At this point, another holiday where we have to argue national politics or foreign policy with a family member sounds a bit nightmarish. Healthy debate is always a good thing, but if there’s anything we’ve learned over the last couple of years, it’s that there’s not much that’s healthy about this administration. With that said, […]
Film
Posted inCulture
Enter the Dragon
This spider’s web fails to grip
If there’s an idea or currently popular intellectual property that the American public might have heard about, Hollywood will try to find a way to spin it into gold. Whether it’s “The Emoji Movie” or Nicolas Cage trying to save people from the collapsing towers in “World Trade Center,” if there’s an idea to exploit, […]
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Saving Private Dyin’
Overlord forgets to scare
When film nerds talk about the movies that changed their lives, it’s usually something classic that did it to them, like “Citizen Kane,” “Jaws” or “Stalker.” These are movies that change the way you not only view cinema, but also reshape your brain into something more interesting and adaptable. For me, it wasn’t some piece […]
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Mercury Rising
La Vie Boheme
There are different kinds of secrets in Hollywood. Some have been kept close to the vest and will probably never see the light of day until decades from now…if ever. Others are “secrets” that are well known in the film industry, yet no one talks about because of the balances of power. People knew for […]
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The Hunt for the Red Schlocktober
Gerard Butler in a submarine
Man, I love submarine movies. The creaking of the hull, the intensity of enclosed spaces and the dominant personalities aboard make it one of the most entertaining and grueling genres possible. Films like “Das Boot,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Crimson Tide,” “Below” and “U-571” are such great examples of the genre that to make […]
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The Shape of You
Halloween again for the very first time
When I was in fifth grade, my mom got married to a man with two boys—one my own age and one several years older. We all moved to a big ranch house with a barn and an old Quonset hut filled with bits of scrap metal, broken records and cobwebs. My older step-brother moved out […]
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Skate or Die
Mid90s beautifully captures an era
They don’t put an exact date on when “Mid90s” is set, but based on the music and some of the clothes, I’m guessing it’s either 1994 or 1995. I was 14. The main character in this film that represents Jonah Hill’s filmmaking debut is 13, thus making the movie one of the most personal experiences […]
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Does First Man Have the Right Stuff?
Baby Goose in space
Some film critics judge a movie based on what they want it to be, as opposed to what made it onto the screen. Yes, it’s easy to spot missed opportunities, shaky structure and sloppy characterization, but the real central tenet of any kind of criticism should center around whether the artist achieved their vision…whether that […]
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May the Source Be with You: Halloween edition
I have a bit of an obsession with the macabre year-round, so using Halloween as an excuse to talk about scary stuff is a bit disingenuous. Still, I’ll take what I can get. There are so many different sub-genres of horror that people with a deep aversion to, say, clowns, can avoid Pennywise and all of […]
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Speaking to the Artist’s Heart
Three films from BendFilm that speak to the artist’s experience, and how to get them post-festival
It may seem strange to tell you about films that played last weekend at BendFilm, but these three films speak deeply to the artist’s experience of commerce, inspiration and the changing role artists play in the world. Plus, you can still access them. “The Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin,” a documentary from first-time filmmaker […]
