In our monthly column Laughed to Death, we look at the way comedy and existentialism go hand-in-hand in seemingly unlikely ways. For this installment, Brianna Zigler explores the murky approach to sex when it comes to multiverse theory and time loops in two examples: Palm Springs and 50 First Dates. “What would you do if you…
SXSW’s eclectic festival has gone virtual for this year and it could be amongst the last all-digital versions of the major film festivals as a promising global vaccine rollout suggests a healthy return to physical editions after the summer. The programmers at SXSW 2021 have wonderfully fulfilled their remit of showcasing high-quality, unique and innovative…
Queerly Ever After is a bi-monthly column where I take a look at LGBT+ films that gave their characters a romantic happily-ever-after. There will be spoilers. Also, don’t forget to buy your Queerly Ever After merch right here. Yad (Majd Mardo) is a 26-year-old Syrian-Dutch man, he has just returned home to his parents after being…
“You and I, we should turn the page.” Watch this official trailer for the indie drama The Man Who Sold His Skin, from Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. This is one of the five Best International Feature nominees at the Oscars this year, an interesting choice considering the quality of all the films submitted. But…
“Why this obsession to find prodigies?” “Inferiority complex… we are not the geniuses who made history. That’s it.” Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThis exchange between Nathanael Silverberg (Andrzej Chyra) and Mieko Saga (Yuki Saito), two judges of the Shogei International Piano Competition, encapsulates a dark reality of being a talented youth….
The glass skywalk of Cabo Girão, situated at the top of the highest promontory in Europe, is the highest cliff skywalk in Europe. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonSituated nearly 2,000 feet (580 meters) above sea level, the cliff walk first opened in 2012. It is composed of a suspended glass platform, which…
Chuck Lorre is the latest progressive to learn the ugly truth about Cancel Culture. No amount of liberal bona fides can provide you with full protection from the woke mob. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonLorre routinely ends his shows with “Vanity Cards” sharing progressive messages. Consider how he mocked Donald Trump’s…
The most famous work by the progressive feminist writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman is her short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” published in 1892. Written after Gilman had experienced a bout of postpartum depression that doctors attempted to treat by forcing her to do as little as possible — the then much-vaunted “rest cure”— the story uses…
Parkersburg has been dubbed proudly by its residents as “the birthplace of West Virginia.” This small city sitting on the Ohio River served as the Union’s very first invasion point into the Confederate states, changing the course of the Civil War. The state of West Virginia was born by those remaining loyal to the Union,…
The city of Venice has always been naturally protected from external attacks due to its position in the middle of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries, almost no effort was made to fortify the area surrounding the city. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonDuring the 14th-century, the first stronghold was constructed in the…
Nearly 200 miles of tunnels snake beneath Helsinki, providing a weatherproof subterranean playground for the Finnish capital’s residents and visitors. Yet hidden behind the bright lights of the underground attractions—which include a museum, church, go-kart track, hockey rink, and more—are emergency shelters fitted with life-sustaining equipment: an air fiation system, an estimated two-week supply of…
Find out if a fling can last past the weekend in Monday, the latest from co-writer/director Argyris Papadimitropoulos. Mickey and Chloe had a wild first night, which turned into a wild weekend. Sparks just flew, and not wanting to let go of whatever they found they decided to keep it going. It’s hard to replicate those…
One of the largest shopping malls in Czechia was constructed on the site of the former Josef Barracks. The site was owned by the military until it was sold in the early 1990s and developed into the Palladium shopping complex, which opened in 2007. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThe ornate façade of…
★ Directed by #JonathanKaufman Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by #JonathanKaufman Starring #SteeleStebbins Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’Film Review by Christie Robb According to Jewish Law, a bar mitzvah is when, at 13, boy becomes a man and can be held accountable for…
The fact that George Herman “Babe” Ruth, often heralded as the greatest baseball player of all time, was born in Baltimore, Maryland is no secret. However, the fact he attended a “reform school” is a little less known. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonAt the age of seven, Ruth was sent off to live…
Mariah Reading uses unique canvases for her paintings. When the nomadic park ranger and frequent artist-in-residence finds lost objects and trash while adventuring in state and national parks across America, she paints the surrounding landscape on the item, highlighting waste and showcasing the beauty of the protected areas. She has captured the morning light flooding…
You know that inner voice that always prevents you from doing the right thing? That always stops you from being your true self? What if you could learn to reject it and listen to yourself instead, staying true to who you really are. That is the concept behind Violet, a seemingly autobiographical film that marks…
★★★ Directed by: Dale Allan Johnson Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: Dale Allan Johnson Starring: Louisa DeButts, Heather Michelle, Brandon J. Shaw, Adam Braunstein, Tim Gauntt Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’Film Review by: Jason Knight A young woman begins having visions about…
Smug isn’t a good look for most comedians. Funny people may point out our foibles, but they’re best at capturing an Everyman sensibility while doing so. Confessional comedy kills, like most of the jokes Jim Gaffigan tells. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho Marathon Even when comics target their audiences there’s a wink-wink…
Brooklyn Mine is a former mine located in a remote area just north of Joshua Tree National Park. It takes some time to get to the Brooklyn mine. It is 17 miles away from the nearest paved road (Pinon Road in Joshua Tree). The dirt roads headed out are all washboard and will rattle more than your teeth….
The recent passing of the great Christopher Plummer brings to mind his incredible body of work, with his Oscar-nominated turn in “All the Money in the World” especially worth revisiting. While the 2017 movie received ample pre-release publicity for its wild production history (namely, how a disgraced Kevin Spacey was replaced by Plummer just a…