“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” is rhetoric intended to prop up the promise of the American Dream while ignoring the systematic prejudices that prohibit it from coming true for all Americans. Three films within SXSW 2021’s Narrative Feature Competition grapple with this hypocrisy with varying degrees of self-awareness and success. They are “Women Is…

I’m just going to say this right up front: Ninjababy is one of the most creative, innovative films I’ve seen this year. This film rocks! For whatever foolish reasons, I was resistant to watching this one when it first premiered at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival. Then I finally caught up with it at the…

Mike Leigh has shown throughout his long career that even at our most mundane we, humans, are entertaining. His characters are obnoxious, whiny, pretentious, awkward, and belligerent – personality traits that in real life are predisposed to irritate. But it is through these people that we witness the nature of Leigh’s empathy. By 1971, with…

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…

This article is part of The Reading List, a recurring column in which we encourage you to take your enthusiasm for a particularly groovy movie or TV series and direct it into a wide array of extracurricular studies. This entry plunges into Captain America canon, suggesting the ten best comic books to devour in anticipation…

Two of Sion Sono’s films, which premiered in the United States this year, Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021) at the Sundance Film Festival and Red Post on Escher Street (2020), presented by Japan Society and Agency for Cultural Affairs, comprise of a large cast of characters and exceptional use of extras who also act as…

Tourlida is an islet of Patras Gulf, located three miles (five kilometers) away from Messolonghi. It owes its name to a seabird species.  Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThis area was surrounded by water until 1885 when a road was finally constructed to the mainland. This construction work led to the separation…

At 7:30 a.m. on a Monday in January, the sun has yet to climb over the snowy San Juan mountains that stand sentinel around the tiny town of Ouray, Colorado. In the twilight, a pair of climbers bundled in layers, a thermos of hot coffee or tea in their backpacks, make their way to the…

Is there anything more fascinating than a ‘blank check?’ You know, that moment when a filmmaker — or filmmakers — achieve so much success, whether by acclaim or box-office, that they’re given carte blanche to whatever they desire. Have any passion projects you’ve been unable to get made? Want us to add an extra couple million onto that budget…

Old Fort Park is a beautiful public park located in an artsy little seaside city in central Florida. The park overlooks a small community harbor and is open to pets. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThe site itself is named after a Scottish physician Andrew Turnbull, who established the colony of New…

A found-footage monster movie seems like an oxymoron. Found footage horror is first-person storytelling created with almost no budget and is meant to be unpolished. Monster movies, on the other hand, are large-scale productions with millions of dollars behind them to construct elaborate and terrifying creatures. These subgenres seemed virtually incompatible. But then came two…

Boston Castle, in Rotherham England, was built as a hunting lodge for the third Earl of Effingham who was, in 1775, a serving British officer. He was keen to have his military capabilities recognized and had at one time served as a mercenary for Russian queen, Catherine the Great, against the Turks in an attempt…

Sebastian Maniscalco steers clear of politics on stage. He’d rather talk about marriage, rude gym patrons and the perils of parenthood, as he did in the Netflix special “Stay Hungry.” Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho Marathon The comic turned actor (“The Irishman,” “Green Book“) carries that philosophy over to his podcast. “The…

On the terraced, steep-sided hills the locals call the Amphitheater of the Giants, Alessandro Crovara takes the monorail to work. Unlike the sleek, single-track trains cruising through cities the world over, the monorails in this corner of northwestern Italy are old tractors that pull flatbed wagons slowly along a narrow metal rail, carrying farmers and…

Casa del Venado Azul is a factory, school, musical instrument shop, lodging place, and center for spiritual journeys. This multipurpose center offers pre-Columbian musical instruments, classes in Chichimeca culture for children, workshops in the construction of pre-Columbian musical instruments. There is also onsite a traditional steam bath or sweat lodge, temazcal available with prior reservations. Read moreA…

Moving on is hard in Senior Moment, the latest from director Giorgio Serafini. There are lots of things you have to give up in life, but the pain is particularly acute when it’s linked to your independence. Independence (and a wild streak) is something Victor has always prided himself on, hence his love of fast cars….

Independence Square in Minsk and the surrounding buildings were designed in the classic, constructivist style of architecture by renowned Soviet architect, Iosif Langbard. The square is immense and is designated for various public events.   Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonIn stark contrast to the monumental scale and austere grandeur of the square…

During the government of General Franco, pavilions and facilities began to be built in 1950 in order to hold a monographic contest on the Spanish countryside. Those pavilions of the different Spanish provinces, which were built with great care and they were the pride of that regime, today they are reconverted in restaurants or simply,…

Streaming might be the future, but physical media is still the present. It’s also awesome, depending on the title, the label, and the release, so each week we take a look at the new Blu-rays and DVDs making their way into the world. Welcome to this week in Home Video for March 16th, 2021! This week’s…

For seven years, Pennsylvanians have been on high alert for an invasive species: the spotted lanternfly, which hitched a ride on a shipment of stone from its native China before landing in agrarian Berks County, an hour outside Philadelphia. Since then, the leafhopper, which has no natural predators in the region, has spread throughout the…

This story was originally published in Yale Environment 360, and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. “I spent 15 years removing cats from fenced reserves and national parks,” Katherine Moseby was saying. “And then, all of a sudden, I was putting them back in. It felt very strange to be doing that.”…