Greetings again from the darkness. Welcome to my movie meanderings. Whether you are the type that shares my addiction to movies or you simply enjoy an occasional two hour break from reality, I hope you will find something of interest on the site.
Filmmaking is an art form that combines story telling, visual presentation and performance art. For me, the story usually comes first. Without a quality story, a film rarely captures me. Ahh, but when the stars align … a strong story is given to a great director who puts together a talented cast and crew … the wonder and joy of a great movie is born – and for the next two hours, I am whisked away from daily life and into the magical world on the silver screen.
There is one thing that I try never to forget when commenting on a movie: someone took a risk and created art. That someone is now brave enough to expose their creation to the scrutiny of the outside world. So whether this particular work of art moved me, I always remember how important it is to those involved. This doesn’t prevent me from critiquing the work; just know that I never lose respect for those who create.
Those wonderful, ever-present three “D’s” – Dispute, Discussion and Debate. Everyone has an opinion on a movie after watching and, let’s face it, it can be invigorating to spar (verbally, of course) with someone who has a totally different take on the “hidden” meaning of the latest release, or even one of the classics. That’s way more fun than any video game! You can learn a lot about people from their taste in movies, and everyone can find something that strikes a chord.
From the first time my grandfather took me to the “picture show” in downtown Terrell, Texas … I was hooked. That’s all it took. After that, I took in every movie possible and read books on the history of film in the U.S. and abroad. I was even fortunate enough to take part in two film classes that Edward Dmytryk (pictured left) taught at the University of Texas in Austin. Mr. Dmytryk is best known as the director of The Caine Mutiny, but also led a fascinating life and was a tremendous writer, educator and lover of film. Over the years, thousands of movies have mesmerized and bored, thrilled and disappointed. The one thing that has never changed … I still get a feeling of excitement and anticipation as the lights dim, the screen flickers (not so much with digital) and I slip away into the darkness surrounding the next movie.
You will notice the blog has a “Search” feature on the home page. Currently you can find various articles and my movie reviews posted since January 2010. Someday I hope to add approximately 1600 older reviews that I wrote prior to this site’s start date. Don’t miss my “Best of” lists from the past few years! If you find the site interesting, please pass it along to another film lover … and don’t forget to sign up for email notification of new postings and to follow me on Twitter (@fergusontx)!
Thanks for visiting. Please come back anytime.
David Ferguson
DFW Film Critics Association
Dallas, Texas
Twitter: @fergusontx
fergusontx@gmail.com
https://moviereviewsfromthedark.com/
Movie Reviews from the Dark 