A firefighter stumbles into an unusual job in Those Who Wish Me Dead, the latest from co-writer/director Taylor Sheridan. The post at a fire tower was supposed to be quiet. Hannah needed quiet, reeling as she was from a tragic forest fire that left several of her crew dead. Haunted by the mistakes she believes she…
Standing proudly outside an extension to the Finnish Parliament building is an oversized steel strawberry patch. In 2005, the Finnish Parliament commissioned six pieces of artwork to decorate the new Finnish Parliament Annex, also known as “Little Parliament.” Out of 1,719 competition entries, this design by Finnish artist Jukka Lehtinen was chosen as the only…
The world’s longest bridge fountain is located on the long Banpo Bridge overpassing the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. The bridge is already a curious structure, as it’s designed on top of the previous Jamsu Bridge, forming the upper half of the first double-decker bridge in the country. On both sides of the less…
Crossing the Streams is our look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out the new Hulu arrivals for April 2021, including new documentaries on WeWork and Bigfoot, a pair of Denzel Washington thrillers, one of 2017’s best films, and more! Hulu Pick of the Month…
★★ Directed by: #BenFalcone Written by: #BenFalcone Starring: #MelissaMcCarthy, #OctaviaSpencer, #JasonBateman, #BobbyCannavale Film Review by: Emily Davison In a world where supervillains (known as ‘Miscreants’) are commonplace, two estranged childhood best friends reunite after one devises a treatment that gives them powers to protect their city. Thunder Force (2021) is the newly released superhero action…
★★★ Written & Directed by: #AnastasiyaYevchenko Starring: #OleksiiOleksiuk, #ViktoriyaLevchenko, #KirillZhylin Short Film Review by Taryll Baker A soldier is thinking about his family, by opening door after door in his corridor of opportunities but everything we know about him changes with an explosion. Will he have his tomorrow? Opening with a shot of an open…
★★ A film by: #JohanneChagnon Short Film Review by Taryll Baker An experience like no other, Walk in the Forest offers up an ASMR-like atmosphere with gentle sounds amongst terrifying, eerie tones and screams. Gleaming with many festival selections and laurel leaves covering the official poster art, it’s hard to pin-point exactly what hooked the…
When Excalibur (1981) begins, Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne) lies dying in the mud. The magician Merlin warned him that granting his wish would have consequences; that one night with Igrayne, the wife of his newly-won ally, would come at a price. As promised, Merlin arrives to collect Igrayne and Uther’s child: an infant of infinite…
It’s nice to be a progressive consumer these days. Most media platforms, from Hulu to Amazon Prime, create original content aimed directly at them. This isn’t just left-leaning fare, but shows and movies that speak directly to their inner Bernie Sanders Amazon: “All In: The Fight for Democracy,” “Alpha House” Hulu: The upcoming “1619 Project”…
Visitors who successfully avoid Albert Alligator’s ravenous jaws while venturing into the recesses of Georgia’s famous swamp can pay homage to Walt Kelly and his cartoon creation Pogo at the Okefenokee Swamp Park. Inside the park’s Serpentarium, next to displays of live and stuffed bog beasties is Kelly’s studio, where quagmire satire made history. Kelly…
As a veteran sports journalist, Scott Michaux has attended Super Bowls, World Series, NCAA tournaments, and just about every golf tournament under the sun. “The Masters is the best presented event in the history of sports,” he says. “You can’t argue that.” The Masters is one of the four major professional golf championships, where the…
We begin “Voyagers” in 2063, in which Earth is beyond saving and a space expedition is being arranged that will take 86 years to complete. The other big catch? The trip to the newly discovered planet will take so long that that young passengers’ offspring will be making human history, not them. Colin Farrell plays…
To visit Dmanisi, one of the most important sites in the story of human evolution, head south and then west from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, along a narrow highway crowded with delivery trucks. After an hour, turn onto a road that runs through ever-smaller villages. There, sheep clog the way, ignoring the shepherds, who…
An epiphyte is any plant that lives on another plant rather than in the soil. A wide variety of unrelated flora has adapted to an epiphytic lifestyle, including ferns, cacti, and orchids. Epiphytes are common in warmer parts of the world, such as Florida and Central America, but they are relatively rare in cooler climates….
