Movie talk

  • Project 444 short film review

    ★★ Directed by: #GlennMcAllenFinney Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: #GlennMcAllenFinney, #SamWinterton Starring: #KellyMcCormack, #MickyOcean, #TommyCastleman Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’Film review by: Joseph Rodgers Addressing the alarming prospect of rising pollution levels and climate catastrophe, Project 444 is an ambitious sci-fi short…

  • Thoughts and Prayers short film review

    ★★★ Directed by: Christopher Logan Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: Christopher Logan Starring: Andrea Rosolia, Beverley Breuer, Kyle Charles Gannon, Adiam Haddish Asrat Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’,,Film Review by: ,,Jason Knight Mobile devices are everywhere today. People use them for a…

  • Twitter Bans Bannon, Allows Griffin to Re-Post Bloody Trump Head

    Steve Bannon and Kathy Griffin have something in common. Both are political warriors of the first order. Bannon, a former Trump White House confidante, wages political battle via “Bannon’s War Room” show. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonGriffin attacks primarily via social media and comedy stages. Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a…

  • The Mandalorian Faces Lies and Krykna in Chapter 10: The Passenger

    You really can’t trust a soul in the wild galaxy of Disney+’s “The Mandalorian.” You could be blitzing away from the sandy ghost town of Mos Pelgo after a Krayt dragon kill well-done, and suddenly get tripped up by pirates who trash your speeder, and threaten to kill your precious baby cargo. Director Peyton Reed’s…

  • The Dark and the Wicked

    “The Dark and the Wicked” has enough jump scares to satisfy the “Yes, but it is scary?” contingent of horror fans. But for the most part, this film from writer/director Bryan Bertino—about strange goings-on at a farmhouse where the family patriarch is dying—focuses on atmosphere and creeping dread, channeling 20th century classics like “Don’t Look Now,” “The Tenant,”…

  • Mortal

    “Mortal” begins with the definition of its title. “A human being,” appears on the screen, which corresponds to the noun entry in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Since we’re perusing my favorite book, I should mention a few other adjective definitions of the word: “fatal,” “deadly” and  “marked by unrelenting hostility.” All but one of these apply to the…

  • Sky’s The Limit Observatory in Twentynine Palms, California

    The Morongo Basin is one of the best places in California to truly see the night sky. But until relatively recently, it lacked an observatory. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonVisitors to Jerri Hagman’s Homestead Inn in Twentynine Palms would often marvel at the clusters of stars that illuminated the sky, and she dreamed…

  • MORTAL: A Grim Origin Story With Emotional Charge

    Superhero films, in general, showcase the extraordinary faculties of a superhuman, who is naturally in need of a worthy adversary. Although, as seen in Chronicle and Brightburn, sometimes one’s most dangerous adversary is oneself. Chronicle and Brightburn have unveiled a bleaker side to the comic-book formula, wherein the powerful protagonist is their own worst enemy….

  • Homunculus Loxodontus in Leiden, Netherlands

    When entering the Leiden University Medical Center, one may not expect to come across a sculpture of a strange creature.  Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho Marathon“Homunculus Loxodontus” was the name given to a humanoid, elephant seal sculpture crafted by Margriet van Breevoort in 2016. It was designed for a yearly statue exhibition in…

  • MinNature Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    MinNature Malaysia is a lovely museum home to miniature figures and buildings representing the cultural heritage of Malaysia. The displays were crafted by miniature enthusiasts who wanted to showcase Malaysia’s rich and diverse history. The museum opened in 2016.    Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonAcross the various displays, visitors will find miniatures…

  • World’s Smallest Dala Horse in Elsborg, Sweden

    The Dalecarlian horse is well known across the globe. Most visitors to Sweden purchase one of the small wooden horses as a souvenir, even though it’s traditionally a very regional object for the province of Dalarna. The province is full of Dala horses and is home to the world’s largest and smallest versions of the wooden figure. …

  • Moine House in Highland Council, Scotland

    The Moine House name derives from the Gaelic word mòine which means “moss” or “peat.” The house sits on the edge of a vast bog that covers much of Sutherland and Caithness, known as Flow Country. The long stretch of bog between the Kyle of Tongue and Loch Hope was often referred to as A’…

  • Koko-di Koko-da film review

    ★★★★ Directed by #JohannesNyholm Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by #JohannesNyholm Starring #LeifEdlund #YlvaGallon Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’,,Film Review by ,,Matt Weiner What about Groundhog Day, but with unrelenting psychological dread? That’s the premise of Johannes Nyholm’s horror fable Koko-di, Koko-da, and…

  • CHEF’S TABLE: BBQ: Saving the South’s Reputation

    Netflix’s hit documentary series Chef’s Table highlights individual chefs from all corners of the world making all kinds of food into an art form. It’s beautifully shot, edited, and narratively moving, as each chef tells their own story of how they made it to greatness. The newest season centers around the overlooked intimacy of barbecue and…

  • Watch: Superb ‘Hammer Down’ Western-Trucker Action Short Film

    “You don’t even know what’s inside there, do you?!” Hammer Down is an excellent action-heavy 13-min short film made by Simon Hatt and it’s now online. Inspired by his own upbringing with his truck driver father, Simon made an adventure film about a daughter and her truck driving father. Hammer Down tells the “story of…

  • Post-Election Hollywood: America Is Racist

    We let Hollywood down. Americans still don’t know who won the 2020 presidential election, but one thing is clear from La La Land. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThe industry is very disappointed Joe Biden isn’t celebrating a landslide victory. Instead, President Donald Trump enjoyed a robust boost in minority support, something…

  • In Conversation With Peter Murimi And Toni Kamau For I AM SAMUEL

    Seven years ago, Toni Kamau and Peter Murimi started making their documentary I Am Samuel. Today their film is finally out in the world, and so is the story of its subject. Samuel is a gay man from a low-income neighbourhood in Kenya, where homosexuality is criminalised. For Samuel, this stigma brings with it the threat of violence and of…