Columnists
Recent Content
On my bookshelf, alongside Terry Pratchett novels and movie-related tomes, sits Andrew Chaikin’s “A Man on the Moon.” His book is a history of the U.S. space program that digs into what it took …
On my bookshelf, alo…
On my bookshelf, alongside Terry Pratchett novels and movie-related tomes, sits Andrew Chaikin’s “A Man on the Moon.” His book is a history of the U.S. space program that digs into what it took for us to send human beings to the lunar surface and bring them safely home. It’s an outstanding piece of nonfiction writing* that I wholeheartedly recommend. It’s ironic, considering that I, a goober who could barely pass high school science classes, am fascinated so deeply by space travel. Part of it is the unexpected practical applications that affect our daily lives. If you like memory …
Tim Brennan
March 9, 2026
What does it take to be a great basketball player? Not good, like a high school team or someone dominating in pickup. I mean great. A little research tells me it’s about more than high level athleti…
What does it take to…
What does it take to be a great basketball player? Not good, like a high school team or someone dominating in pickup. I mean great. A little research tells me it’s about more than high level athleticism. A great player needs willpower. Coachability. Determination. An understanding that the game is about far more than one person scoring a ton of points. But what happens when you have an athlete who possesses all those traits, hell, a whole team of them? What happens if that team does nearly everything right, and they still lose? A lot of athletes and teams can relate to that, the idea th…
Tim Brennan
March 2, 2026
On February 15 of this year, at the age of 95, Robert Duvall died. To say he had a good run is a gigantic understatement. Duvall was married four times, adored the tango, used his celebrity for good c…
On February 15 of th…
On February 15 of this year, at the age of 95, Robert Duvall died. To say he had a good run is a gigantic understatement. Duvall was married four times, adored the tango, used his celebrity for good causes such as helping women and children in Argentina, and by all accounts was a solidly good guy. As great as all that is, we’re here to focus on Duvall’s acting. He was one of the greats,* and not in a movie star, John Wayne kind of way, though Duvall worked with him. He wasn’t a method actor in the Robert De Niro kind of way, though Duvall worked with him, too. In fact, to give you an …
Tim Brennan
February 23, 2026
The multiverse has been having a moment lately, particularly in film. In popular culture, the MCU has dug into the concept big time with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Fantastic Four, an…
The multiverse has b…
The multiverse has been having a moment lately, particularly in film. In popular culture, the MCU has dug into the concept big time with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Fantastic Four, and most likely the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Everything Everywhere All At Once won seven Academy Awards. It’s an honest to goodness thing. The concept of multiverses is also a poorly understood thing, at least from a narrative perspective. It’s true that filmmakers can go batshit insane with multiple variants of the same character, or drop characters into increasingly bananas alternate di…
Tim Brennan
February 16, 2026
After Germany’s surrender in World War II, the Allied powers began a program of denazification. The plan was to fully remove elements of the Nazi party from Austrian and German society, and allow th…
After Germany’s su…
After Germany’s surrender in World War II, the Allied powers began a program of denazification. The plan was to fully remove elements of the Nazi party from Austrian and German society, and allow those countries to move forward in a positive, profitable, and presumably pro-American direction.* The process was expensive, time-consuming, and not entirely successful. But it was thought to be necessary to halt the rise of another Hitler. A similar concept was attempted after the Civil War. It was known as Reconstruction,** and for a little while it worked like gangbusters before it utterly fa…
Tim Brennan
February 9, 2026
In my professional life, such as it is, I’ve caught one huge break. I’m not someone who’s made a titanic amount of money, and can spend like a drunken Trump donor. I’m not someone who’s made…
In my professional l…
In my professional life, such as it is, I’ve caught one huge break. I’m not someone who’s made a titanic amount of money, and can spend like a drunken Trump donor. I’m not someone who’s made an indelible impact on culture, and will go down in the annals of human history. I’m not someone who’s amassed power and can influence the lives of thousands with the merest gesture. Despite all of that, I’ve never had an asshole boss. I’ve had bosses that were competent, bosses that were opportunistic, and bosses that were checked out. But I’ve never had one that was a delightful co…
