Most Americans haven’t heard the name Virgil “Bus” Carrell. But drive across the country and you’ll see Carrell’s work. And if you’ve entered a national forest, driven to a natural monument, or crossed the Continental Divide, you’ve probably even pulled over and snapped a selfie next to one of his creations. Those quirky brown-and-cream trapezoids,…
“Do not let yourself be blinded!” Focus Features has released an official trailer for Final Account, a eye-opening and frightening look back at Nazi Germany. And oh yes it definitely has an important connection to the events of nowadays. “Everyone knew, but no one said anything.” Filmmaker Luke Holland (who sadly passed away last year)…
The Palazzo del Tè was built in the 16th century as a leisure palace for Federico II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua. Italian artist and architect Giulio Romano, who had been a student of Raphael, designed the building. Today it is widely considered to be Romano’s masterpiece. The palace is filled with elaborate decorations and paintings—one room,…
Some news stories get far more attention than others, and there’s often a reason for it. When a liberal celebrity unleashes an anti-Trump jeremiad, for example, it quickly ricochets around the web. If that same star does something embarrassing, or hateful, on social media, reporters often look the other way. Are we seeing something similar…
This story was originally published in The Conversation and appears here under a Creative Commons license. Among the human remains in Harvard University’s museum collections are those of 15 people who were probably enslaved African American people. Earlier this year, the school announced a new committee that will conduct a comprehensive survey of Harvard’s collections,…
Wongaksa Pagoda is a 12-meter (40-foot) pagoda located in Seoul, South Korea. The 10-story marble building is hidden away in Tapgol Park, in the center of the busy city. The pagoda was constructed in 1467 as a part of Wongaksa Temple, which King Sejo had established two years earlier on the site of an older…
If there is one thing I have missed most since the COVID-19 locked down the world is a nice cold pint of craft beer at my local tap house or dive bar. The flights sampling the local brewery, the hoppy aroma and taste igniting the senses, and the solid sound of relaxation as the filled glass…
In 1935, Florida adopted Stephen Foster’s melody Old Folks at Home as the official state song, and by 1950, at the behest of pharmaceutical magnate Josiah Lilly, a culture center was opened beside the Suwannee River to honor the quintessential American composer. The Culture Center’s museum features three large rooms filled with pianos, Foster-themed artwork,…
Created in 1960 by Ray Neon Signs, this sign originally advertised the “ua-modern” Civic Pharmacy. The blocky, pastel-colored letters exemplify Googie architectural design — a futurist space-age aesthetic popular during the Atomic Age in the 1950s and 1960s. A well-known example of this era is the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. The sign was…
Sports metaphors are a fact of life, and so are stories about underdogs. The latest sports story about an underdog team and its gruff coach, “Big Shot,” does not get any points for originality, so much as productivity and speed. But while it’s easy to see what this new Disney+ series (available April 16) is up…
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…
“A press release and a handful of front pages. Then it’s gonna be the back pages tomorrow – and who cares when everything will be forgotten, right?” This is the complaint of Police Inspector Giorgio Solmi (Luc Merenda) about the small public impact of the political corruption and conspiracy that he is investigating. “Are you…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…