Author Archive
Film Review – Bad Trip
Bad Trip (2021) falls in the same line of hidden camera/prank movies as the Jackass series, Bad Grandpa (2013), and the work of Sacha Baron Cohen. But where Ali G sought to expose the hypocrisy of the political world and Borat revealed the ugliness of American society as a…
READ MOREAn Appreciation – Chungking Express
There are few filmmakers who can capture the feeling of longing the way Wong Kar Wai does. Throughout his career, WKW has consistently revisited the ways in which people come together or fall apart. His characters are constantly moving, interacting or separating, or barely missing…
READ MOREFilm Review – Zack Snyder’s Justice League
We can’t talk about Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) without talking about the story that led up to its release. While in the middle of initial production in 2017, Snyder suffered a terrible family tragedy. Not having the energy to continue working, Snyder decided to walk away.…
READ MOREFilm Review – Cherry
After taking the world by storm with their work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the directing team of Anthony and Joe Russo set their sights on the crime drama, Cherry (2021). This is – in some ways – a departure from the colorful world of…
READ MOREFilm Review – Raya and the Last Dragon
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) is a superb animated fantasy adventure. Borrowing elements from a number of Southeast Asian cultures, the story brims with color, life, and imagination. There is a sense of wonder and discovery within each location, as though every detail has a…
READ MOREFilm Review – Tom and Jerry
I am of the firm belief that to appreciate great films, one must watch and appreciate the bad ones. It’s a delicate balancing act – how can one truly understand what makes a movie good without understanding what makes them terrible? Admittedly, this a bit…
READ MOREFilm Review – I Care a Lot
It’s a nasty scheme. A doctor – under dubious circumstances – picks out one of their patients. They make sure the patient is financially secure, has little to no acquaintances, and are elderly but healthy enough to stick around for the near future. The doctor…
READ MOREFilm Review – Judas & the Black Messiah
There are two stories running through Judas and the Black Messiah (2021). The first is the “Black Messiah,” Fred Hampton, the slain chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. Hampton was a charismatic and powerful figure in the 1960s, able to bring people together…
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