Film

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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,” […]

I think Aziz Ansari meant well when he sat down to write ”Good Fortune” and really thought he was trying to unpack the unfairness of the gig worker system in America, and how easy it is to make one or two small mistakes and end up homeless and destitute. While “Good Fortune” has some solid […]

I think Bendites and Central Oregonians take for granted that they live alongside the Last Blockbuster on Planet Earth. While there are still several incredible and iconic video stores across the West Coast (the dreamy “Movie Madness” in PDX and the deeply quirky and cavernous “Scarecrow Video” in Seattle are two of my favorites), our Blockbuster is a genuine Mom and […]

The “Tron” franchise is an interesting one. The original from 1982 is groundbreaking in terms of filmmaking and special effects, but it didn’t perform well critically or financially. At the time, Disney had to write off most of the budget, and the film was seen as a failure (except by Roger Ebert!). Over the next […]