider appreciation of our cinematic past.
One article, “Nathan’s Best Movies of ‘98,” depicts the best captured films of that year as ranked by staff writer Nathan Murray. Many of these films had a lasting impact on modern day cinematography.
Meet Joe Black, was highly ranked due to the beauty it portrays on the screen. “The lighting, the music: each scene seemed to drip with color and flavor,” Murray noted. The film, starring Brad Pitt and Sir Anthony Hopkins, is still popular today.
Another highly ranked film was Ever After. “Some movies are just fun to watch; with such a creative twist on the classic Cinderella story, this one was a blast.”
Former entertainment editor, Bryan Tuck, shared his top picks in, “Bryan’s Best Movies of ‘98,” providing readers with an alternative perspective.
Tuck’s top pick was the film Saving Private Ryan.
He said it “balanced the inhumanity of combat with the subtle characterizations of the soldiers, particularly Tom Hanks and Jeremy Davies characters.”
The Mask of Zorro, was also a highly ranked film. “Pure, unadulterated escapism, to be sure, but it’s done with such style and wit, you can’t help but love it.” This movie is viewed as an entertaining blend of emotions and action.
(The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 86, No. 8, Ed. 1, Thursday, March. 11, 1999)
Redefining Past Genres
In 2006, HSU’s staff writer Lee Ramse took on the challenging task of defining the genre of sophisticated comedies. “It seems that anymore, any movie that comes out with no definable genre is slipped into the so broad category, sophisticated comedy,” Ramse said.
Sophisticated comedies are viewed as a broad genre that encapsulates a multitude of cinematic aspects. These films reflect a sense of “intellectual superiority.” The genre serves as a catch-all category for films that do not explicitly fit into the comedy genre.
Ramse defined an answer to redlining this genre suggesting, “Perhaps an easy solution to this problem would be to simply remove the title “sophisticated” from the genre.”
(The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 4, Ed. 1, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2006)
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