Kyle J. Steenblik is a resident of Davis County Utah, husband, and father of two children. A local film critic, author, and Podcaster (Utah Outcasts, The Nerd Dome Podcast), with a passion for comedy, fantasy, art, the natural world, science, and discovery, and road trips to various landmarks, and historical sites around the United States. Kyle has been a longtime activist in the hopes of leaving the world a better place for his children. Whether that is through standing up to inequality, injustice, or by adding a little laughter or a good story.
Beginning in 1945 the heroic and tragic events of World War Two have served as inspiration for thousands of films and counting. Midway comes out this week and the best estimate numbers these films over 1,300, and this does not account for documentaries or even cold war propaganda films. It could take a lifetime to […]
The Terminator at 25 years-old is considered by many to be a classic work of science-fiction. It spawned a financially successful franchise that continues to grow in every direction. However, the number of fans and profit are not measurements of quality. After 25 years it is time to accept that The Terminator is not good […]
The Great Dictator is a 1940 American film starring, written, produced, scored, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. This was Chaplin's first true talking picture as well as his most commercially successful film. Today this 80-year-old film is not only still startlingly poignant, but staggeringly relevant. The Great Dictator is arguably Charlie Chaplin's best and most […]
Every film contains some form of protagonist, or hero, and an antagonist, or villain. Audiences can count on the fact that the hero is going to win, and the villain will lose. This expectation is subverted occasionally, and more often than not that subversion is reversed in the sequel. This is generally accepted as the […]
Godzilla, the city-stomping radioactive super-massive lizard-dragon-dinosaur-monster, may be the most prolific social commentator in the history of the world. Godzilla has been providing commentary on a wide variety of sociopolitical and environmental issues for 65 years across 35 films. These range from the proliferation of nuclear weapons to the impacts of climate change, from war-mongering […]
The 2019 spring Salt Lake City FanX Comic Convention has wrapped on April 20th. Salt Lake City Utah hosts one of the most active and vibrant cosplay communities in the country, and they turn out when convention time rolls around with creative and elaborate costumes spanning fandoms and generations. Between conventions they host numerous meetups […]
The year is 2036 and the world economy is in ruins, and I want to tell you what I've learned about the fallout from the fan wars. Today families are divided, friendships shatter on a daily basis, and the entertainment industry produces nothing substantial. Owners of Intellectual Property refuse to produce films or television shows, […]
The Walt Disney corporation is a powerhouse of production when it comes to film. With seemingly limitless resources, they could push anything they want into production. One thing they are doing is reaching into their own pockets to remake their back catalog of animated films as live action, or hyper-realistic animated films. The question of […]
There is a question that has tormented film critics for decades and driven a wedge between audiences and critics. Why do we love bad movies? Yes, critics love bad movies too. There can be an undeniable pleasure in a film that becomes an unintentional comedy, or to revel in the schadenfreude of film spectacularly failing. […]
The Council of Economic Advisers to the President of The United States of America has provided their annual economic report to the President. The President, after reviewing and approving of the report, has sent the Economic Report of the President to Congress. What is surprising about this report lies in some surprise appearances in The […]
Saint Patrick's Day is upon us, a day American's embrace their Irish roots, or pretend they have Irish roots. A day of eating cabbage and corned beef, and listening to the Dropkick Murphy's, Flogging Molly, and The Pouges. Not to mention drinking, an excuse to pour a pint of the dark stuff, gather with your […]
Batman is arguably one of the most popular superheroes of all time and a character that has had enough on-screen incarnations to play an epic softball game. With so many Batmen the debates are endless when the subject of which actor portrayed them best arises in conversation. Everyone has their own opinions, and in part, […]
Magnolia Pictures released the first trailer, and announced a theatrical release date, for Hail Satan? which is a documentary about The Satanic Temple they picked up at Sundance this year. In the battle for justice and equality, The Satanic Temple is putting up a hell of a fight. Chronicling the extraordinary rise of one of the most colorful and controversial religious […]
Hail Satan? documents a fascinating journey of religious freedom, political activism, and eye-opening candor about The Satanic Temple, its origins, and plans for America. Directory: Penny Lane Summary: Chronicling the extraordinary rise of one of the most colorful and controversial religious movements in American history, Hail Satan? is an inspiring and entertaining new feature documentary from […]
We sat in a dark theatre, watching the credits of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World scroll past on the screen as tears continued to stream down our cheeks. We both did our best to wipe them away, leaving us with damp sleeves, as we sat trying to regain our composure, eyes shrink-wrapped […]
There are many things to look forward to as a parent, a checklist of firsts that will eventually be complete. First steps, first words, the first day of school, the first movie, all are memorable in their own rights, but they are not the memories that run deepest or have the most lasting impact. For […]
Your behavior in the darkness of a movie theater could be the key diagnostic tool psychologists have been searching for in accurately diagnosing personality disorders. In a recent research study Doctor Clark Stanley, professor of theoretical psychology at Hodgson University, found conclusive links between specific habits of moviegoers and several different personality and mood disorders. […]
Die Hard celebrated its thirty-year anniversary as a frequently contested Christmas movie, and a culturally significant film. There is no way director John McTiernan could predict this late 80's action film would become so meaningful to so many. Die Hard permeated the cultural consciousness such that even those that have not seen it can quote it […]
Streaming services have a problem. A problem—like most—with a solution but arriving at this solution is easier said than done. I am, of course, talking about finding something to watch on the multitude of streaming services. One can only wonder how many viewers open Netflix and spend 20 minutes scrolling through the proffered selections, only […]
In Hollywood, there are many traditions when it comes to filmmaking–things that we as an audience can always count on seeing year after year. One of those traditions as old as motion pictures themselves is that of the remake. Take a successful film, clean it up, recast it, and crank out another money-maker, year after […]
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