— by BEV QUESTAD — Oh, Americans, we complain about being too polarized and that extremes on the right and left are dangerous and a threat to society. So, my friends, what if there was a Unity Party? What if there was a remake of the flag with the stars and the blue background in [&helli[...]
Author Archive
Review: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
— by BEV QUESTAD — Just as convoluted and star-studded as the prior two “Knives Out” whodunits, “Wake Up Dead Man” will likewise challenge your sleuthing skills. But added froth to the bouillon in this third Rian Johnson creation is Catholicism. Conflicted Father Jud Duplenticy ([...]
Review: Orwell: 2+2=5
— by BEV QUESTAD — And we are not at war with Venezuela, the War in Gaza is not a genocide, and prices in America are lower than ever. Double-speak, a term inspired by George Orwell’s terms, Newspeak and doublethink as presented in the satire “1984,” is now de rigor politicalspeak [...]
Review: Caterpillar
— by BEV QUESTAD — Is there any part of your body you would not consider enhancing? People pay plenty for nose jobs, liposuction, breast implants, and face lifts. They endure temporary physical deformity and incapacitation for a promise of future beauty and glory. So, would you also cons[...]
Review: The Secret Agent
— by BEV QUESTAD — The New York Times listed “The Secret Agent” in its top 10 movies of 2025. It’s got a great title, it was made in Brazil, and it starts with a dead body under some casual cardboard flapping in the wind at a gas station. Flies buzz, dogs come, and Che […][...]
Review: The Ugly Stepsister
— by BEV QUESTAD — This is one heck of a wild, bold take-off on The Grimm Brothers’s tale of Cinderella. Still set mostly in medieval times (some girls having braces is a surprise), “The Ugly Stepsister” explores a possible backstory to the rags-to-riches beloved princess. Who was [...]
Review: If You See Something
— by BEV QUESTAD — How much did he know and when did he know it? The redheaded American woman, Katie, is driving two Iraqi friends, Ali and Dawod, to the airport. They hit some congestion which triggers a memory for Dawod, the Iraqi, seated in the back, who is headed for his flight back [...]
Review: Dog Man
— by BEV QUESTAD — My darling why-walk-when-I-can-run? four-year-old friend and child film critic, Logan, and I watched “Dog Man” in mesmerized paralysis. Logan forgot about his French fries while his eyes were completely transfixed by this colorful cornucopia of action, color, and e[...]
Review: Mistress Dispeller
— by BEV QUESTAD — “Mistress Dispeller” is a truly surprising and even revolutionary documentary. It captures shame in real time and dissects something Americans have in common with Chinese: social mobility and infidelity. And yet, there is also a learning, an insight, that can only [...]
Review: Plan C for Civilization
— by BEV QUESTAD — Imagine you are on a train track and a train is coming. On both sides of the track it is pitch black, so you don’t know which way to safely jump. But for sure, if you stay rooted on the track, you will be smashed to death. That’s my pitch […][...]
Review: ARTSAKH Armenian Genocide Continues
— by BEV QUESTAD — Remember when Trump claimed he deserved credit for ending six or seven wars during his first months in office? He said, “I think that we settled Aber-baijan and Albania.” The correction is that it was Azerbaijan and Artsakh. Vic Gerami, host and producer of The Blu[...]
Review: Where the Wind Blows
— by BEV QUESTAD — This is the kind of film I love. The story revolves around a perfect woman with high expectations. The film begins with two cowboys stopping in at a tavern in the Old West. The older one, Nathan Strong (C. Thomas Howell), is out for gambling, women, and a good time. [&[...]
Review: KOLN 75
— by BEV QUESTAD — There is something about Keith Jarrett’s improvisational music that transports the listener to another dimension. Test it out. Click on KOLN 75. Start the video and come back to read this review while you travel to a magical place of tones and subtlety that charms yo[...]
Review: There Was, There Was Not
— by BEV QUESTAD — “In Armenian, we don’t begin our stories with ‘Once Upon a Time.’ We begin with ‘There Was, There Was Not.’” While not planning on that theme when she began filming, seven years later, Emily Mkrtichian uses it as the title. In 2018, Mkrtic[...]