Chris Marker is the best example of a self-made and self-styled auteur whose sole vision is entirely of his own making. Even his best-known works, the time-traveling photo-film short La Jette, or the free-flowing travelogue, part essay documentary Sans Soliel defy categorization or simplistic explanation. Marker‘s ethereal presence permeates his work (and even his enigmatic…

One journey, full of hope, turns into the start of an aching search for answers in Fernanda Valadez’s “Identifying Features.” This artful Mexican drama begins when Jesús (Juan Jesús Varela) tells his mother Magdalena (Mercedes Hernández) that he is going north to the United States with a friend for a job opportunity. But months pass,…

Condercum, or Benwell as it’s now called, was one of 13 permanent forts along Hadrian’s Wall. The fort itself can no longer be visited, as it’s covered on the north side by a Victorian reservoir and to the south by 1930s housing. However, this housing estate does hide a few surprises. Read moreA Guide to The…

The Cemetery Dieweg was constructed after a cholera epidemic ravaged Belgium in 1866. As the population grew and other cemeteries closed, Dieweg became overcrowded and the cemetery was abandoned in 1958. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonA few decades later during the 1980s, the cemetery fell into a state of decay. Its…

Near the end of the “Wrong Turn” reboot the main characters drop a boulder-sized Easter Egg. The aside, which won’t be revealed here, shrugs at how the film jettisoned the key element from the previous “Wrong Turn” features. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonBig mistake. Not only does the new “Wrong Turn”…

In my experience, musicals are polarizing. Part character study, part spectacle, not always much in the way of plot — it takes a certain type. Movie adaptations of musicals are even more extreme. They bring the show to a larger audience in a more accessible format but often do so in a way that positively…

When it comes to the SR-71 and the stories surrounding the Lockheed’s Skunk Works program that created it, the mystique is undeniable.  Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonOnly 32 SR-71 aircraft were constructed, and 29 of those were SR-71A models. Two trainers, designated SR-71B, were also created.  The last SR-71, the SR-71C,…

This unassuming, but attractive brick building happens to be the birthplace of several devices and technologies that changed the world. In 1869, the first monkey wrench was crafted inside this building. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThis was also the same location that Thomas A. Watson answered the first phone call made…

★★★★ Directed by #RaminBahrani Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by #RaminBahrani Starring #AdarshGourav Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’Film Review by Hope Madden Rarely do we root for the social climber. Certainly not the social climber who intentionally harms others of his station, unabashedly…

“Being in the public with a camera was no different to being in public with a weapon because of how much it could affect reality.” This outstanding short documentary film takes us to the Balkan country of Kosovo, into the town of Ferizaj (Google Maps), a small city desolated by war located in the south…

This white, gabled KFC could be mistaken for a particularly good-looking roadside fast-food restaurant, were it not for the fact that it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. This building was the first place to sell what would become known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a yellow neon sign with the restaurant’s original name,…

Like most things this year, the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ Reclamation exhibition did not go as initially planned. Curator and director of public programs Melani N. Douglass wanted to treat kitchen labor—the often-invisible daily work that disproportionately falls on women and feminine people—as high art. She envisioned an exhibition centered around kitchen-like…

A new year, a new Netflix crime-docuseries. So, of course, I’m going to watch it. Whether or not you’re knowledgeable in the disturbing crimes of the Nightstalker, Richard Ramirez, if you’re someone who enjoys this kind of series, you’ll be intrigued. Even if you’re not familiar with the particulars of these crimes, you’ll be curious…

Skiers might not know James Niehues’s name, but they have probably studied his maps. Over a decades-long career, the 75-year-old has hand-painted trail maps for over 200 ski resorts across the U.S. as well as a few in farther-flung places including British Columbia, Serbia, and New Zealand. The so-called “Rembrandt of Snow” stumbled into his…

When COVID-19 first forced the lockdown of my area, my fiancée and I took a moment to reflect on the matter at hand, thousands – if not millions – of individuals stuck within their homes, abiding by regulations and attempting to ride out the storm. And not only were they stuck in one place, but…

Deep in Oak Creek Canyon, a trail meanders among the crumbling remains of some stone buildings. Mostly forgotten and partially consumed by vegetation, these former buildings were the home to some unusual occupants and visitors. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonIn the 1870s, before there was even a road through the canyon,…

Most Hollywood fare tackling immigration follow the same playbook. Open borders good. Law and order bad. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWe’ve seen it in TV shows, documentaries and feature films of late, and it’s likely to continue deep into President Joe Biden’s administration. “No Man’s Land” provides a different perspective. The…

Yep, you’re getting another biopic with The United States vs. Billie Holiday, the latest from director Lee Daniels. The advantage here is that Holiday’s life hasn’t been extensively picked over in film. The famous singer of the ’30s and ’40s could fill several movies, so this seems to be focusing on her years being targeted by…

This building resembles a large outcrop emerging from the soil. It houses a trove of information about the prehistoric world that existed in the Côa River valley.  Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonDuring the early 1990s, a discovery was made along the banks of the Côa River. Researchers found several locations where…

While U.S. audiences were complaining about the frustrating plotting of HBO’s disappointing “The Undoing” back in October, their British counterparts had a similar experience with ITV’s “The Sister,” now premiering in its entirety on Hulu this Thursday, January 21st. It too is based on a mystery novel, this one by Neil Cross (“Luther”), who adapts his…

Hadrian’s Wall is one of the most famous historical sites in the British Isles. Construction began around 122 CE and the wall stretched for 73 miles across northern England. It once marked the edge of the Roman Empire. Several sections and fortifications of the wall remain today and are a popular tourist attraction. However, one site…