Reminders of Him, by Albert W. Vogt III
The Old Testament tells of a practice among the ancient Hebrews where, if a husband dies before his wife, that man’s brother will take his place. You can find the custom described in greater detail in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. The point was to raise children so that the family line did not end. Because Christianity fulfilled…
The Unknown Country, by Albert W. Vogt III
In my review of Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), I praised star Lily Gladstone’s performance as Mollie Kyle, an Osage woman caught in a web of murder and greed in the Oklahoma oil fields of the 1920s. Disappointingly, when it came Oscar time the following year, the award for Best Actress went to Emma…
Mascots, by Albert W. Vogt III
Who does not like a surprise? That is what I got today when I started scrolling for a film to watch and found Mascots (2016). I thought I had seen all of Christoper Guest’s mockumentaries, but I guess I was wrong. For once, that is not an unpleasant feeling. This is a poor comparison, but…
It Started in Naples, by Albert W. Vogt III
After watching It Started in Naples (1960), I am unsure as to whether it is stereotypically Italian or something authentic. As to the latter of those two extremes, there is the location shooting, which captures the picturesque views of the Italian Mediterranean coastline. This Catholic also appreciated the religious culture on display, one steeped in…
The Bluff, by Albert W. Vogt III
What do you get when you combine The Bourne Identity (2002) with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)? You get The Bluff. Please note, that is not a good thing. I knew I was in trouble from the opening crawl. Today’s film is set in 1846, but it talks about…
One for the Money, by Albert W. Vogt III
With my background in history, I sometimes think of creative ways in which I could use such a degree. One recent idea I came up with is to be a private investigator (PI). My reasoning was, admittedly, thin. The key word was “investigator,” which means research. I did plenty of that while pursuing my doctorate,…
Enemy Lines, by Albert W. Vogt III
There are those that see history in stark terms. To such people, something happened one way or the other, and there is no room for interpretation. I put forward the myriad of World War II films as a counter to this supposition. The trailer for Enemy Line (2020) claims that it is about a plan…
The Legionnaire 