I am in no way an opera aficionado, but one of the more popular shows in the canon is Mozart's “Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti.” First performed in Vienna in 1790, it wasn’t considered risqué upon initial release, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries it was downright scandalous. Ferrando and […]
Movie
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Mr. and Mrs. Pitt: “Allied” is almost a classic
When looking at movies that are rightly considered modern classics, it’s easy to forget how some of them flopped commercially and critically when they were first released. Films like “Blade Runner,” “Brazil,” “Shawshank Redemption,” “Citizen Kane,” “Fight Club” and even “It’s a Wonderful Life” were met with audience disinterest and critical shrugs. A big reason […]
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Black Lives Matter
Come bask in the moonlight
A small young boy is chased through a bad neighborhood of Liberty City, Miami, by a bunch of kids yelling “faggot.” He breaks into a room in an abandoned motel, puts his head on his knees and cries. His tears aren’t those of panic or fear, but of exhaustion. As if he knows that his […]
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Pott-Heads, Rejoice!
Return to the world of witches, wizards and muggles
It’s been five years since “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” left theaters, marking the end of JK Rowling’s Wonderful Wizarding World on film. As soon as “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was announced, Pott-Heads (I hope I just coined that) around the world rejoiced that we would finally get to […]
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The Good Stuff is Here
Oscar season has arrived, and with it, some of the
gems you should see before year’s end
Every year critics and audiences alike decry Hollywood for the “fact” that not very good movies come out anymore. There are two reasons why this statement is false: 1) Quite a few good movies come out every year, they just mostly don’t make it to your local theater unless you live in LA, NYC or […]
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Closed Encounters
“Arrival” lands at the perfect time
The perfect distillation of the movie “Arrival,” as well as that of the last year in politics, happened when I watched the film and the closing credits rolled. Just as the film ended, someone several rows behind me started cheering and applauding while another person sitting in close proximity to them began booing. Then everyone […]
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Brief Glimpses
It’s everything or nothing with “Certain Women”
Viewers who aren’t trained in the art of arthouse (or the films of writer-director-editor Kelly Reichardt) might complain that “nothing happens” throughout the running time of “Certain Women.” Indeed, most of the incidents in these three cinematic poems are mostly internal. The moments of drama aren’t sweeping, but instead barely registered moments of pain, heartbreak […]
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Horror, Period
“Origin of Evil” disturbs and delights
A writer friend once told me that the secret to crafting a truly good and dismal horror story lies in writing great happy scenes. Show your characters triumphant, peaceful and secure, get your viewers really invested in their well being and success, and then let the audience die a little inside as that happiness slowly […]
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The Da Vinci Load
Robert Langdon returns
“Inferno” is the latest Robert Langdon thriller based off the books by Dan Brown, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom “America’s Favorite Uncle” Hanks. The story is similar to “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons” in that we follow Harvard University professor Robert Langdon through another historical scavenger hunt across the globe. […]
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Cruise Control
“Jack Reacher” never grabs on
Unlike some, I don’t hate Tom Cruise. It seems like most of the distaste for the man comes from his couch-jumping period, where every single one of his public appearances was more bizarre than the last. Some people might dislike him based on his film work, but it seems like his creepy Scientologist vibe is […]