From his office on the edge of Mānoa Valley in Honolulu, University of Hawaiʻi meteorologist Steven Businger often sees rainbows, some that last all day. According to Hawaiian legend, these heavenly arcs embody the presence of Kahalapuna, the daughter of a chief and chiefess who mourned her death by transforming themselves into their spirit forms,…
A one million ton concrete dome constructed on the side of a chalk quarry with underground storage for the rockets, fuel supply, a liquid oxygen production facility, electricity generators and housing for the garrison. This is La Coupole, a massive remnant of World War II located five kilometers from Saint-Omer in France. Read moreA Guide to The…
One day, from outside his office window in North Philadelphia, Ricky Staub saw a cowboy on horseback, galloping along the concrete as if the boulevards and avenues beneath him were still made of dirt and grass-root. A few questions traced the city equestrian to the Fletcher Street Stables, which, for the past century, have been…
One of the world’s oldest sciences is on full display in the rafters and rooftops above Saint Catherine’s Church, the oldest church in Gdańsk, Poland. Horology, the science of measuring time, has a place in this ancient city thanks to one of its leading beer brewers, politicians, academics, and inventors: Jan Hevelius (1611-1687). Read moreA…
The state of Middle Eastern representation on TV and in movies is dire, and “United States of Al,” which premieres April 1 on CBS, is not going to help. On the one hand, a character like Adhir Kalyan’s Awalmir, or Al, is theoretically “good” representation: the sitcom from Chuck Lorre, David Goetsch, and Maria Ferrari…
In 1918 businessman, Lord Leverhulme, took a boat trip and fell in love with the islands. So much so that he decided to purchase the land. Reports vary, but it’s believed he purchased the land for £150,000. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonLeverhulme was passionate about generating jobs and opportunities for those…
Matt writes: On March 15th, the 2021 Oscar nominees were announced, and though David Fincher’s “Mank” scored the most nominations, the clear frontrunner in the Best Picture category is Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” followed closely behind by Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari.” Don’t miss Susan Wloszczyna’s report on the nominees as well as Robert Daniels’ impassioned essay…
★★★ Directed by: Bob Freville Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: Bob Freville Starring: David L. Tamarin, Scott Burnhard, Damarcus Cox, Claire Gutowsky, Danger Slater Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’Film Review by: Jason Knight An eyepopping and rather offensive satire on former president…
Indian avant-garde filmmaker John Abraham‘s 1977 black and white film Donkey in a Brahmin Village (Tamil: Agraharathil Kazhuthai) opens with Tamil poet Subramania Bharati‘s poem in praise of fire, recited fiercely by a gravelly male voice. It is only towards the end of the film when this poem is recited again by the narrator that we realize its relevance…
A providence petrel goes onto the X-ray machine. Some traumatized animals, including a tiny Gould’s long-eared microbat, are swaddled in towels. An echidna, or spiny anteater, has a tube attached to its long beaky nose. All these animals injured during the recent historic floods in New South Wales, Australia, and their care was in the…
Tucked within the mountains of Japan’s Gifu prefecture, in the middle of Takayama, lies Funasaka Sake Brewery. With its dark-wood walls and stacked sake barrels, it looks typical. But inside is a surprise: Funasaka sells top-notch kosher sake. Less than one percent of the Japanese population identifies as Jewish, but according to Hiroki Arisu, the…
“We are coming back, aren’t we?” This is an outstanding short that is undoubtedly worth a watch. Ruth is a one-take narrative short film by filmmakers Arturo M. Antolin & Paul Romero Mendez. This was made using the same kind of equipment and technique as with 1917, and was exec produced by ARRI and Directors…
Julian De Zotti‘s intimate mini-series For the Record becomes especially tender for those of us who still prefer collecting over streaming. The six-episode anthology series strings together the stories of people whose lives revolve, in some romantic, harmonious way, around music. Anna Hopkins of The Expanse fame loads the series’ first two episodes with some hefty star…
In the depths of a Wisconsin winter, a few days before the end of 2020, Emily Ford went backpacking. Nearly 1,200 miles of snowy trail stretched before her when she set off from Potawatomi State Park in Sturgeon Bay, on the edge of Lake Michigan. Accompanied only by Diggins—a friend’s sled dog, borrowed for the…
You can always count on SXSW to deliver some thrillers that, through their low-budget limits, find a new style or storytelling form to stand out. Here Before provides the creeps with an extra layer of grief, The Spine of Night throws fantasy genre conventions out the window by embracing cosmic horror elements, and Broadcast Signal…
In the center of Tatra Mountains, one of the smallest mountain ranges in Europe, is a mountain that straddles the border of two countries. Almost one-fifth of the High Tatra mountain range is situated in Poland, the rest in Slovakia. This national border runs for 40 miles from the west on the main ridge to the…
Hidden behind the famous Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee is a dark alley that was once nothing more than an urban shortcut. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThat was until 2016, when a group of local artists turned the alley into a showcase of street art. The alley now features artwork from local…
The current “Saturday Night Live” is as edgy as a spork after a few passes with a belt sander. Irreverent shows like “SNL” struggle to maintain their sense of impropriety. Shocking western culture rarely allows for second acts, and the novelty wears off eventually. Think Sacha Baron Cohen, Madonna and Howard Stern, although the latter…
The Putt-Putt of Warren is over 59 years old and is the oldest remaining Putt-Putt Course in Ohio. Only 39 authentic Donald Clayton-designed Putt-Putt courses remain in existence. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThis course is regulated by the Professional Putters Association (PPA) and was created by Clayton. This course has pro…
It’s round two for the bumbling villains in The Suicide Squad, with James Gunn taking over writing and directing duties. Gunn is sort of the perfect guy to take over the franchise after 2016’s Suicide Squad fell flat on its face. Critically panned and generally reviled, it was an ill-timed misstep for the already struggling DCEU, and…
In 2003, Canberra was hit by a horrific firestorm. The fire destroyed the Mount Stromlo Observatory, as well as its historic Yale-Columbia Refractor telescope. The telescope had been observing the stars since the 1920s and even helped with a few NASA missions. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonBut from this tragedy came…