I don’t blame “Bad Times at the El Royale” for my inflated and impossible expectations, but I’m tempted to try anyway. I’m what some may call a mega-fan of writer-director Drew Goddard, the man responsible for some of my favorite episodes of “Lost,” “Buffy” and “Alias,” as well as the deeply misunderstood “Cabin in the Woods.” […]
Film
Posted inCulture
Hardy-Har-Har
Venom bites off more than it can chew
I‘ll sometimes bend over backward to justify why a bad movie is entertaining and worth a viewing. Bad acting, clunky writing or flat direction can all be forgiven if the film is unintentionally hilarious or shows signs of something good buried beneath all of the awful. “Venom” manages to be boring, exciting, terrible, brilliant hot […]
Posted inCulture
A Star is Reborn
Gaga and Cooper make beautiful music together
It’s that feeling. For some people it comes from a song lyric or a passage from a book that feels so authentically human that it reminds us we’re all a part of a greater whole. It’s a feeling that makes incredibly personal art feel universal. As the closing credits for “A Star is Born” started […]
Posted inCulture
A Schedule to Die For
A film geek’s guide to BendFilm
It doesn’t matter how well you plan your schedule at a film festival, because there’s always something interesting you’re going to miss. Any good fest will have a program so pregnant with choices that even if you plan everything down to the second, there’s just no way to see it all, even if you skip […]
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Tonight! The First Oregon-only Backcountry Snowboarding Film
Tower Theatre hosts “Low Pressure,” featuring stellar local athletes
It’s no secret that Central Oregon has more than its fair share of stellar athletes in many sporting categories—including a host of awesome snowboarders who live for nothing more than a steady diet of fresh powder in the backcountry. Some of those athletes will be on display in the new all-Oregon backcountry snowboard film—the first […]
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Oregon-grown Filmmakers
A slew of local movies premiere at BendFilm
The irony about making movies in 2018 is that editing equipment, cameras and lighting gear are a lot easier to come by, creating the incorrect assumption that the art of filmmaking is simpler than ever. It’s actually the opposite. Regular folk without eye or talent can make movies on a whim—but instead of the world […]
Posted inCulture
Predatory Editing
Get to the choppah!
Shane Black is a genius—but you would never know it from watching his reboot of “The Predator.” This is the guy who wrote “Lethal Weapon,” “The Monster Squad” and “The Last Boy Scout” while still being fairly new to the movie business. Since 2005, he’s been on a creative hot streak as a director with […]
Posted inCulture
A Simple Mess
Look! It’s another twist
Suburban neo-noir doesn’t sound like a legit film genre, but picture how scary some of those perfectly manicured shadows can be. Beautiful upper/middle class homes with space-age kitchens, fully stocked pantries and floor-to-ceiling glass windows might not seem that mysterious or frightening, but when every corner hides another layer of lies, the suburban setting adds […]
Posted inCulture
May the Source Be With You
Improv, movie theater butter and the beauty of Gravity Falls
I know, it’s felt like a long time since the last column, but I’ve spent my time wisely, soaking up every single bit of pop culture I could so I can share with you a few of my favorite things. I spent so much time listening to podcasts that I’m pretty sure my inner ear hates […]
Posted inCulture
Nun-Sense
The Conjuring universe gets some bad habits
Why is the idea of a cinematic shared universe so difficult for studios to reproduce? Sure, Marvel has nailed it, proving to other studios how and why it can be done, but the DC Comics Universe featuring “Justice League” and “Suicide Squad” and Universal’s “Dark Universe” with Tom Cruise’s “The Mummy” have failed miserably. Aside […]
