Month: March 2021
-
War is Not the Answer: Music in “Da 5 Bloods”
Marvin Gaye’s powerful music addresses the same themes as “Da 5 Bloods” and elevates the film to even greater heights.
-
“Terrace House”: The Kinder, Gentler Japanese Alternative to Reality TV
“Terrace House” improves on the standard reality TV format by affording its cast privacy, freedom, and respect.
-
“Fat Girl” and The Dangerous Expectations of Girls in Society
Spoiler Warning and Trigger Warning for Sexual Violence Ahead Fat Girl (À Ma Soeur, or To My Sister in its original French title)is a 2001 film directed by Catherine Breillat, a woman known for often-controversial films that usually revolve around themes of sex and identity. The movie follows Anaïs, an overweight 12 year old, and […]
-
Let’s Hope Disney’s “Hercules” Remake isn’t Another “Aladdin”
Here’s what Disney got wrong with “Aladdin” and how it can avoid those pitfalls with “Hercules.”
-
Comedies From Around the World (And Where to Stream Them)
Could you use some hearty laughs? Then you’re in the right place! Enjoy this selection of diverse international comedies.
-
“Marriage Story” is no “Kramer vs. Kramer”
“Marriage Story” is a narrow-minded and heavy-handed attempt to examine the complexity of human relationships.
-
Happy Passover! Jewish Representation in Unorthodox
Mini-Series Unorthodox gives audiences a glimpse into the Orthodox Jewish community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We get to specifically follow a young woman named Ester Shapiro who, after being married off and forced to procreate with a man she doesn’t love, flees the only home she has ever known to start a new life in Berlin. […]
-
“Vivarium” Presents Go-Nowhere Parenting
By now we all have a good sense of what it’s like to be trapped at home indefinitely. Will we be allowed out by June? August? The year 2021? Or are we like a country full of tigers, doomed to live out our days in captivity? As the days of quarantine and social isolation turn […]
-
Throw a Goat For “Trolls: World Tour”
If you’re quarantined with kids — or if you’re a kid at heart who enjoys Dreamworks animation movies — Trolls: World Tour (2020, Prime Video, Vudu, Fandango) is a sweet, singalong distraction with several positive messages. You don’t need to have seen the first Trolls movie to enjoy this one, but if you have seen […]
-
We Don’t Need Another Hero: The Bonkers Post-Apocalypse of “Beyond Thunderdome”
Whenever it feels like the end of the world, the word “Thunderdome” ultimately pops up somewhere. It’s like Godwin’s Law of terrible circumstances. For example, in the week before social distancing, the bottled water section of my local Costco was a full-on Thunderdome of people pushing, shoving, and trying to outwit the “one case per […]