— by BEV QUESTAD — The Academy Award nominations for Best Picture are suspect. Each film has its fatal flaw(s), whether because of Covid restrictions, technical challenges, tough subject matter, or production hubris. There are some surprises but, most disappointingly, there is an accumul[...]
Archive for January, 2023
Review: 18 ½
— by WILLIAM STERR — Those of you old enough to remember, or inquisitive enough to care, will know about the notorious 18 and ½ minute gap in the Nixon Watergate tapes that were ascribed to a mistaken erasure by Nixon’s longtime secretary, Rosemary Woods. But what if another copy of t[...]
Review: Matter Out of Place
— by WILLIAM STERR — “Matter out of place” refers to any object or impact not native to the immediate environment. So begins this film about the production of societal waste, its collection and disposal, all within the environment we depend upon to sustain us. Prepare yourself for sc[...]
Review: Wildcat
— by BEV QUESTAD — Harry Turner looks at his ocelot protege and kindly says, “We’re wild animals, me and you. We’re wild.” Though earning many awards and millions of dollars from Amazon, there has been controversy from critics over “Wildcat.” Perhaps some of the rougher comme[...]
Review: Back to the Wharf
— by WILLIAM STERR — Films for the People’s Republic of China (mainland China) have been making their way into international venues more and more recently. But that doesn’t mean they’ve been successful in selling tickets. The Chinese government and private companies have been pouri[...]
Review: There’s Something Wrong with the Children
— by WILLIAM STERR — Nothing like a vacation with a couple you’ve known for years … especially if they’ve brought along their two darling, rambunctious kids. That’s probably what went through the minds of Ben and Margaret as they arranged with Ellie and Thomas to rent adjoini[...]
Review: Where the Crawdads Sing
— by WILLIAM STERR — This is a film adaptation of the 2018 hit novel of the same name, written by Delia Owens. The novel features two story-lines, one of a young girl, abandoned by her family and brutal father and self-raised in the marshes of coastal North Carolina. The second story lin[...]
Top 5: 2022 Documentary List for Congress
— by BEV QUESTAD — I am sending this list of five powerful 2022 documentaries to my legislators. I am also sending the list to selected columnists, politicians and people in the White House. Each documentary has well-documented, credible sources, first-person primary accounts, and a stud[...]
Review: White Noise
— by WILLIAM STERR — Academia! That ivory tower where esoteric thought and meaningless, endless conversation about nothing substitutes for real life. If the words are big enough, the problems are made small enough. At least at the “College on the Hill.” This is the world we are tempo[...]
Review: Bad Axe
— by BEV QUESTAD — During the genocidal days of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, Chun Siev, ran for days through crossfire with his mother and five siblings to freedom in Thailand. At a Red Cross camp, they are asked where they want to go. His mother, Sing Mo Siev, firmly says, “The United[...]
Review: Those Who Call
— by WILLIAM STERR — It’s only a few days into 2023 and things are already headed for the drain. Wars rage on, famine increases, chaos reigns in the House of Representatives and, worst of all, I just sat through “Those Who Call.” This Opus Minus by writer/director Anubys Lopez (“[...]
Review: Retrograde
— by BEV QUESTAD — Here we are, riding along with the Afghan general, Sami Sadat, being notified we are the target of a suicide bomber – right now! The car is driving wildly in and out of a protective caravan – the only defense maneuver possible. At other times, we are right in the [[...]