Al Wathba fossil dunes are a little-known attraction on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. With the huge sun setting in the distance, the vast desert feels like a scene from any of the “Star Wars” films. These petrified fossil dunes are smaller than they appear in pictures. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonA…
Adaptive reuse is a term commonly used to refer to the repurposing of a building away from its original use. Museums that celebrate the former lives of the buildings they occupy are some of the most common examples. However, another surprisingly common repurposing can be seen in the bevy of churches that have been transformed…
This article is part of our 2020 Rewind. Follow along as we explore the best and most interesting movies, shows, performances, and more from this very strange year. In this entry, we recognize the overlooked gems of the year — that is the movies you missed in 2020. An emerging narrative around films in 2020 is that with…
Dr. Sun Yat-sen was at the forefront of the Chinese democratic revolution. He was the founder of the Republic of China and is a much-respected contributor to Chinese modern history. Sun Yat-sen was a key figure in organizing the revolution against the Qing Empire in the 20th-century. He became the temporary leader of the country…
I consider “The Godfather, Part III” the ultimate “what if?” of motion pictures. It’s clearly not at the same level as its predecessors, but it could have been a masterpiece if not for a few surmountable glitches. What if a more experienced actress was cast in the pivotal role of Michael Corleone’s daughter? What if…
Editor, writer and director Chloé Zhao continues her mashup of Kelly Reichardt and Terrence Malick with Nomadland. After the company town she called home dies, Fern is left adrift. House, husband, and job gone, she moves from temp job to temp job in her modified van, at first finding the hustle of such a life overwhelming….
Scarborough Station’s 456 foot (139 meters) bench is said to be the longest railway bench in the world. Equal in length to 12 double-decker buses, it’s able to accommodate almost 230 passengers. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThe bench was constructed by William Bell on behalf of the North Eastern Railway in…
This article is part of our 2020 Rewind. Follow along as we explore the best and most interesting movies, shows, performances, and more from this very strange year. In this entry, we highlight the best TV episodes of 2020. It’s the end of 2020. How about that? I’m not going to recount what a bad, strange year it’s…
Esteban Martin Martin was a physician in New York who held a lifelong fascination for Christopher Columbus. He believed that there wasn’t a monument anywhere in the world that adequately celebrated his hero—so he decided to build one himself. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonMartin owned of a large plot of land…
This month, Gastro Obscura is sharing the recipes and stories behind amazing holiday dishes and drinks from around the world in the ongoing series “Home-Cooked Holidays.” The Simbang Gabi is a devotional nine-day mass practiced by many Christians in the Philippines. Masses start before dawn (usually around 4:00 a.m.) and are held daily from December…
We’re all familiar with the Rankin & Bass stop-motion Christmas specials, including the most famous of them, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. And while it’s one thing to put it on and idly enjoy a candy-cane holiday tale about an outcast reindeer teaming up with other misfits and ganging up on a yeti to win Santa’s…
Jessica Sutton didn’t know there was anything unusual about her family’s holiday tradition until she started bringing boyfriends home for Christmas. She grew up on a farm with strong German roots in Howards Grove, a small town in southeastern Wisconsin. To her Christmas Eve always meant performing “O Christmas Tree” in German at the church…
On a virtual Zoom ceremony Monday night, the Chicago Film Critics Association picked the best of 2020 in 19 categories, and “Nomadland” was the overwhelming winner, taking home 5 prizes, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The ceremony was attended by members of the association as well as joined by…
In November 2020, Adam Penford and his cast were doing in-person technical rehearsals for Cinderella, Nottingham Playhouse’s annual pantomime show, when he heard the news that the theater wouldn’t be allowed to open as planned at the beginning of December. It wasn’t entirely unexpected—the show’s opening had already been pushed back a week because of…
This article is part of our 2020 Rewind. Follow along as we explore the best and most interesting movies, shows, performances, and more from this very strange year. In this entry, we scramble and search for the best action movies of 2020. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonIt’s admittedly far down the list of 2020’s…
Sometimes a horror film flashes its excellence in the first act, or even the opening scene. “Get Out” began with such a bold and brilliant sequence horror fans knew they were in for a treat. The more recent “Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight” uncorked a similarly strong opening. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect…
Streaming might be the future, but physical media is still the present. It’s also awesome, depending on the title, the label, and the release, so each week we take a look at the new Blu-rays and DVDs making their way into the world. Welcome to this week in Home Video for December 22nd, 2020! This week’s…
Whether or not the soul really truly exists, as we humans perceive it, doesn’t really matter. Pixar’s Soul is a profound and moving experience and one of their best movies in years. It is a spiritual sequel to Inside Out, but only in concept, in that it visualizes and rationalizes the irrational concept of a…
The con artist archetype is heightened to a new level of depravity in the Canadian produced drama White Lie. Wide-eyed college student, Katie, is a promising young dancer at her college. She has an amazing girlfriend named Jennifer, the lead in a dance showcase, a chance at a scholarship, and a slew of social media…
“I like to provoke. Otherwise, nothing happens.” So sums up the “cri de cœur” of the post-war reconstruction of culture, the regeneration of a New German Cinema, in particular the singular artistry behind Rainer Werner Fassbinder, one of the few filmmakers — alongside Jean-Luc Godard, Brian De Palma, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Nagisa Ōshima, Lars von…
It’s said that Miantonomo, chief of the Narraganset people, fled on foot from his enemies during a conflict that eventually turned into a war between the Narraganset and Mohegans. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonIn his attempt to escape, it’s rumored that he was cornered at the top of a cliff by…