Roughly once a year a major media outlet corroborates every conservative’s fears about La La Land. The industry actively discriminates against the Right, and the problem is only getting worse. You’d think an industry stung by the McCarthy era, a time when Communist sympathizers faced career suicide, or even jail time, might be wary of…
★★★ Written & Directed by: #RaphaelFrostGonzalez Starring: #TaylorHancock, #RaphaelFrostGonzalez Short Film Review by Taryll Baker A relationship is tested when one friend, Ezra, asks the other, Gavin, to help him commit his suicide. A somewhat comedic or light-hearted take on a serious subject, The Living shows a friend crying for help with ending his life….
People who visit ancient remains often see a few stones or broken walls. But the Iberian Citadel of Calafell offers a chance to immerse yourself in a village as it was some 2,500 years ago. Calafell is located in an area near the coast that is popular with tourists, but it offers something different than…
Workplace comedies have been a treasured genre of television nearly as long as television has been around. We’ve entered the day-to-day lives of cops (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Reno 911), lawyers (Night Court, Ally McBeal), doctors and nurses (Scrubs, Dr. Ken), government workers (Parks and Recreation, Veep), and journalists (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, News Radio, Murphy…
This 18-mile footpath follows the routes of the Haytor Tramway (or Railway) and the Stover Canal. It is named for the family that constructed the unique tramway and the historic waterway. Together, these routes were used to transport granite from quarries at Haytor to the docks at Teignmouth. For lovers of old railways and old…
Welcome back to the newest, and at times goriest, column here at Film Inquiry – Horrific Inquiry. Twice a month, I will be tackling all things horror, each month bringing two films back into the spotlight to terrify and frighten once more. And occasionally looking at those that could have pushed the envelope further. Join…
As the world changes, and as society evolves, so must teaching, and so must teachers. But how, exactly, and where is there an example of a teacher that can best educate (and handle) youngsters as they’re growing up? This exceptional documentary brings us into the classroom of one extraordinary teacher who offers a near perfect…
In Natasha Kermani‘s film Lucky, which just arrived on Shudder, May (played by the amazing Brea Grant), a self-help writer, suddenly finds herself fighting for her life every night by a masked intruder. I was able to speak with the very talented cinematographer of this new horror-satire, Julia Swain, where she was able to really guide us…
“I don’t care about our legacy.” We’re still a few years away from seeing Matt Reeves’ The Batman (due out in 2022), in the meantime this short will definitely scratch your itch for extra Batman content. Batman: Dying is Easy is an impressive new fan-film made by the brothers Aaron and Sean Schoenke. The short…
Turbulent Skies is a Dutch television series that was released in 2020. The series is directed by Joram Lürsen, who is known for directing The Resistance Banker. Turbulent Skies is about Anthony Fokker and Albert Plesman. These were two aviation pioneers who played a major role in building civil aviation in the Netherlands. The series…
Warning: this film contains depictions of suicide, which are discussed in this review. Center Stage, director Stanley Kwan‘s unusual but undeniably brilliant depiction of the life of silent film star Ruan Lingyu, begins with a series of stills of the actress from her earliest films when she was only 16. Many of these films are…
The Santuario de Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco (Sanctuary of Jesus of Nazareth in Atotonilco) is a baroque temple of the 18th century located just outside San Miguel Allende in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. Its construction was led by Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro, who was inspired by the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. This sanctuary…
There are actually nine Troys. Each one is built on the ruins of the last. Homer’s Troy, which the poet wrote about in The Iliad and The Odyssey, is likely Troy VI, trapped under the ruins of other cities. Watching Absent Now the Dead, an avant-garde travelogue from Hamilton Sterling, now streaming via Laemmle Cinemas,…
Originating from Harajuku, Japan’s kawaii subculture has found its way beyond Tokyo, influencing the rest of the world in its sugary wake. Even so, the notoriously dodgy district of Takenotsuka may be the last place in Tokyo one would expect such as culture to materialize, let alone thrive. And yet, here stands the Asakura Gallery, where…
★★★★ Directed by: Martin Venier Written by: Martin Venier Starring: Zarah Kofler Film Review by: Jason Knight A young woman (Kofler) is stuck in a life she yearns to be free from. This short, fast film is a drama that was inspired by the Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody and it looks into the life of…
When Minnesota’s first state hospitals in St. Peter and Rochester became woefully overcrowded, it was clear that another facility was needed to meet the needs of the state’s growing population. Fergus Falls State Hospital opened in 1890, and it’s expansive campus was quickly filled. The building was constructed in a style of architecture known…
It’s maddening to think “Cherry” gives us two-plus hours to spend with its main character, but we’re still not sure what makes him tick. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo bring buckets of style to their biggest post-“Avengers” project. The results are mixed, to say the least, but we’re given all the proof needed that Tom…
This unusual sculpture composed of bronze was constructed to commemorate the 100th birthday of Paul Keres. Keres, a local legend in the Estonian city of Narva, was one of the top chess players in the world, a career that spanned from the mid-1930s to the 1960s. In 1950, Keres was awarded the title of International…
