Ben Ulansey
Bio
Ben is a word enthusiast who writes about everything from politics, religion, film, AI and videogames to dreams, drones, drugs, dogs, memoirs, and terrorizing Floridians with dinosaur costumes.
Stories (33/0)
'Doctor Sleep': The Flawed and Forgotten Sequel to 'The Shining'
Many may know that Stephen King was no fan of the Stanley Kubrick movie made from his 1977 novel, The Shining. Yet, the creative liberties taken with the film have forever altered the story's legacy. For King, Kubrick's take on the novel simply failed to embody what he'd written. He famously summed up the differences by noting that while the book was warm, the movie was cold.
By Ben Ulansey6 months ago in Horror
How South Park Used ChatGPT to Help Write an Episode
South Park is a show like no other. Where so many shows and cartoons seem almost to exist outside of time, South Park stays rooted in the moment. That’s not to say, of course, that the children have actually aged. Apart from graduating from third to fourth grade, they’ve remained 10-year-olds as they’ve confronted everything from climate change to religion, to politics, to a giant mechanized Barbara Streisand.
By Ben Ulansey6 months ago in Humor
South Park: The Most Important Satire Ever Made
Sometimes South Park can get a bad rap. With some of the jokes told in its 26 year run, it's not difficult to see why. South Park is both ruthless and persevering. With 326 episodes in its catalogue, there are few issues the long-running satire has failed to explore - and comprehensively.
By Ben Ulansey6 months ago in Humor
How “Harry Potter” Became the Gold Standard of Film Series Adaptations
It’s hard not to be a little biased when the first Harry Potter film came out not long after your fifth birthday, but there’s a magic to these films that extends well beyond the wizardry. I can think of no film that’s done more justice to the fantastical world of its source material than the colossal Hogwarts castle and the hallowed grounds around it.
By Ben Ulansey6 months ago in Geeks
Michael Gambon's Most Unforgettable Role
For those who grew up with the Harry Potter movies, they likely see Michael Gambon's face as the apotheosis of warmth and wisdom. Taking over the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore upon the death of the beloved Richard Harris, though, it was no easy task he had before him trying to fill those shoes. Famously, though, Gambon didn't even attempt to. He didn't read the books, and he didn't allow his approach to the character to be tainted by Harris's prior portrayal.
By Ben Ulansey6 months ago in Geeks
Mario, Zombies and the Return of the Mad Titan Part II
Mario and Rick walked through the vibrant kingdom as Thanos lay bleeding and groaning on the ground. But as they neared a suspiciously large green pipe that emerged from the earth, Mario appeared to have a sudden change of heart.
By Ben Ulansey6 months ago in Geeks
A Ghostly Encounter at the Jim Thorpe Inn
The year is 2011 and I'm staying with my parents in a hotel that's supposed to be haunted. My father and I are both firm cynics in the world of the supernatural, but it's with an understandable pause that my mom walks through the grand doorway of the Jim Thorpe Inn.
By Ben Ulansey6 months ago in Horror
Why the 'Pet Sematary' Remake Soars Above the Original
Oftentimes, the best song covers are the ones that reinvent the wheel completely. Other times, the most memorable covers are the ones where musicians incorporate the elements that worked best in the original and embellish them by adding in their own stylistic touches. Pet Sematary, based on the Stephen King story, and directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, is the latter. While the 1989 Mary Lambert version of the film still has its merits, the 2019 remake stands as an improvement in nearly every conceivable regard. Though Kölsch and Widmyer aren't names deeply rooted in the horror genre, Pet Sematary makes clear that they're two figures with an admirable flair for the fearsome.
By Ben Ulansey6 months ago in Horror
Echoes of the Overlook: Why ‘The Shining’ Still Endures
They say a film can take a toll on an actor, but perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in the anguished screams of Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Played by Shelley Duvall, her role pushed her to psychological lows that can be viscerally felt by the viewer. Both Jack Nicholson and Danny Lloyd, too, carry the film with their unsettling performances. The entire cast and ambiance of the film impart a palpable weight.
By Ben Ulansey6 months ago in Horror