Although he has only 10 feature films to date in a career that has spanned more than 30 years, Wong Kar Wai has more than solidified his position as one of the true masters of contemporary cinema. Over that time, he has created a distinctive artistic style, one that favors enigmatic narratives often based around…
Freemasonry, or what is commonly referred to as Masonry, can be defined as a member-based charitable organization dedicated to the practice of exhibiting good deeds. They are also known for their secret celebrations. Membership is estimated to be around six million affiliates worldwide. In Scotland, there are somewhere around 32 lodges, places where Freemasons gather for…
A woman goes through a rarely talked about the grieving process in Pieces of a Woman, the latest from director Kornél Mundruczó. This was supposed to be a happy time. Martha and Sean were expecting their first child, having prepped for a home birth that they were confident would go smoothly. When it comes time,…
This piece was originally published in National Observer and appears here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration. Hidden in anodyne filing cabinets scattered across the federal government’s Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa is a library of 17 million dead bugs. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThe Canadian National Collection of Insects,…
Greenfield Valley Heritage Park is home to millponds, streams, and historic factories all connected by a pleasant one and a half-mile walking path. This park contains almost 2,000 years of history. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonSome of the industries founded in this area included copper, flannel, and flour mills, along with soft…
“Uncle Frank” wastes so many natural resources it’s hard to know where to begin. Let’s start with a killer cast, from the underrated Paul Bettany to the dame of modern matriarchs, Margo Martindale. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThrow in Steve Zahn, Judy Greer and rising star Sophia Lillis of “It” fame,…
In 2013, Barnum Museum curator Adrienne St. Pierre discovered what she described as a “rather decrepit old cardboard box” in the museum’s offsite storage facility. Inside was a huge ball of russet animal skin, noticeably aged and with loose bits of fur poking out in wayward tufts. Intrigued, St. Pierre brought the box back to…
Emmanuel Kalisa helped kill a lion, one of the last in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park, around 2002. Lions often mauled cattle owned by local herders such as Kalisa, who grazed their livestock in the park. “I heard lions every night,” he says. “I woke up shouting and threw burning sticks.” So Kalisa and other locals…
Audiences may do a double take when they first see Glenn Close in “Hillbilly Elegy.” The Oscar nominee is unrecognizable as Mamaw, the chain-smoking matriarch of the new Netflix film. It’s based on author J.D. Vance’s celebrated memoir of his Appalachian roots, a tome many said explained Donald Trump’s ascent to the White House. Read…
PBoy, this film lives up to the word “sound” in its title. Writer/director Darius Marder has crafted an incredible, bold, and respectful feature debut. With the simple premise of a heavy-metal drummer slowly losing his hearing, Sound of Metal starts at a ridiculous high, and both Marder and lead actor Riz Ahmed are pressured to…
Until recently, Emily Scherer raised goats in the heart of Denver. They lived in a 33-foot pen on her quarter-acre lot. She used their manure to fertilize vegetable plants whose produce she sold at a stand in her front yard. One goat, she says, produced enough milk for her family of three. Her goats were…
The construction of what was once the Convento de la Compañía de Jesús (Convent of the Society of Jesus) began in 1660 by decree from the Jesuit bishop Marcos Ramírez del Prado. It included the Jesuit college in addition to a church. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonFollowing Mexico’s Reform Laws during…
There’s an endless array of adjectives and comparisons that come to mind with Matthew Rankin’s debut feature The Twentieth Century. Even before having the good grace to watch the film, the very trailer conjures up a bevy of images that indicate a dense fog of misty expression, ironic humor, gender-bending, and a very specific brand…
Located on the western side of Torino, Statuto Square was once home to a Roman necropolis, a French execution site, and was the scene of a terrible fire in 1983. The fountain in the middle of the square was constructed in the memory of the workers who died digging the Frejus Rail Tunnel. Due to its…
The Hermitage is one of Scotland’s most beautiful woodland walks. It runs along the River Braan, a cascading torrent that flows into the River Tay at Dunkeld. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonComplete with leaping salmon, it truly is a magical place. Its piece de resistance is Ossian’s Hall of Mirrors, a…
“Don’t say nothing, you’ve seen nothing.” HBO has unveiled the official trailer for a film titled The Art of Political Murder, an HBO Original documentary directed by doc producer / filmmaker Paul Taylor. The powerful doc film tells the story of the 1998 murder of Guatemalan human rights activist Bishop Juan Gerardi and how it…
Political comedy took a knee when Barack Obama moved into the Oval Office. In a way the jitters were understandable. Poking fun at the first black president, at least initially, took a master’s touch. One false syllable and cries of “racist!” might be heard from sea to shining sea. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect…
In a small village, Sečanj archaeologists discovered a bronze figurine that dated to the 12th-century. it was believed to be a representation of Jesus Christ. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonIt is known as “The King Of Tamiš,” since the Tamiš River is located just one mile away. Local sculptor Miodrag Rogan…
2020 has been a strange year for cinema, but its unpredictability has made room for reassessment. The lack of new Shakespeare adaptations hitting U.S. theaters provides us with an opportunity: to revisit Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet,” released 24 years ago this month. A modern spin on the romantic tragedy defined by Luhrmann’s affective style,…
★★★★ Directed by: Giulio Mastromauro Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: Giulio Mastromauro, Andrea Brusa Starring: Giulio Beranek, Babak Karimi, Elisabetta De Vito, Christian Petaroscia Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’,,Film Review by: ,,Jason Knight A heartbreaking look into the harsh life of an…
The recently concluded edition of the AFI Fest was one of the first to have been stricken by the circumstances that the entire world has been suffering from. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the folks at AFI Fest were able to put on an incredible show with an astounding amount of variety in their lineup. However,…