When Salam Bunyan and his wife, Aseel, opened their Mediterranean restaurant, Tarbush Kitchen, in Boise’s Central Bench neighborhood in late 2019, the Iraqi couple already had a loyal customer base. That’s because the Bunyans, who arrived in Idaho as refugees 11 years earlier, had been in the food business before: First in 2014, as purveyors…
Teenage years are tough. Every generation has its own take on what it means to be a teenager and while many films are usually filled with dreamy, rockin’ nostalgia of that rite of passage where you transition from kid to what you think is an adult, oftentimes it can just be a near-nightmare you’ve yet…
This museum is only advertised on a small billboard one a highway that leads to a much more famous tourist destination in Da Lat, Lang Biang Mountain. Down a dirt road and past the Institute of Scientific Research, one will eventually come across a small building where you can purchase tickets to enter Da Lat’s…
In honor of Women’s History Month, I am happy to present the dynamic female writers for Women Writers Week 2021. We have been featuring their articles and reviews all week, and wanted to acquaint you with each of them in this annotated table of contents. Here are our featured writers in alphabetical order, accompanied by links to…
Yoshiwara was an infamous red-light district of Edo (today’s Tokyo) that flourished between the 17th and 19th-centuries, extending for around 16 acres during its heyday. A place of extreme extravagance and decadence, the samurai of the Edo period frequented this area seeking romance that was, to quote a contemporaneous expression, “fleeting as a bubble.” Historically, neighborhoods…
Musher Tabetha Kopta could hear the cheers and shouts as she neared the finish line. After a weekend of races, she and her team of sled dogs were about to place third overall in the New York State Dryland Challenge—for the dogs, however, it was all about the thrill of the run. Pawn and Lilian,…
This longest-ever Oscar season has been blessed with an abundance of female newcomers in front of the camera. In fact, I have seen comments saying that the actresses who are likely to compete for a spot on the ballot have outshined many of the actors who are deemed to be in contention. For whatever reason, there…
I’m an advocate of great cinematic art, but particularly cinema created by women. Women have a sense of storytelling that is unpretentious and unwavering with a sensitivity that sometimes lacks from our male counterparts. Alice Guy-Blaché is a name I’m sure was mentioned during my studies at Howard University, but somehow it escaped me. Guy-Blaché,…
Rain Beau’s End is a film released this year about misunderstandings and acceptance. A lesbian couple adopt a son, Beau, and struggle with his diagnosis of an XYY chromosomal mutation which supposedly leads to violence in men. Beau’s mothers struggle with this diagnosis, which deeply impacts their relationships — both with each other and with…
There are several ways to wreck a moss ball. You might not want to, at first, because they’re quite charming, as far as aquarium accessories go—vivid green and damply hairy, like a Muppet that’s been through the wash. But if you choose to be merciless, you can pick from several modes of attack. You could…
When photographer Dawoud Bey stood with his camera, overlooking the waters of Lake Erie in northeastern Ohio, he felt something unexpected. The acclaimed artist had been working on a project to reimagine the history of the Underground Railroad through shooting the imaginary point of view of a fugitive enslaved person moving through the landscape. Due…
One of the funnier, and more overlooked, things about art is how much timing plays a part in our enjoyment of it. Depending on where we are at the moment — from specific moods, phases of our lives, or even a time as trivial as what time in the day it is — we can…
★★★ Directed by: #IvoVanAart Written by: #DaanWindhorst Starring: #GenieDeGroot, #KatjaHerbers, #ReinHofman, #BramVanDerKelen, #AchrafKoutet Film Review by Taryll Baker Columnist and author Femke is flooded with anonymous nasty messages and death threats on social media. One day she has enough and decides to take revenge. Ivo van Aart’s dramatic thriller is an interesting look at social…
“It’s new, but it’s good…” IFC has released the first official trailer for a suy romantic drama from Greece titled Monday, arriving this spring on both VOD + in theaters. “A spark on a Friday can lead to a sizzling weekend fling, but what happens when you get to the inevitable Monday?” The film follows…
According to the records, the first temple in Prambanan was built around the year 850. It is believed that Rakai Pikatan, king of the Sanjaya dynasty Medang Kingdom, had it built partly as a Hindu response to the nearby Buddhist Borobudur, and partly as a marker to commemorate the return of the Sanjaya dynasty to…
Nearly 300 acres of forest and wetlands make up this peaceful nature preserve on the outskirts of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The calm forests and open meadows are perfect for a fun family hike or picnic. Marshes and swamps border a dune that developed more than 10,000 years ago after the retreat of the Wisconsin Glacier. As…
Andrew Klavan got the oddest looks whenever he’d warn friends and strangers about the looming culture wars. “We’ve lost this country at the movies,” Klavan recalls saying to bemused reactions, at best. “I had to laugh so I wouldn’t cry. They were looking at me like I was cute. What on earth was I talking…
In an interview with Deadline, director Andrei Konchalovsky spoke about how his main actress in Dear Comrades!, Julia Vysotskaya, was born in Novocherkassk a decade after the movie’s central massacre took place, giving her an indirectly personal relationship to the material. Konchalovsky prides himself on authentic historical representation and this was but one example of his…