The Star Trek franchise has learned a valuable lesson in the three years since “Star Trek Into Darkness.” American and worldwide audiences want some fun in their science fiction blockbusters. There can be darkness and serious plot developments, but when everything comes across as joyless and dour, audiences and critics don’t respond quite as well. […]
Movies
Posted inCulture
Gerwig in a Box
“Maggie’s Plan” defies convention with convention
There is a specific type of indie romantic dramedy that has popped up over the last few years that owes a deep debt to the work of John Cassavetes. He brought a cinéma vérité style to American independent films that added a gritty realism to a genre that had only ever been light and fluffy. […]
Posted inCulture
Brobusters
Your childhood is perfectly safe
We should get the elephant in the room out of the way first. “Ghostbusters” 2016 is a reboot of the classic 1984 film and the less classic 1989 sequel (plus numerous video games and an animated series). The four new Ghostbusters are also women played by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. […]
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Giant Country
The BFG is a flawed marvel
I don’t remember much detail about Roald Dahl’s 1982 children’s book “The BFG,” but I remember how it made me feel. I know that after I put that book down, the world seemed like a much larger place: a world filled with mysteries I would never understand or even discover. For moments throughout “The BFG” […]
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Swingers
Tarzan, Jane and cultural stagnation
Sometimes it’s easy to describe a movie as a “throwback:” something that would have worked if it had been released in a bygone era with different cultural standards and practices. For example: “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was a throwback to the film serials of the 1930s and 1940s that George Lucas grew up watching. […]
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Irreverent Commentary Makes Bad Movies Hilarious
MST3K is back without missing a beat
Bendites who miss Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) are in for a real treat. For those few unfortunate individuals who have never seen the cult classic television show, it starred Joel Hodgson as a janitor trapped on The Satellite of Love by a couple of mad scientists who wanted to rule the world. Along with […]
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Murder Party 2016
Vote no on “The Purge: Election Year”
You had one job, “The Purge: Election Year,” just one. You either needed to be a schlocky gorefest that painted America as a candy-colored nightmare of xenophobia and fear or a smartly satirical look at the worst case scenario of Trump’s America. You failed at both, “Purge,” and I hope you feel bad about it. […]
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Lively Up Yourself
“The Shallows” swims in deep waters
Saying that “The Shallows” is the best shark movie since “Jaws” isn’t saying much. Mainly because there aren’t that many good shark movies, but also because it’s not. It is definitely better than the “Sharknado” movies, but “Deep Blue Sea,” “Open Water,” and maybe even the goofy-as-all-hell “Shark Night” are more fun. “The Shallows” follows […]
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Aliens vs. Teenagers
No matter who wins, we lose
When “Independence Day” was released in 1996, there was something refreshing about a movie that chose to blow up most of the world before saving it. The heroics of Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum mattered little because millions of people were already dead. While there were plenty of disaster flicks before “ID4,” the novelty of […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
2016 Summer Events Guide
It is officially summer and the there is plenty to do in Central Oregon! We broke it down into four categories to help plan out your summer of adventure. Click the categories below to see summer events in that area. Have fun out there! Summer Events Guide: -Food & Drink Events -Film & Theater Events […]