Throughout “Barton Fink,” a film producer named Lipnick (Michael Lerner, in an Oscar-nominated turn) speaks of craving “that Barton Fink feeling” in a screenplay. Namely, an honest, sublime truth that’s lacking in the normal Hollywood fare. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWhat the fourth film from writer/directors Joel and Ethan Coen offers,…
Welcome to Movie DNA, a column that recognizes the direct and indirect cinematic roots of both new and classic movies. Learn some film history, become a more well-rounded viewer, and enjoy like-minded works of the past. This entry recommends movies to watch after you see the historical drama Judas and the Black Messiah. Biopics and other…
During Lunar New Year, a prosperous future belongs to those who eat their weight in luck. Diners slurp long noodles to ensure long lives and scarf down bone-in fish to swim to new fortunes. But the sweetest of these auspicious New Year dishes may be nian gao, a sticky cake eaten with the hope that…
Even in South Africa, African food is not the default. And in Cape Town especially, dining can be quite Eurocentric. Centuries of colonialism erased indigenous foods and entrenched the idea that European food is somehow superior. These effects are still found today, but a microbiologist turned ice-cream maker, Tapiwa Guzha, wants that to change. With…
As a lizard-loving kid growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, Greg Pauly sometimes found himself running an accidental rehabilitation center for wayward reptiles out of his parents’ house. One neighbor wasn’t particularly sold on the squamates that lived around her yard, he recalls, but her cats, Crackers, Peepers, and Stinkers, kept intercepting them…
Donna: Stronger than Pretty is a new film directed by Jaret Martino which depicts a fictionalized version of his mother, Donna. The film follows Donna through several decades of her life as she grapples with her expectations for her life, as well as the expectations of others and of society. After making a socially acceptable…
“This flavor is for my grandmother,” says Tapiwa Guzha, pointing to a rooibos and fennel granita on the menu at his ice cream store in Cape Town, South Africa. “She grew fennel in her garden.” Guzha is a microbiologist turned ice-cream maker who was raised to grow and eat fruit and vegetables straight from his…
“We have to show who’s in charge.” Magnet Releasing has unveiled a new official US trailer for the Danish action crime thriller Enforcement, originally known as Shorta in Danish. The film seems to almost be a Danish remake of Ladj Ly’s Les Miserables, about two cops who encounter vengeful locals that don’t like them. “I…
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…
“I am a career civil rights lawyer.” Dogwoof has revealed the first trailer for Philly D.A., a new doc made by filmmakers Yoni Broo & Ted Passon. This just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as one long 110 minute feature film. However, the project is being sold/distributed as a series with 8x hour-long episodes…
My general issue with young adult (YA) romance films stems from them typically meshing a coming-of-age storyline with some fantastical premise to make the plot more interesting. I’d rather they pick just one of the two and commit to it. In the coming-of-age camp, I love Lady Bird, The Fault in Our Stars, and Perks…
2020 saw a lot of things. One of the more unexpected movements that came out of the year was the #FreeBritney movement that erupted, as the famed pop singer’s conservatorship for the past 12 years coming under severe scrutiny and cries for her freedom heard throughout the internet and outside courthouses. But what really is…
At well over 20,000 feet, Mt. Aconcagua is the tallest peak in the Americas. Nestled high in the Andes near the border of Argentina and Chile, it’s the highest mountain anywhere outside of Asia. To mountaineers, it’s not a very technical trek, in that it doesn’t require any specialized equipment to reach the summit. However,…
Propped high at the peak of Mount Gamsutlmeer in Dagestan, Russia, this abandoned ancient village is one of the oldest settlements in the region. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonIn the Gunibsky district of Dagestan lies Mount Gamsutlmeer, and at an altitude of roughly 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) above sea level resides…
The Stockholm metro has been a staple of the Swedish capital’s public transportation scene since the 1950s. The stations are also home to the world’s longest art gallery and are the center of several ghost stories such as the Kymlinge Ghost Metro Stop. Now, the new C30 trains contribute to Stockholm’s unique metro culture by means of…
One of the best and most memorable films to come out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival is a documentary called Try Harder! Directed by Debbie Lum, the film follows five students — four seniors and one junior — of Lowell High School as they go through the college admissions frenzy. Though the overall tone…
On July 4, 1848, John Bidwell discovered gold in a canyon of the Feather River. The town of Bidwell’s Bar was soon in business. As one of the first mining camps in California, life was difficult. Settlers relied on a ferry to transport people and supplies across the river. A bridge was erected but was…
It’s time to say goodbye to a beloved institution. By the end of February, all Family Video stores will be closed. The announcement came early last month that they would remain open until February 28th, or when all the stock has been sold off, whichever comes first. Upon hearing this news, for three weekends in…
Although best known for dinner rolls and Boston Cream Pie, the Parker House Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, was also known as the temporary residence of Victorian British author Charles Dickens during his second tour of the United States from 1867-1868. Dickens was already a prominent celebrity at the time. He was booked into the Parker…
We humans are a filthy bunch. We’ve scattered our trash on landscapes the world over, from beaches and deserts to national parks, mountain peaks, and the deepest crannies of the ocean. By and large, our debris is an unwelcome and even dangerous addition to natural environments. In oceans, plastics can smother corals or clog animals’…
In my review, I have expressed how the Sundance 2021 short Doublespeak affected me as a viewer. It’s a devastating and sadly common subject matter, carried to the screen with beautiful and nuanced direction and performances. Even with a nine-minute runtime, the film leaves an impact just as powerful as a full-length feature film would….