National Museum of San Matteo in Pisa, Italy

National Museum of San Matteo in Pisa, Italy

The National Museum of San Matteo (Museo Nazionale di San Matteo) is a hidden-gem that is about a 15-minute walk from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThe Museum features a rich collection of works from historic ecclesiastical buildings in the city and Province of Pisa. The works span…

Pasco County Stilt Houses in New Port Richey, Florida

Pasco County Stilt Houses in New Port Richey, Florida

Off the west coast of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico is filled with schools of white mullet, silvery-gray dolphins, and tiny stingrays. Sea birds soar above the water looking for their next catch. And among the lively seascape near the city of New Port Richey, eight wooden structures stand tall above the waves. These unusual…

LITTLE FISH Trailer

LITTLE FISH Trailer

A couple tries to survive being forgotten in Little Fish, the latest from director Chad Hartigan. Emma and Jude were well on their way to a beautiful life together when a strange virus hit humanity. Once infected, the person loses their memories in bits and pieces, the details of their past falling away. Jude contracts the…

Dwarfie Stane in Hoy, Scotland

Dwarfie Stane in Hoy, Scotland

Many megalithic monuments have been associated with legends of giants, the Dwarfie Stane in Orkney is no exception. Except this megalith is only six feet tall and has a unique moniker.  Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonCarved out of a block of Devonian Old Red Sandstone, the Dwarfie Stane is a glacial…

Ichiriki in Kyoto, Japan

Ichiriki in Kyoto, Japan

The Gion district of Kyoto is a famed hanamachi—”flower town”—where numerous geisha establishments stand next to one another. Traditionally, the geishas of Kyoto entertain guests through dancing and conversation (or flirtation) at high-end restaurants called o-chaya, or “teahouses.” The most notable in the district may be the Ichiriki, an exclusive, invitation-only club. Read moreA Guide to The…

Sacristy of San Domenico Maggiore in Napoli, Italy

Sacristy of San Domenico Maggiore in Napoli, Italy

The Church of San Domenico Maggiore is one of the largest and most important religious buildings in Naples. While the baroque interior of the church attracts the attention of most tourists, the sacristy hides many secrets. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonInside the sacristy, the balcony is adorned with 42 sepulchers of…

The Bitter Truths Behind Trigger Warnings

The Bitter Truths Behind Trigger Warnings

Disney assembled a dream team to protect us from our problematic past. The Mouse House recruited 11 organizations to ensure its back catalogue in no way upsets modern viewers. Think GLAAD, Define American and IllumiNative, among the listed groups on its “stories matter” web site. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThe effort…

Cassidy Blues short film review

Cassidy Blues short film review

★★★★ Directed by: Richard Corso Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: Richard Corso, Kareem Kamahl Taylor Starring: Gabe Combs, Asha Bee, Mandy Groves Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’,,Film Review by: ,,Jason Knight This short film noir was inspired by the sixties French New…

Ridley Scott’s ‘Robin Hood’ Is Better Than You Remember. Here’s Why

Ridley Scott’s ‘Robin Hood’ Is Better Than You Remember. Here’s Why

Every cinematic depiction of Robin Hood is a reflection of its era. Consider: The Technicolor glory of the definitive 1938 Errol Flynn version The risk-taking 1976 “Robin and Marion” with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn The fondly remembered 1977 Disney cartoon The extremely-of-its-time, 1991 “Robin Hood-Prince of Thieves” The failed 2018 re-telling, the wannabe franchise-builder…

Happy 102nd Birthday to Iconic Historian Timuel Black

Happy 102nd Birthday to Iconic Historian Timuel Black

Iconic historian Timuel Black is turning 102 on Monday, December 7th, 2020, and will be celebrated with a special drive-by car parade organized by the University of Chicago Civil Knowledge Project and the Alumni Association. Mr. Black is a true Chicago treasure: historian, veteran, social scientist and political activist, scholar, teacher, civil rights leader and jazz…

