We take Charlize Theron for granted. I mean, sure, she’s been nominated for awards and is definitely on the Hollywood A-list, but her versatility should put her among greats including Daniel Day-Lewis, Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix. If the U.S. had a queen, Theron could pencil in some time for crown fittings. Start by looking […]
Film
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Mommy Dearest
Five complicated moms in cinema
I know lots of people have complicated relationships with their mothers, but mine has always been pretty laid back. The first time I was pulled over by a cop, she randomly drove by, hopping out of her car like it was on fire and getting all up in the cop’s face. Priceless. Regardless of your relationship […]
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Five Days in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Do try this marathon at home
A theater in Portland was going to do a marathon of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, leading into the opening of “The Avengers: Infinity War.” I was excited to sit in a theater for close to 42 hours straight and mainline Marvel while forgoing showers, decent food and the love of a good woman. The […]
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Limitless
“You Were Never Really Here” is a towering achievement
“You Were Never Really Here” exists in several states of oxymoronic extremes. Quiet brutality. Serene frenzy. Intense peace. Personal enigmas. Joe is a combat veteran suffering from PTSD and a sense of duty to missing and trafficked children—a hired gun rescuing missing kids and dispatching the slavers in a brutal and unflinching fashion. Joe doesn’t […]
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Stupid Troopers
Hope you like Canada jokes, eh?
Watching “Super Troopers 2” made me feel crazy—as if everything I’d ever thought about film was thrown under the bus and proven to be nothing more than the insane fecal scribblings of a madman layering the walls of his padded cell. As the sold-out auditorium laughed at almost everything, I looked at my best friend […]
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For Love and Dogs
“Isle of Dogs” is a charmer
You either like Wes Anderson or you don’t. His critics use words like “twee,” “smug” and “calculated” to describe his very distinct visual style; filled to bursting with formal compositions and meticulously detailed frames…and they’re not really wrong. His films are like dioramas where the audience is invited to sit outside and marvel, without necessarily […]
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Because We Got High
Stoner movies for a lazy 4/20
There’s a lot going on during 4/20. Obviously, it’s the day we celebrate all things marijuana, but it’s also the anniversary of the date of the first known performance of “Macbeth,” the day the NFL legalized coaching from the bench, the Columbine High School massacre and my dad’s birthday (Happy Birthday, David!) There’s a ton […]
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May the Source Be With You
What to binge this week: Russian state security, killer robots and the genius of Donald Glover
There are so many cool things happening in pop culture right now, or in the next few weeks, that it’s almost ridiculous. The year 2018 has already had several fantastic movies (“A Quiet Place,” “The Death of Stalin”) and shows (“Atlanta” and “The Terror”), but it’s not even the tip of the iceberg when it […]
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Hush
“A Quiet Place” will get you
I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing “A Quiet Place” in the theater. Don’t get me wrong, I was hyped for it, but it seems like for half the movies, the theaters are half-full with people treating the experience like they’re in their living rooms… answering a ringing phone, carrying on conversations or loudly reacting to […]
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Game On
“Ready Player One” is a burst of pop culture nostalgia
My name is Jared Rasic and I’ve been collecting comic books and movies since 1986. I was beaten up in Catholic school and relentlessly mocked in public school for being a fat geek who should put down the books and pick up a basketball. Over the last decade, geek culture left the basement and became […]
