My grandma turned 99 this year, and whenever she talks about the future she laughs and says she wants to live long enough to see the next election because she’s excited for a civil war. I think there’s a dark anarchy to my grandma that scares the shit out of me, but I also can’t […]
Jared Rasic
Film critic and author of food, arts and culture stories for the Source Weekly since 2010.
Posted inNews
Stoner Lit
Words, voices and pixels to get high by
Every 4/20 issue of the Source Weekly, I talk about the movies I love watching while inebriated on the devil’s lettuce. In fact, over the last few years I’ve been trying to craft a New Stoner Canon: stony movies that are more fun to watch than the usual suspects like Cheech and Chong or “Half […]
Posted inCulture
Neo Noir and Action Cinema Unbound
‘Love Lies Bleeding’ and ‘Monkey Man’ don’t play by the rules
One of the reasons I think movies are such a powerful and transformative medium for artistic expression is that the boundaries of genre keep expanding and changing. Production companies like A24, Neon and Janus Films realize that horror, crime dramas, noir, science fiction and fantasy shouldn’t be treated like lesser forms of the medium. Instead […]
Posted inNews
The Neighborhoods of Bend in 2024
If you’re new here, you’ll want to read the pages that follow this one
Westside For Life Century West and Summit West are sought-after, and then some By Jared Rasic There really is no limit to the things you can do on the west side. Whether you’re after breweries, fine dining, live music, outdoor recreation, parks, food carts… you’ve got options. Century West and Summit West neighborhoods are the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Southwest Fusion for a Northwest Palate
Nobody does it like Manzanita Grill
Manzanita Grill is easily one of the best food carts in town. Actually, let me rephrase that: Manzanita Grill is one of the best restaurants in town…full stop. It won Food Cart of the Year in the Source Weekly’s 2022 Restaurant Guide, but it can compete with any brick-and-mortar spot. Limiting it to the genre […]
Posted inCulture
Literary Legacies
Local writer Ellen Waterston wins multiple awards
Ellen Waterston, an author and also a columnist for the Source Weekly, has been an amazing resource to those of us who have literary aspirations in Central Oregon. Her undying love of Oregon and the written word have been an inspiration to me for decades, and her work with The Nature of Words introduced me […]
Posted inCulture
Godzilla x Kong x Audience Expectations
The Monsterverse remains entertaining, if shallow
I guess I should get this out of the way up front: Do not go into “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” expecting something like “Godzilla Minus One.” That was a character-driven monster movie that explored generational trauma, PTSD and a nation’s collective fear of a crusty radioactive kaiju that indiscriminately destroys Japan as easy as […]
Posted inCulture
Talking Svengoolie and the ’70s with David Dastmalchian
Late Night with the Devil is an absolute spook-a-blast
Even though his name might not be widely known yet, I guarantee you’ve seen David Dastmalchian on the big screen at least once before. In an acting career that’s already bordering on legendary, the man knows how to pick a project that will enhance his idiosyncratic brilliance into something truly remarkable. Whether he’s a supporting […]
Posted inCulture
May the Source Be With You: March Edition
Canceled shows and cultural ‘casts
I don’t know what got me started doing it, but lately I’ve been watching a ton of shows that got canceled before their time, and mostly just focusing on pop culture podcasts. I think I just don’t have it in me to listen to political stuff right now, as I just feel the stress levels rising […]
Posted inCulture
Big Screen Kenergy
The best and worst of the 2024 Academy Awards
Well, another Academy Awards is in the books and I’m not sure we really gained anything from it. There were a few nice moments, three amazing speeches and one fairly big upset award, but otherwise it was a fairly predictable night all around. It moved a bit faster than it usually does, which was nice, […]