Two Down Short Film Review

Two Down Short Film Review

★★★★ Directed by: #RolfinNyhus Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: #RolfinNyhus Starring: #RichardStephensonWinter, #ChrisAnderson, #RyanLaccohee Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’Film Review by Lucy Clarke Greasy spoons are embedded in British culture. Although they’re just a cheap and cheerful café to get a plate…

20 Movies to Watch if You Like ‘Mank’

20 Movies to Watch if You Like ‘Mank’

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 stream David Fincher’s Mank on Netflix. Let’s start off by stating that…

Hacienda Hotel in New Port Richey, Florida

Hacienda Hotel in New Port Richey, Florida

Nearly a century ago, a new hotel at the corner of Main and Bank streets was the talk of New Port Richey, Florida. The Hacienda Hotel was a luxurious building with pink stucco walls and a sprawling courtyard. In the decades since it was built, the Hotel has played host to movie stars, served as…

What’s New to Stream on Amazon Prime for December 2020

What’s New to Stream on Amazon Prime for December 2020

Crossing the Streams is our monthly look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out the new Amazon Prime arrivals for December 2020. This month’s titles include a drumming movie that’s not Whiplash, a suspenseful female riff on Lord of the Flies, and more!  Amazon Prime…

Tracking Down the Long-Lost Orchards of the California Gold Rush

Tracking Down the Long-Lost Orchards of the California Gold Rush

Amigo Bob Cantisano, instantly recognizable with his waist-length dreadlocks and handlebar mustache, can often be found searching for treasure in the California mountains. But he’s not looking for the gold which drew droves of miners to the area in the mid-1800s. Instead, Cantisano hunts for what those early migrants left behind—a trove of long-lost crops,…

We Shouldn’t Have Been Surprised to Find a Sculpture of Hermes in a Sewer

We Shouldn’t Have Been Surprised to Find a Sculpture of Hermes in a Sewer

Crews squelching their way through sewer systems in cities around the world sometimes find that they’re not alone. Their headlamps and flashlights occasionally fall across fellow creatures—rats scampering through the filth, or bugs, or even amorous amphibians. Some Victorian-era Londoners circulated stories about feral swine thriving down in the damp, and New York City residents…

The Long Way Back film review

The Long Way Back film review

★★★ Directed by: E.B. Hughes Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: E.B. Hughes Starring: Denny Bess, Reyna Kahan, Mark Borkowski, Don Striano, Ron Rey Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’,,Film Review by: ,,Jason Knight A man has just been released from prison. Can he…

MANK: David Fincher Makes His Long-Awaited Return

MANK: David Fincher Makes His Long-Awaited Return

Ladies and gentlemen, David Fincher is back. After the release of Gone Girl in 2014, the Fight Club, Se7en, and Zodiac director took a 6-year-long break to executive produce the Netflix show Mindhunter (which he also directed a few episodes of), but the legend has finally returned to gift us with another cinematic jewel. From the…

How a Young Eagle Huntress Kicks Butt at a Kazakh Tradition

How a Young Eagle Huntress Kicks Butt at a Kazakh Tradition

When Mongolia closed its borders earlier this year due to the pandemic, Marinel de Jesus was organizing an all-female trip there and filming the annual winter migration of nomadic families in the Altai Mountains. She focused her documentary work on female Kazakh herders, from the country’s largest ethnic minority. “While doing research on the Kazakh…

Emma Norville Stars in Meta-Slasher Horror Film ‘GetAWAY’ Trailer

Emma Norville Stars in Meta-Slasher Horror Film ‘GetAWAY’ Trailer

“He’s filming his kills.” Gravitas has released an official trailer for GetAWAY, a meta-slasher horror film from filmmaker Blayne Weaver. This first premiered at the deadCENTER Film Festival earlier this year, and arrives on VOD later this month for those interested in watching. Emma Norville stars as young actress Maddie, who lands a small role…