In many ways, Clint Eastwood’s “Sully” is the polar opposite of his 2014 smash hit, “American Sniper.” The story of Chesley Sullenberger’s water landing in the Hudson River didn’t carry much controversy in the press, and most mainstream media outlets posited him as a hero who saved the lives of the 155 people in his […]
Movies
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The “I’m Disappointed in Myself” Room
The cinematic equivalent of a reheated omelette
There were a few different choices for the two movies I was going to review this week. I knew one of them would be “Sully” because it would have the most cultural relevance, but for the second film I could have gone with “Little Men,” “The Wild Life,” “When the Bough Breaks” or “The Disappointments […]
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The September Doldrums
“Morgan” is the most mixed of bags
September is always a weird month for movies. We’re just exiting out of the May-July Summer Blockbuster season, but we’re still not into the November-December Oscar Bait showcase. Basically, we’re in limbo. Anything could happen over the next few months. While there are a few interesting movies coming out in September and October (“Snowden,” “Voyage […]
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BendFilm Announces 2016 Films
BendFilm has finally announced its opening night film, as well as the entire slate of feature films for the 13th annual festival, taking place Oct. 6-9. This year promises to be filled with films that not only challenge and educate, but also entertain. All told, there are 10 narratives, 10 documentaries and 68 shorts. The […]
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Clutch Them Pearls Fast
“The Light Between Oceans” is weightless melodrama
Before we get into the review proper, I thought I would state the obvious. All criticism is subjective. Just because I think one of the best films of the year so far is a flick about a sausage trying to have sex, find God and dose humanity with bath salts doesn’t mean everyone else will […]
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BendFilm Profile
The BendFilm festival begins Oct. 6. Ahead of the event, the festival asked community members to share their relationship with film. Ryan Tennant Job: Starbucks Barista Bio: Ryan is a recently graduated biology student from the University of Oregon. He is a recently promoted Starbucks shift manager, as well as working with one of his […]
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The Death of the American Dream
“Hell Or High Water” is a funeral march for the West
There’s a moment early on in “Hell or High Water” in which two Texas Rangers are driving through the West Texas countryside headed to a crime scene. A large brushfire has taken control in the fields and a group of middle-aged cowboys are herding some cows across the road, away from the burning plains. When […]
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How Horror Got Its Groove Back
“Don’t Breathe” lives up to the title
Growing up, I thought it was really easy to make a horror movie. Just a few gallons of blood, a tall chap in a mask with something sharp, some screaming teenagers running around hoping for the best, and you’re good. Sadly, as I’ve gotten older I’ve needed a bit more from my horror films. Don’t […]
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No Strings Attached
Oregon’s Laika Studio delivers a melancholy masterwork
By the end of the year, there will most likely be at least three American animated films on my Best Films of 2016 list. “Finding Dory,” “Sausage Party,” “Kung Fu Panda 3,” “Zootopia” and now “Kubo and the Two Strings” have all been wonderfully entertaining works—and we still have a few more probable greats to […]
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Morality Fail
“War Dogs” is fun and forgettable
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, studios would release films specifically designated as “Morality Tales.” They were films that existed to show American audiences characters who were rough around the edges, given a choice between doing the right thing and the easy thing. As American filmmaking entered the glorious mid-’60s, characters took on the anti-hero […]