Listen, I would never try and tell you what to watch, but don’t you sometimes feel stuck in a rut, watching the same old spooky movies every Halloween, year after year? I get it, I really do; we’re wired to take comfort in repetition. It’s the exact same reason some of us are currently on […]
Jared Rasic
Film critic and author of food, arts and culture stories for the Source Weekly since 2010.
Posted inFood & Drink
Reuben Egg Rolls, Irish Stew and a Perfect Pint
The Emerald Loop brings the neighborhood home
Have you ever walked into a restaurant and immediately known you’d be back? I mean, before tasting the food, sampling the cocktails or just chilling for an hour or three. Walking into The Emerald Loop, I realized that not only would I be back, but that I was a little sad I didn’t live across […]
Posted inCulture
Handmade Magic
The lessons of Laika and “Wildwood,” plus six picks for comfort movies to watch with the kids
It feels reductive to spend this space writing about movies after the nightmare that children, teachers and their families went through last week at Silver Rail Elementary here in Bend. So then I thought I should make a list of comforting movies that parents can watch with their kids to help block out some of […]
Posted inFilm
Fun™
Matchbox: The band, the show, the movie
Recently, I reviewed Zach Gregger’s “Resident Evil” and wrote about how, on paper, a new reboot of a 20-year-old movie franchise based on a 30-year-old video game series shouldn’t be remotely watchable. Yet, the film is fantastic, leading me to preach that all films deserve a fair shake, even the ones that sound like horrible […]
Posted inFilm
Colonel Sanders at the End of the World
‘Digger’ tunnels a fascinating, electric mess
I don’t think I realized how truly divisive a filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu was before prepping to write this article. I mean, he’s one of the most decorated Mexican filmmakers in history, with four Academy Awards, three BAFTAs, four Golden Globes and a win for Best Director at Cannes, but it seems like most of […]
Posted inFilm
No Wrong Way to Festival
The Bend Film Festival turns 23
I’ve been to every single Bend Film Festival since 2003. That’s not a brag. It’s just a window into how much I’ve watched this thing evolve over the decades, in ways almost exclusively positive. Back then, it was hard not to feel like I was standing (more like sitting and watching) the genesis of something […]
Posted inFilm
Schrödinger’s Cinema
“Resident Evil” and the art of the reboot
I don’t think I could ever survive as one of those social media film pundits who make a living dropping smooth-brained hot takes on movies they haven’t seen. As someone who has spent the last 20 years mostly paying their bills by watching and writing about cinema and pop culture in general, when I imagine […]
Posted inChow
A Little Bit of Italy
Mundrelli’s brings old-country flavor to a new location
Here is a hill I am prepared to die on: Over the last decade, Central Oregon has quietly stepped into the spotlight as a burgeoning destination for foodies across the country. We’ve long been a mecca for tourists from around the world looking for jaw-dropping outdoor recreation, but our food scene will have just as […]
Posted inFilm
Witches, Legacies and Cozy Cinema
Practical Magic 2 conjures that nostalgia dollar
I’ve been enjoying this recent trend of sequels getting released decades after the original. Obviously, it’s a way for a studio to cash in on existing IP by reminding fans of something they love, exploiting that nostalgia and then wringing it out for every dollar they can find. Still, I find a certain comfort in […]
Posted inFilm
Eat Your Heart Out
Oregon filmmaker Taylor Morden levels up
I first met Oregon-based filmmaker Taylor Morden when he was directing the documentary, “The Last Blockbuster,” and he interviewed me about my deep and abiding love of physical media. Since then, Morden has been busy. Among other projects, he has made “Unstuffed” (a documentary about Build-a-Bear), “Getting Lost” (a doc focused on the cultural footprint […]