Tim Brennan
February 2, 2026
It’s been said that all art is political, even art that’s a bit stupid. Your slobs versus snobs comedy Ghostbusters? That’s about how a group of small business owners can more effectively deal w…
It’s been said tha…
It’s been said that all art is political, even art that’s a bit stupid. Your slobs versus snobs comedy Ghostbusters? That’s about how a group of small business owners can more effectively deal with a crisis rather than the wicked EPA. Your dumb as toast disaster epic Armageddon? That’s about how in the face of…um…armageddon, American exceptionalism will save the day. I see comments all the time from people begging filmmakers to strictly create movies that are entertainment and nothing more. I’m not sure that’s possible, and there are two reasons for that. The first is that, …
Tim Brennan
January 26, 2026
This article spoils the end of 28 Years Later* We’ve all seen films featuring human beings that are a) adults and b) presumably not brain damaged yet they behave in extremely brain damaged adult …
This article spoils …
This article spoils the end of 28 Years Later* We’ve all seen films featuring human beings that are a) adults and b) presumably not brain damaged yet they behave in extremely brain damaged adult kind of ways. It sucks. It’s maddening. It’s what happens when filmmakers hyperfocus on the plot, so much so that they contort the characters to fit the needs of the plot. Great filmmakers understand that character should drive plot, as opposed to the other way around. How is that supposed to happen? By showing us the points of view of the characters. When Harry Met Sally, The Silence of th…
Tim Brennan
January 19, 2026
On November 11, 1947, Winston Churchill said during a speech, “Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or …
On November 11, 1947…
On November 11, 1947, Winston Churchill said during a speech, “Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Churchill wasn’t wrong in his remarks about democracy, and I think the same concept could be accurately applied to capitalism. I know, some of you are going to unfurl your American flags and, with tears in your eyes, yell, “America h…
Tim Brennan
January 12, 2026
To say I’m a movie guy is an understatement. Since I was roughly as tall as E.T., I’ve been into them. That passion brought me into a career as a film critic, as well as a career as a screenwriter…
To say I’m a movie…
To say I’m a movie guy is an understatement. Since I was roughly as tall as E.T., I’ve been into them. That passion brought me into a career as a film critic, as well as a career as a screenwriter.* I want to watch the damn things and make the damn things as much as humanly possible. As a result, I’ve learned a few things. One piece of screenwriting wisdom is written on a 3x5 card that’s taped to my desk. I can’t credit the original writer who passed it on as I don’t recall who shared it with me, but I’ll share it with you verbatim: After the opening scene, each scene shoul…
Tim Brennan
January 5, 2026
In a general sense, 2025 sucked. The United States seems to have been transformed into a foul combination of kakistocracy and plutocracy, while sliding pell mell into fascism. Innocent people are bein…
In a general sense, …
In a general sense, 2025 sucked. The United States seems to have been transformed into a foul combination of kakistocracy and plutocracy, while sliding pell mell into fascism. Innocent people are being arrested and disappeared to God knows where. Real Christianity feels further away than ever, while gleeful cruelty feels like the law of the land. It would be an understatement to say that things are not great. In a cinematic sense, however, 2025 kind of kicked ass. This year, we had excellent genre films, smart blockbusters, affecting documentaries, and indie films that punched far beyond th…
Tim Brennan
December 29, 2025
You likely know that, alongside his wife Michele Singer Reiner,* Rob Reiner died violently on December 14 of this year. He left behind a shattered family, a battalion of whys, and a legacy that ended …
You likely know that…
You likely know that, alongside his wife Michele Singer Reiner,* Rob Reiner died violently on December 14 of this year. He left behind a shattered family, a battalion of whys, and a legacy that ended in tragedy. As time goes on, we won’t want the details of the murders, but we’ll get them anyway. Right now, though, I’m not interested in motives or forensic details. For the purposes of this piece, I’m not going to focus on his work in television, particularly the iconic sitcom All in the Family. Though that work alone could be the subject of a considerable piece, just like a piece …
Tim Brennan
December 22, 2025
When I first started as a film critic, I had close to zero problems writing a bad review. My calculus was simple; if you make a film and release it for public consumption, you should be prepared for p…
