Recent Essays

  • Broken (2017)

    Readers Note: This essay contains plot details By Brant Short Broken is a six-episode series that aired on BBC in 2017.  It tells the story of Father Michael Kerrigan, a Catholic priest in an urban parish set in the north of England. The industrial city, near the ocean, is not revealed but it is clear Read more

  • Dragged Across Concrete (2018): Film Analysis

    Readers Note: This essay contains plot details By Spencer Short Dragged Across Concrete is a story of life in the city, work and money, the pull of crime, and its chaotic effects and consequences. The initial premise of the film concerns the suspension of cops Ridgeman and Lurasetti, for a leaked video capturing their excessive Read more

  • Stubby Pringle’s Christmas (1978) and Ebenezer (1998)

    Readers Note: This essay contains plot details By Brant Short Besides the annual visits of Charlie Brown, the Grinch and Rudolph the Reindeer, fans of Christmas have an unlimited number of choices for Christmas films and television shows. With cable television and streaming services providing links to hundreds of titles, one can get lost looking Read more

  • An Analysis of The Card Counter (2021)

    Readers Note: This essay contains plot details By Spencer Short Introduction The Card Counter tells the story of a formerly imprisoned solider turned professional gambler named William Tell. He is an enigmatic character, leading a solitary life of travel, gambling, and contemplation. We are introduced to Tell through his narration, beginning and ending in prison. Read more