Author Archive
Film Review – The Great Gatsby
Ahh, the summer movie season. This is the time for big spectacles, epic stories, and plenty of action and excitement. The buzz is never stronger during the year than it is right now. And nothing says “Summer Blockbuster” like…The Great Gatsby 3D? Sure, the idea…
READ MORESTIFF Short Film Reviews – The 100 Hour Project/Everybody Masturbate
The 100 Hour Project (2012, 45 min.) It’s a tough thing, being an artist. Sure, you get to live in a world of creativity and imagination, but very few fortunate people have the opportunity to carve out a career. Many artists spend years struggling to…
READ MOREAn Appreciation – The Three Colors Trilogy
One of the most fascinating examinations involving the mystery of human connection comes from Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colors Trilogy (1993-94). The three films (Blue, White, and Red) signify the tenets of the French Revolution: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. But that doesn’t begin to describe what…
READ MORESTIFF Film Review – Go Ganges!
J.J. Kelley and Josh Thomas, documentary filmmakers who last made Paddle to Seattle: Journey Through the Inside Passage (2009), return to familiar territory with Go Ganges! (2012). This time around, instead of kayaking from Alaska to Seattle, Kelley and Thomas take a much more ambitious…
READ MOREFilm Review – The Big Wedding
Coming out of Justin Zackham’s The Big Wedding, I thought it would be nice for us to brush up on our vocabulary skills. Luckily, I’ve come up with a few words that are appropriate for the film in question. Pencils ready? Let’s begin:
READ MORESXSW Film Review – Hey Bartender
Once, a long time ago, I tried my hand at mixing drinks. I bought a book with a large assortment of alcoholic recipes, got all the tools I thought were necessary, and stocked my shelf with ingredients, mixers, liquors—you name it, I had it. I…
READ MOREFilm Review – Oblivion
The temptation to name off all the films Oblivion clearly lifts from is strong. Yes, as I watched it, nearly half a dozen other titles popped to mind. Director Joseph Kosinski, along with screenwriters Karl Gajdusek and Michael Arndt, fill this story with visual and…
READ MOREFilm Review – The Place Beyond The Pines
The Place Beyond The Pines tells the story of…actually, it tells three different stories, none of which pay off at the end. Its director, Derek Cianfrance, previously made the doomed romance Blue Valentine (2010). While I was not as keen as others on that film,…
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