No single image could possibly encapsulate the totality of Josef von Sternberg and Marlene Dietrich‘s artistic collaboration, but the moment that probably comes closest arrives at the end of their 1931 masterpiece, Dishonored. Dietrich‘s Austrian prostitute-turned-spy, Agent X-27, convicted of treason and sentenced to death by her own odious government for saving the life of…
The Boston Hotel Buckminster was constructed in 1897. At the time, it was the largest building in Kenmore Square. Between 1919 and 1950, the building was the site of three notable historical events, covering sports, radio, and jazz. In 1919, the hotel was the site of a meeting between Joseph “Sport” Sullivan, a gambler, and…
Scott Rudin isn’t a household name, but anyone in Hollywood can tell you who he is. The long-time producer’s credits include: “The Social Network” “No Country for Old Men” “Lady Bird” “Captain Phillips” “Moneyball” “True Grit” (2010) Just to name a few. Now, he’s better known as one of the most ill-tempered souls in La…
Between May 18th and May 27 thof 1980, a large uprising against the martial law government of South Korea exploded in the city of Gwangju. The military violently repressed the demonstration and, while the number of victims is disputed, it is argued that up to 2,000 people died in the uprising. The Gwangju Uprising, also…
Female-oriented narratives set in World War II are still a rarity in cinema, and Karen Cinorre was certainly conscious of this fact when creating her feature directorial film, Mayday. Using the myth of the sirens as inspiration, Cinorre has crafted an ominous cinematic experience that delves into the social and emotional intricacies of being a…
In the 1970s, the Library of Congress decided to take comedy seriously and begin efforts to record and preserve its history. They selected a young producer by the name of Tony Belmont to record interviews and gather material from as many great comedians as possible. In 1987, Belmont and comedians Steve Allen and Morey Amsterdam…
A few decades ago, Richard Rockford was about to buy some vintage wooden typefaces from an American antique dealer when the seller pulled open one last drawer. It was where he kept a shoebox-worth of non-English letters orphaned from their original alphabets, hoping someone might eventually adopt them. “He was like, ‘Oh and here’s some…
In the 25 years since Stanley Tucci’s “Big Night” was released in 1996, there has been, in America, a great upsurge of movies and television shows revolving around the world of restaurants, chefs, and fine dining. Tucci’s film, which he co-wrote with Joseph Tropiano and co-directed with Campbell Scott (who also appears in the film…
10 NEW TO NETFLIX “At Eternity's Gate”“Croupier”“Get on Up”“Insidious”“Legally Blonde”“My Fair Lady”“Philomena”“The Pianist”“Savages”“Saving Private Ryan” 10 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” Josh Greenbaum’s comedy was delayed thanks to COVID but found a very receptive following when it was released on VOD earlier this year (and you really must read…
A group of gorgeous young people give into their most primal urges on a decades-long, interplanetary journey in “Voyagers.” And if that sounds like sexy Lord of the Flies in space, well … it is. But despite the familiar nature of the themes writer/director Neil Burger is exploring, his film still offers plenty of tension and…
The Steppes Sculptures are a series of 14 bronze sculptures on a circle of large stones in the middle of a forest. The sculptures were created by Stephen Walker. Each piece represents something from the area, either natural or of historical significance. Nearby is the historic Steppes Homestead, with public toilets, BBQ facilities, and visitor…
★★★ Directed by: Jesper Isaksen Written by: Jesper Isaksen Starring: Rudi Kohnke, Siff Andersson, Louise Cho Film Review by: Jason Knight A dark journey into the mind of a deeply disturbed individual. Charly (Kohnke), has left the U.S. and returned to Copenhagen in order to search for his American girlfriend Amy (Cho), who went missing….
For a restaurant serving what was until recently a Class 5 narcotic substance, the clientele appeared older than one might expect: a couple of extended families, including grandma and grandpa; a woman having a quiet lunch with a man who appeared to be her father; a low-key middle-aged couple. Even the decor—cheesy knick knacks, thick…
SXSW 2021 saw the world premiere of Alone Together, a rich documentary on PC music trailblazer Charli XCX, following her behind the scenes of crafting her 2020 album how i’m feeling now during the global pandemic. What stands out about this doc, directed by Bradley Bell and Pablo Jones-Soler (known collectively as Bradley & Pablo), is that…
When Kyle Stone tries to explain his work, he sometimes compares it to keeping track of cows in a field. His job is to make sure there are enough cows in the pasture to keep it from getting overgrown, but not too many, so there’s enough grass to go around. Except his cows are tiny…
East of the Old Town of Kaunas, a mere five minutes from the blue-domed, Neo-Byzantine St. Michael the Archangel Church, lies a small, triangular square with an Aztec symbol painted on the ground. This unique traffic island is surrounded by three busy streets; you can’t access it, you can barely even see it from street…
São Jorge is one of nine islands that make up the Azores archipelago. The long, narrow landmass measures just 53 kilometers (33 miles) long and 8 kilometers (5 miles) wide. A high plateau runs along the center of São Jorge, marked by a row of volcanic peaks. At the foot of the steep cliffs lie a number of…
Say Your Prayers, directed by Harry Michell and written by Jamie Fraser and Harry Michell, is a dark comedy following two orphaned brothers – Tim (Harry Melling) and Vic (Tom Brooke) – turned Christian hitmen. The film balances moments of humor with character growth, while also balancing the aim of its jokes, so the film…
At the start of World War II, Australia was unprepared for the conflict, especially in regards to supplies of petrol. Attempts were made during the 1930s to increase storage, but motoring was such a new industry that no real progress was made towards keeping storage ahead of usage. As a result at the start of…
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict what will happen when Hollywood’s biggest stars gather later this month. The upcoming Oscars telecast will be a ratings catastrophe, part of a trend tarring recent awards show galas. When every third celebrity insults half the country, it’s only natural said half will tune out. Tell that…
★★★★ Directed by: #HassanRaza Written by: #HassanRaza Starring: #SoneraAngel, #JessicaBalmer, #JamesGraeme Film Review by: Patrick Foley There’s something romantic about a struggling artist – thanklessly toiling away at their craft, ignored by an apathetic world demanding they distract themselves with ‘real life’ problems, until one day passion and art wins out and the creative mind…
Named both for its unusual location—on the seventh floor of downtown Chicago’s historic Garland Building, which was built in the early 1900s—and for the aromas and tastes that greet diners, Heaven On Seven has been serving Cajun fare for decades. It’s most distinctive feature, though, are the hot sauces that cover the tables and even…