About Ian Dinsmore
Growing up near the beautiful Puget Sound in Olympia, Ian is a true Northwesterner. Since graduating from the Edward R. Murrow School of Journalism at Washington State University, Ian jettisoned the Palouse for wild times in the big city. A year after graduating from Seattle Film Institute, he immersed himself in the Seattle indie film culture. His study of film continues and if you’re lucky, you can catch him at Crystal Mountain, at the movie theater or walking his dog Blue in Kirkland with his beautiful wife.
Spielberg breathes life into an icon.
The stovepipe hat, the scraggly beard, the hunched posture; we all recognize the icon. Abraham Lincoln is easily the most beloved politician in our nation’s history (unless you count Taft…what a guy) and has largely been explored through his words. The humbling speeches are historical monuments of progress and cannot be understated, but what of the man? (more…)
Bond is back and better than ever.
The character of James Bond is an interesting cookie. In some movies, he’s a devious womanizer who’s always one step ahead of his enemy. These are the Pierce Brosnan and lesser Sean Connery movies. The debonair man slinks through various set pieces, judo chopping and sweet-talking his (more…)
Flight never quite soars.
Denzel Washington’s Hollywood career is in the 1%. Since leaving St. Elmo’s Place in 1988 he has starred in at least one film every 18-months. That is a massive output from any working actor, but from (arguably) the biggest movie star of our generation? Unheard of. Not all of Denzel’s choices have been good (more…)
Tim Burton Still Has Some Magic Left
Tim Burton is a name synonymous with whimsy. Unfortunately in the last 15-years his work has been synonymous with mediocrity. Burton’s work load hasn’t decreased (some would argue it should) in the past decade but his project selection has been decidedly uninspired. (more…)
A time-traveling knockout.
There’s an old saying that 90% of everything is crap. This was probably first said about Hollywood. Thankfully the internet has made it much simpler to wade through the filth and find the exceptional 10%. Now I’m a huge fan of young director Rian Johnson. (more…)
The fractured fable.
Lawless is told from the mind’s-eye of a natural storyteller. This storyteller is not a novelist, screenwriter or a gifted director…more like Grandpa in a rocking chair. Many of us have had the pleasure of listening to Grandpa’s stories over the years. I’m sure we’ve thought, “These can’t possibly be accurate,” or, (more…)
Summer movie recap.
The August doldrums have arrived at the box office. It’s back-to-school time and the general public usually ignores the theater as the studios dump their blockbuster leftovers before (more…)
