Like in many parts of the world, 2020 has been an atrocious year for America: pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and more. “But then Kīlauea erupts, and we’re all like: ‘Yes!’” says Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, a seismologist and volcanologist at the Western Washington University. On December 20, 2020, at 9:36 p.m. local time, Kīlauea—the crowning volcanic…
This December, Martin Lersch, a Norwegian chemist and a passionate cook, rolled out his homemade gingerbread dough and got to work. He flipped his cookie cutter to and fro repeatedly, creating a quilt of cookies in the shape of Christmas trees. But Lersch’s main goal wasn’t simply a batch of delicious holiday cookies. He wanted…
★★★ Directed by #EugeneAshe Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by #EugeneAshe Starring #TessaThompson #NnamdiAsomuga Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’,,Film Review by ,,Rachel Willis Writer/director Eugene Ashe (Homecoming) helms a charming, if paint-by-numbers, love story in Sylvie’s Love. Young saxophonist Robert (Nnamdi Asomugha, Crown…
2020 has been a tough year for everyone. While many will have had their own unique experiences and hardships, there is an overarching swell of emotions we have each felt at some point through the year. Fear, isolation and even hope have all found us in the crevices of the homes we have found sanctuary…
“You agree that you’ll teach me magic, and I agree to help you out.” GKids has revealed a new US trailer for the Japanese animated film Earwig and the Witch, the latest film by Goro Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki’s son who also directed the films Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill previously. This…
The traditional public Christmas tree in Lismore, the largest town in the northeast of Australia’s New South Wales, used to be pretty ho-ho-hum. Before 2015, a Cook pine in the middle of a roundabout was dressed up each holiday season as a tannenbaum. But, like all Cook pines, the tree leans toward the equator, so…
Meryl Streep warned us about newly sworn-in President Donald Trump’s tone during a blistering Golden Globes speech four years ago. She leaned on a dash of Fake News in the process. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWhat Streep didn’t realize at the time was how her Hollywood peers would trump the unorthodox…
While 2020 has robbed many of their nuptials – whether it be in the dream of a big wedding or all together – the folks at Saban Films are determined to deliver their latest union before the year is up. Unfortunately, Sister of the Groom is a film you will want to lose your invitation…
Al Wathba fossil dunes are a little-known attraction on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. With the huge sun setting in the distance, the vast desert feels like a scene from any of the “Star Wars” films. These petrified fossil dunes are smaller than they appear in pictures. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonA…
Adaptive reuse is a term commonly used to refer to the repurposing of a building away from its original use. Museums that celebrate the former lives of the buildings they occupy are some of the most common examples. However, another surprisingly common repurposing can be seen in the bevy of churches that have been transformed…
This article is part of our 2020 Rewind. Follow along as we explore the best and most interesting movies, shows, performances, and more from this very strange year. In this entry, we recognize the overlooked gems of the year — that is the movies you missed in 2020. An emerging narrative around films in 2020 is that with…
Dr. Sun Yat-sen was at the forefront of the Chinese democratic revolution. He was the founder of the Republic of China and is a much-respected contributor to Chinese modern history. Sun Yat-sen was a key figure in organizing the revolution against the Qing Empire in the 20th-century. He became the temporary leader of the country…
I consider “The Godfather, Part III” the ultimate “what if?” of motion pictures. It’s clearly not at the same level as its predecessors, but it could have been a masterpiece if not for a few surmountable glitches. What if a more experienced actress was cast in the pivotal role of Michael Corleone’s daughter? What if…
Editor, writer and director Chloé Zhao continues her mashup of Kelly Reichardt and Terrence Malick with Nomadland. After the company town she called home dies, Fern is left adrift. House, husband, and job gone, she moves from temp job to temp job in her modified van, at first finding the hustle of such a life overwhelming….
Scarborough Station’s 456 foot (139 meters) bench is said to be the longest railway bench in the world. Equal in length to 12 double-decker buses, it’s able to accommodate almost 230 passengers. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonThe bench was constructed by William Bell on behalf of the North Eastern Railway in…
This article is part of our 2020 Rewind. Follow along as we explore the best and most interesting movies, shows, performances, and more from this very strange year. In this entry, we highlight the best TV episodes of 2020. It’s the end of 2020. How about that? I’m not going to recount what a bad, strange year it’s…
Esteban Martin Martin was a physician in New York who held a lifelong fascination for Christopher Columbus. He believed that there wasn’t a monument anywhere in the world that adequately celebrated his hero—so he decided to build one himself. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonMartin owned of a large plot of land…
This month, Gastro Obscura is sharing the recipes and stories behind amazing holiday dishes and drinks from around the world in the ongoing series “Home-Cooked Holidays.” The Simbang Gabi is a devotional nine-day mass practiced by many Christians in the Philippines. Masses start before dawn (usually around 4:00 a.m.) and are held daily from December…
We’re all familiar with the Rankin & Bass stop-motion Christmas specials, including the most famous of them, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. And while it’s one thing to put it on and idly enjoy a candy-cane holiday tale about an outcast reindeer teaming up with other misfits and ganging up on a yeti to win Santa’s…
Jessica Sutton didn’t know there was anything unusual about her family’s holiday tradition until she started bringing boyfriends home for Christmas. She grew up on a farm with strong German roots in Howards Grove, a small town in southeastern Wisconsin. To her Christmas Eve always meant performing “O Christmas Tree” in German at the church…
On a virtual Zoom ceremony Monday night, the Chicago Film Critics Association picked the best of 2020 in 19 categories, and “Nomadland” was the overwhelming winner, taking home 5 prizes, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The ceremony was attended by members of the association as well as joined by…