“Hamnet” opens on Agnes (a primally explosive Jessie Buckley) waking at the foot of a massive tree in the depths of an old-growth forest. She (as was her mother before her) is treated as a Woods Witch, a blend of mysterious naturopath and rugged outdoorswoman, more comfortable as a quiet falconer than engaging in society. […]
Jared Rasic
Film critic and author of food, arts and culture stories for the Source Weekly since 2010.
Posted inFilm
Bill, Killed
Tarantino, Film Bros and the Whole Bloody Affair
I have a complicated relationship with Quentin Tarantino. I rented “Reservoir Dogs” on VHS when I was 12 years old and it was the first movie that ever made me really understand the importance of dialogue in filmmaking. The way QT balanced tough guy dialogue with flawless needle drops and character-driven ultra violence felt like […]
Posted inFilm
Claw and Order
Zootopia 2 sacrifices depth, gains puns
It’s been a LONG nine years since Disney’s “Zootopia” was released to near universal praise and over a billion dollars at the box office. In my review of the film, I said, “‘Zootopia’ is an important movie for parents, kids and anyone who appreciates animated films. Asking people to be less prejudiced and more open-minded […]
Posted inFilm
Complying with Gravity
Wicked: For Not That Good
My obsession with musical theater switched off one day before I was able to join the “Wicked” fanbase. The music from “Les Mis,” “Hedwig,” “Spring Awakening,” “Rent,” “Once,” “Rocky Horror,” “Phantom” and a few more still spin round in my head some weeks, but shows like “Cats,” “Rock of Ages” and “Frozen” feel lukewarm and […]
Posted inFilm
Two Mothers
A remarkable double feature
It’s rare that two movies are both released around the same time and have profoundly interesting things to say about similar subjects. Yeah, you’ll get Twin Films like in 1997 when we were lucky enough to get “Volcano” and “Dante’s Peak” in the same calendar year, or even better, in 1998 when Hollywood bestowed upon […]
Posted inChow
One Lot, Six Remarkable Carts
Welcome to Ballers & Brews
When I was growing up, I was what teachers called an “indoor kid.” Someone so preoccupied with the life of the mind that I never played team sports or did much more than write stories that I tried and failed to get everyone to read. So when I initially heard about the new Ballers & […]
Posted inFilm
It’s Alive!
Guillermo del Toro and the art of the misunderstood monster
Guillermo del Toro loves his monsters. He’s built an Oscar-winning and critically lauded career on telling stories about the darkness at the center of the world and the creatures born from it. Because there’s no one that del Toro empathizes with more than the underdog, the misunderstood beast at the end of the book that […]
Posted inFilm
The Thanksgiving Canon
What movies are you thankful for?
I don’t think Thanksgiving movies get the credit they deserve. We get a ton of Christmas, Halloween, and holiday movies canonized as classics and added to the yearly rotation, but Thanksgiving has always remained the day when people slowly food-coma themselves into oblivion in front of football or a parade. Still, I think it’s time to spotlight a few pretty great Thanksgiving […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Waffles, Security and Love
The Secret Waffle Society makes sure no one goes hungry
Every once in a while, you meet someone so genuinely decent that you immediately want to support whatever it is they’re doing. Within just a few minutes of meeting Zeus at the Secret Waffle Society on the corner of Greenwood and Bond in Downtown Bend, I knew that his dream was one worth supporting. Quick […]
Posted inFilm
From Andromeda With Love
Yorgos Lanthimos makes it weird with Bugonia
If you’re a hopeless film fan like myself, then you more than likely feel some kind of way about the films of Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos. Whether you’re a fan of his darker, edgier earlier work like “Dogtooth” and “Alps,” or of his more whimsical and experimental later films like “The Lobster” and “The Favourite,” […]
