— by BEV QUESTAD — Let’s just make everyone uncomfortable and tell it like it is. The focus of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy is the subjugation, degradation and dehumanization of women by men through time, class, profession, education, sex and brute force … not a new concept a[...]
Author Archive
Trailer Talk: ‘Born to be Wild 3D’
— by BEV QUESTAD — This IMAX animal adventure documentary looks like a winner from the trailer, beginning with that big orangutan in the water who looks so human. Just Morgan Freeman’s wonderfully rich voice alone captivates. But what a fun, uplifting subject — helping orphaned[...]
Under Review: ‘Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Remember the psychedelic rainbow happy flower children who dropped out of school, work, war and society? Smokin’ grass, droppin’ acid — dressin’ like gypsies — long hair, not much underwear — proud to be poor, mad about the war — listenin[...]
Short Film Theater: ‘Paddle Oregon 2010’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Sounds of Indian drumming and chants merge with lapping riverwater as a kayak drifts through delicate green filigreed forests and crystal clear water. Herons swoop low over water and beach, paddlers drum on congas, an expert kayaker gracefully turns his craft and blue [...]
Under Review: ‘Race Across the Sky 2010’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Okay IJM readers and staff, I challenge each of you to the most excessively exciting bike race on the planet. All you need is a sturdy bike, helmet, water supply, $290 (pending lottery success), transportation to Leadville, Colo., and guts. That’s it. For $290 and an[...]
Under Review: ‘Nothing Personal’
— by BEV QUESTAD — The ring comes off the finger. Stripped of lipstick, comb, home, relationships and name, the woman leaves her country and takes a plane to Ireland. A backpack with a tent is all she owns as she walks down the highway, slipping off during the nights to camp. Wet, windy,[...]
Under Review: ‘Me, Too’ (aka ‘Yo, También’)
— by BEV QUESTAD — Challenging, thoughtful, reflective — this is one of the best films on mentally challenged adults ever presented. Instead of a didactic documentary crammed with testimonials, archival footage and dry analysis, “Me, Too” challenges perspectives on a basic huma[...]
Under Review: ‘Out in the Silence’
— by BEV QUESTAD — “It’s all about being ourselves,” says the filmmaker, Joe Wilson. The Northwest Film Center series, “Voices in Action: Human Rights on Film,” has presented films this year on topics related to minority rights and how those rights affect the greater global goo[...]
Under Review: ‘Mugabe and the White African’
— by BEV QUESTAD — I am confused by this film’s contents and I’ll tell you why. Historically, Black Africans were disenfranchised and marginalized in their own countries for generations. Whites took their land, their government and their soul. White-run businesses transported fathers[...]
Under Review: ‘Last Best Chance’
— by BEV QUESTAD — It’s a wonder any laws get passed in this country. The Northwest Film Center in Portland, Ore., has been showcasing a series on Human Rights this fall. Playing Wednesday, Oct. 2, is a well-done documentary entitled “Last Best Chance.” It begins with John McCain[...]
Under Review: ‘The Peasant and the Priest’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Ambitious, intellectual, and well-researched, this insightful documentary explains effects of globalization through the lives of two wonderful old men and a famous work of art. This film opens silently with a view of a relaxed, wholesome 14th century landscape of peasa[...]
Review: Marwencol
— by BEV QUESTAD — What constitutes the concept of great art? What qualifies my sculpture, my oil painting or my collage as a personal experiment and Claude Monet’s as classic impressionist expression? Why is your kindergartner’s art “developing” and Picasso’s worth millions?[...]
Under Review: ‘The Temptation of St. Tony’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Remember the old song “Sixteen Reasons,” sung by Connie Stevens? Let’s see if I can come up with a fittingly bizarre parallel universe of 16 reasons why someone might enjoy viewing “The Temptation of Tony.”[...]
Under Review: ‘Max Manus’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Trapped by the Germans in his own Oslo apartment, Max Manus escapes by jumping out his window. Surrounded by five guards in a hospital, he regains consciousness but is trussed up in a cast. In traction, while guards take a smoke outside his room, Max uses metal clipper[...]