Before Lift Off: Tom Cruise in Legend

|John Blair| It has been over 30 years since I first saw Legend as a child. I retained strong memories of certain images: the magical light of the opening scenes, the oversized horns of the Lord of Darkness, the fact that there was definitely a unicorn in the movie. I knew it starred Tom Cruise, Continue reading

When I’m Bad, I’m Better: Legend and Tim Curry’s Legacy of Villainy

|Courtney Kowalke| What is the first movie you remember seeing Tim Curry in? It is a question of when you first saw him in something, not if you have ever seen him in something. The British actor has been an inescapable presence on the silver screen since 1975. Incidentally, Continue reading

Cinematic Sorcery: The Legacy of Vermithax Pejorative

|Malcolm Cooke| In the misty and magical realm of Urland lurks a dark and evil creature: The last dragon, one thousand years old. It holds the surrounding land in the violent grip of fear. The king is forced to sacrifice virgins, chosen from a lottery twice a year, to sate the dragon’s sadistic… Continue reading

Stardust and the Quest for Childhood Wonder

Young Tristan stands in front of an armed Prince Septimus, preparing to fight to save his love Yvaine.

|Finn Odum| Since the dawn of time—which began either in a rural Tennessee farmhouse or a rented duplex in Milwaukee—I have been a movie person. My early childhood memories overlap with scenes from A Bug’s Life, A Night at the Opera, and Air Bud. Some of the… Continue reading