When I first started…
When I first started as a film critic, I had close to zero problems writing a bad review. My calculus was simple; if you make a film and release it for public consumption, you should be prepared for positive and negative reactions. You worked really hard on a project and people don’t like it? Hey, them’s the breaks. Plus, if I’m being honest with you, there was a low, cruel kind of pleasure I’d get trashing a movie. Coming up with the right zinger, the right snide remark. Over time, my perspective changed, mostly due to some bright spots in my screenwriting career. An up close loo…
Tim Brennan
December 15, 2025
If you’re reading this review, you likely fall into one of two groups. Either you’re the kind of person who will enthusiastically check out a movie entitled Time Travel Is Dangerous, or you’re t…
If you’re reading …
If you’re reading this review, you likely fall into one of two groups. Either you’re the kind of person who will enthusiastically check out a movie entitled Time Travel Is Dangerous, or you’re the kind of person who needs some persuading. Presuming you’re the first kind of person, trust me when I tell you it’s a fun little comedy and you’ll enjoy it. However, should you be the second kind, keep reading. I get where you’re coming from, I do. Movie theater attendance has been declining for years. There are a number of reasons for that, and one that I think is significant is the …
Tim Brennan
December 8, 2025
I don’t care about mainstream sports. Football doesn’t matter, basketball is a nonissue, and baseball is met with a shrug.* Despite my father’s repeated attempts to raise an all-American son who…
I don’t care about…
I don’t care about mainstream sports. Football doesn’t matter, basketball is a nonissue, and baseball is met with a shrug.* Despite my father’s repeated attempts to raise an all-American son who loved to toss around the ol’ pigskin and would cheer lustily for the home team, what he got was someone who could talk at great length about both the Avengers and Martin Scorsese. Having said that, I adore niche sports. I enjoy the PFC.** Archery is awesome. Wheelchair rugby is one of the most kickass things I’ve ever seen. But my heart belongs to the late and lamented Great Outdoor Game…
Tim Brennan
December 1, 2025
Back in the day, whodunits appeared with great regularity on both televisions and movie screens. With the cinema, audiences ate up mysteries such as Chinatown, Basic Instinct, Gosford Park, The Gift, …
Back in the day, who…
Back in the day, whodunits appeared with great regularity on both televisions and movie screens. With the cinema, audiences ate up mysteries such as Chinatown, Basic Instinct, Gosford Park, The Gift, and In the Heat of the Night. These films didn’t need massive explosions, death-defying stunts, or even high-wattage movie stars. All they needed were a twisty script, actors game to play either a possible suspect or a relentless sleuth, and a director who could simultaneously crank up the tension and play fair with clues. Things are different now. Whodunits are still all over the place on te…
Tim Brennan
November 24, 2025
You might not be a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s films. You might not be into his ludicrous musculature, his puns, or his movies that so often feature him shooting, stabbing, crushing, and explodin…
You might not be a f…
You might not be a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s films. You might not be into his ludicrous musculature, his puns, or his movies that so often feature him shooting, stabbing, crushing, and exploding a wide variety of luckless goons. You might turn your back haughtily on all of that, but one thing you can’t do is deny that he’s made some all-timers. Conan the Barbarian. The Terminator. Predator. Total Recall. Terminator 2: Judgment Day. All bangers. One of his films that is not a banger is 1987’s The Running Man. You have to understand that in 1987, I was a young punk of twelve. My …
Tim Brennan
November 17, 2025
What is the government for, anyway? What is it supposed to do? If you’re a libertarian or an old school Republican, you think its function should be minimal. Government should safeguard the rights o…
What is the governme…
What is the government for, anyway? What is it supposed to do? If you’re a libertarian or an old school Republican, you think its function should be minimal. Government should safeguard the rights of citizens, and otherwise butt out of everyday life.. If you’re a liberal, you believe its function should be more active. You think government ought to offer a robust social safety net, as well as more strenuously regulate our quasi-capitalistic system. Whether your political persuasion is left, right, or somewhere else, you likely agree that one of the nation’s core responsibilities is pr…
Tim Brennan
November 10, 2025
![](https://aboutboulder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2-2.png")
